A633.7.3.RB_LeaderFollowerRelationship_LouBeldotti

A633.7.3.RB

Leader Follower Relationship

For this reflective blog I am asked to complete the exercise at the beginning of chapter 10 and use the scoring table at the end to assess your responses.  My answers are highlighted in yellow.

Reflect on what this assessment means in terms of you as a leader and your relationship to your followers.

• Has your thinking changed over the course of the past six weeks, if so; why, and, if not; why?
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• What is the significance of this in the context of your future leadership goals and objectives?

A QUICK TEST TO OPEN YOUR MIND – WHERE ARE YOU ON THE MAP?

This should not take long. Assume you are the leader of a team of followers. It does not necessarily have to be the team you are currently in, if you have one. Imagine you are in the circumstances described. Read the possible responses. Do not think too long about which one you would choose. Circle/tick one of the responses that you think you most likely would do (as opposed to could or should!). Use the scoring table at the end to identify your scores.

1. Your team is faced with a change of circumstance for which they are poorly experienced and unprepared. They don’t want to adapt to the new context.

a. Tell them that they must adapt and show them clearly what needs to be done.

b. Inform them about the benefits that the change will bring (including the new skills they will gain from the training arranged), and point out the cost of not adapting.

c. Ask them how they propose to deal with the new situation and give what they say serious thought.

d. Keep an eye on the situation, but do not interfere.

2. A subordinate of yours is keen to move ahead. However, he does not know how to implement the new procedures put in place. He is concerned as performance might suffer.

a. Point out how the new procedures will improve both the situation and the team’s environment, and how he will benefit.

b. Seek his views as to how the new procedures should be implemented and consider his recommendations.

c. Do not get involved yet, and wait and see what happens.

d. Show him clearly how the new procedures can be followed and ensure more detailed training is done if he needs it.

3. A difficult state of affairs has occurred, but despite him having the ability you have detected a distinct lack of willingness by one of your subordinates to deal with it.

a. Ask him what the problems/barriers are and seek his recommendations for solutions.

b. Let him work it out for himself and do not interfere unless performance suffers.

c. Inform him that you have detected his lack of willingness and that this is unacceptable and he must deal with the situation.

d. Point out penalties for failure and offer him a small bonus to ensure success.

4. New changes are underway. Your motivated team is coping well, but you are concerned that performance may suffer without further guidance.

a. Do nothing yet – monitor the situation and be prepared to step in if performance or motivation begins to decline.

b. Remind them of what the new changes are and the expectations of how the team should act.

c. Reiterate how the new changes will benefit all concerned and what the penalties of failure could be.

d. Arrange a team meeting to voice your concerns and ask them how they can sustain their current performance.

5. Morale is high despite a rapid change of direction. However your team does not yet have the new skills they will need and performance is starting to suffer.

a. Show them how things have got better since the change of direction.

b. Ask them how they propose to deal with the change of direction.

c. Do not get involved, but wait for the training programme for the team to deliver.

d. Take action to let them know precisely how they need to change working practices and quickly bring forward the training course.

6. A new change is needed and one of your subordinates is depressed about it – he does not want to change or upgrade his skills to do the new work. You have already arranged a training course to deliver the new skills that the team will need.

a. Ask him to identify what the barriers are and how he proposes to overcome them.

b. Be careful not to do anything unless the situation gets worse.

c. Reiterate what the new changes are, that there are no other options, and that training is arranged for him.

d. Stress the benefits of the new training course and how the changes will improve the situation and help avoid a worsening situation.

7. A change in procedures needs your team to adapt. They have the skills to deal with the new system but one of your subordinates is resisting the need to change.

a. Avoid confrontation and see if she changes her attitude.

b. Take firm and swift action to tell her what is needed in clear terms.

c. Demonstrate how the new procedures have simplified her work and indicate the down side of non-compliance.

d. Ask what the barriers to change are and how she can overcome them.

8. Challenging targets are being met with hard work and morale is high. Your team seem happy but you are worried that one of your subordinates might need more help.

a. Tell her how she can best meet the targets and how to improve.

b. Remind her of the benefits that will accrue when the targets are met, and suggest further improvements.

c. Ask her how performance can be improved further and what needs to be put in place.

d. Leave her to continue her good work and relax a bit more.

9. Your highly skilled team have been efficient and performed well, but you have seen signs that motivation is beginning to drop and this will soon affect performance.

a. Arrange a fun offsite which includes a workshop to identify problems and opportunities to improve the situation.

b. Tell them they need to improve motivation and in clear terms what the expectations are.

c. Do nothing yet – monitor the situation and be prepared to step in if performance is affected.

d. Point out the benefits currently achieved as well as the penalties which may ensue if performance suffers.

10. Your team are doing well and seem happy to meet the stretch targets that you have set them. However, you are worried that one of your subordinate’s performance might suffer without further motivation because of a recent family bereavement.

a. Keep an eye on him but do not interfere yet and be less worried.

b. Remind him of the consequence of failure and negative outcomes which may arise as well as the benefits which will accrue if he succeeds.

c. Tell him of your concerns and inform him again of what needs to be done.

d. Ask him how motivation can further be improved and consider his recommendations.

