Situational Leadership II®, as well as the First Time Manager Program, can help you get through the various leadership journeys.
Leadership is always active. The transition from an individual contributor to a manager ranks among the most critical periods of a leader’s career. At this juncture, of course, the actual feeling is one of being overwhelmed by the very shift in responsibility. This is where programs such as the First Time Manager Program and Situational Leadership II® become invaluable in making this transition smooth and building confident, capable leaders to easily handle different team dynamics.
In this blog, we will dive into the heart of Situational Leadership II® and how the First Time Manager Program can better help new managers take charge of their leadership roles.
What are the Challenges of a First-Time Manager?
Several challenges may be encountered when someone steps into management for the very first time. Some of these are:
Dealing with old friends:
Dealing with one’s peers is as challenging as direct reports. There is a power shift, which is uncomfortable, to say the least.
Delegation:
One of the common challenges the newly appointed manager faces is delegating tasks and trusting direct reports to do their part without micro-managing. Of course, they used to do everything themselves.
Performance management:
Giving constructive feedback, setting performance expectations, and holding others accountable are not some skills that everybody might come out with.
Maintenance of a balance in relationships and authority: A new manager needs to have a balanced approach between maintaining good employee relationships and exercising authority.
These factors also make managers feel anxious, uncertain, and lacking in confidence about this new position. It is for this reason that programs for new managers like the First Time Manager Program are so precious.
What is the First Time Manager Program?
The First Time Manager Program is one of the developmental initiatives for equipping new managers with the tools, skills, and mindset they will need to do the job well. Mainly, it helps them make the transition from individual contributors to effective leaders who will be able to guide, inspire, and manage teams effectively.
Communication and delegation are core management skills: learning how to clearly communicate expectations, delegate tasks, and provide feedback.
Coaching and mentoring: Understanding how to coach employees to improve
Performance management: Dealing with performance reviews and managing low performers as well as high performers
Problem-solving and decision-making: Enhancing skills in effective business decision-making under stress.
In that regard, the core competencies of the First Time Manager Program are not in the strict definition of “management,” but leadership: inspiring people to higher efforts, developing trust, and growing a team. It teaches new managers how to lead teams that are simultaneously empathetic, approachable, and results-driven.
Learning Situation Leadership II® (SLII®)
Ken Blanchard and Paul Hersey, in their book, Situational Leadership II®, focus very much on situational leadership. Situational Leadership II® is a very flexible, adaptive model of leadership focusing on when a leader should change his managerial style according to the subject’s level of development. The most pivotal idea SLII® conveyed was that there is no such thing as a “one-size-fits-all” approach to leadership. It calls for effective leaders who can discern the needs of their members and adjust accordingly.
SLII® is based on two fundamental factors:
Competence: The ability of someone to carry out a task or job.
Commitment: Motivation or willingness of the person to do the task.
The stages of development are brought out in SLII® by categorizing competence and commitment into four levels:
D1: Enthusiastic Beginner: High commitment, low competence. New employees may be enthusiastic but have no skills to carry out tasks.
D2: Disillusioned Learner Low commitment, low to moderate competence: The initial enthusiasm wanes as the complexity of the work is absorbed.
D3: Able but Guarded Performer Variable commitment; moderate to high competence: These employees possess the skills but may require some motivation to step out of their shells.
D4: Self-Confident Achiever High competence, high commitment: Skilled and motivated, these employees can work independently.
The Four Leadership Styles in SLII®
The model provides four leadership styles that align with the worker’s development stage:
Directing (S1):
For D1 employees, a leader has to provide detailed instructions as well as check on work intently. The inexperienced manager turns interventionist and helps employees find their way to complete tasks they are not familiar with.
Coaching (S2):
At the D2 stage, employees need directive and supportive behavior. This would translate to guiding them while motivating them to regain their initial enthusiasm.
Supporting (S3):
With D3 employees, managers can pull back and not be as controlling, yet encourage and support them to build self-confidence.
Delegating (S4):
With the most competent and committed leaders can delegate work and get out of their way, allowing them to get it done with the most minimal oversight.
How SLII® Can Augment the First Time Manager Program
Although the First Time Manager Program indeed gives new managers the fundamental skills of leadership, it is Situational Leadership II® that equips them to apply these practically in a very adaptive manner. SLII® provides an operational framework that helps new managers understand how to lead employees in different types based on their development level and task nature.
For example, a new manager will find that one member of his or her team is a D1—a clumsy beginner, requiring much direct supervision and task-oriented support. On the other hand, another team member might be a D4—a self-reliant achiever who needs only to be delegated with a lot of freedom while requiring little oversight. A manager using SLII® can adapt the leadership style so that every member of the team gets the guidance needed to work effectively.
Empowering new leaders for success:
First-Time Manager Programs combined with Situational Leadership II®
The First Time Manager Program will teach its students all about the basics of management. In turn, SLII® provides a dynamic framework to apply those basics to real-world situations and adapts according to the changing needs of each team member.
Leadership is the human act of guiding, motivating, and empowering others to obtain superior performance while building a positive, productive work environment. For first-time managers, this journey begins with getting the right tool, framework, and mindset that the First Time Manager Program and Situational Leadership II® layout.
By integrating these approaches, new managers can confidently enter assignments, to be adjusted and deeply understand what it means to lead a team to success.