Glossary (API)

A - Co

Accountability	Being held responsible for your actions.
Agenda	Lists items and the desired outcomes for discussion in a meeting.
Assigning work	Describing and agreeing specifically on the work that must be done and establishing who is responsible for what.
Autocratic	An autocratic team leader is one who gives directions, dominates discussions and does not consult with others.
Behavioural objectives	Observable behaviour described in a statement.
Body language	Silent cluster of signals, such as gestures, facial expressions, posture, that can be observed and which 'send' a message about how someone is feeling or what they might be thinking.
Coach	A person who conducts training, usually in a one-to-one situation on the job.
Code of conduct	Guidelines for how people who are part of the organisation must behave. In some organisations the code of conduct is not written down, but is reflected in the example set by managers and team leaders.
Communication	Communication is about striving to arrive at a mutual understanding with another person or group of people.
Communication barriers	Factors that prevent communication from being successful.
Communication processes	Communication processes are agreed systems and methods used to communicate certain things around the organisation, for example, ideas from staff, new work to be done by the team, occupational health and safety concerns.
Conflict	Conflict is a perceived difference with another person or group and this results in interference or opposition.
Conflict management	Conflict management aims to harness conflict to achieve positive outcomes.
Constructive feedback	Information about actions and behaviour that is provided in such a way as to improve a situation or solve a problem rather than make it worse.
Consultation	Asking for the ideas and opinions of others before deciding what needs to be done.
Contingency Plan	An alternative or 'backup' plan that the team can follow if certain events occur, e.g. a supplier is not able to deliver materials.
Continuous	The idea of continuous improvement is related to the belief that there is always room for improvement.
Controlling	Co-ordinating the work of the team and keeping things running to plan. Identifying problems and delays and responding promptly to them.
Corporate culture	Refers to an organisation's values, beliefs and behaviours.

Cr - Pr

Criteria	The basis for measuring quality, completion or appropriateness of something.
Culture	A system of shared meaning held by members that distinguish it from other teams. It includes a set of values, beliefs, understandings and way of thinking that is shared by members within the team.
Decision making	The process of selecting the best decision from the options available.
Delegate	To pass responsibility for a task to someone else.
Directing	Communicating, motivating and keeping team skills, time and energy focused on organisational and team goals.
Diversity	Differences between people at work, such as in their age, gender, race, values, etc, create diversity in the workplace.
Empathy	Demonstrating your understanding by seeing a situation from another's point of view.
Empowerment	Giving someone the scope and responsibility to take action and achieve outcomes.
Enable	Provide a team member with the necessary resources to complete a work task.
Evaluation	An overall determination of the success of a program or a strategy.
Facilitator	A person who manages the group dynamics in a team so that they can meet the specified outcomes.
Feedback	Feedback is information about someone's performance or behaviour.
Goal setting	The team defines its goals and objectives and outlines expectations for team performance with performance indicators and targets.
	1. Goals describe the outcome that is expected from a successful team.
	2. Objectives broadly describe the actions that the team will carry out to achieve team goals.
	3. Performance indicators are the measures that will be used to measure the achievement of the stated goal.
	4. Performance targets are the specific levels of achievement to be attained by the team.
Goals	What you want to achieve. A goal should be measurable by quantity or quality, have a time frame for completion, and be achievable.
Grapevine	The term used to describe the informal gossip and rumour that is passed on within groups of people in an organisation.
Hazard	Anything in the workplace environment, physical or human, that may lead to an accident or injury.
improvement	There is always a way to improve the way we work. This relates to the whole organisation as well as all tasks undertaken by all work units and individual employees.
Induction	The process of receiving new employees, introducing them into the organisation and to their colleagues, and making them part of the organisation.
Interdependence	Being mutually responsible to and dependent on other team members
Interpersonal skills	The behaviours you use when interacting with another person. Behaviour refers to the way you speak, the tone of your voice, how you hold your body, how much time you allow for the interaction.
Job Description	A detailed description of the activities and responsibilities of a position. A standard of work performance is also included, as well as anything else relevant to the position, such as who a person reports to and those reporting to the position.
Leadership	Motivating and influencing others to achieve required outcomes.
Leadership models	Descriptions of various approaches or styles of leadership.
Legislation	Law that is enacted by Parliament.
Maintenance function	Actions taken to keep team members involved and motivated and able to contribute to maximum potential.
Management	Management relates to the functional skills and the practical tasks necessary for organising and carrying out work.
Mentor	An experienced person who provides advice and support to a less experienced person.
Mentoring	Mentoring is the advice offered to an individual over a period of time, to assist their development. This is a beneficial process that can be applied successfully in the workplace to increase the capacity of individuals by encouraging the development of their latent or undeveloped abilities.
Monitoring	The process of measuring and comparing actual results or work in progress with the planned performance.
Motivation	Motivation refers to factors within individuals which influence their behaviour.
Networking	Networking means using your connections or contacts to stay informed about what is happening inside or outside your organisation, and to convey information you need passed on.
Objectives	Objectives describe what needs to be done to achieve the overall goal.
Organising	Assigning work, clarifying roles and responsibilities.
Participative leadership	Participative leaders encourage participation by the team in decision making and problem solving.
Performance	The way in which a person or team behaves, and the extent to which they complete their work tasks.
Performance standards	The level of performance set for an individual or group.
Personal function	Actions taken to address the personal needs of team members including conflict resolution.
Planning	Specifying what must be done and how, when and where it will be done.
Problem-solving	The process of identifying a problem, its causes, generating options, and choosing a solution. Also see decision making.
Process	A series of activities directed towards a stated outcome.
Project	Projects are generally short-term one off jobs with a defined start and end date that require detailed planning and team work to ensure smooth implementation.
Project management	Project management is the process of planning, organising and controlling a project.
Project manager	The project manager is the person responsible for the supervision of the planning, implementing and controlling the project. The project manager needs to play a role in all stages of the project to ensure its smooth completion. The project manager needs to understand the organisational culture and political issues, be a good supervisor of people, respond well and quickly to change and the unexpected, and be able to learn from mistakes.
Project milestone	A milestone is usually where a deliverable takes place in the project and where a sign-off is often required. Milestones are not work steps; they are markers for summarising work that has been completed to that point.
Project plan	The project plan is a detailed document that describes all of the stakeholders, activities, resources and schedules required to meet the project goal and objectives. It tells you where you are, where you are going, and how you are going to get there.
Project scope	The purpose of the project scope is to provide a clear description of the project goal, what is to be achieved, how it is to be achieved, who will achieve it, when it will be achieved, and with what resources. May also be referred to as the project 'scoping document'.

