Situational Approach Flashcards
Situational Approach to Leadership
“Leaders match their style to the competence and commitment of subordinates”
- Focuses on leadership in situations
- Emphasizes an adapting style– different situations demand different kinds of leadership.
They can move around in their journey - Used extensively in organisational leadership training and development.
- Comprises of both a directive component and a supportive component(the theory)
- Each dimension must be applied appropriately in a given situation.
- Leaders evaluate employees to assess their competence and commitment to perform a given task.
- Subordinate’s level of competence and commitment may change over time, hence requiring leaders to change their level of direction and personal support.
Situational Leadership Theory
- Hersey-Blanchard (1969)
- Leaders should adjust their leadership styles according to the needs and readiness of their subordinates.
- Acceptance: Leader effectiveness reflects the reality that it is the followers who accept or reject the leader.
- Readiness: A follower’s ability and willingness to perform.
- At higher levels of readiness, leaders respond by reducing control over and involvement with employees.
Leader should delegate the task properly
Directive (task) behaviours
Help group members in goal achievement via one-way communication through:
* Giving directions
* Establishing goals and how to achieve them * Defining roles * Setting timelines
Supportive behaviours
Assist group members in feeling comfortable with themselves/situations /co-workers via two-way communication through:
* Asking for input
* Problem-solving * Praising * Listening
Make the person feel supportive, low commitment
Hersey-Blanchard Situational Leadership Model
S1 Directing: Provide specific
instructions and closely supervise performance
S2 Coaching: Explain decisions and provide
opportunity for clarification
S3 Supporting
Share ideas and facilitating in decision making
S4 Delegating
Tum over responsibility for
decisions and implementation
Performance
Capacity, Opportunity, Willingness
Readiness/Developmental levels
The degree to which subordinates have the competence (ability) and commitment (willingness) necessary to accomplish a given task or activity.
Learning how to diagnose
Build around the support, style, employees will always change
How about criminals? Different context…come with different philosophy
Follower has high commitment but low competence: more support
Low: D1 (Leader-directed)
- Low Competence
- High Commitment
Moderate: D2 (Leader-directed)
- Some competence
- Low commitment
Moderate: D3 (Follower-directed)
- Mod-High competence
- Low commitment
HIgh: D4 (Follower-directed)
- High Competence
- High Commitment
S1 Directing (Direction)
- High Directive Low Supportive
è One way process, you are giving instructions on how to do things - Makes the decision and tells the group what to do.
- Leader focuses communication on goal achievement, spends less time using supportive behaviours.
- Communication is one-way and emphasizes instructions and directions.
- Most appropriate when subordinates have a low developmental level (D1) – committed but not competent.
- Therefore leader support can be minimal, but level of direction has to be high.
S2 Coaching
- High Directive High Supportive
è Providing the why other than the directing
è Providing the transition to make followers to do something on their own - Makes the decision but explains the reasons.
- Leader focuses communication on both goal achievement and supporting subordinate’s socioemotional needs.
- Communication is two-way and leader is involved through encouragement and soliciting subordinate input.
- Most appropriate when subordinates have a moderate developmental level (D2) – some competence but not committed.
S3 Supporting
- Low Directive High Supportive
è Greater support, more commitment - Asks the members of the group what to do, but makes the final decisions.
- Leader does not focus solely on goals, but uses supportive behaviours to bring out employee skills in accomplishing the task.
- Leader delegates day-to-day decision making control, but is available to facilitate problem solving.
- Most appropriate when subordinates have a moderate developmental level (D3) – competent but less committed.
S4 Delegating
- Low Directive Low Supportive
- Is everything perfect according to me.
- Not monitoring every step
- Recognize that there will be a flaw…allow them to suffer
- Delegate facts
- Lets the members of the group decide what to do.
- Leader offers less task input and social support; facilitates subordinate’s confidence and motivation in relation to the task.
- Leader lessens involvement in planning, control of details, and goal clarification, and gives subordinates control and refrains from intervention and unneeded social support.
- Most appropriate when subordinates have a high developmental level (D4) – competent and committed.
How does the situational approach work
Assumes that subordinates move along the developmental continuum of competence and commitment.
- Leader effectiveness depends on:
- Assessing subordinate’s developmental position, and
- Adapting his/her leadership style to match subordinate developmental level.
è Able to diagnose and handle it by themselves
Using the Situational Leadership Model, in any given situation, the leader has two tasks:
- Diagnose the situation
Identify the developmental level of employees.
Ask questions like:
* What job needs to be accomplished?
* How complicated is it?
* What is their skill set?
* Do they have to desire to complete the job?
- Adapt their style
Leadership style must correspond to the employee’s developmental level.
Leader Behavior Analysis II (LBA-II)
- Blanchard, Hambleton, Zigarmi, & Forsyth (1991)
- Assessment that analyses self-perception of participant’s leadership style flexibility and style effectiveness
- Flexibility – Ability to use different styles
o Let followers do what they want - Effectiveness – Ability to provide the right leadership in a situation
- Flexibility – Ability to use different styles
- Gives feedback on their default style, and styles that need development
- 20 practical leadership situations, participants to choose one of the four action choices provided that best represents what they would do; Ipsative test
Leader Action Profile II (LAPII)
- 180 degree feedback tool
- Self (leader) and raters (direct reports or individual with whom the leader sets goals) rate on 50 items and 3 open-ended questions
- Evaluates the frequency with which the leader uses directive and supportive leadership behaviours
- Compares the leader’s perceptions of his/her style to the perceptions of others
- Measures satisfaction levels with the leader and the organisation to determine appropriateness of behaviour
- Results in a plan for the strategic development of specific leadership skills
