September 2009
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| Learn the purpose behind the chart and the Blackberry. |
Ah-Ha! Moment – Sometimes a book can make all the difference in the way we see things. After reading Leadership and the One Minute Manager this past August and being exposed to the "Situational Leadership" model, I thought " This is a nice, simple concept – wonder how well it works?" In September, my question was answered many times over – and each time the answer was a resounding "Right on target!" I had always heard "different strokes for different folks," so I already believed that leadership style needs to vary by person – but this book convinced me "person" is not sufficiently granular, because leadership style also needs to be tailored to a specific project or task.
Once I had this "ah-ha" moment, I realized why one staff member produced great results in some situations, yet floundered in others. Her performance on each specific task depended on the two factors described in the book – Competence and Commitment. When both factors were in place, she excelled – if either was lacking, her results were lackluster, inconsistent, or both. After I validated these concepts with several real-life examples, I shared my insights and observations with this associate, assigned her the book to read, and promised I would begin to consciously follow the "Situational Leadership" process with her. We set One Minute Goals for new tasks, assessed her Development Level, and agreed on my appropriate Leadership Style. While she was initially skeptical, by late September the hints of success were already evident to both of us.
