SITXHRM009 Student Guide
SITXHRM009 Student Guide
Version 1.0
RTO Works
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Hospitality Works is a series of training and assessment resources developed for qualifications within the Tourism,
Travel and Hospitality Training Package.
Contents
1: Modelling high standards of performance and behaviour 5
2: Team commitment and cooperation 13
3: Team performance and development 35
Application
This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to lead and manage
people individually and in teams, and support and encourage their commitment to the organisation.
It requires the ability to lead by example and manage performance through effective leadership.
The unit applies to individuals who operate independently and are responsible for leading and
motivating people and teams. This includes supervisors, and operational and senior managers.
The unit applies to all tourism, travel, hospitality, and event sectors.
The skills in this unit must be applied in accordance with Commonwealth and State/Territory
legislation, Australian/New Zealand standards and industry codes of practice.
No occupational licensing, certification or specific legislative requirements apply to this unit at the
time of publication.
Pre-requisite
Nil.
Learning goals
Model high standards of performance and behaviour.
Develop team commitment and cooperation.
Manage team performance.
Leading and managing a team of people is very important in order to provide the team with the
leadership and guidance they need to achieve their objectives and targets. Achieving objectives
means that everyone is playing their part in helping the wider enterprise achieve its higher-level
business and strategic goals.
Effective team leadership also manages the often volatile and always dynamic nature of teams
affording a presence and strategies to help identify and address team issues, resolve team conflicts
and problems, and provide the motivation necessary for the team to stay focussed on their work and
reach their required productivity targets.
Further, effective team leadership underpins creativity, creates a more satisfying workplace and
bolsters team cohesiveness and morale.
Finally, from the perspective of the team leader, effective team leadership demonstrates the capacity
and potential of the team leader and helps their progress through the ranks of the organisation to a
more senior position.
Leadership
Leadership is about influencing people to take action
towards an identified goal.
Leaders are sometimes also managers, but not all
managers are leaders even though the two terms are
often used inter-changeably.
Leaders and managers are different because they have
different qualities.
A leader gets their authority from the people they lead
and a manager gets their authority by virtue of the
position they are in. A leader is interested more in
people, while a manager has more of an interest in the
business. Image by fauxels on Pexels
Leadership focuses on inspiring others, motivating them to take action and providing them with
direction and clarity. It is also about energising people, building belief in them and supporting them
to achieve their goals.
A good leader is a person who understands that they need other people in order to succeed, that
they need to support these people and guide them in achieving their objectives.
In a sense, leadership is very different to management as management is concerned with the work
being performed, whereas leadership is focussed on the people who are doing the work
(https://jonathansandling.com/leadership/).
Read about the difference between a boss and a leader at the link below.
Website: https://www.businessinsider.com/heres-the-difference-between-a-boss-and-a-leader-
2014-9?IR=T
Read about tips for team leader success at the link below.
Website: https://www.thebalancecareers.com/tips-for-success-as-a-team-leader-1919252
Read about how to make teams work better at the link below.
Website: https://blog.teamwork.com/10-ways-leaders-teams/
Take notes about what you learn.
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Leadership styles
There are many different types of leadership styles, each with their own advantages and
disadvantages.
laissez-faire lets the team make their own decisions and provides little or no direction
Access and complete this quiz, ’What’s your leadership style?’ at the link below.
Website: https://www.leadershipiq.com/blogs/leadershipiq/36533569-quiz-whats-your-leadership-
style
Share your results and thoughts with the group.
Importantly, team leaders must be aware the behaviours and approaches they model can have a
positive or a negative impact on the team. If the team leader models expected/required
behaviours they usually attract a similar response from the team. If, however, they model other
behaviours and approaches, they can and should anticipate the same from their team.
