Inspect & Adapt

Have you ever come across one of those people who, even though they’ve only just arrived on the scene, is keen to tell you that, “(they) know exactly what the problem is” and “what you need to do is...”? Well I have – unfortunately on more than one occasion - and I find them extremely annoying!

I’m sorry, but it doesn’t matter what your background is and how much experience you have, you cannot possible approach a person or team in such a manner and retain your credibility.

It’s not just consultants who can fall into this trap. I’ve also seen recently hired employees make this same mistake. Let me reiterate, this is not a great first impression to leave behind! Having been on the receiving end, my immediate thoughts about the offending individual are generally extremely poor and certainly not repeatable here.

To be fair, I don’t think this is a common trait, which is why it sticks out like a sore thumb when you see it. Most of us understand how to treat people with a bit more respect.

I’m not certain it’s deliberate either. It’s more likely to be a lack of emotional intelligence in the offender. Or am I being too generous?

Anyway, you can probably tell that I’ve just had such an incident and it prompted me to write. It’s actually quite cathartic.

The question that’s just struck me of course is how do I come across when I first arrive somewhere new? OMG, do I make this mistake too? Surely not!?!?!

Perhaps now is the time to state what I actually set out to do and this is where the title for the entry comes in. I believe in the ‘inspect & adapt’ school of thought. Before expounding my opinions, I would much rather take the time to understand the situation, determine if I have any relevant experience to contribute and then tailor my thoughts and suggestions to the context at hand. Experience counts for an awful lot, but it needs to be applied to fit the current environment if it is going to make a difference.

If you read this, know me and think that I have my own challenges and opportunities to improve in this area, then please let me know. However, if that's the case, do treat me gently with your feedback as you now know that at least I think I'm doing the right thing!

Are you consciously choosing your leadership style?

When you have leadership responsibility for a group of people, it is important that you adopt a flexible approach tailored to the individuals on your team. In practice, most leaders naturally do this, however, understanding the mechanics behind the choice will give you more control and help you select the most appropriate style.

The model that I've used to good effect is known as Situational Leadership®, developed by Ken Blanchard and Paul Hersey. The picture on the left gives a good overview.

Here there are 4 clear leadership styles identified - Directing, Coaching, Supporting and Delegating - which mirror the experience level of the team member from low through to high.

It is important to note that a team member will typically have different levels of experience in each functional area of their remit and may therefore need more than one leadership style applied to them.

This reinforces the point that it is the leader who needs to flex their style rather than the team member.

In my experience, it has been very helpful to share this model with my direct reports and agree with them what approach and style they would like me to adopt. It is also a helpful tool in monitoring an individual's progress as they move through each development stage.

Having the right leadership style at the right time will enable you to build a stronger team, so I hope this inspires you to find the time to look into this further.