This is PT 2 of my 3 planned blogs about leadership. In this one I am covering decision making - a key factor in effective leadership of course.
It sounds like a bit of slick management speak jargon - but tells, sells, consults succinctly sums up the points I wish to make.
Autocratic leaders make all the decisions and tell their team what they are going to do.
Semi autocratic leaders make the decisions but sell their ideas to their team.
Consultative leaders seek opinions and group decisions emerge.
So what are the advantages and disadvantages of each :
Tells - a quick, clear decision - but one that excludes the input of other team members. Possible downsides of exclusion - ownership of the decision and the effect on motivation, not utilizing the input of team members which might be valuable and leaving the team vulnerable if for some reason the leader is not there. There are others of course.
Sells - can be a slower process and the leader might "open a can of worms". However sells will go some way to mitigate the downside of tells.
Consults - tells in reverse.
A good leader will understand the advantages and disadvantages of these three basic approaches to decision making and determine which is the most appropriate for each particular circumstance and shape his/her approach accordingly. A poor leader will only have one approach. This might work in the short term - depending on circumstances but over the long term a one size fits all approach is unlikely to be optimum or even effective. This is certainly true in parenting when factors such as personal development against tiredness have to be taken into account
As an example - in an emergency situation - where speed of action is the essence - a tells strategy is required. For example on a sailing boat the skipper will often not have the time to consult his crew before a tack or gybe and certainly not in a man over board drill or a fire down below.
On a hike the leader might have more time to explain his choice of route and timings and there might be benefits that accrue from that. If I was honest this is my favored approach or default position. I am a seller. Often I use the line - "if I was on my own I would do this". I am open to some discussion. Being challenged or tested can often result in a better decision.
A consultative approach can demonstrate both strong - confident leadership or weak - indecisive leadership. It certainly can be more creative - more collaborative - more fun and more rewarding for everyone involved - but you need the luxury of time but also good time management because some committees will talk all day! For instance I have found as my family have grown up this approach has become more and more appropriate in family matters and increasingly I am happy to pass the baton - despite the fact my wonderful offspring still somewhat doubt it - ha!
It sounds like a bit of slick management speak jargon - but tells, sells, consults succinctly sums up the points I wish to make.
Autocratic leaders make all the decisions and tell their team what they are going to do.
Semi autocratic leaders make the decisions but sell their ideas to their team.
Consultative leaders seek opinions and group decisions emerge.
So what are the advantages and disadvantages of each :
Tells - a quick, clear decision - but one that excludes the input of other team members. Possible downsides of exclusion - ownership of the decision and the effect on motivation, not utilizing the input of team members which might be valuable and leaving the team vulnerable if for some reason the leader is not there. There are others of course.
Sells - can be a slower process and the leader might "open a can of worms". However sells will go some way to mitigate the downside of tells.
Consults - tells in reverse.
A good leader will understand the advantages and disadvantages of these three basic approaches to decision making and determine which is the most appropriate for each particular circumstance and shape his/her approach accordingly. A poor leader will only have one approach. This might work in the short term - depending on circumstances but over the long term a one size fits all approach is unlikely to be optimum or even effective. This is certainly true in parenting when factors such as personal development against tiredness have to be taken into account
As an example - in an emergency situation - where speed of action is the essence - a tells strategy is required. For example on a sailing boat the skipper will often not have the time to consult his crew before a tack or gybe and certainly not in a man over board drill or a fire down below.
On a hike the leader might have more time to explain his choice of route and timings and there might be benefits that accrue from that. If I was honest this is my favored approach or default position. I am a seller. Often I use the line - "if I was on my own I would do this". I am open to some discussion. Being challenged or tested can often result in a better decision.
A consultative approach can demonstrate both strong - confident leadership or weak - indecisive leadership. It certainly can be more creative - more collaborative - more fun and more rewarding for everyone involved - but you need the luxury of time but also good time management because some committees will talk all day! For instance I have found as my family have grown up this approach has become more and more appropriate in family matters and increasingly I am happy to pass the baton - despite the fact my wonderful offspring still somewhat doubt it - ha!
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