TeamworkLevel 2

Worldwide Interactive Network, Inc.1000 Waterford Place, Kingston, TN 37763 • 888.717.9461

©2008 Worldwide Interactive Network, Inc. All rights reserved.

2 • Teamwork

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Copyright © 1998 by Worldwide Interactive Network, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.Printed in the U.S.A. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrievalsystem, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, photocopying, recordingor otherwise without the prior written permission of Worldwide Interactive Network,Inc.

ACT™ and WorkKeys® are trademarks of ACT, Inc. Worldwide Interactive Network,Inc. is not owned or controlled by ACT, Inc.; however, ACT, Inc. has reviewed thesetraining materials and has determined that they meet ACT, Inc.’s standards for WorkKeysTraining curriculum. The WorkKeys employment system is a product of ACT, Inc.

The use of materials in this manual does not imply any specific results when WINmaterials are used with the ACT WorkKeys system.

Requests for permission to reproduce or make other use of this material should beaddressed to:

Worldwide Interactive Network, Inc.1000 Waterford PlaceKingston, Tennessee 37763 USATel: (865) 717-3333Fax: (865) 717-9461info@w-win.comwww.w-win.com

Teamwork • 3

2INTRODUCTION

Hi, it’s me again, EdWIN. You are about tostart the second level of Teamwork. If you studiedwith me before, you know that we will worktogether to complete this course. That meanswe are working as a team.

There are six levels in this series. In the firstone, we defined teamwork and discussedprinciples of communication. In this course, wewill talk about some other basic teamwork skills.I will tell you about a topic. Then you can usethe exercises to increase your understanding ofthat subject. It is important to practice what youare learning.

Remember that answers or explanationsfollow the exercises. Do not look at them untilyou complete the exercises on your own. Thenread the answers to check your work.

On the next page you will find prerequisites.These are skills that you should already bedeveloping. The focus of this course can befound in the Learning Objectives on thefollowing page.

Now if you are ready, let’s begin.

Hi, I’m EdWIN.

4 • Teamwork

2You should be able to:

• define team and teamwork.

• know basics about how you see yourself.

• know basics about coping with emotions.

• define goals.

• recognize workplace goals.

• define communication.

• know basic listening skills.

PREREQUISITE SKILLS

Teamwork • 5

2In this course you will:

• review the words team and teamwork.

• discuss how a positive attitude affectsbehavior.

• examine how team members work withcustomers.

• examine peer pressure in the workplace.

• set workplace priorities.

• compare task skills and relationship skills.

• examine some basic workplace problems.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

6 • Teamwork

2LESSON 1 Reviewing Teamwork

LESSON 2 Looking at Attitudes

LESSON 3 Dealing with Customers

LESSON 4 Handling Peer Pressure

LESSON 5 Setting Priorities

LESSON 6 Comparing Skills

LESSON 7 Posttest

REFERENCE Bibliography

OUTLINE

Teamwork • 7

2REVIEWING TEAMWORK

Earlier, we talked about the basics ofteamwork. We began by defining a team. A teamis “a group of people working together in a jointeffort.” “Joint action by a group of people whoput the team first” creates teamwork. Each personon the team is a team member. However, a teamplayer is “one who places less emphasis onpersonal desire and works together with othergroup members in striving for a common goal.”Do you remember these definitions? Are you ateam player?

There are many kinds of teams. Some teamsare loosely organized, and some are well defined.Both structures are found in workplace teams.

The sales clerks at a discount chain store forma team. They work toward the common goal ofcustomer service. Every morning the teamgathers for a brief meeting. Announcements aremade, progress reports shared, and words ofencouragement are given. Following themeetings, most clerks do not see each other untilthe next morning. This is a loosely organizedteam. Unless members are in the samedepartment, work is conducted without thedirect help of the others.

LESSON 1

$

Cutting prices toserve our customers.

8 • Teamwork

2In the same store, the clerks in the electronics

department form another team. Members shareresponsibility. They stock shelves, helpcustomers, and run the register. Because theysell the same products, communication betweenmembers is important. By sharing informationwith each other, customers may be helped moreefficiently. This team is more organized than theteam of other sales clerks.

Management for the chain of stores forms amore closely defined team. When the presidentmakes a company-wide decision, he mustcommunicate with store managers to achieve theplan. Managers share their ideas with othermanagers as to how to carry out the new plan.The managers must stay in close contact withtheir store supervisors to monitor how the storesare performing. Meetings are held to determineprogress of the stores. These team players aredependent on the information they share witheach other.

Let’s consider another example. Do you thinka payroll clerk is a part of a team, or does thisperson work on his or her own? A payroll clerkcould work out of a private office. He or shecould complete the specific task of check writingwithout help. However, this person must interactwith other people.

LESSON 1

Teamwork • 9

2Time sheets communicate the hours that

employees work. However, if someone’s timesheet is missing or in error, the payroll clerk needsto communicate with employees to correct theproblem. Remember that a group of peopleworking together in a joint effort creates a team.Employees and the payroll clerk work togetherto see that the payroll can be completed.

Not only does the payroll clerk interact withemployees, he or she works with a number ofothers:

• supervisors regarding wages, paid holidays,or bonuses

• banking personnel to inquire about accountstatus

• distribution personnel, i.e., couriers or direct-deposit contacts

• government agencies regarding tax rates

• management regarding insurance premiumsand workers’ compensation

• purchasing agents for blank checks and officesupplies

• maintenance staff

LESSON 1

10 • Teamwork

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Do you see how a payroll clerk is a part of ateam?… a loosely defined team, but one wheremembers must work together to be successful.

In contrast, a surgical team is an example ofa team that works hand-in-hand with each other.During surgery, members must communicate.Doctors are dependent upon staff members whomonitor a patient’s vital signs. During a crisis,members help each other provide treatment thatis needed. When one member is occupied witha task, another steps in and does what has to bedone. They work together as a closely definedteam.

In either case, loosely or closely organizedteams, there must be good communicationbetween members. Without it, the team is lessproductive than it could be.

LESSON 1

Banking Personnel:to inquire about account status

Management: regarding insurance premuims,workers' compensation, etc.

Supervisors:regarding wages, paid holidays, etc.

Maintenance Staff

Government Agencies

Distribution Personnel:couriers and direct-deposit contacts

Purchasing Agents:blank checks and office supplies

Teamwork • 11

2Remember that communication is the

transfer of information from one person toanother. A message is sent from the sender andthen recreated in the mind of the receiver.Breakdowns often occur during this transfer.Learning to communicate means knowing whatyou can do to express yourself effectively. Let’sreview some of the basics.

To communicate well, you should:

• speak clearly and directly (say what you mean)

• listen actively (explore the speaker’s ideasrather than tune them out)

• avoid interrupting the speaker

• share information with others

• when all else fails, LISTEN!

Learning to communicate is not like riding abike. You do not learn how to do it and thenautomatically communicate effectively.Communication takes effort. It is a continualprocess. I hope that you practice yourcommunication skills at home and at work.

As we continue to look at other aspects ofteamwork, you will see that good com-munication is always needed. After the followingexercise, we will discuss some other skills thatare helpful in creating teamwork.

LESSON 1

Be a good listener.

12 • Teamwork

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EXERCISE – TEAMWORK

Instructions: Scientists have discovered some facts about why geese fly in a “V”formation and about their actions while flying. Read the followingfacts.

As each bird flaps its wings, it creates uplift for thebird immediately following. By flying in a “V”formation, the whole flock adds at least 71% greaterflying range than if each bird flew on its own.

Whenever a goose falls out of formation, it suddenlyfeels the drag and resistance of trying to fly aloneand quickly gets back into formation to take advantageof the lifting power of the bird immediately in front.

When the lead goose gets tired, it rotates back in the“V” and another goose flies to the point position.

The geese honk from behind to encourage those upfront to keep up their speed.

When a goose gets sick or is wounded and falls out,two geese fall out of formation and follow it down tohelp and protect it. They stay with it until the crisisresolves. Then they launch out on their own or withanother formation to catch up with the group.

