Unit of competency details

Unit descriptor 

This unit of competency covers the ability to develop and empower team members through motivating, mentoring, coaching and promoting team cohesion to achieve planned outcomes. It includes managing the team to improve its performance.

Application of the unit 

This unit of competency is applicable to senior technical officers and laboratory supervisors working in all industry sectors.

Industry representatives have provided case studies to illustrate the practical application of this unit of competency and to show its relevance in a workplace setting. These can be found at the end of this unit of competency under the section 'This competency in practice'.

Prerequisite units 

Employability skills 

This unit contains employability skills.

Elements describe the essential outcomes of a unit of competency.

Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. Where bold italicised text is used, further information is detailed in the required skills and knowledge section and the range statement. Assessment of performance is to be consistent with the evidence guide.

ELEMENT 

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA 

1. Promote team effectiveness

1.1. Clearly define and communicate team goals and roles

1.2. Promote respect for team members through coaching and example

1.3. Achieve balanced participation in discussions and activities

1.4. Negotiate work roles to balance team goals, job requirements and team members' strengths, experience, work style and career goals

1.5. Apply effective conflict resolution processes and implement them fairly

1.6. Provide effective links between senior management, other teams and the work team

1.7. Encourage networking to share experiences, expertise and resources

2. Identify and develop individual potential

2.1. Assess each team member's strengths and weaknesses against agreed performance requirements, and identify training and development options in consultation with them

2.2. Provide opportunities to develop skills through allocation/rotation of work tasks and roles

2.3. Encourage the sharing of knowledge and skills through coaching, mentoring and shadowing

3. Monitor individual and team performances

3.1. Review each team member's performance on a regular basis with the individual

3.2. Recognise achievements and address problems with performance

3.3. Provide constructive feedback on the performance of the team and team members

3.4. Record information relating to individual and team performance following enterprise/statutory procedures

REQUIRED SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE 

This section describes the skills and knowledge required for this unit.

Required skills 

Required skills include:

• using interpersonal and communication strategies
• applying conflict resolution processes
• working effectively with team members who may have diverse work styles, cultures and perspectives
• promoting team cohesion and effectiveness
• improving team and individual performance
• monitoring team and individual performance

Required knowledge 

Required knowledge includes:

• the organisational structure and layout of the laboratory and enterprise
• enterprise/statutory policies and procedures relating to access and equity
• staff/workgroup practices, relevant sections of industrial awards and enterprise bargaining agreements
• key principles of team dynamics, team leadership and management
• interpersonal/communication strategies for a diverse workforce
• conflict resolution strategies and processes
• key principles of performance management systems
• performance outcomes expected and key indicators
• business goals
• operating budgets and plans for work area
• relevant health, safety and environment requirements

EVIDENCE GUIDE 

The Evidence Guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package.

Overview of assessment 

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit 

Assessors should ensure that candidates can:

• work effectively with team members who may have diverse work styles, cultures and perspectives
• promote team cohesion and effectiveness
• measure and improve team and individual performance
• monitor team and individual performance.

Context of and specific resources for assessment 

This unit of competency is to be assessed in the workplace or simulated workplace environment.

Competency in this unit should be assessed over a sufficient period of time to enable the candidate to initiate and implement improvements.

This unit of competency may be assessed with:

• MSL916003ASupervise laboratory operations in work /functional area .

Resources may include:

• relevant OHS, equal opportunity, licensing, registration policies and procedures
• workplace procedures and standard operating procedures (SOPs)
• industrial awards and enterprise agreements.

Method of assessment 

The following assessment methods are suggested:

• review of record systems and documentation of team outputs and performance
• feedback from team members about team processes
• feedback from managers about team performance
• feedback from customers serviced by the team
• observation of the candidate during team meetings and contact with individual team members
• interview questions with the candidate to assess underpinning knowledge of team dynamics, leadership and management.

In all cases, practical assessment should be supported by questions to assess underpinning knowledge and those aspects of competency which are difficult to assess directly.

Where applicable, reasonable adjustment must be made to work environments and training situations to accommodate ethnicity, age, gender, demographics and disability.

Access must be provided to appropriate learning and/or assessment support when required.

The language, literacy and numeracy demands of assessment should not be greater than those required to undertake the unit of competency in a work like environment.

This competency in practice 

Industry representatives have provided the case studies below to illustrate the practical application of this unit of competency and to show its relevance in a workplace setting.

