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Dear all

This is first part I will share with you. it provides information covering the topic of ‘Developing Yourself as a Team Leader
The Role of the Team Leader


The Change of Role


When you are promoted your job changes significantly, both in terms of your responsibilities and in terms of the skills you will need to use. Often you will have gained some experience of both of these areas whilst performing the job of someone who has been away. Most of the skills will have been professional, that is related to practical issues - checking the quality of work, arranging work schedules, dealing with routine administrative matters etc.
Professional skills, however, are not going to be enough in the future. This workbook will help you think through some of the issues associated with being a 'Team Leader' and the skills you need to help you perform that role.
Firstly you will need skills in relation to the organisation of goals. Think for a moment about the activities you might be involved in which would help you achieve your goals. What can you think of?
There are many things you may have thought of including:

· Liaising with other units or departments
· Planning the work of yourself and your team
· Ensuring the work of the team members is co-ordinated to prevent duplication and to make sure all are working to a common goal
· Identifying present and future problems and making decisive sound decisions to meet them
· Ensuring that the work being carried out is done in accordance with local policies
· Training your work force, particularly new members of staff
· Allocating resources to meet the demands placed upon team members and, if necessary, determining which tasks need to take priority and which may have to be neglected if sufficient resources are not available
Secondly and perhaps more importantly, you will need skills in dealing with people. Again think for a few moments about the activities involved in this aspect of your role.
As with all these questions, there can be a variety of answers. The following are some of the more important things you will be doing:

· Setting a clear model for others to follow
· Conducting appraisals or routine reports and identifying training needs
· Setting objectives and targets for your team and ensuring those objectives are achievable
· Introducing new members to the team, whether they are new to the organisation or transferees from another department. Remember that a move to a new work place can present all sorts of different problems particularly concerning local procedures.
· Providing a framework in which people can grow
· Being aware of welfare matters, identifying those who may need counselling and providing help, or identifying where help can be found, in appropriate cases
· Providing a sense of purpose and motivation to individuals and to the team as a whole
· Dealing with matters of discipline, either informally or, if necessary, formally
The lists above are by no means exhaustive. No doubt you have already thought of other areas where new skills are required. The one common theme that should be evident is that you are carrying out your functions