LESSON 1

Teamwork • 13

2Instructions: These facts provide truths about teamwork. Read the following

truths that have been written for each fact. Workplace examplesfollow. Think of another example that shows each principle. Writea brief description of your examples in the spaces provided.

FACT 1: As each bird flaps its wings, it creates upliftfor the bird immediately following. By flyingin a “V” formation, the whole flock adds atleast 71% greater flying range than if eachbird flew on its own.

TRUTH 1: People who share a common direction andsense of community can get where they aregoing quicker and easier because they aretraveling with the support of one another.

EXAMPLE: A literal example of this principle can beseen in the practice of drafting that is usedby racecar drivers. One car follows closelybehind another to use the pull of the frontcar and save its energy.

In the workplace, an assembly line is anexample of this principle. A mobile homecan be built quicker and easier using anassembly line rather than if one individualtried to build the home without the supportof others.

YOUR EXAMPLE:_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

LESSON 1

14 • Teamwork

2FACT 2: Whenever a goose falls out of formation, it

suddenly feels the drag and resistance oftrying to fly alone and quickly gets back intoformation to take advantage of the liftingpower of the bird immediately in front.

TRUTH 2: There is strength, power, and safety innumbers when traveling in the samedirection as others with whom we share acommon goal.

EXAMPLE: A construction site provides a goodexample. This principle can be seen when alaborer does not show up for work. Masonlaborers are hired to make preparations forbrick masons. The laborers set scaffolding,mix mortar, deliver mortar to the work area,among other tasks. When the laborer isabsent, the mason is “out of formation.” Ifthe mason has to do the laborer’s tasks, theprocess will be slowed down.

YOUR EXAMPLE:

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

LESSON 1

Teamwork • 15

2FACT 3: When the lead goose gets tired, it rotates

back in the wing and another goose flies tothe point position.

TRUTH 3: It pays to take turns doing hard jobs.

EXAMPLE: A literal example of this principle can beseen in a football game. Starters and backupplayers rotate positions to keep from gettingtoo tired.

In the workplace, people who serve as teamleaders often rotate with team members.This distributes responsibilities and avoidsburnout.

YOUR EXAMPLE:

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

LESSON 1

16 • Teamwork

2FACT 4: The geese honk from behind to encourage

those up front to keep up their speed.

TRUTH 4: We all need to be reinforced with activesupport and praise.

EXAMPLE: Sports again provide a literal example of thisprinciple. Fans often encourage players onto victory.

In the workplace, successful employeesencourage team members. Unsuccessfulemployees do not find the time to say “goodjob” and “thank you.” Words ofencouragement between employees createa more effective team than if membersdiscourage one another.

YOUR EXAMPLE:

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

LESSON 1

Teamwork • 17

2FACT 5: When a goose gets sick or is wounded and

falls out, two geese fall out of formation andfollow it down to help and protect it. Theystay with it until the crisis resolves. Thenthey launch out on their own or with anotherformation to catch up with the group.

TRUTH 5: We must stand by each other in times ofneed.

EXAMPLE: This kind of loyalty is often displayed intimes of crisis. When a team memberexperiences serious illness or death, otherteam members are often willing to pick upthe slack until the employee returns.

YOUR EXAMPLE:

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

LESSON 1

18 • Teamwork

2LOOKING AT ATTITUDES

Positive Attitude

Employers say that one of the most importantqualities in workers is attitude. Your attitude isyour “mental position (feeling or emotion) withregard to a fact or state.” Attitude affects theresponse you have to daily experiences at workor school. You may not be able to control whathappens to you, but you can control how yourespond. Attitudes are important because theycreate behaviors.

If you have a positive attitude, you are morelikely to control emotions that cause yourbehavior. This means you are more likely to workwell with others. Difficult situations can behandled better when you have a positive attitude.Employers look for these traits in employees.

LESSON 1

Don’t let the weatheraffect your attitude.

Teamwork • 19

2LESSON 2

We say that people have “bad” attitudes as iftalking about the flu. An attitude may affect howsomebody feels, but it is not something that youhave to give in to like an illness. You do nothave to accept your attitude if you do not likeit. It can be changed with practice.

You can start to develop a more positiveattitude by talking to yourself. Everyone thinksto himself or herself. Make sure that yourthoughts about yourself are good. This maysound simple or not very important. However,“positive self-talk” has a great deal of power overyou. When you practice positive thoughts, youbegin to have more of a positive attitude.

• When you feel challenged, tell yourself thatyou can do it.

• When you feel stressed, tell yourself that youcan handle it.

• When you make mistakes, tell yourself thatyou are learning.

20 • Teamwork

2Remember that everyone has strengths and

weaknesses. People who learn to see their ownweaknesses and make an effort to improve areable to achieve more success in what they do.

Tension, stress, and fatigue can cause you tohave negative thoughts and feelings. Recognizethis fact. Take control and talk to yourself whenthey occur.

Mutual Respect

A positive attitude helps you to be happy withyourself. This helps to build self-respect. It isoften said that we should treat others in the waythat we want to be treated. Considering how“you” feel about something can let you knowhow to show respect for other people.

LESSON 2

Teamwork • 21

2As I said before, our attitudes affect how we

behave. Our actions affect others. For example,rude behavior causes problems. In other words,rude actions make people uncomfortable,causing tension or friction between individuals.It is not easy to work with people when negativefeelings affect behaviors.

On the other hand, considerate behaviorbrings people together. Teams work togetherbetter if members show respect for one another.The foundation for a working group isconsideration of the rights of others. It is vitalfor team members to treat each other withrespect in order for a team to work effectively.Respect starts with you and me.

Sometimes we must give respect in order toreceive it in return. You do not have to agreewhen someone thinks differently than you, nordoes someone have to agree with you. We shouldsimply respect others’ ideas. Do not be offendedif your view is not the only view. Buildingmutual respect takes an effort from bothindividuals.

LESSON 2

22 • Teamwork

2A mutual respect for each other opens the

lines for good communication. We know thatgood communication builds trust and loyalty.This fosters teamwork.

It is important for you to make a continuouseffort to give others respect in the workplace. Ifeveryone made this effort, the workplace wouldbe a more productive place … and nicer, too!

LESSON 2

RESPECT

Teamwork • 23

2EXERCISE – ATTITUDES

Instructions: Read the following workplace scenarios. Then select the letterthat represents the response that is most appropriate.

It is Ty’s first week to work at the ticket counter in a trainstation. Many times when customers ask him a question,he has to ask a co-worker or refer to a policy manual.Customers get frustrated with him because they expect aquick answer.

1. Ty should:

a. quit his job and look for a job without customers.b. tell himself that he will learn how to answer questions.c. tell himself that customers are idiots and ignore them.d. let customers know that they should not be in a hurry.

Susan’s alarm clock did not go off, and she woke up late.She rushed to make up for the lost time. On her way towork, a traffic accident caused her to be stopped for 30minutes. Susan’s boss asked why she was late for work.Later, a co-worker began telling her about a new processthat may affect their jobs. Susan angrily replied, “I reallydon’t feel like listening to you today.”

2. Susan had the most control over:

a. her boss asking why she was late.b. the traffic accident.c. the alarm clock not working.d. her response to the co-worker.

LESSON 2

24 • Teamwork

2Jim is working with a construction crew finishing stuccoon a new building. The weather is predicted to turn badtomorrow, so the team is trying to complete the job today.Kyle forgot his tools, but he is trying to use a small trowelthat someone offered him. Because of the trowel, Kyle isworking much slower than the others are. Several of thecrew are harassing Kyle since he is slowing progress.

3. How should Jim treat Kyle, the unprepared worker?

a. Keep his mouth shut and ignore Kyle.b. Think about how he would expect others to treat him in

the same situation.c. Show Kyle his frustration for making him have to work

harder to meet the deadline.d. Help Kyle by going through everyone’s tools to find a

bigger trowel.

Sheila likes to talk and make people laugh. You work withher in a distribution facility. She frequently makes vulgarcomments to customers and co-workers trying to get alaugh from others. At mealtimes, you notice Sheila isusually eating alone.

