Done well, Performance Management is a Partnership.
Great leaders see the promise in everyone and champion their futures by showing a path to success for their team and the organisation. For decades, directive and supportive leader behaviors have been vital to this leadership promise and to a leader’s effectiveness. Leadership contingency theories introduced the concepts of initiating structure (the degree to which a leader defines, directs, and organises their role and the roles of followers) and consideration (the degree to which a leader shows concern and respect for followers, looks out for their welfare, expresses appreciation to them, and supports them) as distinct leader behaviours that are key to successfully leading and developing others.
Research indicates there are significant gaps between what employees expect from their leaders and what they actually experience at work. Left unaddressed, these gaps represent a drain on overall organisational vitality through lowered employee intentions to stay, endorse, and apply discretionary effort as needed.
SLII® is a model and process that helps managers be more purposeful and intentional in their conversations with people.
This creates a culture where people are clear and aligned on objectives so that they can achieve organizational goals faster.
With SLII®, managers and direct reports learn how to speak a common language that builds trust and a sense of partnership.
Leaders learn how to give people the right amount of direction and support for each task or goal they face at the exact time they need it.
Leaders also learn how to adjust their style to fit the situation. Too much direction is just as bad as too little direction.
- Providing too much direction on tasks where a person is already competent feels like micromanagement.
- Providing too little direction when questions or problems come up feels like abandonment or being set up to fail.
Recent research from hundreds of thousands of people indicates that the best leaders are situational leaders— they flexibly match each person’s needs for direction and support with the right leadership style for that person, in that moment, on a specific goal or task.
Leadership is not something you do TO people, it’s something you do WITH people.
In SLII®, managers learn three foundational skills that teach them how to partner with their people. The three foundational skills managers learn are:
- Goal Setting – Getting aligned on what needs to be done and when.
- Diagnosing – Having a conversation with an individual to understand what their competence and commitment are on a specific goal or task.
- Matching – Learning how to use a variety of leadership styles comfortably to provide individuals with what they need when they need it.
GOAL SETTING
SLII® teaches managers how to set goals with their people that are specific and trackable—and then goes one step further to ensure goals are also relevant, attainable, and motivating. This way, everyone is on the same page, with a clear understanding of how their work contributes to the bigger picture.
DIAGNOSING
SLII® teaches managers how to diagnose what each person needs in terms of direction and support on a specific goal or task. Managers learn how to provide clear direction on a task that is new, and how to take a more hands-off approach when the person is already skilled at the task.
MATCHING
SLII® teaches managers how to use the leadership style that gives the needed amount of direction and support to each person at every stage of a task or goal. This helps people progress through stages of learning more quickly so that they can master their tasks and achieve their goals.
It’s about giving people the exact leadership style they need—when they need it
It’s a new world for leaders. Business moves at breakneck speeds and the complexities of today’s workplace are especially daunting. Only those who lead situationally will be able to inspire their teams to rise to today’s challenges.
That kind of inspired leadership is essential for delivering competitive advantages. Those who lead situationally will be positioned to ignite their teams to rise to new challenges and inspire their colleagues to do the same.
The best leaders see their people as a top priority, sincerely caring about their success and growth. By taking the time to build meaningful relationships, these leaders understand not only their people but also their coworkers and what inspires them, so they can be there for them in any situation.
That’s SLII—empowering leaders to have authentic conversations that drive performance and unleash talent. Because when inspired leaders inspire others, there are no limits to greatness
Would you like to learn more about leading effectively during times of change? Join us for a free webinar on January 6, 2021.
Wednesday, January 6, 2021, 11:30 CET
In this webinar, International award winning leadership development strategist Roberto Dal Corso will explore how to help leaders connect authentically with their people. Roberto will highlight key principles from Blanchard’s SLII® leadership development program and how it has been used by clients to successfully navigate change and challenging business environments. Dal Corso will share how leaders can:
- Create clarity by defining reality in a way that builds motivation and commitment
- Navigate challenges by recognizing the four stages of development people go through with any new task or goal
- Inspire performance by providing people with the direction and support they need to succeed
Don’t miss this opportunity to learn how you can improve performance in your organization by teaching leaders how to build meaningful work relationships that drive exponential impact at every level of business.
Robby, your unwavering support and guidance has always been inspiring. My staff is still very thankful and would like a leadership training in the new year 2021.
You are very instrumental to my personal development which assists me to develop both my staff and apprentices.
There are new developments to increase capacity from sponsors by containers. We will share with you as soon as the structure takes shape. Thanks so much and may God bless you more.