Developing Yourself as a Team Leader Course

Standard: CITB Short Duration Standard GET3265

Duration: 1 Day

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Course Aims

This course is designed to provide participants with a clear understanding of the role and responsibilities of a team leader and how their personal performance can affect the effectiveness of the wider team.

Participants will explore how team leaders interact with team members, colleagues and managers, together with the limits of their authority and the circumstances in which matters should be referred to someone more senior. The course also provides a practical approach to seeking feedback, identifying development needs and planning improvements to personal performance.

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Course Prerequisites

There are no formal prerequisites for attending this course.

The course is suitable for existing team leaders, supervisors and employees who are preparing to take on their first team leadership responsibilities within construction or the built environment.

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Course Objectives

Upon completing this course, participants will be able to:

• Describe the role of a team leader within an organisation.
• Explain the main responsibilities and accountabilities associated with team leadership.
• Describe how a team leader interacts with team members, colleagues and managers.
• Explain how team leadership responsibilities are fulfilled in practice.
• Recognise the limits of a team leader’s authority.
• Identify situations that need to be referred to a manager or other senior authority.
• Explain why particular decisions or situations fall outside the authority of a team leader.
• Identify appropriate sources of feedback on workplace performance.
• Gather specific and evidence-based feedback from a variety of sources.
• Interpret feedback objectively and identify personal strengths.
• Identify weaknesses and areas in which performance could be improved.
• Link identified development needs clearly to the feedback received.
• Prioritise areas for personal development.
• Produce a detailed action plan for improving workplace performance.
• Establish clear development objectives, actions and timescales.
• Identify the resources and support needed to complete development activities.
• Review progress and measure improvements in personal performance.

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Course Content

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Module 1: Introduction and Course Objectives

• Course aims, learning outcomes and assessment requirements.
• The purpose and value of effective team leadership.
• The relationship between the performance of the team leader and the performance of the wider team.
• Recognising the transition from team member to team leader.
• Common challenges experienced by new and aspiring team leaders.
• Identifying personal expectations and development priorities.

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Module 2: Understanding the Role of the Team Leader

• Defining the role of a team leader.
• The position of the team leader within an organisational structure.
• The difference between being a team member and leading a team.
• Providing direction and maintaining focus.
• Communicating organisational and team objectives.
• Supporting the achievement of workplace targets.
• Coordinating people, tasks and resources.
• Monitoring progress and workplace performance.
• Supporting safe and effective working practices.
• Setting a positive example for team members.
• Representing the needs and interests of the team.
• Acting as a link between team members and management.
• Balancing operational tasks with leadership responsibilities.

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Module 3: Team Leader Responsibilities

• Identifying the main responsibilities of a team leader.
• Clarifying roles, tasks and workplace expectations.
• Planning and organising team activities.
• Allocating work appropriately.
• Providing clear instructions and information.
• Ensuring team members have the resources required to complete their work.
• Monitoring the quality and progress of work.
• Supporting health, safety and wellbeing.
• Encouraging effective communication and cooperation.
• Providing guidance and practical support.
• Recognising good performance.
• Addressing minor concerns at an early stage.
• Supporting the learning and development of team members.
• Maintaining accurate workplace records.
• Following organisational policies and procedures.
• Demonstrating fairness, consistency and professionalism.

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Module 4: Accountability and Workplace Relationships

• Understanding what is meant by responsibility and accountability.
• Being accountable for personal decisions and actions.
• Accepting responsibility for the quality of personal work.
• Understanding how decisions affect other people.
• Maintaining professional standards of conduct.
• Taking ownership of agreed team objectives.
• Reporting progress, concerns and outcomes accurately.
• Understanding relationships with:
  • Individual team members.
  • The team as a whole.
  • Other team leaders and supervisors.
  • Colleagues from other teams or departments.
  • Managers and senior leaders.
  • Clients, contractors and other stakeholders.
• Communicating appropriately with people at different levels.
• Building trust and credibility.
• Maintaining appropriate professional boundaries.
• Managing the expectations of team members and managers.

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Module 5: Authority and Escalation

• Understanding the meaning of workplace authority.
• How authority may be defined by:
  • The team leader’s job description.
  • Organisational policies and procedures.
  • Delegated responsibilities.
  • Legal and regulatory requirements.
  • Contractual arrangements.
  • Health and safety responsibilities.
• Recognising decisions that can be made independently.
• Identifying decisions that require approval.
• Avoiding acting beyond the limits of personal authority.
• Understanding the risks of failing to escalate a matter.
• Situations that may require referral, including:
  • Serious health and safety concerns.
  • Formal disciplinary matters.
  • Bullying, harassment or discrimination.
  • Significant performance concerns.
  • Employee grievances.
  • Resource or budget decisions.
  • Contractual or commercial issues.
  • Changes to working practices.
  • Situations affecting employee health or wellbeing.
  • Matters with legal or regulatory implications.
• Deciding when a matter should be escalated.
• Identifying the appropriate person or department.
• Gathering relevant facts before making a referral.
• Explaining the situation clearly and objectively.
• Maintaining appropriate confidentiality.
• Following up matters that have been referred.

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Module 6: Understanding Workplace Performance

• Defining effective performance in a team leadership role.
• Identifying the knowledge, skills and behaviours required by a team leader.
• Understanding organisational expectations and performance standards.
• Comparing personal performance with required standards.
• Recognising personal strengths and how they contribute to the team.
• Identifying weaknesses or gaps in performance.
• Distinguishing between a development need and a lack of available resources.
• Recognising how personal behaviour affects:
  • Team morale.
  • Communication.
  • Productivity.
  • Quality.
  • Working relationships.
  • Health and safety.
• Taking personal responsibility for continued improvement.