4. What most likely causes her isolation?

a. Rude actions make many people uncomfortable.b. People get tired of laughing so much.c. She chooses to be alone every day.d. She is trying to think of some jokes.

LESSON 2

Teamwork • 25

2Stacy works with Carlos, a new employee, in the shippingdepartment for a publishing company. Carlos is from aforeign country and has many views that are different fromStacy’s. Next week a team meeting will be held tobrainstorm ideas for improving processes.

5. Stacy should:

a. discourage Carlos from attending since he is a newemployee.

b. encourage Carlos to suggest new ideas at the meeting.c. tell the other team members not to pay attention to him

because he is different.d. not go to the meeting because someone might listen to

Carlos.

LESSON 2

26 • Teamwork

2ANSWERS TO EXERCISE

It is Ty’s first week to work at the ticket counter in a trainstation. Many times when customers ask him a question,he has to ask a co-worker or refer to a policy manual.Customers get frustrated with him because they expect aquick answer.

1. Ty should:

Answer: b. tell himself that he will learn how to answerquestions.

Remember that positive self-talk can help you stay incontrol when you are challenged or stressed. If youquit your job to find another, you will likely encounterproblems there, also. Being rude to customers will onlycreate more tension.

LESSON 2

Teamwork • 27

2Susan’s alarm clock did not go off, and she woke up late.She rushed to make up for the lost time. On her way towork, a traffic accident caused her to be stopped for 30minutes. Susan’s boss asked why she was late for work.Later, a co-worker began telling her about a new processthat may affect their jobs. Susan angrily replied, “I reallydon’t feel like listening to you today.”

2. Susan had the most control over:

Answer: d. her response to the co-worker.

Remember that we cannot always control whathappens, but we can control how we react. If you arerepeatedly having trouble with your alarm clock, youcan take action to correct the problem. However, thereare times when malfunctions may happen. You canallow yourself extra travel time to avoid being late whenyou encounter traffic problems. However, accidentshappen that disrupt our routines. You can only controlthe boss’ question by not giving him a reason to askwhy you are late.

LESSON 2

28 • Teamwork

2Jim is working with a construction crew finishing stuccoon a new building. The weather is predicted to turn badtomorrow, so the team is trying to complete the job today.Kyle forgot his tools, but he is trying to use a small trowelthat someone offered him. Because of the trowel, Kyle isworking much slower than the others are. Several of thecrew are harassing Kyle since he is slowing progress.

3. How should Jim treat Kyle, the unprepared worker?

Answer: b. Think about how he would expect others to treathim in the same situation.

We should treat others as we expect them to treat us.Answer “d” is not appropriate. You should never gothrough others’ belongings without their permission.

Sheila likes to talk and make people laugh. You work withher in a distribution facility. She frequently makes vulgarcomments to customers and co-workers trying to get alaugh from others. At mealtimes, you notice Sheila isusually eating alone.

4. What most likely causes her isolation?

Answer: a. Rude actions make many people uncomfortable.

It is possible that Sheila chooses to be alone, but hertalkative behavior likely shows that she is a “people-person.” We know that rude behavior causes tensionor friction. This could cause people to avoid her.

LESSON 2

Teamwork • 29

2Stacy works with Carlos, a new employee, in the shippingdepartment for a publishing company. Carlos is from aforeign country and has many views that are different fromStacy’s. Next week a team meeting will be held tobrainstorm ideas for improving processes.

5. Stacy should:

Answer: b. encourage Carlos to suggest new ideas at themeeting.

We should respect other’s ideas even if we disagree.We may find that we agree!

LESSON 2

30 • Teamwork

2DEALING WITH CUSTOMERS

It is important that we extend our respect toall of our customers.

Every workplace is focused in some way uponcustomers. They are “the source of demand forgoods or services.” Without the customer,motivation for work is lost. Let’s take a closerlook at customers and how valuable they are tothe workplace, including your job.

• How does the company where you workmake money?

• Who pays money to the company? …Thatmoney, in turn, is used to pay your wages.

Customers are the source of revenue thatsupports business. A customer’s needs should bethe focus of attention for all employees. Goodproducts and quality service are needed to reachand keep customers.

• Why do people choose to do business withyour company rather than your competition?

When a customer’s needs are met or exceeded,it encourages return business. Satisfied customerstell others about your goods and/or services, andbusiness succeeds. An unhappy customer alsotells others about you.

LESSON 3

May I help you?

Teamwork • 31

2Every employee has the responsibility to do

a job to the best of his or her ability. Together,employees can give customers reasons to makepurchases. Did you notice I said “together”?Meeting the needs of customers takes a jointeffort … teamwork.

You should be aware of every customer’svalue. This encourages you to attend tocustomers’ needs, which promotes success …your success and the company’s success.

Internal versusExternal Customers

As implied earlier, the principal reason jobsexist is to provide goods and/or services tocustomers. Management and fellow employeesare also customers. Let’s think about thatstatement.

Remember that a customer is the source ofdemand for goods and/or services. Goods are“something produced from physical labor orintellectual effort.” A service is “useful labor thatdoes not produce material goods.” Customersare individuals, functions, places, or departmentsthat receive the output of an employee’s action.

LESSON 3

32 • Teamwork

2It is easy to see that a sales clerk has customers.

Individuals that buy goods from clerks are theircustomers. Contacts with customers may bedirectly in person or by telephone or otherelectronic device. Customers also purchaseservices, such as insurance coverage, health care,hair care, and rental storage space. Thesecustomers are called external customers. Anexternal customer is “a person or organizationwho receives goods, services, or information butis not a part of the organization supplying it.”

People whose work depends on work fromothers within the company are also customers.An office assistant provides services for a numberof employees inside the company. The employeesare internal customers of the assistant.Employees need goods or services provided bythe assistant. An internal customer is “therecipient (person or department) of anotherperson’s or department’s output (goods, services,or information) within an organization.”

Let’s think about the payroll clerk again. Thepayroll clerk provides a service for you as anemployee. You are an internal customer of theclerk. This person provides a service for you. Theclerk purchases blank checks and seeks bankservices as an external customer of the bank. Doyou see the difference between internal andexternal customers?

LESSON 3

Teamwork • 33

2Customer Sensitivity

Do you remember talking about the value ofa customer? Whether a customer is internal orexternal, it is important to meet the customer’sneeds. This affects the company’s success andyour future. Simply providing a good productor service is not satisfactory. How you treat thecustomer is most important.

There are a number of sayings regardingcustomers. As you read through this list of dosand don’ts, think about why they are true andhow they apply to you.

• Customers deal with people they like.

• The customer is always right.

• You never win an argument with a customer.

• You are not doing a customer a favor–they’redoing you a favor.

• It takes a long time to win a customer, butthey can be lost in the blink of an eye.

We can see that good communication andgood attitudes affect the employee/customerrelationship.

Remember thatco-workers arecustomers, too!

LESSON 3

34 • Teamwork

2EXERCISE – CUSTOMERS

Instructions: Read the following workplace scenarios. Then select the letterthat represents the response that is most appropriate.

Mark and Pam work at an ice cream shop. Pam keeps thebooks, places orders, and handles store maintenance. Markwaits on customers and keeps the tables clean. Pamschedules herself to pay bills and balance the checkbookon Fridays. One afternoon while doing her bookwork, abusload of children stop in the shop on their way homefrom a camp.

1. Pam should:

a. let Mark handle the customers since they are onlychildren.

b. help Mark wait on customers since there are so manywaiting for ice cream.

c. keep working, and if she can finish the bookwork, thenhelp Mark.

d. entertain the children while Mark serves them ice cream.

LESSON 3

Teamwork • 35

2Angie and Lisa work as part of a team at a health spa.Clients begin the “half-day special” with a massage. Lisafollows the massage by giving clients a facial. Clients thenreceive a manicure and pedicure from Angie. As the nailtechnician, Angie schedules some individual manicuresbetween the “special” clients. Lisa often gets behindschedule when giving facials. She “chit-chats” before andafter treatment. This causes problems for Angie’s schedule.When the “special” clients move to Angie, they often haveto wait. Clients like Lisa because she is so friendly and getfrustrated with Angie because of delays.

