When you are constantly asked by a member of your work team for details on how to perform a task, it’s very easy to keep telling them again and again how to do it—or worse, doing it for them. But does this leadership style help them gain confidence and grow into a high performer? Or…
Feeling disillusioned at work hardly sounds like something to celebrate. How could anyone feel good about low competence and low commitment? In fact, wouldn’t you want to hide it? In The Ken Blanchard Companies Situational Leadership® II training program, we teach that a Disillusioned Learner (D2) development level is part of the natural progression of…
For anyone who might have read my previous blog post, you’ll know I’ve been training for a 54-mile cycle ride from London down to the south coast of the UK, ending in Brighton. When I say training, I mean I’ve looked at the bike and bought a new pink cycling jersey. That’s about as far…
Scott Blanchard, principal and EVP at The Ken Blanchard Companies, likes to use the phrase heart of the house to describe the important role middle managers play in an organization. In Blanchard’s experience, if mid-level management is neglected, the result can be heart trouble—a slow moving organization that doesn’t respond well to feedback. Is your…
This Coaching Tuesday guest post is by Lynn McCreery. For many of us, true leadership is about being purpose and values driven and putting the needs of those we lead above our own. We want the heart of a servant leader to be at the core of how we live our lives. Sometimes it is…
People cycle through four predictable stages when presented with a new task or goal at work. If it’s something they’ve never done before, they’ll usually start out as an enthusiastic beginner—full of confidence but short on experience. This is followed by a dip in commitment and competence as the challenge of learning something new settles…
Dear Madeleine, Is it wrong to let someone go if they just aren’t performing? I have an employee that I originally hired because he seemed to have real promise. I like him a lot as a person, but he never quite “gets it right.” I have given him plenty of chances to improve, but his…
Dear Madeleine, I’ve been in my job for 18 months and I’m good at it. I’m basically pretty clear about what I’m supposed to be doing, and I know my coworkers see me as dependable. My problem is that I can’t get any time with my boss. I send emails and leave voicemails with questions,…
I am, by profession, an executive coach. Part of my job is to advocate fiercely for a client’s best self and to champion possibility. Still, I am often asked, “What do you do if you really don’t think the person is capable of accomplishing the goals they’ve set?” My answer is always, “Who am I…
As a Situational Leadership II (SLII) instructor, I teach hundreds of leaders each year how to adapt their leadership style to the needs of their direct reports. Beginners on a new task get a Directing Style; moderately skilled employees get a Coaching or Supporting Style; and highly skilled employees get a Delegating Style. The SLII…