Cases to Practice Using the Situational Leadership Model

My wife and I owned a grocery store and equally managed the store and the 40 employees together. Three times a week we would get a truck full of general groceries that need to be broken down from the pallets and placed on the shelves. On days that I was in charge no one would talk everyone would be focused on the task of getting the work done as soon as possible. On the days She was in charge it would be a big party with many people in the same isles. Both styles got the work done mine was just focused on the work and hers was keeping everyone happy.

The leadership styles classified in four groups

* S1) High Directive, Low Supportive. DIRECTING

* S2)High Directive, High Supportive. COACHING

* S3)Low Directive, High Supportive. SUPPORTING

* S4) Low Directive, Low Supportive. DELEGATING

Development level classified in four groups

* D1: Low Competence, High Commitment. Employees are new to a task, but highly motivated about it.

* D2: Moderate Competence, Low Commitment. Employees have learn a task, but their losing their motivation.

* D3: Mid Competence, Moderate Commitment. Employees know their tasks, and don't need much direction, but they are not too motivated.

* D4: High Competence, High Commitment. Employees are proficient in their task and have a high degree of motivation

Cases to Practice Using the Situational Leadership Model

Case 1

Dale Brown works for you and is a new employee. You had Dale working along side a seasoned staff member for the last three weeks to help orient Dale to the job. You now want to give Dale his own assignments.

Dale is a D1 I would work close with him in a S2 and move to S3 over the next six months

Case 2

You lead a team that includes Julie Phillips. Julie is often difficult to work with and challenges your authority. She is a bit arrogant and thinks she knows how to do things even better then you do. You just found out that your entire organization needs to be trained on the XYZ computer system. Julie is the only person in the organization who knows the computer system well and is your only source to train others as you do not have the money to send all your staff away for training.

Julie is a D4 and because she is difficult to work with I would Use S1 with her to assure she does not infect the team.