2. What is the cause of the problem?

a. Angie does not care about her customers.b. Lisa does not care about her customers.c. Lisa does not realize Angie is also her customer.d. Lisa cannot work quickly.

Frank runs a register at a store. He is not very happy with hisjob and it shows on his face. He checks out groceries forcustomers. He usually keeps from making rude remarksthough he wants to. Regular customers often avoid his line.His boss tells him that his attitude is negatively affectingbusiness.

3. Frank should:

a. make an effort to think positive and be friendly.b. tell his boss that he is doing his job.c. smile even though his attitude does not change.d. try to look busy so customers will not go through his

line.

LESSON 3

36 • Teamwork

2Van works as an assistant in a bookstore. He helpscustomers find books. Sometimes he is assigned to run acash register. Kelly manages an information booth. Shegreets customers and provides directions to specialtyareas. When customers know an author’s name or a subjectand they want to know a book title, Kelly uses the computerto help them find it. A casual reading area is provided insidethe store. Gene runs a small coffee shop near this area.

4. What does Kelly provide customers?

a. services and informationb. services and productsc. information and productsd. Only Gene and Van serve customers.

Don and Kathy work as a team at the Super Car Wash. Theyseem to enjoy working with each other and are always in agood mood when customers go through their line. Both Donand Kathy take great pride in their work. Kathy vacuums theinside, and Don cleans the wheels. Together they clean andshine the windows after the car goes through the wash.

5. Why do customers often request to go through Don andKathy’s line when getting a car wash?

a. Their work exceeds what the customer expects.b. They have positive attitudes that make the customers

feel good.c. They work well together to accomplish a good job.d. all of the above

LESSON 3

Teamwork • 37

2ANSWERS TO EXERCISE

Mark and Pam work at an ice cream shop. Pam keeps thebooks, places orders, and handles store maintenance. Markwaits on customers and keeps the tables clean. Pamschedules herself to pay bills and balance the checkbookon Fridays. One afternoon while doing her bookwork, abusload of children stop in the shop on their way homefrom a camp.

1. Pam should:

Answer: b. help Mark wait on customers since there are somany waiting for ice cream.

Since Pam set her own bookwork deadline, she shouldbe somewhat flexible. Teamwork includes helping eachother. Mark needed help providing the store’sproduct … ice cream.

LESSON 3

38 • Teamwork

2Angie and Lisa work as part of a team at a health spa.Clients begin the “half-day special” with a massage. Lisafollows the massage by giving clients a facial. Clients thenreceive a manicure and pedicure from Angie. As the nailtechnician, Angie schedules some individual manicuresbetween the “special” clients. Lisa often gets behindschedule when giving facials. She “chit-chats” before andafter treatment. This causes problems for Angie’s schedule.When the “special” clients move to Angie, they often haveto wait. Clients like Lisa because she is so friendly andget frustrated with Angie because of delays.

2. What is the cause of the problem?

Answer: c. Lisa does not realize Angie is also her customer.

Lisa has external customers who require facials. Shealso has Angie as an internal customer. Angie expectsLisa to provide the clients to her as scheduled.

LESSON 3

Teamwork • 39

2Frank runs a register at a store. He is not very happy withhis job and it shows on his face. He checks out groceriesfor customers. He usually keeps from making rude remarksthough he wants to. Regular customers often avoid hisline. His boss tells him that his attitude is negativelyaffecting business.

3. Frank should:

Answer: a. make an effort to think positive and be friendly.

Satisfying customers is not just about providing goodsor a service. Satisfied customers are not made to feeluncomfortable. Remember your actions often speaklouder than your words. Negative attitudes are oftenconveyed by our actions.

LESSON 3

40 • Teamwork

2Van works as an assistant in a bookstore. He helpscustomers find books. Sometimes he is assigned to run acash register. Kelly manages an information booth. Shegreets customers and provides directions to specialtyareas. When customers know an author’s name or a subjectand they want to know a book title, Kelly uses the computerto help them find it. A casual reading area is provided insidethe store. Gene runs a small coffee shop near this area.

4. What does Kelly provide customers?

Answer: a. services and information

Kelly provides a service to customers when shewelcomes them and gives directions as needed. Herjob is to deliver information. Indirectly, she may haveinfluence on customers buying a product.

Don and Kathy work as a team at the Super Car Wash.They seem to enjoy working with each other and are alwaysin a good mood when customers go through their line.Both Don and Kathy take great pride in their work. Kathyvacuums the inside, and Don cleans the wheels. Togetherthey clean and shine the windows after the car goesthrough the wash.

5. Why do customers often request to go through Don andKathy’s line when getting a car wash?

Answer: d. all of the above

LESSON 3

Teamwork • 41

2HANDLING PEER PRESSURE

Many factors influence how you react tocustomers and co-workers. Your attitude, forone, affects your behavior. In this lesson we willlook at how peer pressure influences behavior.

Peers are “those with whom a person sharescommon experiences and interests.” Wenormally think of teenagers experiencing themost peer pressure. Peers easily influence manyteenagers. We see this behavior in how they dress.Brand names and clothing styles may dictatewho is allowed to associate with whom.Teenagers may experiment with drinking ordrugs when peers encourage those behaviors.

Peer pressure is not limited to children orteenagers. Peer values are a lifelong influence.Adults are often pressured to keep up with theJoneses. As you know, trying to live above yourmeans can create financial crisis. Some try toexcuse this behavior by saying that everybody’sdoing it. Peers can also lure individuals intoillegal activity by promising fame and fortune.

It is natural that peers have some influenceover us. People have basic needs. Once ourphysical needs such as food and water are met,we naturally seek safety. This includes secure andstable surroundings. We then tend to try to filla need for belonging.

I make my owndecisions.

LESSON 4

42 • Teamwork

2This natural desire causes us to allow peers

to influence our behavior. We need to feelaccepted … to feel a part. People fill this needthrough individual relationships and throughgroups such as church or communityorganizations and through groups in theworkplace.

It is important that you recognize your needto belong. Then it is important to be aware ofpeer pressure. Do not allow peers to control yourbehavior. Base your decisions on your ownthinking. Following the crowd may lead youwhere you do not want to go.

Let’s take a minute to think about a herd ofcattle. If one cow is startled and runs, the otherstend to run with it. A stampede is created. If thelead cow runs off of a cliff, many others willfollow. They never realize where they are headed;they just follow the crowd. Do not be led overthe cliffs. Make sure that your actions reflectwhat you want and feel.

A production line can provide an example ofpeer pressure in the workplace. Let’s say thatworkers typically produce five widgets a day. Anew employee comes along and produces eightwidgets a day. Peers may shun the new workerfor making them look bad. In order to “fit in”with co-workers, the new employee slows downhis own production. Have you seen this happen?

LESSON 4

Teamwork • 43

2The examples that I have used, so far, show

negative influences caused by peer pressure. Itdoes not have to be a negative influence. Manytimes, peers can encourage excellentperformance. We see this behavior in athletes.Often individuals push themselves when theyare up against competition.

Peer pressure can have a positive effect in theworkplace. If one employee produces tenwidgets, a co-worker may work harder not to beoutdone. Both workers are motivated to produceas many widgets as possible. This time peerpressure causes workers to do their best.

When starting a job, it is easy to allow yournew co-workers to influence you in order to feelaccepted among your new peers. Before you act,make conscious decisions about your behavior.Being aware of peer pressure will help you tomake good decisions.

LESSON 4

44 • Teamwork

2EXERCISE – PEER PRESSURE

Instructions: Read the following workplace scenarios. Then select the letter thatrepresents the response that is most appropriate.

Mike and Diana work for a company that does vinyl letteringand sign design. After taking an art class at a communitycollege, Diana became more enthusiastic about her work. Shecame up with several new design ideas. Mike noticed that shewas using different fonts and typefaces. The next time thecollege offered the class, Mike decided to take it himself.