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Module 7: Seeking Feedback on Personal Performance

• The value of feedback in developing as a team leader.
• Overcoming reluctance to ask for feedback.
• Creating an environment in which honest feedback can be provided.
• Identifying suitable feedback sources, including:
  • Line managers.
  • Other supervisors and team leaders.
  • Team members.
  • Colleagues and peers.
  • Clients or customers.
  • Contractors and other workplace stakeholders.
  • Formal performance reviews.
  • Workplace observations.
  • Project or performance reports.
• Gathering feedback from a varied range of sources.
• Asking focused and useful questions.
• Using open and probing questions.
• Listening without becoming defensive.
• Requesting examples and supporting evidence.
• Distinguishing specific feedback from general opinion.
• Recording feedback accurately.
• Identifying consistent themes from different sources.
• Respecting confidentiality and professional boundaries.

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Module 8: Interpreting Feedback

• Reviewing feedback objectively.
• Separating facts, opinions and assumptions.
• Identifying positive performance and personal strengths.
• Recognising weaknesses and development opportunities.
• Comparing feedback from different sources.
• Identifying recurring themes or patterns.
• Considering why different people may have different perspectives.
• Understanding how context may influence feedback.
• Linking feedback to specific workplace behaviours or results.
• Identifying the possible effect of weaknesses on:
  • Individual performance.
  • Team performance.
  • Workplace relationships.
  • Safety and quality.
  • Organisational objectives.
• Deciding which development needs should receive priority.
• Responding positively to difficult or unexpected feedback.
• Checking understanding with the person who provided the feedback.
• Avoiding dismissing or accepting feedback without proper consideration.

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Module 9: Identifying Areas for Improvement

• Using feedback to identify clear development needs.
• Conducting a personal strengths and weaknesses review.
• Identifying knowledge, skills and behavioural development needs.
• Considering the potential benefits of improving each area.
• Prioritising development according to:
  • Importance to the role.
  • Effect on team performance.
  • Health and safety implications.
  • Organisational priorities.
  • Urgency.
  • Available time and resources.
• Identifying realistic opportunities for improvement.
• Selecting development activities that address the underlying need.
• Recognising when support or specialist guidance may be required.
• Establishing clear links between feedback and proposed improvements.

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Module 10: Preparing a Personal Development Action Plan

• The purpose of a personal development action plan.
• Translating feedback into practical action.
• Defining what needs to improve.
• Establishing clear and realistic development objectives.
• Using SMART objectives.
• Identifying the actions required to achieve each objective.
• Selecting suitable development activities, including:
  • Workplace coaching.
  • Mentoring.
  • Formal training.
  • Shadowing experienced colleagues.
  • Guided reading or research.
  • Increased workplace responsibility.
  • Observation and reflective practice.
  • Regular feedback meetings.
• Identifying the people who can provide support.
• Considering the time, cost and resources required.
• Establishing realistic target dates.
• Identifying possible barriers to completing the plan.
• Planning how barriers will be addressed.
• Defining what successful improvement will look like.
• Identifying suitable evidence of progress.
• Setting review dates.
• Updating the plan as circumstances or priorities change.

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Module 11: Reviewing Personal Performance

• Monitoring progress against the action plan.
• Gathering further feedback following development activities.
• Comparing current performance with previous feedback.
• Recognising improvements and continued strengths.
• Identifying objectives that have not yet been achieved.
• Understanding why an action may not have produced the expected result.
• Adjusting actions, resources or timescales.
• Maintaining responsibility for personal development.
• Using reflective practice as an ongoing leadership tool.
• Creating a continuing cycle of feedback, action and review.
• Recognising and recording personal achievements.

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Module 12: Scenario-Based Practical Exercise

Participants will work through a practical workplace scenario that requires them to:

• Review feedback about a team leader’s performance.
• Identify the sources and quality of the available feedback.
• Distinguish evidence-based feedback from unsupported opinion.
• Interpret the feedback and identify strengths and weaknesses.
• Explain how the identified weaknesses could affect workplace performance.
• Prioritise suitable areas for improvement.
• Produce a detailed personal development action plan.
• Include clear objectives, actions, resources and timescales.
• Explain how progress will be reviewed.
• Demonstrate how the plan could lead to a meaningful improvement in performance.

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Module 13: Action Planning and Course Review

• Reviewing the role and responsibilities of the team leader.
• Confirming the limits of authority and when to escalate concerns.
• Reviewing effective approaches to seeking and interpreting feedback.
• Applying the learning to the participant’s own workplace.
• Identifying immediate personal development priorities.
• Completing an individual workplace action plan.
• Preparing for the end-of-course assessment.
• Final questions and course review.

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Course Assessment

Delegates must complete an end-of-course assessment covering both learning outcomes within the CITB standard.

The first learning outcome, concerning the role and responsibilities of the team leader, is assessed through a four-question paper. The questions cover:

• The role of the team leader.
• The responsibilities of the team leader within the team.
• The limits of the team leader’s authority and accountability.
• A situation that would need to be referred to someone with senior authority.

Delegates must achieve a minimum score of 75% to pass the question paper.

The second learning outcome is assessed through a scenario-based practical exercise followed by a professional discussion. Delegates must demonstrate that they can:

• Gather comprehensive and evidence-based feedback from a variety of sources.
• Interpret the feedback and identify relevant areas for improvement.
• Produce a detailed action plan that addresses identified weaknesses.
• Include suitable objectives, actions, resources, timescales and review arrangements.
• Explain how the proposed actions could produce a meaningful improvement in performance.

Delegates must successfully meet the assessment criteria for both learning outcomes to complete the course.

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