Supervision Styles

Have you experienced a

variety of styles?

Do some work better for you than others?

CONTROL CONSULTATION COLLABORATION CLEARANCE

Area of freedom for subordinates

Use of control by manager

Manager decides and tells team

Manager presents ideas subject to change

Manager presents problem and makes decision with team

Manager gives power to group to decide

Tannenbaum and Schmitt

CONTROL CONSULTATION COLLABORATION CLEARANCE

What is your preferred style?

If some styles work better for some individuals some of the time, are you getting it wrong ¾ of the time?

What is it?• A way of ensuring that your leadership style will always be

appropriate

• An approach which helps you flexibly apply the right type of leadership style at the right time

• A system to help you base your leadership style on the needs of the team member (rather than your preferences)

• A means to identify the ‘development level’ of subordinates

Commitment

Competence

2

Development Level

High Competence

High Commitment

Moderate to High Competence

Variable Commitment

Low Commitment

High Commitment

Low to Some Competence

Low Competence

DevelopingDeveloped

D4 D3 D2 D1

High Moderate Low

SUPPORTIVE

DIRECTIVE

2

The Four Leadership Styles

Tannenbaum and Schmit meet Blanchard and Hersey

I’ll decide Let’s talk / I’ll decide Let’s talk / we’ll decide You decide

DIRECT COACH SUPPORT DELEGATE

CONTROL CONSULTATION COLLABORATION CLEARANCE

First key skill = diagnosis

Development Level

High Competence

High Commitment

Moderate to High Competence

Variable Commitment

Low Commitment

High Commitment

Low to Some Competence

Low Competence

DevelopingDeveloped

D4 D3 D2 D1

High Moderate Low

Development Level 1

High Competence

High Commitment

Moderate to High Competence

Variable Commitment

Low Commitment

High Commitment

Low to Some Competence

Low Competence

DevelopingDeveloped

D4 D3 D2 D1

High Moderate Low

D1• Hopeful• Inexperienced• Curious• New/unskilled• Optimistic• Excited• Eager• Enthusiastic• Don’t know what they don’t know

Development Level Descriptors

Direct, don’t support

NEEDS of a D1: How to deliver S1! 1 Acknowledgement of enthusiasm and transferable skills

2 Clear goals and roles

3 Priorities

4 Action plans

5 Information

6 Boundaries and limits

7 Step by step plan for learning

8 Direction about what? and how?

9 Frequent feedback on progress

10 Concrete examples

Development Level 2

High Competence

High Commitment

Moderate to High Competence

Variable Commitment

Low Commitment

High Commitment

Low to Some Competence

Low Competence

DevelopingDeveloped

D4 D3 D2 D1

High Moderate Low

D2• Overwhelmed• Confused• Demotivated• Demoralised• Frustrated• Disillusioned• Discouraged• Still Learning• Inconsistent performance• Flashes of competence

Development Level Descriptors

Direct and support

NEEDS of a D2: How to deliver S2! 1 Involvement in clarifying goals and action plans

2 Perspective that progress is being made

3 Assurance that it is O.K. to make mistakes

4 Explanations of ‘why?’

5 Opportunities to share concerns and be heard

6 Reassurance

7 Advice

8 Coaching to build skills

9 Help in analysing successes and mistakes

10 Praise for progress

Development Level 3

High Competence

High Commitment

Moderate to High Competence

Variable Commitment

Low Commitment

High Commitment

Low to Some Competence

Low Competence

DevelopingDeveloped

D4 D3 D2 D1

High Moderate Low

D3• Mostly self-directed and productive• Capable• Contributing• Self-critical• Cautious• Doubtful• Insecure• Tentative/unsure/hesitant• Bored/apathetic

Development Level Descriptors

Support, don’t direct

NEEDS of a D3: How to deliver S3! 1 A sounding board to test ideas

2 Good questions to build problem solving skills

3 Praise for high levels of competence and commitment

4 Opportunities to take the lead in goal setting and action planning

5 Encouragement and support

6 Help in removing obstacles to goal achievement

7 Help at looking objectively at past successes to build

confidence

Development Level 4

High Competence

High Commitment

Moderate to High Competence

Variable Commitment

Low Commitment

High Commitment

Low to Some Competence

Low Competence

DevelopingDeveloped

D4 D3 D2 D1

High Moderate Low

D4• Justifiably confident• Consistently competent• Inspired/inspires others• Expert• Autonomous• Self-assured• Accomplished• Self-reliant/self-directed• May be asked to take on too much

Development Level Descriptors

Don’t direct, don’t support

NEEDS of a D4: How to deliver S4!

