Work in Team Environment

Wolkite Polytechnic College

Outlines:

 LO 1: Describe team role and scope

 LO2: Identify own role and responsibility within team
 LO3: Work as a team member
Identifying Role and objective of the team from source of information

The role of IT in an organization

Information technology within an organisation provides a range of services to support the
main business typically, computer equipment's, software, and technical support so that
employees can do their jobs more efficiently.
In medium to large organisations this can be done through a separate IT department, and in
smaller firms, by one or a handful of people, depending on the size of the business.
Cont…

IT services include:
 Developing and maintaining custom computer software
 Establishing and administering the organisation’s network
 The purchase, installation, maintenance, and upgrading of hardware and software
 Provision of technical support, usually via a help desk
 Provision of training in the use of equipment and software
 Developing, administering and maintaining the organisation’s website
IT workplaces tend to consist of a mix of permanent and contract specialists. Contract staff are
often employed for projects while permanent staff support the everyday needs of the
organisation.
Service categories

Services can be categorised into a few broad areas of:

 Development: as new technology arrives and as organisations change, systems to
support these changes must be modified or developed.
 Administration : involves making sure that the existing systems run smoothly.
 Support: involves calling on IT expertise to fix problems as they arrive and to make
necessary changes.
 Specific IT roles and services

Since the advent of the Internet and IT networks, IT services have had to improve and expand to support

an ever-widening range of business functions. Online services and transactions are in demand, and

security is an issue that requires constant vigilance. Developing technologies can be added to the list:
 Real-time data warehousing
 Wireless services
 IP telephony
 Utility computing (buying services from a provider over a network)
 Grid computing (taking a compute-intensive task and farming it out for processing)
 RFID tags (miniaturisation and wireless).
Common IT Job roles
Area Roles
Software Systems analyst, Analyst/programmer, Programmer
engineering
IT support Help desk officer, Support technician, Technical
writer/trainer
Web services Web designer, Web developer, Web administrator, Multimedia
specialist (graphic designer, animator, games developer etc)
Networking Network administrator, Network manager, Network engineer
Systems Systems architect, Systems designer, System administrator,
development Database administrator
Management IT manager, Project manager, Team leader
Consultants Management consultant, Technical consultant
Sales Hardware/ software/ support sales
Identifying team parameters, reporting relationships and responsibilities

 Routine tasks

The key IT support roles are:

 Help desk support
 Network support
 Web/software support.

Help desk support: Every day, a typical Help desk:

 Accepts problem calls from users and registers each call on a help desk database

 Solves the problem for the user over the phone if possible. The assistance is usually limited to

simple problem solving related to the operating system, software and basic peripheral devices
Cont…

 If the problem cannot be solved over the phone, the help desk mobilises the relevant IT
staff member, usually by email or in the help desk database, to assist the user.
Network support: Every day, network support staff:
 Assist users in rectifying network-related problems such as security access, Internet
access, network failure, printer failure
 Assist the network administrator in managing user accounts, installing software on the
network, backing up and retrieving files and maintaining network security
 Maintain the help desk database by recording problem resolution on problem calls
attended to.
Cont…

Software support: Every day, software support staff:

 Monitor the state of custom software systems
 Troubleshoot when the software fails to work properly
Apart from the above routine tasks there are tasks such as:
 Keeping records of hardware and software purchased, including the purchase of
consumable items
 Ensuring equipment is well maintained and serviced where required.
Cont…

Key players in the IT sector are those that have influence and interest in the direction and
use of Information and Communications Technology. These include bodies such as:
 Vendors of IT products and services
 IT consultancy organisations
 Government departments
 Professional bodies
 Research organisations and publishers.
Vendors

A vendor is a company that makes or sells goods and or services. In IT they can range

from a small one-person company producing software, to the very large companies like

Cisco, Ericsson, Fujitsu, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Microsoft, Nortel Networks, Novell Pty

Ltd, Oracle, Siemens and Sun Microsystems.

 Apart from providing products the vendor often installs and supports their products

according to a specified agreement.

