Path Goal theory

• types of leadership: directive, supportive, participative, achievement-oriented

In assignment:

• think about usual role in a group task in rest of year vs how I took a more leader approach in social media task
• participative style throughout the year usually
• as HR manager, had to take a slightly directive but also supportive approach to be balanced
• you can use diagrams in the middle of paragraphs if it relates
• for in tray exercise, can say I was thinking in a very supportive approach but can’t always be the case when under time pressure

Example paragraph:

In the presentation exercise I had a suggestion about starting with a particular demographic, whilst I tried to share this with the group, my contribution was overshadowed by another group member who spoke over me. Instead of pausing, waiting for a convenient time and resharing, or asking the other team member not to interrupt, I stopped talking and did not share my idea. Initially being spoken over made me feel inferior, I understand this was not the intention of the other individual, but not speaking out internalized my feelings and resulted in me putting myself in an inferior position. This position of inferiority resulted in less contributions on my behalf, which could have looked like I was not pulling my weight, I decided to take on a Plant type role according to Belbin, this is where I took instructions and completed set tasks with little contribution to the nature of creating the tasks involved. This approach, meant that tasks were completed with pace because I was consistently ensuring they were worked upon, it did limit the amount of perspective and involvement in the creative stage. I feel my initial contribution was quite innovative and felt as a team it could have been harnessed and developed to create a higher quality end product than that created. Subsequently, in future tasks, I noticed that when the initial brainstorming of how to approach the tasks was carried out, team members did not contribute me as much, therefore this initial approach accelerated the norming stage whereby my role in the team was quickly seen as a ‘do-er’.   However, what started as a lack of confidence to voice my opinion pushed me into a more supportive role, other members of the group grew in confidence by taking the lead of the task and therefore connections and relationships were strengthened as a result. This is reflective of servant leadership whereby I enabled others in the team to relax into a more vocal role, thus getting from the task a sense of accomplishment and a purpose. Therefore, whilst I did not consciously adopt this approach, my initial lack of confidence to speak out openly pushed me into an inferior position which worked to the advantage of the relational element within the team and strengthened team dynamics.

• This is what I need to be like for the assignment (1) and use the reflection cycle to write my answers (2):

  

  

Johari window:

• want to reduce my blind spots