Situational Leadership – Feedback Required

Explain what is meant
by situational leadership in a project environment (10 Marks)

The Hershey and Blanchard situational
leadership model describes how a leader varies the level of support and
direction given and the level of maturity of those being led (the follower).
These styles are split into 4 modes which start with high supportive and
directing (telling style), through selling, participating finally to a
delegating style (low supportive, low directive) The advantage to the leader is
that they can lead different groups at different times in the most appropriate
manner.

List and describe
four benefits of adapting leadership styles during a project ensure that you
include at least one beneficiary in each description. (40 Marks) ?

Telling

Selling

Participating

Delegating

Using the telling style (high
directive, Low supportive) is important when you have team workers who are new
starters or tasks have an urgent deadline. It ensures that instructions are
given at a detailed level and ensures that no important information is left
out. It provides the team worker with the requisite information to undertake
the task (this may be a legal requirement from a health and safety perspective)
and through large amounts of direction it is clear to the team worker about
what needs to be undertaken , why and any deadlines.

Using the selling style (High  directive, high supportive). This is important
style when you are starting a new project and the project manager is selling
the ideas to the users. The project manager will need to set out exactly what
is required, what the impact will be, timescales involved and ultimately what
the benefits to the users will be. For example a new IT system will involve obtaining
requirements, user testing and training, but the benefits will be less down
time. The project manager sells the objectives and the users see the vision

Using the participating style(Low
directive, high supportive) the project manager is building a very productive
relationship with those undertaking that task and they need less direction and
more of a supportive and mentoring role. It facilitates confidence building in
the team worker as they are given greater freedom to undertake tasks and the
project manager has more time to focus on delivery (as their work packages may
be less detailed).

Using the delegating style (low support, low
directive) means that the project manager can effectively handover tasks and
allow the team worker to get on with the delivery. To the team worker it means
that they do not feel that they are being micro managed and to the project
manager it allows them to focus on delivery. This is the optimum style for
project managers with mature followers.