IT consultancy organizations

IT consultancy organisations send their own IT staff to work in other organisations on a

temporary basis. Consultants work on IT projects as project managers, systems architects,
analyst/programmers, business analysts and the like.
They can also provide help desk and network maintenance services. Some examples of large IT
organisations are:
 Anderson Consulting
 DMR
 Price Waterhouse Coopers
 IBM and
 GSA.
Cont…

 Government departments

Government departments at both federal and state level have an interest in the IT industry. They

determine IT policy and are involved in industry promotion.

 Professional bodies

Professional bodies bring together people who work in a particular industry to exchange ideas

and promote their industry. Membership of a professional organisation indicates a certain level of

accomplishment in that area.

Cont…

Publications
 For most IT professionals, the Internet provides the best and most up-to-date resource

through vendor and support sites, professional organisations, news portals, special interest

groups, and so on.

 You can also subscribe to both online and paper-based publications. These range from the

user level through to the highly technical. Most of the paper-based publications are supported

by a website.
 The major newspapers also have sections devoted to information technology.
LO2: Identify own role and responsibility within team

What is a team role?

 A tendency to perform, contribute and interrelate with others in a particular way.

Team role shows the different types of contribution that is make to the team. It

describe your "soft product" contribution to team discussions and interactions.

 When a team is performing at its best, you'll usually find that each team member

has clear responsibilities. You'll also see that every role needed to achieve the

team's goal is being performed fully and well.

 Teams can become unbalanced if all team members have similar styles of behaviour

or team roles.
 Individual role and responsibilities:

Coordinator (CO): are the ones who take on the traditional team-leader role and have also
been referred to as the chairmen. They guide the team to what they perceive are the objectives.
 They are often excellent listeners and they are naturally able to recognize the value that each

team members brings to the table.

 They are calm and good-natured and delegate tasks very effectively.
 Their potential weaknesses are that they may delegate away too much personal

responsibility, and may tend to be manipulative.

Cont…

Team Worker (TW): are the people who provide support and make sure that people within

the team are working together effectively.

 These people fill the role of negotiators within the team and they are flexible,

diplomatic, and perceptive.

 Their weaknesses may be a tendency to be unsure, and to maintain uncommitted

positions during discussions and decision-making.

Cont…

Resource Investigator (RI): are innovative and curious.

 They explore available options, develop contacts, and negotiate for resources on behalf of the

team.
 They are enthusiastic team members, who identify and work with external stakeholders to help the

team accomplish its objective.

 They are outgoing and are often demonstrative, meaning that others are often interested to them

and their ideas.

 On the downside, they may lose enthusiasm quickly, and are often overly positive.
Cont…

Role and objective of team

 To solve problems in unconventional ways

 To provide a logical eye, make neutral judgments where required and to weigh up the team’s

options in a dispassionate way.

 To draw out team members and delegate work appropriately.

When the team was at risk of becoming isolated and inwardly-focused, Resource Investigators

provided inside knowledge on the opposition and make sure that the team’s idea will carry to the

world outside the team.

 Implementers plan a practical, workable strategy and carry it out as efficiently as possible.
Cont…

 Completer Finishers check errors, subjecting it to the highest standards of quality

control.
 Team workers help the team to identify the work required and complete it on behalf of

the team.
Identifying and recognizing roles and responsibility of other team members

Why we Interest in Teamwork?

 The most important element of team work is share information. Most companies

realize that teamwork is important because either the product is sufficiently complex
that it requires a team with multiple skills to produce, and/or a better product will
result when a team approach is taken. Therefore, it is important that work in a team
environment
 Teamwork is rewarded and recognized. The lone ranger, even if she is an excellent

producer, is valued less than the person who achieves results with others in
teamwork.
Individual role and responsibilities within the team

1. Members work interdependently and work towards both personal and team goals, and

they understand these goals are accomplished best by mutual support.

2. Members should feel a sense of ownership towards their role in the team.

3. Members should work together and use their talent and experience to contribute to the

success of the team's objectives.

