The Situational Leadership® Blog

"Ace of Sales" Jeffrey Gitomer Joins Forces with CLS Founder, Dr. Hersey

robert.archambeault@situational.com — Thu, 13 May 2010 16:27:49 Z

"I love Doc Hersey. If he called me on my cell and said 'Jeffrey, my tire just went flat on the San Diego Freeway', I would stop what I was doing, where ever I happen to be, and say 'Doc, I am getting on the next flight and I will be there to help you fix your tire'. Does that explain how I feel about this man?" This is Jeffery Gitomer's, typically colorful description of his relationship with Doctor Paul Hersey founder of the Center for Leadership Studies (CLS) and of Situational Leadership^®.

"Frankly, I am flattered that I get to work with him" states Gitomer, known worldwide as the "Ace of Sales" with nine New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Amazon.com best sellers to his credit. Commenting on his strategic alliance with Dr. Hersey and CLS, which will premier at the upcoming ASTD Conference, Gitomer outlines the content of his new training program with Hersey.

"First, I am putting together a course book entitled "The Little Book of Leadership," which will talk about the qualities and characteristics of a great leader. The course will begin with our "YES! Attitude", then go through Doc's SitLead (Situational Leadership^®) and conclude with the "Resilient Leader". It will be our world class attitude training combined with Doc's world class leadership training -- significantly different from any course that exists."

The YES! in Leadership

"You cannot be a great leader without a YES! attitude," asserts Gitomer in his trademarked ebullient style. If leaders do not have a winning YES! attitude, people will begin to hate them and soon want to follow someone else. You don't have to be a wonderful person. Look at Vince Lombardi. He may not have been the greatest person but he definitely had the greatest attitude. Look at Coach K (Duke Basketball Coach, Mike Krzyzewski), he is all YES! attitude. I use coaches because I think of leadership as coaching, especially in sales."

Can You Take a Bullet in the Chest?

What does it take to be a Resilient Leader? Gitomer responds graphically; "Can you take a bullet in the chest and come back? If you can, your customers have more confidence in you because they know you can take it, no matter what."

"It's winning when things don't go your way" emphasizes Gitomer. "It's not just positive attitude. When you are really excited about something you don't scream "positive". That's where the message lies. How do you really respond to what happens to you. It's YES! if you are a leader."

Go to Booth 411

On May 16-19, at the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD) International Conference & Exposition in Chicago, CLS will be introducing the Next Wave in Leadership Training: the Gitomer and Hersey partnership. Get your complimentary floor passes and find CLS at booth number 411.

Is Your Company Stagnant?

robert.archambeault@situational.com — Wed, 05 May 2010 20:49:33 Z

As we seem to be turning the corner of this severe recession, many companies are finding themselves in the doldrums, stagnant, feeling stuck. That is the common complaint that we hear at CLS from both existing and new clients. We anticipate this malady will only spread in the future. As leaders, let’s look back at what has happened as so many organizations emerge from weathering the storm.

First of all, survival might be viewed as an achievement. Many organizations closed their doors over the past two years. But self congratulations are not in order in view of what has happened to our organizations.

Streamlining Fallout - When the economy went sour, many organizations had to let people go. How much expertise, potential and production capacity was also let go? Being fiscally prudent as well as relying solely on systems, eventually takes its toll. Further, for remaining employees, there was damage to trust and loyalty.
Generational Problems - The Baby Boomers with broken or dead 401K plans have hung onto their leadership positions, unable or afraid to exit their roles. Generation X - always suffering as the "sandwich" generation - again has been squeezed out of the market in favor of younger, cheaper Millennials or have been pre-empted from leadership roles by lingering Boomers.
Boomer Retirement Woes - When Boomers start exiting the market over the next five years, there will be a brain drain as Leadership intellectual property (IP) walks out the door with them. Is there time for the torches to be properly passed? Will disenfranchised Xers be able to fill the leadership gap and rejuvenate your company?

"High expectations and belief in people leads to high performance...so very often belief creates fact."

– Dr. Paul Hersey

Right now the answer lies in your people, specifically your leaders. High achieving leaders are the ones to show you the way out of the doldrums and into prosperous growth. Actually this is always true, but more so in the current economic climate. Your executive team needs to step up with their own resilient leadership behavior and begin reinvesting in people, fostering leadership at every level in your organization. How to move forward beyond stagnancy, needs to be in every conversation your organization is having right now. For companies that are seeking substantial results, recessions are the best time to soar, while your competition is busy being fiscally prudent, streamlining and hunkering down.

Dr. David Knapp - Marathon Man

robert.archambeault@situational.com — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 14:58:50 Z

Doctor David Knapp

Marathon Man!

Around the Center for Leadership, we call Dr. David Knapp, Marathon man! Dr. Knapp is one our primary leadership and development trainers here at the Center. His training delivery, style and flare is always well received by the business leaders and executives who attend our world class leadership programs. Our courses are fresh, modern and relevant in today's ultra complex business world. They deliver jaw dropping performance and bottom line impacting results!

