SIRXQUA002A Lead a team to foster innovation

Revision Number: 2

SIRXQUA002A Lead a team to foster innovation

Modification History

The version details of this endorsed unit are in the table below. The latest information is at the top.

Release	Comments
Second Release	Editorial updates

Unit Descriptor

This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to lead a workplace team in ways that foster innovative work practices.

Application of the Unit

This unit applies to individuals leading work teams on individual projects or for work in general. The skills encompass the requirements for encouraging innovation within individual team members as well as a team as a whole. They include how to put a team together and keep it working well, how to structure work and monitor progress, how to ensure the team members have the information and skills they need and how to apply innovative work skills to the leadership role.

Licensing/Regulatory Information

No licensing, legislative, regulatory or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of endorsement.

Pre-Requisites

Nil

Employability Skills Information

This unit contains employability skills.

Elements and Performance Criteria Pre-Content

Elements and Performance Criteria

Element	Performance Criteria
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.
1. Organise team to maximise innovation.	1.1.Analyse the performance requirements for the team. 1.2.Gather information about team members. 1.3.Acknowledge strengths and weaknesses of individual team members. 1.4.Assign team roles to ensure a match between work requirements and individual team members’ capacities. 1.5.Select team members to foster cross-fertilisation of ideas.
2. Organise work assignments within team to facilitate innovative work practices.	2.1.Structure and organise work to enable innovation. 2.2.Communicate work assignments to team members in ways that encourage and reinforce team based innovation. 2.3.Allocate tasks and activities to ensure the best use of team skills. 2.4.Ensure work assignments include timelines that allow for innovation.
3. Provide guidance and coaching to team members on innovation in the workplace.	3.1.Encourage team members to work collaboratively on work assignments. 3.2.Encourage team members to share work information, knowledge and experiences in their day-to-day work. 3.3.Encourage team members to seek external stimuli and knowledge and to set up and maintain networks. 3.4.Provide appropriate guidance to team members on the use of innovation in the workplace. 3.5.Coach team members to ensure they have the enabling skills to implement innovation in the workplace.
4. Provide a model of innovative work practice.	4.1.Share case studies and examples of the use and benefits of innovative work practices within teams with team members. 4.2.Ensure examples of the way innovative skills can be applied in the workplace are provided by the team leader. 4.3.Demonstrate the qualities of an effective team member, as team leader in working with the team. 4.4.Promote and reinforce the value placed by the organisation on innovation.
5. Monitor the team’s ongoing use of innovative work practices.	5.1.Actively encourage team members to reflect on team activities and opportunities for improvement and innovation. 5.2.Evaluate team activities based on feedback from team members, management, clients and other interested people. 5.3.Receive suggestions for work improvements in a positive manner, and act on them where appropriate. 5.4.Review and record evidence of the application of innovative work skills, and present findings as appropriate. 5.5.Review the innovation process and discuss and constructively analyse both positive and negative outcomes.
6. Provide feedback on the use of innovative work skills.	6.1.Debrief team members after work and training and evaluation exercises. 6.2.Discuss feedback from review processes within the team and use it to inform future planning. 6.3.Celebrate successful innovations and reward the team appropriately. 6.4.Discuss problems in the use of innovation in a constructive way.

Required Skills and Knowledge

This section describes the essential skills and knowledge and their level, required for this unit.
Required skills
interpersonal skills to: communicate work assignments provide guidance and coaching and provide feedback through clear and direct communication ask questions to identify and confirm requirements share information give instructions use language and concepts appropriate to cultural differences use and interpret non-verbal communication leadership skills to: ability to apply innovative work skills in own work motivate team encourage innovation apply conflict resolution techniques apply counselling and consoling techniques match staff competencies to task requirements
Required knowledge
innovative work skills leadership principles techniques for evaluating team performance an understanding of group dynamics in a team coaching and learning principles

Evidence Guide

The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, the range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for this Training Package.
Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit	Evidence of the following is essential: organises team to maximise innovation, including gathering information on team members, assigning team roles and selecting team members organises work assignments within team to foster innovation provides guidance and coaching to team members on innovation in the workplace provides a model of innovative work practice monitors the team's ongoing use of innovative work practice.
Context of and specific resources for assessment	Assessment must ensure access to: a retail work environment relevant documentation, such as store policy and procedures manuals a range of communication equipment a team.
Methods of assessment	A range of assessment methods should be used to assess practical skills and knowledge. The following examples are appropriate for this unit: observation of performance in the workplace third-party reports from a supervisor written or verbal questioning to assess knowledge and understanding review of portfolios of evidence and third-party workplace reports of on-the-job performance.
Guidance information for assessment	Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role is recommended.

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 in the performance criteria is detailed below.
Team may include:	small work team store team corporate team.
Information may include:	work preferences past jobs interests working styles lifestyle preferences.
Team members may:	come from a variety of social, cultural or ethnic backgrounds vary in literacy and numeracy skills vary in competencies.
Methods used to communicate may include:	writing a proposal building a model showing a film presenting a talk preparing a report drawing a diagram.
Ways to encourage and reinforce team-based innovation may include:	supportive communication allowing follow-through with ideas providing enough but not too much guidance and structure providing training and learning opportunities.
External stimuli and knowledge may come from:	technical experts other organisations journals the internet networks.
Guidance may include:	coaching mentoring counselling skills training modelling.
Qualities of an effective team member may include capacity to be:	fair responsible collaborative reflective sympathetic equitable hardworking.
Feedback may be sought and given:	verbally in writing through presentations at informal and formal meetings.
Clients may include:	new and existing clients internal or external clients customers with a range of social, cultural and ethnic backgrounds and physical and mental abilities customers with routine or special needs.
Evidence may include:	feedback from team members or other staff feedback from clients or work-based managers work-related statistics and reports.
Suggestions for work improvements may be received from:	supervisors team members peers clients the learners subject experts.
Training and evaluation may:	relate to: existing staff competencies level of competencies required by staff be supervised by: supervisor or manager training coordinator external consultant.
Rewards and promotion of innovation may include:	positive feedback presentation to peers and higher management prizes certificates positive reinforcement through articles in newsletters.

Unit Sector(s)

Cross-Sector

Competency field

Quality and Innovation