4. Members base their success on trust and encourage all members to express their opinions,

varying views, and questions.

5. Members make effort to be honest, respectful, and listen to every person's point of view.
Cont…

6. Members should offer their skill, knowledge, and in turn each member is able contribute

to the team success.

7. Members participate equally in decision-making, but each member understands that the

leader might need to make the final decision if the team cannot come to a consensus

agreement.
Identifying reporting relationships within team and external team

Team report

The team manager is required to submit a weekly progress report for the team. Follow the

same general writing guidelines

1. Name: [Manager Name and Date Submitted:] Put team manager/coordinator name and

the submission date at the top.

2. Team Accomplishments: Summarize what the team accomplished in the last week.

3. Unfinished Tasks: List things you were supposed to have finished but didn't.

4. Schedule Revisions: Describe any changes that have been made to your teamwork Project

Schedule.
Cont…

5. Group Problems:
Describe any difficulties your team is experiencing, whether technical, personal, or
interpersonal. Describe any ideas or plans you have for addressing these problems.
6. Late Status Reports:
List any team members who did not submit their individual status report on time.
7. Submission:
Submit the progress report to the concerned body via email or any means of transmission by the
due date stated in the Project Plan.
 Use as a subject line: progress report: team name
 In a separate message, forward all the individual status report(including your own)
 Use as a subject line: status reports: team name
Working with Team environment Tips

 Form teams to solve real work issues and to improve real work processes. Provide training in

systematic methods so the team uses its energy on the project.

 Hold department meetings to review projects and progress, to obtain broad input, and to

coordinate shared work processes. If team members are not getting along examine the work

processes they mutually own.

 Build fun and shared occasions into the organization’s agenda. Hold pot luck lunches; take

the team to a sporting event. Sponsor dinners at a local restaurant. Sponsor sports teams and

encourage team fans.

Cont…

 Use ice breakers and teamwork exercises at meetings. Enables team workers to laugh
together and get to know each other.
 Celebrate team successes publicly. Example Buy everyone the same T-shirt or hat. Put
team member names in a drawing for company merchandise and gift certificates.
LO3: Work as a team member

Using effective and appropriate forms of communications

 Team communication is any form of communication among members of the same group
or organization that is crucial for a healthy and effective dynamic. Team communication
is used to guide and direct the team as a whole.
 Team communication is used to keep potential issues from arising and to avoid
misunderstandings.
Teamwork goals, vision and mission

Teamwork is work performed by a team towards a common goal.

Teamwork goal: A job description need not be limited to explaining the current situation, or

work that is currently expected; it may also set out goals for what might be achieved in future.

The need communication

 To discuss problems
 To get help
 To assist customers
 To receive or pass on information and instructions.
 Key communication processes include

 A sender who has a message or idea which they wish to send

 A message which is sent between the sender and the receiver

 A method by which the message is sent( telephone, face-to-face, letter, form)

 A receiver who receives and understands the message

 Feedback passed from the receiver to the sender showing that the message has been received and

understood( creating effective feedback loops)

 Running effective meetings

 Coordinating action and information among team members

 Resolving conflicts

 Maintaining records of issues, decisions, actions and resources used in the project
 Principles of constructive feedback

 Prepare carefully for any formal feedback session regardless of whether you are

the recipient or the provider of the feedback.

 Think about the content of the information you are going to provide during the

feedback session.
 It should be specific and to the point.

 The feedback should focus on the issue, not the person.

 Consider the timing of your feedback session.

 Steps to team work communication
Step 1: Define the team task

The first order of business is to agree on the group's goal.

Step 2: Define the membership

Being part of a productive team is not a matter of luck. Productive teams are created by members who have the

skills to make them productive.

Step 3: Determine Primary Roles

If the team has been formed in order to accomplish a task, the reason for each person's membership will define

that person's primary role in the group.