Examples of how team leaders can model expected behaviours and approaches include:
dressing and acting professionally
being on time for work, meetings and appointments
showing faith in and trust in the team and their decisions
using sensitivity, diplomacy, tact and discretion when dealing with others
telling the truth and separating fact from opinion
keeping promises made
treating everyone with courtesy and respect making a special effort to embrace diversity
giving credit where it is due – and never take the credit for someone else’s work
being optimistic and enthusiastic
doing more than your own share of the work – but be willing to delegate and/or ask for help
never quitting just because things get tough – perseverance and persistence must be hallmarks
of a team leader’s approach
communicating honestly and openly, often and regularly.
“If you look after your staff, they’ll look after your customers. It’s that simple” (Richard Branson).
Team goals
A work team is commonly established to achieve one or more stated goals within a given time (an ‘ad
hoc’ team) or on an ongoing basis (for a ‘permanent’ team). Goals are ‘big picture’ aims that the team
is required to achieve.
These goals flow from the purpose for which the team was established and provide the basis for
creating objectives for the team.
Goals might be to:
Team objectives
‘Team objectives’ are subsets of the goals that have been established for the team. They give more
detail about what is required and are for shorter time periods that the higher-level goals.
Team objectives might be to:
In theory, if all the team achieves all the objectives set for it then it will have achieved all the goals that
were set for it.
Team responsibilities
‘Responsibilities’ refer to the work individual team
members are expected to undertake. These are
described in the job description for their position
and are the reason the individual has been
included as part of the team.
Responsibilities can relate to:
having certain knowledge
being able to demonstrate certain skills
having a certain attitude
holding a certain qualification, permit or
licence
having nominated experience.
Image by airfocus on Unsplash
Read the article on ‘Role and responsibilities of team members’ at the link below.
Website: https://accountlearning.com/roles-and-responsibilities-of-team-members-in-a-team/
Take notes about what you learn.
Team plans
‘Team plans’ indicate how the team objectives will be achieved. They:
are not always created for every single thing a team has to do – but they are commonly prepared
for significant, important or extraordinary tasks
may be prepared by the team leader who
then shares them with and explains them to
the team.
may be prepared as a team exercise where
individual team members contribute to their
development – many believe a team plan
where the team has input stands a much
greater chance of success as the team is
more committed to it and better
understands what it is all about.
These plans should:
have a name or title
be dated
list the objective they are aiming to achieve
identify the steps to be taken in sequential
order to achieve the identified objective
contain the resources to be used or
available for use
give start and finish times/dates
name the team members responsible for
identified tasks.
Image by Polina Zimmerman on Pexels
Goal setting
Goals need to be set by team leaders to:
provide direction and focus for the team and members of it
act as a motivator
help ensure required productivity targets are reached
facilitate coordination of disparate tasks
supply a benchmark against which to measure progress
make the abstract real
make team members accountable for what they do.
The principles of goal setting are:
set SMART goals (see below)
establish context: explain the reason the work has to be done tell the ‘why’.
be clear: the team leader needs to be clear about what is to be achieved and communicate that
in equally clear terms in the goals that are set.
challenge the team: good goals stretch the team and enable them to test themselves and grow,
collaborate: work with the team to agree on the goals and get their buy-in/commitment.
build in accountability: so, people know what they are responsible for.
monitor progress: check in with the team to see if they need advice or assistance.
provide the resources: make sure they have the wherewithal to get the work done.
allow sufficient time: there must be enough time to get the job done.
provide feedback: let them know how they are going and when or if they need to modify their
actions.
Specific they must state clearly what the team needs to achieve.
they must be able to be measured so the team can calculate and quantify its
Measurable
progress towards them.
they must be realistic such that team members feel there is genuine belief they
Achievable
can be attained.
Relevant they have to relate to the direction the team has been established for.
Timely they need to have a start and finish time and/or date attached to them.
Work allocation
Work allocation is about the assignment of identified tasks to team members.
When allocating work to team members, team leaders need to:
get to know team members as individuals and learn their talents, experiences, backgrounds and
capabilities
play to the strengths of individual team members
Communication
Communication is vital for ensuring that each team
member understands expectations, roles and
responsibilities.
