Empowering Employees: A Guide to Situational Leadership and Critical Thinking
Welcome back to "Stepping into your Leadership" with your host, Christine Courtney! In this insightful episode, Christine is joined by returning guests Tom Armstrong and Tatiana Dominguez, two seasoned managers, as they tackle a challenging case study sent in by a listener.
A team manager is grappling with a new team member, Sam, who struggles with self-direction and critical thinking, impacting team productivity. How can the manager foster independence and help Sam develop these essential skills?
Tatiana suggests exploring situational leadership to understand Sam's development phase—whether he's an enthusiastic beginner or a disillusioned learner. She also touches on the tough choice of potentially parting ways if progress isn’t forthcoming. Tom expands on this by emphasizing the importance of constructing a clear action plan or Performance Improvement Plan (PIP). He highlights the need for establishing clear deliverables, deadlines, and quality expectations to foster both accountability and growth.
Christine adds a critical point: before jumping into action plans, consider having a direct conversation with Sam about his hesitations and the importance of taking initiative. She advocates for creating a safe space for risk-taking and learning from mistakes as a part of the growth process.
As the conversation wraps up, the team reflects on the importance of gratitude in leadership. Listen in as they share heartfelt stories of mentors who shaped their early careers, revealing the power of kindness and candid feedback in developing future leaders.
Tips from this Episode:
- Situational Leadership
- : Identify and understand the developmental stage of your team members.
- Clear Action Plans
- : Create specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals.
- Direct Communication
- : Have open and honest conversations to address issues directly.
- Safe Environment for Risk-Taking
- : Encourage your team to make decisions and learn from their mistakes.
- Gratitude and Mentorship
- : Recognize the importance of gratitude and learn from positive leadership examples.
Join us for an engaging discussion that will equip you with practical strategies to elevate your leadership game and manage challenging team dynamics effectively.
Happy Holidays from the "Stepping into your Leadership" team!
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