Step 4: Developing Team Cohesion

A sense of team identity and cohesiveness among team members is a key factor in group satisfaction and

productivity.
Making Effective and appropriate contributions workplace context

Before you become an employee in an IT organization, you need to have an understanding of its
structure and the business environment within which they operate.
The organisation’s mission is a statement about the organisation’s purpose, that is, why it
exists. The way the organisation is structured helps to support this mission.
A mission statement will explain the organisation’s basic purpose or role. Some things that a
mission statement may include are to:
 Produce quality products
 Be a market leader
 Be innovative
 Create a qualified leading-edge workforce.
Cont…

Example of mission statements

 Our mission is to create information technology products that advance knowledge and
improve the effectiveness of the organisation and its people.
 Our mission is to be the insurance partner of choice by fulfilling the goals and
aspirations of our customers.
The employees within the organisation find ways to contribute to achieving the mission.
For example, an IT department may do this by providing up-to-date computer systems
and software.
Values and culture

 Values are the things that the organisation considers important like honesty, loyalty,

fairness, merit-based employment, etc. Those who work within the organisation are
expected to behave in a manner that reflects these values.
 An organisational culture is then based on such values. Culture refers to the values,

beliefs, attitudes and behaviours that define ‘who’ the organisation is. For example, a
culture of openness means that an organisation expects its managers and staff to be
open, honest and direct in all of its dealings.
Here again, the organization will be structured to support the organisation’s values and
culture.
Cont…

Example of an organization’s values

Here’s a statement of one organisation’s values:
 Provide equal access to our services
 Value our clients
 Act with integrity, honesty and accountability, and in a professional way
 Respect the value of our people’s work
 Communicate consistently and effectively.
Organization goals

 In order to achieve the mission, most organisations set goals which state what should be

achieved by some specified time in the future.

 Goals can be concerned with profit, a service to customers, employee needs or social

responsibilities, and they help to focus the efforts of staff.

Here’s an example of one organisation’s goals, as stated in their annual report:

 Manage resources effectively
 Achieve excellence in service delivery
 Be a market leader
 Achieve excellence and innovation.
Code of conduct

A code of conduct is a written statement that embodies the values and culture of an organisation. Many

organisations have a code of conduct, but not all do.

Your own personal code of conduct has been developing from an early age. It has been influenced by

things like your family, upbringing, culture, religion, and so on. You may have considered such things

as:
 Honesty — would you steal from your friends? Would you take pens from your workplace? Would

you illegally download music from the internet?

 Fairness — do you wait patiently in a queue for service? What is your reaction when people push in?

What would be your reaction if your boss’ son was appointed to a position in your company that you

were the best candidate for?

Cont…

Organizational structure
Organisation structure differs according the size of the organisation. For small organisations,

one person tends to make all the decisions and do all the work. In larger organisations, many

people are given specific tasks that are coordinated by management.

The tasks are grouped together into various functional units, and roles and responsibilities are

assigned to different levels of staff within this structure.

An IT department is one example of a functional unit. Other functional units include

Production, Marketing, Sales, Finance, Human Resources, and so on.

Policies and procedures

Policies are broad general guidelines based on the organisation’s mission, values and goals.
They guide the managers of the organisation on its behaviour and attitudes to major issues.
Future plans and strategies are drawn up from these policies.
Many of the organisation’s policies are created in order to conform with legislation.
Today, organisations must have policies on issues such as Occupational Health and
Safety (OHS), Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO), and so on.
Occupational health and safety (OHS)

Every organisation is required to provide a workplace that protects the health, safety and welfare of its

staff.

Employers are required to:

 Provide a safe work environment (plant, substances, etc)
 Provide information and instruction on hazards
 Keep information and records on ohs
 Monitor ohs conditions in the workplace
 Establish an ohs committee.

For example, in an information technology environment, one aspect of OHS that is often the responsibility

of IT staff is ensuring workstation set-up is ergonomically correct.

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO)

A key value for any organisation is a commitment to Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO).

When an organisation implements EEO it ensures that:

 all people are given equal access to jobs

 all of a person’s capabilities are considered for a job

 all staff have equal access to training and development

 employment conditions do not discriminate against anyone based on sex, race, sexual

orientation, age, marital status or disability.