Open communication is vital. Open communication
occurs when both parties to the communication process
are involved in the exchange, and both parties are
totally honest with each other and share all there is to
know about the topic being discussed.
Benefits of open communication include:
greater trust between those involved
more transparency between those involved about
what is happening
greater context about the issue being discussed
for those involved
increased willingness to continue to communicate
reduced likelihood of misinterpretation of
messages being exchanged.
Image by Jessica Da Rosa on Unsplash
Innovation generally refers to changing processes or creating more effective processes, products
and ideas.
For businesses, this could mean implementing new ideas, creating dynamic products or improving
your existing services. Innovation can be a catalyst for the growth and success of your business,
Encouraging innovation in a team can support staff to think creatively. It can also embrace new
technology, improve work processes and meet customer demands or needs.
Benefits of innovation
Increased productivity.
More efficient use of resources.
Diversity inclusion.
Improved staff retention.
Increased competitiveness/new customers.
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o by phone
o by text message
o via email
o ideas book
o whiteboard.
Practical action
This can include:
explaining or clarifying policies and procedures of the organisation
developing and maintaining a positive team culture
establishing appropriate team norms
communicating team and workplace instructions, standards and codes of conduct
making the team aware of other organisational imperatives and operations
protecting the team from exploitation by other managers or departments
requesting resources on their behalf from management
negotiating reduced workloads or longer timelines with management where the team needs them
supporting team members to complete tasks on time by pitching in
being proactive in identifying and resolving intra-team conflict
assisting the team to solve problems they encounter
providing encouragement and motivation
sharing their own stories of struggle, failure, disappointment
providing constructive feedback to other team member s
sharing and updating information the team needs to work efficiently and effectively
providing mentoring or coaching when required
using a range of ‘rewards and recognitions’ – such as positive praise, bonuses, vouchers, or
extra lunch time break.
Implicit in supporting the team is also the provision of encouragement to team members to support
each other by:
urging them to ask for help when they need it.
encouraging to offer help to others without waiting to be asked.
monitoring each other’s progress.
working cooperatively with each other.
planning ahead so they can share limited equipment or resources.
raising matters of concern.
SHARE PLATE
In a small group think of an example when you had to delegate a task. Share your experience with
the group. Explain:
How did you identify the person to be responsible for the task?
Did the person require coaching or mentoring to complete the task?
Were there any barriers?
How did you overcome the barriers?
Negotiation
Negotiation is another important skill in
regards to leading and managing people.
Negotiation refers to discussions aimed at
reaching an agreed solution or outcome to
an identified issue. The issue might be
related to:
allocating work
setting timelines for completion of
work
developing team or individual team
member plans
Image by fauxels on Pexels
setting objectives.
Team leaders must be prepared to negotiate on a range of issues especially if they are adopting a
democratic style of leadership or any other approach that accepts involvement by team members.
Feedback
Team leaders must provide feedback to their teams and to individual team members:
so they know whether or not they are on the right track
in order they can understand what their leader thinks of their effort and performance
to prove the team leader is interested in their work and is paying attention to what they are doing
in order to reinforce positive behaviours
to retrieve unacceptable outcomes.
In relation to the provision of feedback to the team and individual team members team leaders should:
always give constructive feedback – even when it has to be negative
praise in public and criticise in private
be tactful and sensitive when delivering negative feedback
do it regularly – team members need to become accustomed to receiving feedback
base what they say on actual and objective evidence – and not on supposition or half-truths
provide it as close as possible to the action that generated it
be genuine and sincere in what they say
focus on both the outcome achieved and the process used to achieve it
explain the feedback – not just give it
never focus on the individual – but on what they have done or not done.
In addition, it is vital for team leaders to realise feedback may be provided by the team about their
performance – so they should:
let the team know they want it
ask for it
be ready to receive and gracefully accept comments that may be hard to hear
never ‘shoot the messenger’.
Issue management
‘Issue management’ refers to identifying and sorting out operational matters that are preventing the
team from accomplishing the work set for them in their plans.
Review the original ‘issue management protocol’ and revise, if necessary, on the basis of
lessons learned.