11. Your team is highly motivated, but a rapid introduction of new systems has seen their productivity suffer and this will soon affect morale.

a. Get an expert to show them how to use the system in a customised training session, and identify further training needs.

b. Seek their recommendations for how better to use the system.

c. Reiterate how damaging it is not to use the system in the correct way, point out the benefits and arrange a training session.

d. Let them work it out and do not get involved.

12. There is a pressing need for the team to change to a new system and the change management team has arranged a training course for them. However, one of your subordinates does not want to change nor attend the course.

a. Inform her of the benefits of change and the training she will soon receive, as well as the cost of not changing.

b. Wait until her performance is affected further before taking action.

c. Arrange a longer meeting with her to work out solutions to her problems.

d. Tell her she has to change and that she will do the training course.

13. Performance is good and your team have continued to show their usual high motivation. You feel that you are not contributing enough as their leader.

a. Introduce a new bonus scheme to improve morale and demonstrate your involvement.

b. Do nothing and be careful not to interfere.

c. Tell them that you wish to play a more active role and increase the frequency of their reporting to you.

d. Arrange a team off-site to have some fun but also to identify improvements and how to achieve them.

14. An older subordinate of yours wants to embrace the changes which are planned, but she feels daunted by the demands for the new skills which will be needed.

a. Reiterate how the new changes will improve things, and how the changes will help avoid the downward trend leading to job cuts.

b. Don’t intervene yet and wait to see how she will really cope.

c. Tell her about the new skills needed and say she will be trained quickly if she needs it.

d. Ask her how she proposes to overcome the barriers to the new changes.

15. The external situation has changed rapidly and your team have been left behind, unable to cope. They feel they should quit.

a. Wait until someone actually quits before taking action.

b. Inform them of the dire consequences of quitting and that training support is available for those that need it.

c. Make everyone feel involved and seek their recommendations.

d. Act quickly and firmly by saying quitting is not an option, and show them in detail what needs to be done.

16. Your subordinates are highly qualified and are well capable of doing a good job. But they have not performed as well as they could and do not seem keen to do so.

a. Tell them clearly what the targets are and how they can best achieve them.

b. Ask them why performance is not as good as it can be, and seek their recommendations for how to improve the situation.

c. Do nothing yet – monitor the situation and be prepared to step in if performance is further adversely affected.

d. Remind them of the benefits if targets are met.

(Obolensky, 2014)

            After completing the test I used the scoring matrix to produce the following results:

                        • Strategy 1 (S1): Tell. (Low People, High Goal). 7

                        • Strategy 2 (S2): Sell. (High People, High Goal). 3

                        • Strategy 3 (S3): Involve. (High People, Low Goal). 6

                        • Strategy 4 (S4): Devolve. (Low People, Low Goal). 0

            Based on these scores, it seems as if I am conflicted.  According to Obolensky, Strategy 1 is:  “This does not have to mean being dictatorial or in any way unpleasant. And sometimes it is needed – one hardly tells a new employee where the coffee machine is by saying ‘Well, where do you think it could be?’ Showing someone how to do something is a ‘Tell’. Telling them the information they need so as to get on better is also a ‘Tell’. Training people is also a ‘Tell’. Tell can include either the what, the how and/or the why. As a general rule if you are having to ‘tell’ someone both the what, and the how and the why then something is amiss. The ‘Why’ is always best used as a ‘Sell’ (see next bullet point). So that leaves the ‘What’ and the ‘How’. Again telling someone both is not as good as telling one of them. If they know the what, but do not know how to achieve it, then telling the how is natural. However, one needs to be aware of the level that the person is at in relation to level 5 followership. The ‘What’ is more about ‘content’, and the ‘How’ is more about process. The accent of leadership is moving more towards process.” (Obolensky, 2014)

            I see myself as a Strategy 1 leader.  I’m not overly commanding unless I have to be.  I am very direct, however.  I do find myself to be a people person which leads me to think that is why I am also a Strategy 3 leader.

            According to Obolensky, Strategy 3 is: “This is used either when the leader does not know or chooses to hold back to allow others to discover the solution. A variety of involve strategies exist ranging from asking an individual ‘What do you think?’ to running small teams focused on problems, to large scale mass intervention techniques.  The strategy is good for when either the time is not pressing and/or there is a good opportunity to educate and develop people’s knowledge and skills further. It is more of a ‘pull’ strategy.” (Obolensky, 2014)

            I consider myself flexible and do ask for input from my subordinates.  I enjoy engaging people to think on their own.  I believe the combination of the two strategies makes me a more rounded leader.

            I believe that the past six weeks has helped me revisit leadership skills that I already had in my wheel house but had not used over the past six years since retiring from the U.S. Army.

            In my current position as an Army JROTC instructor, I do teach Cadets about leadership but I do not use many of the tools that were available to my while on active duty.  Moving forward, I will maintain what I am currently doing.

Reference

Obolensky, N. (2014). Complex adaptive leadership: Embracing paradox and uncertainty. (2d ed). Burlington, VT: Gower Publishing