In its simplest terms, EEO means that the best qualified person will get the job or promotion,

based on merit. Another element of EEO is anti-discrimination.

IT policies

The IT department will have a set of policies that cover the areas that it deals with. Here are some of
the areas that are likely to be covered.
Purchasing
 How many supplier quotes will be required?
 What factors will be considered when selecting a supplier?

Standard software
 What software will be made available to all staff on desktops?
 Will staff be allowed to have non-standard software on their computers?

Internet access
 Will staff be given unlimited access to the Internet or will their access be limited to designated

websites?
Cont…

Email usage
 What material will be considered unacceptable? (You might have heard stories in the news

about workers who have been disciplined or dismissed because they’ve used their email

inappropriately.)
 How many megabytes of space will users be allowed to have to store their emails?

Naming directories and files

 What drives will be available to all staff?

 What standards will users have to follow when naming files and folders on general access

drives?
Cont…

Network security
 Who will have access to the network and when?

 Will staff have access to the network from home?

 Will consultants working on software have remote access to the network?

 What virus protection measures will be taken?

Procedures

Procedures and rules are policies at a lower level. They contain a list of steps that should be taken in a

particular order to achieve a specific purpose. They tell staff how to do something in a way that is acceptable to

the organisation.

IT procedures: Here are some examples of different IT procedures. Setting up a PC

 Attaching a printer to the network
 Converting files to HTML for the intranet
 Applying for access to software systems
 Requesting help for a computer related problem
 Requesting the development of a new template
 Backup and retrieval of files
 Storing user documentation.
Cont…

Service level agreements

A service level agreement is a document that lists how you must provide a service to
your clients or customers.
It will list the tasks you complete as a part of your job and how you are to complete those
tasks when you provide a service.
It may also list what the organisation needs to do in order for you to provide the service.
Contracts and duty statements

When you begin work in an organisation you'll be given either a contract or a duty statement (a list of

duties). A contract is a legal document that outlines your job responsibilities. Most contracts go into a

lot of detail about:

 The requirements of the job,
 Your probation (or trial) period,
 How your job performance will be measured,
 The terms under which your employment can be terminated, and
 How much you will be paid.

When you've been offered a job, you'll have to sign an employment contract. This type of arrangement

is typical of private sector companies.

Cont…

Duty statements
 A duty statement is usually a brief statement of the duties you'll be required to perform as part of

your job. It's usually part of a job offer package and you will be required to sign it. Duty statements

tend to be confined to the public service.

 Duty statements are not as detailed as employment contracts because the terms and conditions of

employment are usually covered by an enterprise agreement.

Document libraries
 Organisations store key documents in a central area that is accessible to the relevant staff. Today, this

is usually a network drive that the relevant staff can access. They may also be able to view these

documents via the organisation’s intranet.

The benefits of following policies and procedures

following policies and procedures makes sure that:

 Everyone does their job in a standardised way
 Everyone knows what they are expected to do
 Another staff member can pick up where someone else left off if they are sick or on
leave, and
 Things flow smoothly so productivity is usually higher.
 Team Meeting

A meeting provides an opportunity for participants to discuss topic of mutual interest. It

will be more efficient and productive if common accepted procedures are followed.

How to conduct meeting

1. Purpose

2. Date, time, and place

3. Name of facilitator and recorders

4. Attendee’s name

Meeting Agendas and Minutes

Agenda is outlines of items to be considered or discussed

Cont…

Agenda parts
1. Review of minutes
2. Each major topic
Making contribution to the development of team work plans

Effectiveness Teamwork
 Effective team communication results in a collective body in which all team members
understand the vision and feel as if they each have a voice. Effective communication
among team members also generates an atmosphere of unity, safety and free expression.
 feedback and exchange among all members of the team is better.
An important characteristic of effective teams is that they spend some time evaluating
their own processes and outcomes. In most work situations, a team stays together for a
long time, working together as a work unit or project team. A team that is able
to evaluate and improve its own work processes will become increasingly effective over
time.
THANK YOU