Modern organisations use opportunities for team working as much as possible as this is an effective and proven method for getting the best performance from members of the workforce. Teams may be involved in all activities of an organisation – from production right through to financial decision making. This module looks at the role played by teams within organisations and how the human element interacts

The first section looks at how teams are formed and how they work together. It examines the key qualities of teams and their members and describes how team styles differ. The development of a successful team is the goal of any organisation

The next section examines the role of the team leader and how leadership skills can be identified and developed. An effective leader will have a wide range of strengths but, above all, will be able to get the best out of his team’s members. The ability of leaders to identify their own preferred style as well as those of others is a key skill. In addition, leaders need to understand how to motivate others in order for them to perform at their optimum level and to be able to influence them to work in unison towards the objectives of the organisation

Further sections discuss the value of effective delegation, not only to help maintain appropriate workloads for managers but also to empower others by giving them responsibilities at work. The development of strong interpersonal relationships is important but inevitably people conflict will arise on occasions where opinions differ or outside stimuli cause issues. Common sources of conflict are identified and methods for handling conflict are described