Coaching delegating directing supporting

5.1 Description One of the more widely recognized approaches to leadership is the situational approach, w hich was developed by Hersey and Blanchard(1969a) based on Reddin’s (1967) 3D management style theory. The situational approach has been refined and revised several times sinceits inception (see Blanchard, 1985; Blanchard, Zigarmi, & Nelson, 1993; Blancha rd, Zigarmi, & Zigarmi, 2013; Hersey & Blanchard, 1977,1988), and it has been used extensi vely in organizational leadership training and development. As the name of the approach implies, the situational approach focuses on leadership in situ ations. The premise of the theory is thatdifferent situations demand different kinds of leade rship. From this perspective, to be an effective leader requires that a person adapt hisor her style to the demands of different situations. The situational approach is illustrated in the model developed by Blanchard and his colleag ues (Blanchard et al., 1993; Blanchard et al.,2013), called the Situational Leadership® II (SL II®) model (Figure 5.1). The model is an extension and refinement of the original modeldev eloped by Hersey and Blanchard (1969a). This chapter focuses on the SLII® model. The situational approach stresses that leadership is composed of both a directive and a sup portive dimension, and that each has to beapplied appropriately in a given situation. To det ermine what is needed in a particular situation, a leader must evaluate her or his followers and assess how competent and committed they are to perform a given goal. Based on the as sumption that followers’ skills and motivationvary over time, situational leadership suggest s that leaders should change the degree to which they are directive or supportive to meet t hechanging needs of followers. In brief, the essence of the situational approach demands that leaders match their style to t he competence and commitment of thefollowers. Effective leaders are those who can recog nize what followers need and then adapt their own style to meet those needs. The dynamics of this approach are clearly illustrated in the SLII® model, which comprises t wo major dimensions: leadership style and development level of followers. Leadership Style Leadership style consists of the behavior pattern of a person who attempts to influence oth ers. It includes both directive behaviors and supportive behaviors. Directive behaviors help g roup members accomplish goals by giving directions, establishing goals and methods ofeval uation, setting timelines, defining roles, and showing how the goals are to be achieved. Dire ctive behaviors clarify, often with onewaycommunication, what is to be done, how it is to be done, and who is responsible for doi ng it. Supportive behaviors help group members feelcomfortable about themselves, their co workers, and the situation. Supportive behaviors involve twoway communication and responsesthat show social and emotional support to others. Exam ples of supportive behaviors include asking for input, solving problems, praising,sharing inf ormation about oneself, and listening. Supportive behaviors are mostly job related. Leaders hip styles can be classified furtherinto four distinct categories of directive and supportive b ehaviors (Figure 5.1). The first style (S1) is a high directive– low supportive style,which is also called a directing style. In this approach, the leader focuse s communication on goal achievement, and spends a smaller amountof time using supporti ve behaviors. Using this style, a leader gives instructions about what and how goals are to b e achieved by thefollowers and then supervises them carefully. The second style (S2) is called a coaching approach and is a high directive– high supportive style. In this approach, the leader focusescommunication on both achieving goals and meeting followers’ socioemotional needs. The coaching style requires that the lea der involvehimself or herself with followers by giving encouragement and soliciting follow er input. However, coaching is an extension of S1 in that itstill requires that the leader mak e the final decision on the what and how of goal accomplishment. The third style (S3) is a supporting approach that requires that the leader take a high suppo rtive– low directive style. In this approach, theleader does not focus exclusively on goals but uses s upportive behaviors that bring out followers’ skills around the goal to beaccomplished. The supportive style includes listening, praising, asking for input, and giving feedback. A leader using this style givesfollowers control of day-today decisions but remains available to facilitate problem solving. An S3 leader is quick to gi ve recognition andsocial support to followers. Figure 5.1 Situational Leadership® II Source: From Leadership and the One Minute Manager: IncreasingEffectiveness Through Si tuational Leadership® II, by K. Blanchard, P.Zigarmi, and D. Zigarmi, 2013, New York, NY: William Morrow. Used withpermission. This model cannot be used without the expressed, writtenconsent of The Ken Blanchard Companies. To learn more, visitwww.kenblanchard.c om Last, the fourth style (S4) is called the low supportive– low directive style, or a delegating approach. In this approach, the leader offers lessgoal inp ut and social support, facilitating followers’ confidence and motivation in reference to the g oal. The delegative leader lessensinvolvement in planning, control of details, and goal clarifi cation. After the group agrees on what it is to do,