1. What appears to have influenced Mike to take the class?

a. college recruitmentb. the art teacherc. Mike’s bossd. peer pressure

Mrs. Cameron has worked in the school cafeteria for 25years. She is tired of her job. When Joan finished highschool, she started working part-time preparing schoollunches. The principal proposed a program to use outsidevendors, such as Taco Bell™ and Pizza Hut®, to supplementthe lunch program. Mrs. Cameron warned Joan not to trustthe administration. “They are always looking for ways toget rid of us,” she would say.

2. Joan should:

a. listen to Mrs. Cameron since she has worked there.b. tell the principal Mrs. Cameron was talking about her.c. be aware that Mrs. Cameron is trying to influence her.d. quit this job because she does not know whom to trust.

LESSON 4

Teamwork • 45

2The Tyler Firm hires a custodial crew of twelve employeesto maintain care of their offices. The crew comes in eachevening at 7:00 p.m. after most of the employees have gonehome for the day. R.J. saw Sally put some items from thesupply room into her car one evening. When Sally knewthat he saw her, she said, “They do not pay me enoughmoney for all of the work that I do. I figure they owe me.They will never miss these things.” She told R.J. that heought to do the same.

3. R.J. should:

a. not allow Sally to decide what is right and wrong.b. join Sally so he doesn’t look like a “goodie-goodie.”c. ask the other crew members if they agree with Sally.d. look for other items to take without anyone knowing.

Woodbridge Retirement Home has three large wings thathouse residents. Each wing has a staff responsible to carefor residents’ needs. Woodbridge is well known for its superiorservice. Management continues to encourage the staff to excelthrough team competitions. Bonuses are awarded to each ofthe three teams when all assigned goals are met.

4. Management most likely chose this system because:

a. only qualified applicants will submit applications.b. team members are likely to support and encourage each

other in meeting the goals.c. residents like to watch team members compete.d. this system allows individual team members to control

their work initiatives.

LESSON 4

46 • Teamwork

2ANSWERS TO EXERCISE

Mike and Diana work for a company that does vinyl letteringand sign design. After taking an art class at a communitycollege, Diana became more enthusiastic about her work.She came up with several new design ideas. Mike noticedthat she was using different fonts and typefaces. The nexttime the college offered the class, Mike decided to take ithimself.

1. What appears to have influenced Mike to take the class?

Answer: d. peer pressure

A good art teacher and/or college recruitment programcould have influenced Mike’s decision. However, fromthe given information, it appears that Mike liked thechanges he saw in Diana’s work and wanted to receivesimilar instruction. This is an example of positive peerpressure.

LESSON 4

Teamwork • 47

2Mrs. Cameron has worked in the school cafeteria for 25years. She is tired of her job. When Joan finished highschool, she started working part-time preparing schoollunches. The principal proposed a program to use outsidevendors, such as Taco Bell™ and Pizza Hut®, to supplementthe lunch program. Mrs. Cameron warned Joan not to trustthe administration. “They are always looking for ways toget rid of us,” she would say.

2. Joan should:

Answer: c. be aware that Mrs. Cameron is trying to influenceher.

An experienced employee such as Mrs. Cameron mayhave much to offer new employees. However, eachemployee should think and make decisions on his orher own. Trying to make others look bad generallycreates more problems than it helps. You will find thatmost jobs require interaction with peers. Do not allowthem to make your decisions.

LESSON 4

48 • Teamwork

2The Tyler Firm hires a custodial crew of twelve employeesto maintain care of their offices. The crew comes in eachevening at 7:00 p.m. after most of the employees have gonehome for the day. R.J. saw Sally put some items from thesupply room into her car one evening. When Sally knewthat he saw her she said, “They do not pay me enoughmoney for all of the work that I do. I figure they owe me.They will never miss these things.” She told R.J. that heought to do the same.

3. R.J. should:

Answer: a. not allow Sally to decide what is right and wrong.

Sally’s actions are not acceptable behavior. Thisscenario brings up honesty in the workplace.

Woodbridge Retirement Home has three large wings thathouse residents. Each wing has a staff responsible to carefor residents’ needs. Woodbridge is well known for itssuperior service. Management continues to encourage thestaff to excel through team competitions. Bonuses areawarded to each of the three teams when all assigned goalsare met.

4. Management most likely chose this system because:

Answer: b. team members are likely to support and encourageeach other in meeting the goals.

LESSON 4

Teamwork • 49

2SETTING PRIORITIES

Effective team members must know how toset priorities. A priority is “the act or fact ofcoming before in order of importance.” Whenthere are multiple tasks to be done, the order ofimportance must be decided. You select the taskthat has priority; it should be done first.

In the workplace, you will find that manyjobs have a number of duties or responsibilities.Learning to prioritize your tasks allows you tobe a better employee. For instance, waiting on acustomer should have priority over emptying thewastepaper basket.

In order to start setting priorities, it is a goodidea to list tasks. Then rank the tasks accordingto importance. Duties or tasks that need to becompleted immediately should have highpriority. Some workers make a new list of taskseveryday.

Some people put an “A” by high-prioritytasks. Tasks labeled as “B” tasks are not asimportant as “A” tasks, but these tasks might be“A” tasks someday. You need to be workingtoward them as your time allows. The “C” tasksare least important. They need your attention,or they would not be on your list. However, theyreceive your attention after “A” and “B” tasksare completed or in progress. This system iscalled ABC priority.

When employees canset priorities, the

company can be moresuccessful!

LESSON 5

50 • Teamwork

2Other people number tasks according to

priorities. They make a daily or weekly to-do-list. Then they number each task according toits importance. This person completes the firsttask before working on the second task, and soon.

These systems, as well as others, are good togive workers a guide when multiple tasks areneeded on the job. Sometimes the lists are notwritten on paper, but are in people’s minds. It isimportant whether you make a list or not toknow how to set priorities for your workplacetasks.

Let’s consider how you rank workplace tasks.Imagine that you are an office assistant with anumber of assignments. Consider ranking thesefew tasks:

• send letters

• answer telephone

• stock office supplies in employees’ offices

LESSON 5

Teamwork • 51

2Typically, your first priority would be to

answer the telephone when it rings. Thissupports the customer service that we discussedearlier.

However, circumstances could change thatpriority. You may need to fax an apology letterto an external customer regarding an incorrectorder. You have been asked to send the fax assoon as possible. You might ask a co-worker toanswer the telephone until you finish the letter.This changes your priorities. When thetelephone is not ringing and you do not haveimmediate typing duties, then you take care ofstocking office supplies.

Do you see how circumstances can changepriorities? This means that employees must beflexible. They should be aware of needs andadjust attention as the day demands.Understanding the value of your customers willhelp you determine workplace priorities.

At work, there are basically two labels forassigned tasks. Some are “urgent.” These tasksneed immediate attention. A ringing telephonein a business office is a good example of an urgenttask.

LESSON 5

52 • Teamwork

2All other workplace tasks are “important.”

These tasks are steps toward a company goal,but they are not as urgent as meeting customerneeds. An example would be keeping suppliesin employee offices. If you do not take care ofthis task when urgent matters are not pressing,you could create a problem.

Suppose it is 4:50 p.m. Your boss closed abig deal by telephone and wants to fax a contractbefore the end of the workday. The telephone isringing and in walks a frustrated Ms. Casey. Sheis leaving for a business meeting early tomorrow.As she prepares materials for the meeting, shecannot find letterhead stationery nor standardfolders used to distribute company literature. Bynot attending to an “important” task, you nowhave to handle three “urgent” tasks.

Maybe your boss will get Ms. Casey’s itemsfrom the supply room, and Ms. Casey willanswer the phone while you finish the contract.The point is you should avoid causing thissituation by doing important tasks when theyare not urgent.

LESSON 5

Teamwork • 53

2Learning to manage priorities is similar to

managing your time. Both tasks affect yourworkplace productivity. There is a theory that“work will expand to fill the time allotted.” Thismeans a task that normally takes one hour tocomplete can take a person three hours if threehours have been set aside. We tend to pushourselves to meet a deadline. If the deadline isthree hours away, the push is not as great as whenit is one hour away.

