Reflect On The Project Team You Considered This Week 090733
Reflect On The Project Team You Considered In This Weeks Discussion
Reflect on the project team you considered in this week's Discussion. Imagine you have brought the team together to discuss the project's phases. As the project team manager, you have assessed your team members' varying skillsets. Some of your team members are very motivated but could use some coaching and light training to be able to accomplish their individual project responsibilities. Other team members have a high level of skills but might need a little motivation to get started because of their workload. Still others have a great deal of experience and skills and are highly motivated. You would not likely need to manage your entire team in the same way. To prepare for this Assignment, go to the "Situational Leadership Exercise" in your course text, Leadership: Theory and Practice. Complete the exercise and be as honest and objective as you can. Keep your scores on the exercise for analysis in the Final Research Paper Write a 1- to 2-page paper describing your experience with the "Situational Leadership Exercise." Analyze how your questionnaire responses indicate your personal leadership philosophy. Describe any questionnaire results that may have surprised you. Analyze the impact that the characteristics of the Situational Approach to Leadership might have on your personal leadership style. Explain how the Situational Approach might help you become a more effective leader.
Paper For Above instruction
The exercise in the course text, "Leadership: Theory and Practice," offers a profound insight into how a leader's personal philosophy and adaptability significantly influence team management, particularly within the context of diverse skill sets and motivation levels among team members. Reflecting on this exercise reveals crucial aspects of my own leadership style, emphasizing the importance of flexibility, awareness, and tailored management strategies.
My experience with the Situational Leadership Exercise underscored the central tenet that effective leadership is not static but dynamic, requiring the leader to adapt their approach based on the readiness and needs of team members. The questionnaire responses indicated that I tend to lean towards a developmental approach, recognizing the necessity of adjusting leadership behaviors in response to individual team members' competence and motivation levels. For example, responses suggested that I favor coaching and mentoring styles for team members who possess the skills but lack motivation, aligning with the "Supportive" or "Coaching" style in the situational model.
One surprising result from the questionnaire was the extent to which I identified with the "Delegating" style for highly motivated and skilled individuals. It made me realize that I often default to a hands-off approach with confident team members, trusting them to manage their responsibilities independently. This recognition has prompted me to reflect on balancing delegation with continued engagement to ensure ongoing motivation and clarity of expectations, especially in complex projects.
The characteristics of the Situational Approach significantly impact my personal leadership philosophy by emphasizing the importance of diagnostic skills—being able to accurately assess team members’ development levels and adjusting leadership behaviors accordingly. This approach encourages a flexible mindset, which is vital in dynamic project environments where team compositions and individual circumstances frequently change.
Adopting the Situational Approach can enhance my effectiveness as a leader by fostering stronger relationships with team members, promoting autonomy where appropriate, and providing targeted support when needed. It encourages me to develop greater emotional intelligence and situational awareness, which are critical for motivating varied team members while maintaining productivity. Furthermore, it underscores the significance of communication and feedback, enabling me to tailor my leadership style to optimize team performance.
In conclusion, the exercise has reinforced the importance of adaptable leadership and the value of understanding individual differences within a team. By incorporating the principles of the Situational Approach, I aim to become a more responsive and effective leader who can navigate the complexities of team dynamics, foster motivation, and achieve project success through tailored leadership behaviors.
References
Bass, B. M., & Avolio, B. J. (1994). Improving organizational effectiveness through transformational leadership. Sage Publications.
Hersey, P., & Blanchard, K. H. (1969). Management of organizational behavior: Utilizing human resources. Prentice-Hall.
Northouse, P. G. (2018). Leadership: Theory and practice (8th ed.). Sage Publications.
Graeff, C. L. (1983). The Situational Leadership Theory: A critical view. Academy of Management Review, 8(2), 285-297.
Fiedler, F. E. (1967). A theory of leadership effectiveness. McGraw-Hill Education.
Goleman, D. (2000). Leadership that gets results. Harvard Business Review, 78(2), 78-90.
Yukl, G. (2010). Leadership in organizations (7th ed.). Pearson Education.
Blanchard, K., & Hersey, P. (1982). Management of organizational behavior: Utilizing human resources. Prentice-Hall.
Hackman, J. R., & Wageman, R. (2005). A theory of team coaching. Academy of Management Review, 30(2), 269-287.
Lussier, R. N., & Achua, C. F. (2015). Leadership: Theory, Application, & Skill Development (5th ed.). Cengage Learning.