This is a term that can be applied
generically to a style of leadership, but that also refers to a recognised, and
useful, leadership model. In simple terms, a situational leader is one who
can adopt different leadership styles depending on the situation. Most of
us do this anyway in our dealings with other people: we try not to get angry
with a nervous colleague on their first day, we chase up tasks with some people
more than others because we know they'll forget otherwise.
But Ken Blanchard, the management guru
best known for the "One Minute Manager" series, and Paul Hersey
created a model for Situational Leadership in the late 1960's that allows you to
analyse the needs of the situation you're dealing with, and then adopt the most
appropriate leadership style. It's proved popular with managers over the
years because it passes the two basic tests of such models: it's simple to
understand, and it works in most environments for most people. The model
doesn't just apply to people in leadership or management positions: we all lead
others at work and at home.
LEADERSHIP BEHAVIOUR
Blanchard and Hersey characterised
leadership style in terms of the amount of direction and of support that the
leader gives to his or her followers, and so created a simple grid:
Directing Leaders define the
roles and tasks of the 'follower', and supervise them closely.
Decisions are made by the leader and announced, so communication is largely
one-way.
Coaching Leaders still define
roles and tasks, but seeks ideas and suggestions from the follower.
Decisions remain the leader's prerogative, but communication is much more
two-way.
Supporting Leaders pass
day-to-day decisions, such as task allocation and processes, to the
follower. The leader facilitates and takes part in decisions, but
control is with the follower.
Delegating Leaders are still
involved in decisions and problem-solving, but control is with the
follower. The follower decides when and how the leader will be
involved.
Effective leaders are versatile in being
able to move around the grid according to the situation, so there is no one
right style. However, we tend to have a preferred style, and in applying
Situational Leadership you need to know which one that is for you.
DEVELOPMENT LEVEL
Clearly the right leadership style will
depend very much on the person being led - the follower - and Blanchard and
Hersey extended their model to include the Development Level of the
follower. They said that the leader's style should be driven by the
Competence and Commitment of the follower, and came up with four levels:
D4
High Competence
High Commitment
Experienced at the job, and
comfortable with their own ability to do it well. May even be more
skilled than the leader.
D3
High Competence
Variable Commitment
Experienced and capable, but may
lack the confidence to go it alone, or the motivation to do it well /
quickly
D2
Some Competence
Low Commitment
May have some relevant skills, but
won't be able to do the job without help. The task or the
situation may be new to them.
D1
Low Competence
Low Commitment
Generally lacking the specific
skills required for the job in hand, and lacks any confidence and / or
motivation to tackle it.
Development Levels are also
situational. I might be generally skilled, confident and motivated in my
job, but would still drop into Level D1 when faced, say, with a task requiring
skills I don't possess. For example, lots of managers are D4 when dealing
with the day-to-day running of their department, but move to D1 or D2 when
dealing with a sensitive employee issue.
SITUATIONAL LEADERSHIP
You can see where this is going.
Blanchard and Hersey said that the Leadership Style (S1 - S4) of the leader must
correspond to the Development level (D1 - D4) of the follower - and it's the
leader who adapts.
For example, a new person joins
your team and you're asked to help them through the first few days. You
sit them in front of a PC, show them a pile of invoices that need to be
processed today, and push off to a meeting. They're at level D1, and
you've adopted S4. Everyone loses because the new person feels helpless
and demotivated, and you don't get the invoices processed.
On the other hand, you're
handing over to an experienced colleague before you leave for a holiday.
You've listed all the tasks that need to be done, and a set of instructions on
how to carry out each one. They're at level D4, and you've adopted
S1. The work will probably get done, but not the way you expected, and
your colleague despises you for treating him like an idiot.
But swap the situations and
things get better. Leave detailed instructions and a checklist for the
new person, and they'll thank you for it. Give your colleague a quick
chat and a few notes before you go on holiday, and everything will be fine.
By adopting the right style to suit the
follower's development level, work gets done, relationships are built up, and
most importantly, the follower's development level will rise to D4, to
everyone's benefit.
To make Situational Leadership work, you need to go through a
training programme, where you'll learn about how to operate effectively in all
the Leadership Styles, and how to determine the Development Level of
others. And the Blanchard
organisation would be happy to tell all about their training programmes worldwide. You can also get the basics from Ken Blanchard's "Leadership and the One Minute Manager."