Preference is another way that productivityis influenced. We all have tasks that we do notlike to do. It is easy to put these tasks off. Whensetting your priorities, consider how yourpreferences may affect you. It is a good practiceto schedule the tasks that you dislike as soon aspriorities will allow.

In the workplace, employees should pushthemselves to be productive. People should notneed a supervisor watching them to make surethey stay productive. Remember that you are apart of a company team. To be a good employee,you must want to manage your priorities andtime to be as productive as possible.

Let’s try some exercises to help you setpriorities effectively.

LESSON 5

54 • Teamwork

2EXERCISE – ORDER OF PRIORITIES

Instructions: Read the following workplace scenarios. Then determine the orderof the tasks by numbering them in their order of importance.

Maria works as a receptionist in a dentist’s office. Sheanswers the telephone, schedules appointments, andcollects billing and insurance information. When a patientarrives, she lets the dentist know the patient has arrived.Of the following tasks, which one should be her first priorityand which one should be next?

___ address reminder cards for patients to call forappointments

___ request that a new patient complete aninformation sheet

Greg started working at Kelly’s Grocery after school. Mr.Kelly hired Greg to bag groceries, help customers, andstock shelves. In what order should he do the followingtasks?

___ help Mrs. Conner carry groceries to her car

___ check to see if the produce counter needsrestocked

LESSON 5

Teamwork • 55

2Elaine runs the register in a video rental store. She callsto remind customers they have overdue videos and informscustomers that reserved videos are ready to be checkedout. What order of priority should she give the followingtasks?

___ check to see that videos are on the proper shelf

___ help a customer find a specific video

___ call Ms. Lively regarding a reserved video

Doug delivers papers for a small newspaper company. Heis responsible for his customers’ delivery and billing. Howshould he prioritize the following tasks?

___ attach billing statements with newspapers

___ pick up papers from the newspaper company

___ make sure his car has gas

___ deliver newspapers

LESSON 5

56 • Teamwork

2ANSWERS TO EXERCISE

Maria works as a receptionist in a dentist’s office. Sheanswers the telephone, schedules appointments, andcollects billing and insurance information. When a patientarrives, she lets the dentist know the patient has arrived.Of the following tasks, which one should be her first priorityand which one should be next?

2 address reminder cards for patients to call forappointments

1 request that a new patient complete an informationsheet

The urgent priority is the patient waiting for service. Theinformation sheet needs to be completed in order toproceed with the patient’s visit. The appointment remindersare important but can wait until this patient has beenserved.

LESSON 5

Teamwork • 57

2Greg started working at Kelly’s Grocery after school. Mr.Kelly hired Greg to bag groceries, help customers, andstock shelves. What order should he do the followingtasks?

1 help Mrs. Conner carry groceries to her car

2 check to see if the produce counter needs restocked

Both tasks serve customers. If the produce counter is notstocked, customers cannot find items they wish topurchase. However, this task should be attended to whencustomers are not waiting for individual service.

Elaine runs the register in a video rental store. She callsto remind customers they have overdue videos and informscustomers that reserved videos are ready to be checkedout. What order of priority should she give the followingtasks?

3 check to see that videos are on the proper shelf

1 help a customer find a specific video

2 call Ms. Lively regarding a reserved video

The customer who is looking for a video has urgent priority.If however, this person is browsing, service to Ms. Livelywould be more important. Keeping videos in place isimportant, but should be done when customers are notwaiting to be served.

LESSON 5

58 • Teamwork

2Doug delivers papers for a small newspaper company. Heis responsible for his customers’ delivery and billing. Howshould he prioritize the following tasks?

3 attach billing statements with newspapers

2 pick up papers from the newspaper company

1 make sure his car has gas

4 deliver newspapers

Before running a newspaper route, it is important to makenecessary preparations. Running out of gas could causeDoug a significant delay in delivery. He cannot go to thenewspaper office if his car is not ready. This would be thenumber one priority. He cannot attach statements to thepapers nor deliver them until he picks them up. Deliveringpapers is an important part of this job, but in this case ittakes place last.

LESSON 5

Teamwork • 59

2EXERCISE – DECISIONS BASED ON PRIORITIES

Instructions: Read the following scenarios and make a decision based onworkplace priorities. Select the answer that represents the bestresponse.

When Maria is answering questions about procedures fora new patient, the telephone rings. Since she is the onlyone in the office, she excuses herself to answer the phone.It is her sister.

1. Maria should:

a. tell her sister that she will have to talk later.b. whisper to the patient that she will only be a few minutes.c. never have answered the telephone.d. turn her back so that she cannot be overheard.

One day Greg helped a customer take groceries to her car.Some of his friends were driving by the store. When theysaw Greg, they stopped. After loading the customer’s car,Greg talked to his friends. They had a new CD and wantedhim to hear a couple of songs.

2. Greg should:

a. listen with his friends because they are potentialcustomers.

b. listen with his friends because he has worked hard allday and needs a break.

c. tell his friends that he will have to catch them after workor while he is on a break.

d. go ask Mr. Kelly if he can take a break.

LESSON 5

60 • Teamwork

2Elaine was on her way to work and planned to stop by thedrive-thru to get a ham-and-egg biscuit. When she arrived,she saw that a tour bus had just stopped, and there was along drive-thru line. She did not have time to wait and be atwork on time.

3. Elaine should:

a. go through a less-crowded drive-thru that is nearby.b. wait to buy her biscuit because she usually does not

have customers when she first opens the store.c. wait to buy her biscuit and hope that she can drive fast

enough not to be too late for work.d. call her boss to say that she is sorry, but she will be late.

Doug primarily works out of his home. Last week, hebought a computer to use for managing his billing process.Entering his customers’ information is taking him longerthan he thought it would. On Sundays, Doug must put salepapers and coupon inserts in the newspapers beforedelivery. It takes him about one hour to complete this task.

4. Early Sunday morning before starting the delivery route,Doug should:

a. enter more customer data in the computer beforeinserting sale papers and coupons.

b. put inserts in the newspapers before spending more timeon the computer.

c. not worry about including sale papers and coupons inthis Sunday’s newspaper.

d. plan to start his delivery route later than usual so thathe can work on the computer.

LESSON 5

Teamwork • 61

2ANSWERS TO EXERCISES

When Maria is answering questions about procedures fora new patient, the telephone rings. Since she is the onlyone in the office, she excuses herself to answer the phone.It is her sister.

1. Maria should:

Answer: a. tell her sister that she will have to talk later.

Maria must attend to customer calls; therefore, shewas right to excuse herself. However, she should limitpersonal calls and never make a patient wait longerthan necessary.

One day Greg helped a customer take groceries to her car.Some of his friends were driving by the store. When theysaw Greg, they stopped. After loading the customer’s car,Greg talked to his friends. They had a new CD and wantedhim to hear a couple of songs.

2. Greg should:

Answer: c. tell his friends that he will have to catch them afterwork or while he is on a break.

Greg should not let personal matters interfere withhis workplace obligations. He should take his breaksat the scheduled times. He should only bother Mr. Kellywith a special request in case of an emergency.

LESSON 5

62 • Teamwork

2Elaine was on her way to work and planned to stop by thedrive-thru to get a ham-and-egg biscuit. When she arrived,she saw that a tour bus had just stopped, and there was along drive-thru line. She did not have time to wait and beat work on time.

3. Elaine should:

Answer: a. go through a less-crowded drive-thru that is nearby.

Elaine’s priority in this situation should be to open thestore on time. It should not matter to her if customersare normally not there when she opens. Hercommitment to open as scheduled is the same. Itappears her best option for breakfast is to go nearby.Again, this is not an emergency situation and doesnot require calling the boss.

LESSON 5

Teamwork • 63

2Doug primarily works out of his home. Last week, hebought a computer to use for managing his billing process.Entering his customer information is taking him longerthan he thought it would. On Sundays, Doug must put salepapers and coupon inserts in the newspapers beforedelivery. It takes him about one hour to complete this task.

