Please read all instructions carefully!
SUPPORTING
Praise, listen, and facilitate
For people who have
High Competence
Variable Commitment
EMPOWERING
Turn over responsibility for day-to-day decision making
For people who have
High Competence
High Commitment
COACHING
Direct and support
For people who have
Some Competence
Some Commitment
DIRECTING
Structure, control, and supervise
For people who have
Low Competence
High Commitment
Low DIRECTIVE BEHAVIOR High
Low SUPPORTIVE BEHAVIOR High
DOMINATOR
High on task, low on people
Big boss. Runs the show
Sets high expectations
Concerned with results
Suppresses disagreements
Gets things done
Competitive and confident
Doesn’t listen to others
AVOIDER
Low on task and people
Keeps a low profile
Hesitant and cautions
Doesn’t want to make mistakes
Follows tried and true
Avoids conflict/disagreements
Doesn’t provide direction
Carries out what others want
COLLABORATOR
High on tank and people
Sets high expectations
Concerned with results
Involves people in decisions
Deals openly with concerns
Seeks win-win solutions
Encourages responsibility
Interdependent
ACCOMMODATOR
Low on task, high on people
Warm and friendly
Keeps people happy
Smoothes over conflicts
Easy going, overlooks mistakes
Lets others decide
Loose structure
Low EMPATHY High
Low ASSERTIVENESS High
| Strengths | Weaknesses |
| Commanding | |
| Goal oriented Emphasis on bottom line Makes quick decisions Willing to take risks | Pursues big, risky challenges Makes abrupt decisions Lack of esprit de corps Lack of communication |
| Innovating | |
| Idea oriented Emphasis on people Entertaining, fun Willing to take risks | Lots of ideas, goals Lack of clear priorities Difficulty with follow through Hard to gain commitment |
| Deliberating | |
| Fact and process oriented Emphasis on precision Stresses academic credentials Lots of quality control | Linear thinking Unwilling to take risks Tends to miss deadlines Blind to the big picture |
| Caring | |
| Relationship oriented Emphasis on team Fun, warm, friendly Loyal to the cause | Avoids conflict, change Makes decision slowly, if ever Not clear about purpose or goals Tendency towards bureaucracy |
| Innovator | Developer | Activator | Maximizer | Stabilizer |
| Design | Design and Build | Build | Build and Maintain | Maintain |
| Bringing new ideas and original solutions to the marketplace. Thinking outside the box to solve problems | Taking action on original solutions and learning along the way. Motto: Ready, aim, fire | Moving forward to achieve challenging goals. Overcoming obstacles and getting things done | Embracing the good of the past while making new changes. Working together with all kinds of people | Keeping things running smoothly and efficiently. Creating systems that meet the highest standards of accountability |
| Creativity | Flexibility | Tenacity | Diplomacy | Consistency |
| Style | Description | When to Use | Weaknesses |
| Commanding Coercive | Dictatorship “Do what I say” | When time is scarce or in a crisis | Members can feel stifled as they are treated as workers and not asked for an opinion |
| Visionary Authoritative | Mobilizes people towards vision “Come with me” | When a new direction is needed | Lacks an ability to help team members understand how they get to a goal |
| Affiliative | Focuses on emotional needs over work needs “People come first” | Best used for healing rifts and getting through stressful situations | Confrontation and emotionally distressing positions can be avoided |
| Democratic | Uses participation, listening to both the bad and the good “What do you think?” | To gain valuable input from employees and to gain buy-in when there is time to do so | Can be lots of listening, but very little effective action |
| Pacesetting | Builds challenging and exciting goals for people “Do as I do, now” | When the team is already highly motivated and competent | Can lack emotional intelligence |
| Coaching | Connecting corporate goals while helping people find strengths and weaknesses “Try this” | When individuals need to build longer term strengths | Can appear to be micromanaging |
| Style | Definition | Style | Definition |
| Autocratic | Leader is in total control of the group and task. Importance is focused at the top | Laissez Faire | Leader withdraws authority and influence in favor of permissiveness |
| Consultative | Leader consults those affected by a decision. Those affected have a voice | Nomothetic | Leader emphasizes the requirements of the institution rather than the needs of an individual in the group |
| Participative | Leader and group discuss and decide together. Those affected have a voice and a vote | Idiographic | Leader emphasized the needs of an individual rather than those of the institution |
| Democratic | The majority opinion of the group determines the course of action | Situational | Appropriate approach is determined by the situation: traits of the leader and group and the task at hand |