Many managers have been taught to believe that micromanagement is counterproductive. However, I believe that in the early stages of onboarding, micromanagement is not only necessary but crucial. It ensures that new employees are not just clear on their responsibilities but also fully understand how your organization uniquely drives results. You can’t expect A-players to emerge without first guiding them closely. Once they're aligned with your vision and processes, they can operate independently, but initial oversight is key to shaping them into top performers who embody your corporate values.
How do you develop new employees, or employees in new roles, into A-Players for your organization? Finding, recruiting, and retaining top talent, or “A-players”, can be tricky. How fast could your team grow if every member is an A-Player who doesn’t need to be actively managed, can anticipate your needs, and embodies your corporate values?
One method is to follow Ken Blanchard’s groundbreaking Situational Leadership® model, which focuses on learning how to adapt your leadership style to meet the needs of individual team members based on their level of competence and commitment.
Few people have influenced the day-to-day management of people and companies more than Ken Blanchard. Ken is one of the most influential leadership experts in the world and is respected for his years of groundbreaking work in the fields of leadership and management. In 1969, Blanchard and Paul Hersey developed Situational Leadership Theory in their classic book Management of Organizational Behavior. Now called SLII, Blanchard’s methodology offers an easy-to-understand, practical framework that enables you and your managers to diagnose the development level of an employee for a task and then use the appropriate directive and supportive behaviors to help them succeed.
The first step is learning how to alter your approach based on the development needs of the individual. A leader committed to developing their people needs to be able to 1) set clear goals, 2) diagnose the development level of people on each of their goals, and 3) connect with people where they are and provide them what they need.
Use the Scaling Up definition of SMART goals - limit the number to three at any given time. Use the RPG SMART Goals Worksheet to help you set goals for each employee.
To diagnose the development level, Ken recommends looking at two factors, competence and commitment. When a person is not performing well, it is often a competence and/or commitment problem. Your job is to discern which is the biggest contributor.
The Situational Leadership framework below enables you to diagnose which of the four stages your employee may be at. This approach allows you to adjust your leadership style to effectively close the gap between their current skill level and the desired performance level. Remember that the same employee may be at a different level on each goal.
It is helpful to remember as people’s skills grow, their confidence and motivation may drop when they begin to realize how much more they’ve got to learn to be able to do a really good job. An accurate diagnosis enables you to adjust your leadership style based on the needs of the employees.
Take a look at the four leadership styles and how they align with the diagnosis stages above. It’s crucial to meet each member of your team where they are and help push to the next level with a leadership style best suited to each individual.
DIRECTING – For D1 stage employees, the leader adopts a Highly Directive approach, offering precise guidance on goals and company procedures. She actively demonstrates the tasks and methods needed to achieve these goals, ensuring clarity. By closely monitoring the individual's daily and weekly activities, she provides consistent feedback aligned with the company’s standards. While this thorough oversight is beneficial, it may sometimes feel like micromanagement.
SUPPORTING – For employees at the D2 stage, leadership that embodies both Directive and Supportive Behavior is most effective. This approach involves directing individuals toward success through your company's unique methods while fostering an environment that encourages feedback. By promoting dialogue, the leader ensures that activity goals are achieved and understood for their significance, creating a deeper connection to the objectives.
COACHING –For D3 stage employees, a leadership style characterized by Low Directive Behavior and High Supportive Behavior proves most effective. Here, the leader steps into a coaching role, working closely with team members to help them harness their unique strengths. By actively listening and offering encouragement, the leader facilitates quality decision-making, gradually transferring plan ownership to the employee. This collaborative approach ensures decisions are made together in an atmosphere where employees feel supported and are inspired to take on increased accountability.
EMPOWERING –For D4 stage employees, a leadership approach marked by Low Directive Behavior and Low Supportive Behavior is most appropriate. Empowered A-Players thrive on autonomy, taking charge of their roles to make decisions and drive progress on their goals. Their impact is acknowledged as they are challenged to rethink possibilities and elevate performance standards. Empowering these A-Players necessitates a foundation of trust and a concentrated focus on bold objectives, underscoring the importance of their success and encouraging them to strive for ambitious outcomes.
When it comes to developing your team members, one leadership style may not be enough. Diagnose each individual for each goal. One goal might call for a delegating approach, which works best when the employee is both competent and committed. Another goal, one requiring your employee to stretch outside their current comfort zone, may require you to play more of a supporting role. Matching the correct style with the right employee and the right goal is key – because good managers connect with people where they are and provide them with what they need.
Summary:
Harness the power of the Situational Leadership checklist to guide your learning, decision making, and mastery of the Situational Leadership approach to employee development.
Download the Checklist for Diagnosing Employee Developmental Level here.
If you want to learn more about Blanchard’s approach, check out his “One Minute Manager” series of 18 books here.
Looking for individualized support to help you hire and onboard A-Players, scale in less time, and improve profitability?
