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Situational Leadership

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The Situational Leadership® II model is well-known to business consultants worldwide (see disclaimer).  Its powerful yet simple underlying message is that leadership styles must vary based on the situation.  The model uses the relationship between the employee (or 'dependent') and the task to determine which of four major quadrants the situation corresponds to.  The leader would then adopt the style appropriate for that quadrant.

While the concept seems simple, it is not always easy to determine which quadrant applies to a given situation, or why the style change is so important.  Also, adopting leadership styles is like playing a musical instrument: it takes practice.  We believe that the best way to become a better situational leader is to first experience the quadrants as a follower, so we have created the perfect environment for experiencing the quadrants while attempting to complete a specific task.

Such an environment requires several characteristics:

bullet A Task that the group is unfamiliar with, but can become comfortable with and even proficient at.
 
bullet A Leader, whose role not only takes them through the four leadership styles, but also lets them experience the follower styles.
 
bullet A Real-life challenge, not a fanciful game with arbitrary rules.
 
bullet A Structure in which each participant is fully engaged at all times, and guided through the entire process.
 
bullet An Entertaining conclusion where participants can showcase their results.
 
bullet A Reflection afterwards, culminating in powerful realizations and relevant connections.
 

How do we do this?

Our Dramatic Exploration of Situational Leadership™ uses script extracts from real Canadian contemporary plays.  The participants are divided into small teams of 3 to 5 people, and each team is assigned a scene to prepare.  One member of the team acts as the director, leading the other 'actors' through the process.  The scene preparation task is divided into four parts, each representing a different quadrant of the Situational Leadership model.  A variety of real theatrical tasks are employed, including rehearsal techniques and some improvisation.

Extensive guidance is provided every step of the way from a professional actor/director who understands both the theatrical and the business perspectives.  At specific points, the facilitator will discuss what the participants are experiencing, and what their own workplace equivalencies would be.
 

The results?

Every participant lives the Situational Leadership model kinaesthetically - as a whole brain experience.  They know what it feels like to be in quadrant 2 and to be getting the correct or incorrect leadership style.  (The process is specifically designed so that even the director experiences 'follower' quadrants, relative to the facilitator!)

During the reflective debriefs, participants can much more easily relate the model back to their specific workplace, introducing examples of tasks and leadership styles that directly correspond to the quadrants.

Because of the way the learning is lived, workshop attendees become very comfortable with the vocabulary of the model, and continue to use it long after that particular program component is over.

Best of all, they have FUN learning.  They are more engaged in the discussions and they retain more of the information - a superior investment for your training dollars.
 

The finishing touches

As with every program we deliver, the real value and power comes not just from the delivery, but from what happens afterwards.  We follow up with action plans, publications of participant observations, facilitator feedback, refresher workshops, and more.  The client relationship continues until the training is fully integrated into the workplace culture and the full impact is being realized from the client's training investment.  Exceeding expectations is simply part of what we do.

 

For more information on our Dramatic Exploration of Situational Leadership™ program, please contact us.

 

Disclaimer  (Ken Blanchard's legal team, please note):
This intallact service is not used to introduce or teach the Situational Leadership model commercially.  We offer the activity to interactively support authorized instructors and/or products.  Hand-outs do not include graphical representations of the quadrant model or other proprietary material.

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