Construction materials testing 

A materials testing laboratory introduced a mentoring system as part of its laboratory work team's program. Laboratory assistants and technicians were placed in work teams that included technical specialists. This strategy was designed to enable less experienced team members to develop advanced technical skills on the job. The team leader acted as the mentor, monitored the competency of the less experienced team members and organised work tasks to further develop their skills. For example, as part of a quality improvement project, the team was asked to propose a way of minimising waste disposal. After discussing a number of alternatives, the team narrowed down the choice to one feasible suggestion, and then investigated the cost and environmental implications with the guidance of the team leader.

Biomedical 

Two technical officers working in the haematology section of a large hospital laboratory explained to their supervisor that they would like to gain experience of making blood films, having learned the basic skills during their initial training. The supervisor agreed, but first assessed their competency against enterprise standards and recognised that they could benefit from some on-the-job training. The supervisor arranged for them to be coached by a more experienced team member. Some time later, they were assessed as competent and able to regularly perform the task.

Food processing 

The new laboratory supervisor of a food processing company was keen to develop the professionalism of the laboratory team. The supervisor wanted to enhance the team's level of cooperation, participation in the ongoing development of the quality management system and willingness to suggest refinements to the food analyses that they performed. Neither the supervisor nor the team of technicians believed they had the time to devote to in-house professional development exercises. In any event, the technicians were dubious about the effectiveness of these activities. Instead, the supervisor offered to meet the costs of the technicians joining a professional society of their choice, provided that it was closely related to the work performed in the laboratory. Most of the staff accepted this offer. Over the next few months, a significant improvement in the enthusiasm of the staff and the quality of their work occurred. The supervisor attributed this to an increased sense of esteem for their profession, the forging of links with the laboratory staff of other companies and the opportunity to discuss their work within a wider circle of peers. Some technicians made the time to visit other laboratories, where they were able to assess new work practices and the merits of instrumentation not used in their own workplace. Overall, the supervisor found that the benefits to the operation of the laboratory team greatly outweighed the modest financial cost involved.

RANGE STATEMENT 

The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included.

Codes of practice 

Where reference is made to industry codes of practice, and/or Australian/international standards, it is expected the latest version will be used

Teams 

Teams may:

• be ongoing with responsibility for particular services or functions
• be project based
• have a mixture of full and part-time employees and contractors
• be separated by distance and work at sites outside the laboratory

Team operation 

Team operation may occur in:

• small, medium and large contexts
• internal and external environments
• enterprise guidelines covering access and equity principles and practices, licensing requirements, industrial awards and enterprise bargaining agreements
• agreed responsibility and accountability requirements
• appropriate goals and objectives
• given resource parameters

Methods for promoting team cohesion 

Methods for promoting team cohesion may include:

• providing clear information and directions when devolving responsibility and accountability
• organising regular team meetings
• involving the team in planning and allocation of tasks
• encouraging the team to openly propose, discuss and resolve issues
• dealing with conflict before it adversely affects team performance
• treating people openly and fairly
• recognising individual and cultural differences
• recognising and rewarding achievement

Methods for improving team and individual performance 

Methods for improving team and individual performance may include:

• using appropriate continuous improvement processes to improve team planning and results
• analysing barriers to team effectiveness and developing appropriate strategies to overcome them
• recording individual and team performance
• monitoring individuals' outputs and providing constructive feedback
• identifying and utilising individuals' strengths
• identifying individuals' training needs and providing development opportunities
• supporting the team to share knowledge and skills

Monitoring team performance 

Monitoring team performance may include:

• applying enterprise performance management systems
• communicating with senior management, team members and the team as a whole
• recording and updating confidential personal data
• applying total quality management principles

Identifying individual potential 

Identifying individual potential may require:

• comparisons of work requirements against outputs
• competency-based assessment against standards or enterprise requirements

Communication issues within and between teams 

Communication issues within and between teams may include:

• critical events on shift
• urgent or abnormal results that require attention
• problems with instruments, reagents, tests and sampling
• equipment and material shortages
• changes to work priorities, schedules and rosters

Documentation 

Documentation may include:

• job descriptions and person specifications
• workplace procedures, occupational health and safety (OHS) and equal opportunity policies
• licensing/registration requirements
• industrial awards and enterprise agreements

Occupational health and safety  (OHS ) and environmental management requirements 

OHS and environmental management requirements:

• all operations must comply with enterprise OHS and environmental management requirements, which may be imposed through state/territory or federal legislation - these requirements must not be compromised at any time
• all operations assume the potentially hazardous nature of samples and require standard precautions to be applied
• where relevant, users should access and apply current industry understanding of infection control issued by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and State and Territory Departments of Health

Unit sector 

Communication/organisation

Competency field 

Co-requisite units