4. Early Sunday morning before starting the delivery route,Doug should:

Answer: b. put inserts in the newspapers before spending moretime on the computer.

Service to Doug’s customers should be his priority.This includes on-time delivery and inserting theSunday supplements. His billing process can beattended to at a later time.

LESSON 5

64 • Teamwork

2COMPARING SKILLS

In the first level of Teamwork, we talked aboutshort-term goals that are needed to meet long-term goals. It often takes several short-term goalsto reach the long-term goal. Tasks are needed toreach goals. A task is simply “a piece of work tobe done.” Stocking shelves, cleaning machineparts, or packaging products are examples ofsome work tasks. Many times, tasks must bedone in a certain amount of time.

Let’s think about how goals and tasks arerelated. Consider a long-term goal of building ahouse. Some of the short-term goals to reachthat goal might be to:

• prepare the foundation

• erect the frame

• build the roof

• finish the walls

• install the fixtures

Each short-term goal involves work tasks.Finishing the walls includes a number of tasks:

• hang Sheetrock™

• finish seams

• prime walls

• paint or wallpaper

• lay baseboard and moldings

LESSON 6

My task helps theteam reach the goal.

Teamwork • 65

2There are many kinds of work tasks. No

matter what work tasks you do, you should havetask skills to help you do your best work.

Task Skills

Task skills include “processing verbal andnonverbal information in order to do a job.”Seeing a customer walk up and down the sameaisle of a grocery or hardware store should senda message to service employees. “This personcannot find what he is looking for.” Wantingand being able to process this type ofinformation makes you a more valuableemployee. Taking the next step and asking thecustomer if he needs assistance is another step.

Task skills show “how” you do your work.They are your ability, not to do the work, but tomanage your work skills. For instance: let’s sayyou stock shelves at a grocery store. This is awork task. Do you recognize when a product islow or misplaced? … or, do you have to be toldto restock the product? This is a task skill–identifying a problem related to your work.

Can you think of another task skill? Theability to set priorities is one. Remember inLesson 5 when you gave priorities to the officeassistant’s tasks? You had to make decisions usingverbal and nonverbal information. Settingpriorities is an important “task skill” foremployees to have.

LESSON 6

66 • Teamwork

2Relationship Skills

Other valuable workplace skills are based onthe ability to create and maintain goodcommunications. Relationship skills are “used tobuild and keep connections between people.”In this course, we will focus on relationshipsbetween co-workers and team members.

Several of the previous lessons were aboutrelationship skills. Having a positive attitude andrespect for others increase your ability to buildgood relationships. Therefore, we label them asrelationship skills.

Keeping a positive attitude, beingdependable, being flexible, and giving respectare skills that are needed in the workplace. Theeffort that you put into developing these skillswill help you to get along with others. This isimportant for you to stay productive at workand for your personal happiness.

As you continue through other levels ofTeamwork, you will learn more about task skillsand relationship skills. It is important that youstrengthen both types of skills to improve yourability as a team member.

LESSON 6

Teamwork • 67

2OK, that’s it for this level of Teamwork.

Now it is time to assess what you have learned.Remember, to be a good team member, youshould keep a positive attitude and have respectfor others. Review the lessons as much as youlike before you take the test. You need to knowhow to respond to some workplace situationsusing basic task and relationship skills.

Complete the Posttest and then check youranswers. Don’t peek because that will not helpyou see your progress. If you are not satisfiedwith your results, go back and try it again whenyou feel ready. Good luck!

LESSON 7

No Peeking!

68 • Teamwork

2EXERCISE – POSTTEST

Instructions: Read the following scenarios and make a decision based onworkplace priorities. Select the answer that represents the bestresponse.

You are working at a large amusement park. During yourtraining, you were told that employees are expected to worktogether as a team. It is important that everyone attendsto park guests. You are assigned to clean tables locatednear a hamburger stand. On the hour or when needed, youare to empty the trash containers and sweep debris in yourarea. One day you notice some guests having trouble witha rental stroller. A wheel on the stroller is not turningproperly.

1. You should:

a. continue to clean your assigned area.b. go to the stroller rental at the front of the park and bring

back a replacement stroller for the guests.c. offer to call the rental desk and have a replacement

stroller sent to the guests while they wait at a table inyour area.

d. check the trash containers, picnic tables, and grounds;if they do not need emptied, then see if the guests arestill having trouble.

POSTTEST

Teamwork • 69

2It is extremely hot and humid. Business at the hamburgerstand is slow. As you take care of your cleaning chores,you speak to passing guests, but few stop to eat. You noticethat there is a crowd across the walkway where ice creamis served.

2. You should:

a. help clean the area near the ice cream while keeping aneye on your tables.

b. be glad that you do not have many tables to cleanbecause it is so hot and humid.

c. stop passing guests and try to get them to sit at yourtables so that you look busy.

d. ask to be moved to the ice cream stand because you liketo stay busy.

When you empty the trash containers, you put them in thedesignated pickup area. Seth repeatedly moves around thepark and removes bags in the pickup areas. He tells you ifyou tie each bag before leaving it, it would help him.

3. You decide:

a. that Seth is not your boss and you will not tie the bags.b. that tying each bag as you go makes the process run

smoother.c. to ask co-workers if they tie trash bags and to do what

most of the others do.d. that the trash bags do not need to be tied.

POSTTEST

70 • Teamwork

2You are working in the mailroom of a business complex.Twice a day you deliver and pick up outgoing mail fromeach department. Before you deliver, you must sort andbundle. You must organize mail by individual names andby departments. All incoming mail is loaded on the top shelfof your pushcart. Bins on the bottom shelf are for outgoingmail. Postage must be calculated for all outgoing mail.Reports for delivery services must be made for the packages.

4. Your work is focused on serving:

a. internal customersb. external customersc. both internal and external customersd. neither internal nor external customers

Before you can calculate postage for outgoing mail, you mustweigh and sort the envelopes. Then you must run each piecethrough a postage meter. Lately, Mr. Allen has been friendlierwith you as you pass through the accounting department. Heeven offered you two tickets to the Dolphins game.

5. If Mr. Allen asks you to slip some personal letters in withthe outgoing mail, you should:

a. feel like you have to do it because he might not like youif you do not.

b. feel obligated to do it since he gave you the tickets.c. tell him you will be glad to put company postage on his

mail.d. apologize but say that management directed you to not

process personal mail.

POSTTEST

Teamwork • 71

2You started working for an airline as a service deskrepresentative. It is your job to check-in passengers andtheir luggage. There are a number of tasks that you haveto remember to do upon each check-in. You have to checkphoto IDs, write the gate number on the passenger’s ticketfolder, put destination tags on luggage, among others.

6. When you feel overwhelmed with details that you mustremember, you should:

a. think about quitting and finding an easier job.b. think that as you do your job, you will get better at

remembering the details.c. think about how your co-workers work faster and better

than you.d. think of ways that you can get by without doing every

step required.

During bad weather, there were a number of delays.Passengers were irritated with the number of canceledflights. Tempers were short and tired children were crying.You were trying to help passengers reschedule flights.

7. You should make every effort to:

a. avoid talking to the irritated passengers.b. take your time so that you do not have to deal with as

many irritated passengers.c. tell yourself that you should not have to put up with so

many irritated passengers.d. stay calm and pleasant as you work with the irritated

passengers.

POSTTEST

72 • Teamwork

2You have been able to keep a positive attitude through theturmoil at the airport. Your humor kept most passengersfrom losing their tempers when working to rescheduleflights. The co-worker working in the line beside younoticed how you were able to calm passengers using agood attitude.

8. You were an example of:

a. serving internal customers.b. how peers can influence others.c. how to set priorities.d. a loosely defined team.

You work at Toddlers & Tots Day Care Center. Paul is yourpartner in caring for five children. All caretakers have two10-minute breaks. On occasion while Paul is on break, youhave a mini-crisis. You call for his help. He does not mindto step in to help out.