R - W

Rapport	A positive and comfortable way of communication and relating between different parties.
Regulations	Regulations are legally binding. Regulations give the exact details about requirements, duties and procedures to control risks of particular hazards.
Risk	In managing occupational health and safety, a risk is the likelihood that a hazard will actually lead to an accident or injury.
Risk assessment	In managing occupational health and safety, an assessment of the risk or likelihood of a hazard causing an accident or injury, usually involving a scale.
Role	Actions, behaviours and outcomes that make up a job.
Service Standards	Written statements on the operation, management, co-ordination and control of the RFS and apply to all members of the Service. They are issued by the Commissioner under section 13(1) of the Rural Fires Act, 1997.
Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)	Written statements used in the NSW RFS, describing the actions to be followed in operational and other situations such as training. SOPs are linked to and form part of a Service Standard or Policy.
Stakeholder	Stakeholders are the individuals or organisations that are involved in, or may be affected by, the work that your team does. These may include managers, external customers, a project sponsor, internal customers, contractors, suppliers, project team, external clients, government agencies and the public.
Standards	A rule or basis for comparing other things.
Statutory law	Also referred to as 'legislation', comprises the statutory Acts enacted by Federal and State Parliaments.
Strategy	A plan that describes the overall goals and objectives that must be achieved and how this will be done.
Succinct	Information that is brief, complete and to the point.
Task function	Actions taken within a team to ensure that the team stays focused on their task/s.
Team building	Team building refers to the processes and actions which are taken to deliberately encourage a group to strengthen their unity as a team.
Team cohesion	Refers to how the team fits together as a unit.
Workplace Health and Safety	Organisations are required by legislation to provide a workplace where employees are not exposed to hazards. This responsibility includes the development of work processes, facilities and training to enable employees to work safely.
WHS committee	Also known as an H&S committee. A group of employees and managers who meet regularly to discuss and recommend Workplace Health and Safety actions.
WHS representative	A person who looks after the Workplace Health and Safety interests of employees and may be a member of an H&S committee.