Have you ever had the feeling that the reliable tricks on how to lead a team fail in the face of new tasks and challenges? Or do you think that you would do better at work if your boss treated you differently than your more experienced or less experienced colleagues?
Leadership and efficiency
Extensive discussions are constantly being held about which leadership style is best, most successful, and most desirable. Despite the fact that each “boss” prefers something different, since 1969 the so-called situational model of the leadership of Messrs. Blanchard and Hersey has been prominent.
In the 1980s and 1990s, situational leadership, as this model of education and training for leaders has been named, dominated all other concepts. Why? Because it streamlines work and saves time in a sophisticated and yet simple manner.
Why choose situational leadership?
Before answering the question of what leadership (namely the situational model) is, it should be added that the whole idea of Blanchard and Hersey might not have arisen if at the same time, at the turn of the 1970s and 1980s, a groundbreaking economic, social, political and cultural changes didn´t take place.
And even though the world has changed dramatically over the last half-century, today perhaps more than ever, there are rapid economic, social, political, and cultural changes happening. Just take a look at the current job market. People in management must strive to retain quality employees and learn to master various theories of motivation. Lack of labor, weak confidence of employees in the employer, burnout syndrome, increasing rate of robotization are just some of the obstacles on their way.
The motivation of employees and the ability to attract them, in general, is thus becoming a major problem for most employers and entrepreneurs.
What is situational leadership?
How to be a good boss? Situational leadership assumes that in a world of different leadership styles, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Several aspects always need to be taken into account: the experience of the workers, the specific task, and the situation. This then corresponds to one of the degrees of directive and support. You can choose mainly from 4 leadership styles.
Employee motivation and 4 leadership styles
Commanding is a style in which the team leader divides roles and tasks, determines specific procedures and precise instructions. Employees perform tasks without being able to take responsibility. This style is suitable for new employees and for those who have no experience with the assigned task. It is also used in times of crisis.
Coaching is a style that´s still highly directive but also containing a strong supporting component. It is suitable for workers who already have some necessary experience, but so far they lack all the information, including self-confidence. Within this style, the employee is told the meaning of the work, not specific procedures. The coach answers all his questions.
It is desirable to use support for experienced workers who lack self-confidence or motivation to work independently. The team leader no longer needs to teach employees how to do what but rather uses his influence to strengthen independence and motivation.
The time for delegating comes for senior employees who are already able to take full responsibility.
Situational leadership in practice
So what does the situational leadership style look like in practice? When emphasizing efficiency, always consider how experienced the employees are with the task you are assigning to them. If their experience is zero, explain clearly how to proceed. Then leave them more and more responsible for other similar tasks. The final and at the same time, the most desirable state is their independent work.
myTimi helps (not only) entrepreneurs
However, not everyone can be a leader who motivates employees and achieves high work efficiency across the entire team. Situational leadership is undoubtedly a great concept, but not everyone can practice it in the blink of an eye. Leadership that increases efficiency at work takes a lot of time.
One of the most common reasons why myTimi´s clients outsource some activities to virtual assistants is that delegating work is not merely a more cost-effective solution for entrepreneurs. There are several things about B2B services that a virtual assistant can help you with.
- Back office – reporting, revision, and editing of documents, translations, organization of documents, preparation of presentations.
- Business – strategy revision, new strategy proposals, client acquisitions, telesales, B2C and B2B sales training.
- Marketing – research, copywriting, e-mail campaigns, social network management, communication with influencers.
- Graphic design – websites, promotional materials, banners, and printed materials.
- Routine tasks in the company – data entry, event planning, etc.
- Personal assistant – organization of a calendar, extracurricular tasks, scheduling a doctor´s appointment, or booking a restaurant.
