No Image Available

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-1705321608055-0’); });

How do you use Situational Leadership in training?

default-16x9

I am familiar with the theory of the Hershey Blanchard Situational Leadership model (and the others that have evolved from them) but how do you use it in training? I'd be very grateful for new exercises that demonstrate the model at its best. Thanks.

8 Responses

  1. Skill / Will matrix
    Sue,

    I prefer the Skill / Will matrix (Tao of Coaching – Max landsberg) and I find the best way to use this is firstly to highlight personal experiences in each of the quadrants. I then get delegates to relate their own experiences of where they have perhaps been ‘led’ in the wrong fashion and the implications this had on their own motivation.

  2. Situational Leadership®
    Hi Sue
    We specialise in using Situational Leadership® in training and change interventions. You can check out our web site at http://www.leadershipdevelopment.co.uk We are the UK based Affiliates for The Center for Leadership Studies who own the copyrights to Situational Leadership®. The model and training content are all covered by copyright. Please contact us if you want to use any aspects of Situational Leadership® so we can advise you on what is possible.

    Barry Kemp, Leadership Development-Situational Solutions. 01274 424845

  3. Situational Leadership II
    Hi Sue,

    Since the original Situational Leadership Model was developed by Hershey and Blanchard, Ken Blanchard has
    further developed the model and today we believe Situational Leadership II is more widely used throughout the world.
    You can find out how you can apply the model in training by referring to http://www.kenblanchard.com or give us a call at our UK office
    on 01483 456300.

    Janet Leeson
    Marketing Manager
    The Ken Blanchard Companies

  4. Using Situational Leadership
    I like the model but I don’t use it as the copyright issues are (in my view) too restrictive.

    For example, in one company I worked in we trained all of our managers in Sit Leadership using a certified trainer but when we asked whether we could then use the model in our docs on performance management (e.g. showing the four quadrants as a reminder in our managers’ guide) were told we could not do this as it would breach copyright (without presumably paying over more money etc etc). So we were left wondering what we could do to reinforce the learning, or apply it within the organisation after everyone had done the course.

    I’m not in favour of buying in courses where the models can’t be integrated readily without a lot of hassle.

  5. Making it fun
    Hi Sue

    In a previous company I used a really silly but fun role play to get the delegates to ‘play’ with the model. I split them in to 4 groups, and gave them 10 mins to write a mini role-play – the scenario was ‘making a cup of tea’. Each group had to illustrate each of the Situational Leadership styles in instructing someone else (i.e. ranging from beginner to expert) to make a cup of tea. I encouraged the delegates to really ‘ham it up’, and it was always a lot of fun. I then got them to relate it back to genuine business problems and got them to describe different approaches in these ‘real’ situations.

    Hope this helps

    Regards

    Owen

  6. THANK YOU
    Thank you to all the respondents, particularly for some new ideas.

    Thanks also for the reminder re copyright … I will look at the Blanchard site for more on SL II.

    Regards

    Sue

  7. Not Easily!
    Or maybe not at all. There are lots of uses of Situational Leadership. Situational Leadership II is the Blanchard redo of the Hersey/Blanchard model. While you can find lots of stuff about the Hersey/Blanchard model in the literature, you apparently cannot use Situational Leadership II because of their copyright. That’s unfortunate because if you want to use it with teams and relate it to the Stages of Group Development, you can’t do it with the Hersey Blanchard model because the first stage is not exactly aligned. That creates a little bit of a problem because 3/4 stages work but not the first.

    If you’re using the original model, I think it’s useful to relate to performance improvement discussions. During restructuring or reorganization, it’s extremely helpful for managers to remember that people who are in new organizations and in new jobs may need more attention and direction from the manager than they had before. You can go to the literature to learn this model, but you can’t use the Blanchard model. Frankly, even if you’ve taught your employees this model using with Blanchard resources, as we did, if you want to use it in other applications (to reinforce the model, show its value), you can’t because Blanchard wants their money. They’re taken a really good tool, said “use this in your organization,” and then limit your ability to incorporate it into other courses. That was the whole point! Boils down to GREEDY. I’ll never use another Blanchard product again. My suggestion is that you read about contingency theory going back to Fred Fidler and then come up with your own model–not impossible.

  8. thanks…

    If you’re using the original model, I think it’s useful to relate to performance improvement discussions. During restructuring or reorganization, it’s extremely helpful for managers to remember that people who are in new organizations and in new jobs may need more attention and direction from the manager than they had before.

    https://www.facebook.com/anxietytreatmenttips

No Image Available
Newsletter

Get the latest from TrainingZone.

Elevate your L&D expertise by subscribing to TrainingZone’s newsletter! Get curated insights, premium reports, and event updates from industry leaders.

Thank you!