This approach to team leadership training is aimed at action orientated environments where effective functional leadership is required to achieve critical or reactive tasks by small teams. In other words leadership of small groups often created to respond to a situation or critical incident.

In most cases these teams are tasked to operate in isolation and changeable environments with limited support or backup (action environments). Leadership of people in these environments requires a different set of skills to that of first line management. These leaders must effectively operate independent and negotiate both the needs of the individual, team and task within a changeable environment. We have for the purposes of this course termed this type of leadership Action Orientated Leadership. Examples of organisations who have used this training include team leaders in: rural fire, search and rescue and civil defence.

The training will cater for the broad spectrum of existing and aspiring team leaders operating in action orientated environments.

The residential nature of the training also provides the opportunity for team leaders and experienced practitioners from different agencies to train together thereby enhancing inter organisational operability.

The aim of the training is to provide selected personnel with the knowledge, skills and attitudes required to be able to lead an action orientated team. SARINZ have adopted a competency-based training and assessment system to achieve this.

Summary of objectives Lead an Action Orientated Team (which includes):

• Analyse leadership.
• Explain human behaviour.
• Maintain morale in a team.
• Solve problems and make decisions.
• Apply functional leadership.
• Communicate effectively.
• Brief and debrief a team.
• Apply an effective leadership style.
• Resolve conflict.
• Manage critical incident stress.

Apart from the specific job requirements from the parent organisation, course attendees require these qualities:

• History of successfully being a team member.
• Experience of living in close quarters with other people in an team environment.
• A good understanding of their home organisations operating conditions including any applicable legislation.
• Sound risk management practices.
• Resourcefulness and a willingness to muck in and give things a go.

Minimum: 6

Maximum: 16