Learning is crucial to a positive company culture. Everybody needs to be involved in learning – from
those right at the top, to those at the most junior level. An organisation's capacity to grow depends on
their openness to learning. Most successful businesses recognise that highly skilled workers are
invaluable, and that keeping employees up to date on their training keeps the business competitive
and productive.
Aligning the needs of the employees with the needs of the company can work well to promote a
positive and supportive work environment where the employees feel valuable at the same time as
they are adding value to the business.
Learning can benefit employees through:
increasing their sense of ownership in the business
becoming more organised, productive and flexible and better able to meet the needs of internal
and external customers
learning new skills and abilities in areas such as decision-making which can empower staff and
make them more effective.
Understanding the importance of employee learning and staff development is important, but just as
important is identifying what the learning and development needs of your employees are. A business
does not want to waste money in training employees in areas where they are already proficient and
doesn’t want to waste money in training all employees in the same area where there is no relevance
to job role, or the goals of the organisation. Individual training needs need to be identified, training on
a team level needs to be planned for and these need to be linked to the strategic objectives and goals
of the business.
Organisational analysis
What training is needed in the organisation?
What are the goals of the business?
What is the vision and mission of the organisation?
What context for training is relevant?
Person analysis
Who needs training?
What is the desired performance?
What gaps are there?
What are the obstacles (barriers) to desired performance results?
Consider a workplace, a previous role or research an organisation that you are familiar with.
Answer the following questions:
What is the strategic goal of the organisation?
How would you support the organisation to develop employees to meet its strategic goal?
What types of training, development or leaning programs and plans might be suitable for this
business?
Your trainer will facilitate a discussion about the outcomes from the research.
There are numerous sources of excellent information about mentoring. Here are two sources of
information that you could review such as:
https://www.business.qld.gov.au/running-business/employing/staff-development/mentoring
https://www.seslhd.health.nsw.gov.au/mentorship-a-guide-for-mentors
https://www.businessmanagementideas.com/human-resource-management-2/mentoring/what-
is-mentoring/20232
Coaching differs to mentoring in that it tends to be task based and therefore focused on specific
issues that a staff member may need assistance with. An expert coach is required who can teach the
coachee to develop the required skills. This can be another staff member. Once the coachee
successfully acquires the skills, the coach is no longer needed. Therefore, again this differs from
mentoring which is usually long term.
Coaching can be an approach easily adopted within an organisation.
SHARE PLATE
Consider a new task that has arisen as a result of continuous improvement, for example, the
introduction of online meetings for time and cost efficiencies or due to the pandemic.
How would you coach your fellow colleagues so they can gain skills and knowledge?
Your trainer will facilitate a discussion about the outcomes from the research.
SHARE PLATE
Research five ways you could recognise a staff member/team member’s performance.
Take notes on your findings.
Your trainer will facilitate a discussion about the outcomes from the research.
SHARE PLATE
In a small group think of an example when you have provided recognition or reward to someone or
received some recognition and reward and share it with the group.
SHARE PLATE
Work in the same group that you worked in for the activity above where you developed a Team
Work Plan.
You are expected to encourage all team members to be innovative and be constructive in their
participation. Keep in mind that this unit’s focus is on teams working in an effective way, and you
will be assessed on your ability to encourage and support your colleagues to do this.
You will need to act as a positive role model and interact with the group in a positive and
professional manner. You will need to encourage team members to be innovative and take
responsibility for their own work as well as motive the team.
Your trainer will now combine your group with another group. Your group will each take turns to
share their Team Work Plan and seek feedback from the other group.
Consider asking questions to the other groups team members such as:
Is the allocation of work equal?
What skills does each team member have?
Do they think that they would like to complete other tasks?
What is the reason for the delegation of specific tasks?
Are the goals SMART?
Does a team member require coaching or mentoring?
Consider the feedback given in the initial group and decide on the updates required to the Team
Work Plan. Once completed share the reviewed Team Work Plan with the other group.