I am currently the upper High School English Department Coordinator. Before that, I worked for over ten years as a Team Leader and Examiner (GCSE English Literature) for Edexcel leading a group of new and experienced examiners during the marking season.

Among other responsibilities as a Team Leader, I was expected to work accurately under pressure and to keep to stringent deadlines as well as possessing strong analytical, research and writing skills. During the same period, I was also an EAL Coordinator in South East London.

As a team leader, you have a critically important role to play in ensuring that your team operates at peak productivity and effectiveness.

Whether you are a relatively new team leader, or someone who has lots of experience, the self-diagnostic test below will help you analyse your overall effectiveness as a Team Leader and pinpoint areas for improvement.

Team-working

TASK

• Consider the characteristics of effective team leadership given below and make notes on those points.
• Consider the degree to which you demonstrate each characteristic. Where you can, give examples of how you currently do this and make a note of the evidence.
• Then, produce a gap analysis noting the areas which require improvement.

CHARACTERISTICS OF EFFECTIVE TEAM LEADERSHIP

1. I regularly review the structure of my team ensuring optimum allocation of strengths.
2. I passionately articulate the vision for our team inspiring buy-in.
3. I ensure clarity of individual and team objectives at all times and give positive direction.
4. I ensure team members are empowered and developed to make suggestions and decisions at the lowest most appropriate level.
5. I ensure the team’s work is planned and carried out in a logical and systematic way.
6. I pay attention to good performance and feedback detailed praise.
7. When objectives or standards are not met, I give prompt, candid, constructive feedback.
8. My team gives me honest feedback and I view this positively.
9. I am clear about the desired culture, values and behaviours appropriate for my team.
10. I have taken the necessary steps to ensure these values and understood and shared by team members.
11. I ensure team meetings are well planned, facilitated and are an effective investment of time.
12. I ensure all team members are encouraged to make relevant contributions and that they are listened to.

Finally, produce an action plan detailing the steps you will take to improve your approach, and the resources needed to help you do this.

At most, it works well by comparing notes and ideas with like-minded people in different departments. Good luck.