Success through team performance

Introduction
Manual Contents
User Comments

Introduction

Today organisations are recognizing the competitive advantages of playing as a team. Networks of workers who form teams are replacing inflexible and traditional management systems.

This manual provides a system for developing teams that perform better now - and keep getting better. Manuals are supplied in hardcopy format or downloadable electronic format.

With this manual, made up of eleven easy-to-read modules, you can drive your organisation to improved productivity and profits, through higher performing teams.

It is now well established that the key to sustained success involves people working together to improve the delivery of services to customers. This manual shows you how to achieve this elusive goal.

Totally integrated modules on the basic components of team performance:

• Why develop teams
  
• A unified sense of direction
  
• Role clarification
  
• Developing outputs, measures and targets
• Performance-linked communication
  
• Learning organisations
  
• Team-based structures
  
• Reward systems
  
• Implementation guidelines
  
• Case studies and team models.

It offers a disciplined, systematic approach to unlocking people potential; how to establish a unified sense of direction; clarify roles; develop outputs, measures and targets; establish team-based communication and learning systems; implement team-based structures and reward systems and avoid the most common pitfalls.

Related links:

• Electronic manuals
• Electronic modules
• Workshops
• Team building consulting

Manual Contents

The manual is in three parts, Part One being an introduction to the basic components of team performance and why teamwork is important, Part Two covers the basic components of team performance comprehensively and forms the core of the manual and Part Three is dedicated to guidelines for implementing a team performance system, the most common pitfalls, case studies and team models, and the optional workbook. While each module can stand alone, together they form a comprehensive team performance system. Each module contains examples, summaries, checklists, glossaries and quality standards.
Below is a summary of the contents.

This manual consists of 12 modules divided into three parts:

Part I: Preparation (consists of three modules)
Introduction - Introduces the manual and the authors.

Module One - The Big Picture provides a summary of the basic components of team performance. These are the basic components necessary to improve performance: individual performance, team performance and organisational performance. The aim is to implement these basics so as to build successful, high-performance teams. This module also clarifies the scope of the manual.

Module Two - Why Develop Teams? addresses the impetuses driving the implementation of organisational teams, namely, the inability of traditional organisation structures to meet current employee needs, a highly competitive market place and the need for organisations to provide total stakeholder satisfaction to survive and grow. The module discusses how the basic components of team performance can assist with the development of teams.

Part II: The Basic Components of Team Performance (consists of seven modules)
Modules three to nine address each of the basic components of team performance. These modules form the core of the manual.

Module Three - A Unified Sense of Direction means the entire organisation, and all the teams and the individuals which make it up, are pulling in the same direction. The first step in the development of a team-based organisation is clarity, focus and agreement about the values, vision and mission of the organisation. This will focus the team on what is important, where it wants to be, and how it will get there.

Module Four - Role Clarification shows how to identify the customers and stakeholders in order to help define and clarify the roles of the various teams and individuals that make up an organisation. An essential step in achieving success through team performance is defining the team and clarifying both team and individual roles.

Module Five - Outputs, Measures and Targets shows how to define the team's roles, now that customers and stakeholders have been clarified. Customer needs and expectations are clarified by developing a set of team outputs, measures and targets.

Module Six - Performance-linked Communication focuses on communication from a performance point of view. It answers the question 'What communication skills, systems and processes are needed to improve performance, to improve the delivery of outputs to customers and stakeholders?' A successful communication system must have entrenched mechanisms for communicating, analysing and discussing performance feedback on the outputs produced for customers and stakeholders so as to continuously improve productivity, quality and team work.

Module Seven - Performance-linked Learning shows how to ensure the delivery of the right skills and knowledge, in the right place, at the right time. This is achieved by implementing an ongoing, purposeful performance-linked learning system that is an integral part of the continuous improvement system. The outcome - training focused on identified output and performance requirements.

Module Eight - Team-based Organisation Structures describes current organisational structures, stressing that there is no best structure, rather the best structure will best facilitate the meeting of the following criteria: support the strategy; accommodate the opportunities and threats in the internal and external environment; achieve autonomous outputs, measures and targets; and satisfy the current needs and values of all employees.

Module Nine - Rewarding Performance shows how to establish reward systems that satisfy the motivational needs of all employees, and result in measurable team and organisational performance improvement. The module addresses positive recognition systems and team-based financial reward systems, showing how to implement a system that rewards performance, not mediocrity.

Part III: Implementation (consists of two modules and an optional workbook)

Module Ten - Implementation: Guidelines and Pitfalls provides guidelines for implementation and pitfalls to avoid. This module is based on the experience gained and the lessons learned from years of hands-on implementation in the field.

Module Eleven - Case Studies and Team Models concludes the manual with a selection of case studies written by Australian organisational teams that have implemented our processes as well as model examples of some of the basic components of team performance selected from live teams. Titles include:

• Creation of self-directed work teams in the wool processing industry
  
• Cultural change in the electricity industry
  
• Performance workshops in the mining industry
  
• The ideal corporate training department
• The ideal hauler (truck) maintenance system
  
• A Meals-on-Wheels team in local government
  
• Teamwork promotes a smooth flow
  
• Teamwork - the holy grail?
  
• Teamwork must contribute to outcomes

Success Through Team Performance Workbook - contains questions, exercises and forms designed to facilitate the successful implementation of the processes described throughout the manual.

Success through Team Performance Workbook
Success Through Team Performance Workbooks are designed to facilitate the implementation of a team performance system. They comprise a series of questions, exercises and forms which will help you carry out the processes described in the manual. On completion of the exercises in the workbook, you should have clarified and learning vision, developed a draft set of values, vision and mission for your team; clarified your customers and stakeholders; developed a set of team outputs, measures and targets, begun the development of a performance-linked communication system; reviewed your organisation structure and given consideration to how to reward, motivate and train team members. In other words, the Workbook enables you to begin building your team performance system. The Workbook is simply written, is practical and is a very useful implementation tool. The Workbook is presented in a shrink-wrapped pack of loose-leaf pages, designed to slot into the relevant sections of the manual. Workbook purchases are restricted to one per Success Through Team Performance manual.

User Comments

"I think the manuals are absolutely fantastic. I like the way they are structured in a very logical, practical format with examples all the way through which help to clarify points. The checklists are invaluable and the questionnaires help to reinforce the learning from each module.
The phone contact and service provided by Sacher Associates has also been exceptional and you certainly live the values you espouse!"

Penny Crittall
Pindan Group

"I wanted to compliment you on the quality and format in your manuals. As you would acknowledge, the principles are not new but the presentation and clarity is excellent - in fact, the best I've ever seen. Congratulations on a first class presentation."

G.J. Neilan
Queensland Manager, FAI Insurance

"Sacher manuals work. Customers are reporting positive results, high levels of usage and high levels of satisfaction. Sacher manuals deliver quality. Past customers are 'true believers' or even fairly 'evangelical' in their perceptions of value derived from the product.

" 91% reported Sacher Associates materials competitively superior in the marketplace
" 90% reported either satisfied or very satisfied"

Extracts from a Customer Satisfaction Survey completed by an independent consulting group

Related links:

• Electronic manuals
• Electronic modules
• Workshops
• Team building consulting