ILM Level 3 in Leadership & Management Programme Cohort 8, Team 3

Situational Leadership

(Ken Blanchard) Readiness / Development Levels

Nicola GrangeMaria ConsentinoEmma HarrisonLisa WestonAlison Parkin

What Is Situational Leadership?

A situational leader changes their style depending on the skills and knowledge of the person they are working with and the situation they are in. Diagnosing a situation before acting is key to being a situational leader. It is important to have background knowledge of the person to be able to lead them effectively. You need to understand the needs of the staff you are managing.

Leadership Styles

‘Different Strokes For Different Folks’

Leadership Styles

Directing: Provides specific instructions and closely supervises the task.

Coaching: Directly and closely supervises the task but also explains decisions, offering suggestions and supporting progress.

Supporting: Offers support towards completing tasks but shares decision making and responsibility.

Delegating: Manager passes responsibility and decision making to the member of staff.

When should these styles be used?Style Best Suited To Not Suitable For

Directing Enthusiastic beginners with little experience

Experienced staff

Coaching Disillusioned staff finding the job difficult or they have not progressed

Experienced staff

Supporting Beginners Disillusioned staff Experienced staff who are not confident in making decisions

All staff needs support at one time or another

Delegating Staff who are competent and committed and don’t need much direction

Less experienced staff who need direction

‘One Size Doesn’t Fit All’

Behaviours

There are two basic leadership behaviours that a manager can use when trying to influence others. Directive Behaviour: Structure, Control

and Supervise. Supportive Behaviour: Praise, Listen

and Facilitate.

Competence & Commitment If a person is not performing well without

your supervision it is usually a competence problem, a commitment problem, or both.

Competence – Knowledge and skills, which can be gained from education, training and/or experience.

Commitment – A combination of confidence and motivation.

Situational leaders should change their leadership style as a persons competence and commitment grows.

‘Something you do with people not to people’

Developing Competence and Commitment

Step 1: Tell them what to do Step 2: Show them what to do Step 3: Let them try Step 4: Observe performance Step 5: Praise progress Review progress, also reflect on

performance, redirect the person if necessary

Dynamic Leadership

Goals

Praising's Reprimands

‘You can Expect More, If You Inspect More’

Positive Effects

This leadership style is better suited for organisations who are constantly making changes to meet set targets, where individuals will have changing development needs.

Personalised to the individual to develop their competence and commitment.

Flexible and easy to use. If used correctly allows the individual to work without

supervision and gives them responsibility for decision making. The manager would not have to provide as much support meaning they can move on to other tasks.

Within a group if everyone has the correct training, support and competence this makes everyone's lives easier and the workplace runs smoother.

A situational leader is more approachable as the employee sees the manager adapting to their needs therefore creating a trusting relationship. The employee is not afraid to ask for assistance when required.

Negative Effects

This leadership style can be perceived as manipulative, this leads to mistrust.

The individual maybe unsure what response to expect from their manager on a day to day basis leading to confusion and unease.

The individual could perceive the manager to be treating people differently/unfairly.

If the wrong style is used on the wrong person at the wrong time this will affect development. If the manager doesn’t change styles fast enough the individual could resent ‘being told what to do’.

Due to the personalised style of leadership this is not suitable in a group environment as everyone has different levels of competence and commitment.

Examples Within The Workplace

New member of staff Member of staff returning

from Maternity leave Management changes or

promotions in the workplace

Summary The most important part of the success

of a situational leader is the ability to adapt your leadership style to the willingness and development levels of your staff.

References

http://smallbusiness.chron.com/negatives-situational-leadership-style-18606.html

http://www.brighthub.com/office/home/articales/83323.aspx

http://www.learn-to-be-a-leader.com/situational-leadership.html

www.mc.edu/rotc/.../MSL_202_L09b_Situational_Leadership.pdf

Leadership and the one minute manager, Kenneth Blanchard, 1986