Answering the Call #10: Situational Leadership

[stevene]

(podcast version available at ATC010pc)

“Situational leadership” is a cute phrase for a powerful tool in the management, training and ongoing development of people in the 21st century. Unfortunately, it is also the sort of sound bite that lends itself to misunderstanding and misapplication. Rather than a simplistic suggestion that a leader should adjust tactics to fit individual moments, situational leadership is an astute strategy for advancing the developmental level of individuals and adjusting to changes in their levels of confidence and competence.

According to Ken Blanchard (1989), Situational Leadership was originally developed with Paul Hersey, and later updated to become the concept now called Situational Leadership II. In Blanchard’s audiotape series The one minute manager Live! he presents the model as an excellent tool for the professional development of subordinates. Hiring managers often lament their inability to hire experienced performers (because they are unavailable or recruited by competing interests). They also lament the lack of time available to train inexperienced but talented novices. Blanchard’s only suggestion in response to this dilemma is “Pray!” It is a good thing when managers are able to hire experienced personnel (whom he calls “winners”) to whom they can immediately turn over challenging responsibilities without further attention (beyond “one-minute goal setting”). But delegating to novices is not prudent, and prayer usually does not make a novice into an instant winner.

The answer is training. Unfortunately, the typical training program provides no bridge to assist the novice go from beginner to winner. Blanchard describes a course he taught where the students were given the whole list of possible test questions at the beginning of the class, and over the length of the program he gradually taught less and facilitated more. The students gradually picked up more of the responsibility for their education as he gave less direction. Then he facilitated less, and eventually just dropped off the lesson plan on class night, and went into the next room “to do other work.” The students taught themselves and each other, and wondered why they had a teacher at all? Another instructor giving the same class in a more traditional way instructed his students the entire semester, and gave the same test to his students. The students in Blanchard’s class demonstrated significantly higher comprehension than the control group.

Blanchard’s strategy was to set the goals for the students, and gradually modify his leadership style as their teacher. Initially the students were enthusiastic beginners, full of confidence, requiring lots of direction but little support in their learning process. As time set in and educational challenges were encountered, students experienced some frustration, lost confidence and became disillusioned (to varying degrees). At this point Blanchard continued to provide direction but also invested significant time in supporting the students. As the students developed competence, Blanchard adjusted his leadership style to provide less direction while continuing to encourage. As confidence grew, he reduced his support, finally removing himself totally from the classroom after setting goals.

Blanchard’s model of Situational Leadership II moves on two axes, directing behavior and supporting behavior. Graphing these behaviors with directing behavior increasing from left to right (the “x” axis) and supporting behavior increasing from bottom to top, we have a plain on which to plot the situation of an individual. Enthusiastic beginners are in the lower right quadrant, requiring high directing behavior but low supporting behavior. As they progress, and confidence decreases, situational leaders increase supporting behaviors, moving up the graph into the upper right quadrant. As individuals further progress, situational leaders reduce directing behaviors while continuing high supporting behaviors, moving to the left into the upper left quadrant. Finally, as confidence returns, situational leaders reduce supporting behaviors, moving down the graph into the lower right quadrant.

It is important to recognize that individuals are probably in different quadrants in different situations. In a situation where an individual is not highly confident, a situational leader will provide more support. In a situation where an individual is not highly competent, a situational leader will provide more direction. In honor of “The one-minute manager” (1989) Blanchard emphasizes the situational leader’s responsibility for providing initial direction through establishing objectives (preferably through “one-minute goal setting”). But continuing directing behaviors will only be provided as needed by the individual in that situation.

The adjusting of supporting behaviors to complement confidence, and directing behaviors to complement competence, is an effective way to help an individual develop from an enthusiastic beginner to a winner along a safe and continuous path. In this way, situational leaders can develop the winners they need.

I will pray for you, and will you please pray for me? Pray that each of us will recognize the need to treat different individuals (whether children, employees, or volunteers) in different ways at different points in their development so that they might improve to be their best, moving from “Enthusiastic Beginners” to “Winners”. In this way we can help them Answer The Call. In Jesus’ Name!

Thanks for the time you took to read this!

Stevene

This article was originally presented to the Faculty of the Geneva College Master of Science in Organizational Leadership Program on August 1, 2001, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for MOL 505: History and Theory of Leadership

Bibliography

Blanchard, K., (1989), The one minute manager live! [Audiocassette] (available from CareerTrack, 1775 38th Street, Boulder, CO 80301-2639)

“Ken Blanchard’s situational leadership: The article.” (1994)