9. While you are on break, one of the children gets hurt. Theaccident has upset the other children in your group. Youshould:

a. let Paul take care of matters.b. offer to help Paul and the children.c. call a supervisor and tell them there needs to be three

caretakers per team.d. ask someone from another team to help your partner.

POSTTEST

Teamwork • 73

2You work for a lawn and garden service. During the fall,your work tasks are reassigned. Instead of mowing,trimming, and weeding, you rake and mow leaves. Somecustomers ask that you spread the mulch around shrubsand flowerbeds. Customers frequently ask that you cleanleaves from their gutters. Though you do not like heights,your boss has told you to provide this service.

10. When you arrive at a customer’s house, which task wouldyou prioritize first?

a. mulching flowerbedsb. cleaning guttersc. mulching shrubberyd. mowing leaves

POSTTEST

74 • Teamwork

2ANSWERS TO EXERCISE

You are working at a large amusement park. During yourtraining, you were told that employees are expected to worktogether as a team. It is important that everyone attendsto park guests. You are assigned to clean tables locatednear a hamburger stand. On the hour or when needed, youare to empty the trash containers and sweep debris in yourarea. One day you notice some guests having trouble witha rental stroller. A wheel on the stroller is not turningproperly.

1. You should:

Answer: c. offer to call the rental desk and have a replacementstroller sent to the guests while they wait at a tablein your area.

The needs of park guests should be your concern inaddition to your assigned tasks. Though you shouldnot leave your area unattended, making a call to therental office allows that office to better serve the guest.

This action shows teamwork between workers andgood customer service.

POSTTEST

Teamwork • 75

2It is extremely hot and humid. Business at the hamburgerstand is slow. As you take care of your cleaning chores,you speak to passing guests, but few stop to eat. You noticethat there is a crowd across the walkway where ice creamis served.

2. You should:

Answer: a. help clean the area near the ice cream whilekeeping an eye on your tables.

This is a matter of doing what needs to be done. Awillingness to help co-workers creates a good workingenvironment.

When you empty the trash containers, you put them in thedesignated pickup area. Seth repeatedly moves around thepark and removes bags in the pickup areas. He tells you ifyou tie each bag before leaving it, it would help him.

3. You decide:

Answer: b. that tying each bag as you go makes the processrun smoother.

Seth is an internal customer. How you do your jobaffects his workload. It is important that workers striveto satisfy all customers.

POSTTEST

76 • Teamwork

2You are working in the mailroom of a business complex.Twice a day you deliver and pick up outgoing mail fromeach department. Before you deliver, you must sort andbundle. You must organize mail by individual names andby departments. All incoming mail is loaded on the topshelf of your pushcart. Bins on the bottom shelf are foroutgoing mail. Postage must be calculated for all outgoingmail. Reports for delivery services must be made for thepackages.

4. Your work is focused on serving:

Answer: c. both internal and external customers

When you deliver and pick up outgoing mail, you areserving internal customers. When you sort, bundle,and put postage on the mail you are completing tasksthat management has hired you to do. Managementrepresents more internal customers. Filing reports andbundling mail helps the delivery services. This servesexternal customers.

POSTTEST

Teamwork • 77

2Before you can calculate postage for outgoing mail, youmust weigh and sort the envelopes. Then you must run eachpiece through a postage meter. Lately, Mr. Allen has beenfriendlier with you as you pass through the accountingdepartment. He even offered you two tickets to the Dolphinsgame.

5. If Mr. Allen asks you to slip some personal letters in withthe outgoing mail, you should:

Answer: d. apologize but say that management directed youto not process personal mail.

You should not allow peer pressure to affect yourdecisions. Your company is not responsible foremployees’ personal mail.

You started working for an airline as a service deskrepresentative. It is your job to check-in passengers andtheir luggage. There are a number of tasks that you have toremember to do upon each check-in. You have to checkphoto IDs, write the gate number on the passenger’s ticketfolder, put destination tags on luggage, among others.

6. When you feel overwhelmed with details that you mustremember, you should:

Answer: b. think that as you do your job, you will get better atremembering the details.

Remember to talk positive to yourself. Negativethoughts can interfere with your work productivity.

POSTTEST

78 • Teamwork

2During bad weather, there were a number of delays.Passengers were irritated with the number of canceledflights. Tempers were short and tired children were crying.You were trying to help passengers reschedule flights.

7. You should make every effort to:

Answer: d. stay calm and pleasant as you work with the irritatedpassengers.

Serving the customer is always a priority.

You have been able to keep a positive attitude through theturmoil at the airport. Your humor kept most passengersfrom losing their tempers when working to rescheduleflights. The co-worker working in the line beside younoticed how you were able to calm passengers using agood attitude.

8. You were an example of:

Answer: b. how peers can influence others.

Peers can positively affect each other. Try to be a goodexample worker for your peers.

POSTTEST

Teamwork • 79

2You work at Toddlers & Tots Day Care Center. Paul is yourpartner in caring for five children. All caretakers have two10-minute breaks. On occasion while Paul is on break, youhave a mini-crisis. You call for his help. He does not mindto step in to help out.

9. While you are on break, one of the children gets hurt. Theaccident has upset the other children in your group. Youshould:

Answer: b. offer to help Paul and the children.

Teammates should have a mutual respect for eachother. If you expect Paul to help you when he is onbreak, you should be willing to help him.

You work for a lawn and garden service. During the fall,your work tasks are reassigned. Instead of mowing,trimming, and weeding, you rake and mow leaves. Somecustomers ask that you spread the mulch around shrubsand flowerbeds. Customers frequently ask that you cleanleaves from their gutters. Though you do not like heights,your boss has told you to provide this service.

10. When you arrive at this customer’s house, which task wouldyou prioritize first?

Answer: b. cleaning gutters

It is a good practice to schedule the tasks that youleast like first. Also, cleaning the gutters could messup the area already raked!

POSTTEST

80 • Teamwork

2The following chart will provide you with scoring. Count the number of

correct answers on your Posttest. Find the number in the left column. Thenumber in the right column is your score. Repeat exercises that you missed. Ifyou need to, go back and review lessons.

NUMBER OFNUMBER OFNUMBER OFNUMBER OFNUMBER OFCORRECT ANSWERSCORRECT ANSWERSCORRECT ANSWERSCORRECT ANSWERSCORRECT ANSWERS SCORESCORESCORESCORESCORE

10 100%

9 90%

8 80%

7 70%

6 60%

below 6 review entirelevel

YOUR SCORE

Teamwork • 81

2SUMMARY

Be proud of your progress!

How well did you do on the Posttest? If youscored 80% or higher, you are ready to move onto Level 3. Remember a positive attitude isimportant in helping you communicate withcustomers … both internal and external. Youwill continue to discuss task and relationshipskills as you move to the next level of Teamwork.

Do not be discouraged if you scored below80%. Improving teamwork skills takes time. Youmust practice and review the lessons. You cando it. Being a good team member will pay off inthe workplace.

See you in Level 3!

82 • Teamwork

2REFERENCE

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Brault, V. (1997). The greatest gift. Boise Family Magazine [Online]Available: www.northernlight.com

Covey, S.R. (1989). The 7 habits of highly effective people. New York:Simon & Schuster.

Ellis, D. (1997). Becoming a master student. (8th ed.). Boston, MA:Houghton Mifflin Company.

Gardner, J.N., & Jewler, A.J. (1995). Your college experience: Strategiesfor success. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing Company.

Giuliani, R.W. (1998). Civil war: Can city government legislatemanners? [Online] Available: wnyc.org/talk/ontheline/giuliani030298.html

Greater Anthropology. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. [Online] Available:www.wynja.com/personality/needs.html.

J, Donna. (1996). Attitude counts. [Online] Available:www.northernlight.com Doc. No. BM19981026010221018.

Myers, S.C. Interpersonal communication skills. Oak Ridge, TN:Advanced Management, Inc.

Portillo, J. (1998). Believing in yourself. [Online] Available:www.northernlight.com Doc. No. BM19981105030004675

Scholtes, P.R. (1994). The team handbook for educators. Madison, WI:Joiner Associates, Inc.

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