1 Trust

2 Variety and challenge

3 Autonomy

4 Opportunities to teach and mentor others

5 Acknowledgement \ to be valued for contributions made

Second key skill is flexibility

To be effective you must coach appropriately according to the situation and the individual’s

needs

Building Rapport

How your subconscious is really in charge

“Rapport is POWER. With it you can get things done you can’t get done any

other way.”

Tony Robbins

Characteristics and behaviours of the influential?

Two Types of Communication

Verbal

Non-verbal

3 Ways to Connect

what you say

how you say it

what you look like when you say it

The Merhabian Circle

Words

Tone

Body Language

55%

38%

7%

My model of the World is different from yours

Three Key Input Channels

• Visual• Auditory• Kinesthetic

Use their favoured channel

Visual

• Lots of gestures• Talks quickly, sometimes hardly stopping• Varied inflection • Looks up to think• Can jump from subject to subject• Happy to be interrupted• Makes quick decisions

Auditory

• Hold themselves still• Talk with measured pace• Flat inflection pattern• Look sideways to think or check info• Need to finish what they say before stopping• Hate being interrupted• Need to think things through before making

decisions

Kinesthetic

• Laid back• Talks slowly, often with long silences• Low pitch• Looks down to think and check info• Gets annoyed when people finish their

sentences• Makes well considered decisions after much

contemplation

Visual AuditoryKinesthetic

Image Clear-cut Defined Perspective Scope Panorama See Observe Focus Outlook Inspect Glimpse Illustrate Demarcate Paint Cloud Graphic Show Reveal Expose Illuminate Picture

Tune Note Ring Tone Listen Mute Chime in Sound Hear Click Recite Static Chord Voice Alarm Say Clear Muffle Tell Call on Resonate Shout

Touch Handle Throw Shock Brush Blow Clash Strike Press Grope Pound Impact Stroke Sharpen Irritate Tickle Feel Move Shape Bounce Examine Toy with

Commonality

Mirroring:

The matching of certain behaviours of the other

person

Body Language = Visual

Movement

Posture

I rest my case!

A

B

C

Volume

Pitch

Tone

Tempo

Rhythm

High

Low

Fast

Slow

Voice = Auditory

A

B

C

Touch

Personal Space

Feedback

Poor feedback can reduce performance by up to 25%

Good feedback can improve performance by up to 40%

Which of these are ‘feedback’

• ‘you are an idiot

• You are ideally suited to the task

• You are just not at the right level yet

• I love you

They are opinions

There is no such thing as ‘positive’ or ‘negative’ feedback

Feedback should ….

• Be factual, based on what someone did or said, not opinion

• Demonstrate how people should act in the future

• Be experiential, not just verbal

How We Take Information on Board

For some people, verbal feedback is weak

Compare• ‘The I.T project was a disaster. You are a waste of space’ (bad

feedback)

• ‘You went over budget and the new computers still don’t do what we need. Next time check prices and function more carefully’ (‘telling’/spoken feedback)

• ‘What happened? What was your original plan? Why didn’t it work? Did you seek your colleagues’ advice? What skills do you need to get a better result next time?’ (Questioning/experiential feedback)

Compare• ‘Fundraising is good this year. Well done’ (bad feedback)

• ‘You have raised more than the £100,000 target we set for you. The new money raised from business is particularly pleasing’ (‘telling’/spoken feedback)

• ‘What happened? What was your original plan? Which approaches worked best? Which approaches might be improved and how? What skills do you need to get an even better result next time?’ How could what you have learned be used to help the rest of the team (Questioning/experiential feedback)

How to run a feedback session

• Ask questions. Keep to specifics• Avoid generalisations• Start with what happened/ review the facts• Show interest/do not interrogate• Help them consider the consequences of what

happened (lion tamers!)

How to run a feedback session

• Keep your feelings out of it (unless their hides are made of leather!)

• Ask Q’s about how they will do it differently next time

• Make sure you get an answer before moving to the next stage

When things have gone badly

• The same as before but also …• Don’t focus on what they did wrong, but on what

they have learned• Focus on what needs to be achieved next time• And how this might be done• Focus on the skills they have which will help them• Make sure they are clear about what, needs to be

done and why.