In his spare time, Doctor Knapp is the President of the company known as Marathon Leadership. His work there is legendary. The list of the top U.S. firms that Dr. Knapp's firm has served, reads like the who's who of the fortune 500 list. In addition to delivering effective leadership and development training for both the Center for Leadership and Marathon Leadership, David also serves as a running coach. He doesn't just run marathons, he delivers knowledge, training tips, motivation and spirit to the many athletes and would be athletes who have come to him for help.

One of Dr. Knapp's Favorite Quotes

"If people relied solely on reason, they would not run marathons. But we are not creatures of reason - we are creatures of passion. We need reason, of course, to steer the ship. But if the winds of passion are not in our sails, all the steering in the world would get us nowhere."

Noel Carroll

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Life Position - Situational Leadership® Training Series

robert.archambeault@situational.com — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 13:05:04 Z

Doctor Paul Hersey

Thomas Harris "Life Position Theory" - Situational Leadership Training Series

Doctor Paul Hersey created the and founded the Center for Leadership Studies. Professor Hersey has spent the vast majority of his life studying, writing about and teaching the subject of human behavior and behavior management. There have been a number of human behavior studies that have influenced Doctor Hersey's thinking and ultimately his writings about leadership and leadership training and development. He is particularly fond of the writings and theories of Thomas Harris. This article is dedicated to sharing the centerpiece of the Thomas Harris writings and theory.

In the process of growing up, people make basic assumptions about their own self-worth, as well as about the worth of significant people in their environment, that may or may not be generalized to other people later in life. Thomas Harris calls the combination of an assumption about oneself and another person a life position. Life positions tend to be more permanent that ego states. they are learned throughout life by way of reinforcements for, and responses to, expressed needs. These assumptions are described in terms of "okayness." Thus, individuals assume that they are either OK or not OK, or that as people they do not possess value or worth. Further, other individuals are assumed to be either OK or not OK.

Four possible relationships result from these life positions: )1) neither person has value ("I'm not OK, you're not OK"); (2) you have value, but I do not have value ("I'm not OK, you're OK"); (3) I have value, but you do not ("I'm OK, you're not OK"); and (4) we both have value ("I'm OK, you're OK").

"I'm not OK, you're not OK" people tend to feel bad about themselves and see the whole world as miserable. People with this life position usually give up. They don't trust other people and have no confidence in themselves.

People with an "I'm not OK, you're OK" life position often come from their Compliant Child ego state. They feel that others are more capable and generally have fewer problems than they themselves do. They tend to think that they always get the sort end of the stick. This is the most common life position for people who have a high deference for authority. They see their world as "I don't have any control or much power, but those people (folks with authority or position power) seem to have all the power and rewards and punishments."

People who feel "I'm OK, you're not OK" often come from their Critical Parent ego state. They tend to be down on other people as sources of criticism. They feel that if they're not exactly perfect or right, people will be excessively critical of them. Second, they want to break away or reel from some authority figure and become more independent, but they're either not sure how to go about this or they have had unpleasant experiences in attempting it in the past.

This is a life position in which the person has had a few "zaps" along the road and feel, "I've got a lot of self-confidence and autonomy but I sure don't want to be open, honest, and sharing with others in my environment or I'll get punished." With this life position, listening often tends to stop even when someone is still trying to communicated with this person. Harris found in his work that people with an "I'm OK, you're not OK" life position, while acting self-confident and under control really were hiding "not OK" feelings about themselves. The way they play out their "not OK" feelings often is expressed in the need for power and control.

"I'm OK, you're Ok" is suggested as the healthy life position. People with these feelings express confidence in themselves as well as trust and confidence in other people in their environment. Their behavior tends to come from their Nurturing Parent, Adult, and Happy Child ego states, while seldom being evoked from their Destructive Child of Critical Parent.

To learn more about Situational Leadership® and the Center for Leadership Studies, please call our Escondido, California offices at 1-866-545-4951. CLS conducts monthly and in fact has a workshop scheduled for February 22 - 26. If you are interested in securing a seat for one of our upcoming Leadership events, please call us at 1-866-545-4951 or email us at info@situational.com. The Center for Leadership Studies team will be at the ASTD conference scheduled for May of 2010. Please take time to drop by our booth and meet our team.

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A Healthy Personality - Situational Leadership® Series

robert.archambeault@situational.com — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 15:00:00 Z

Doctor Paul "Doc" Hersey

Abe Wagner's Ego States - Situational Leadership®

Situational Leadership® came about as the result of a lifetime of study by Dr. Paul Hersey on the complex issue of human behavior and human behavioral management. Professor Hersey is a world class leadership and development trainer. He is also a published author, a superior keynote speaker, the creator of Situational Leadership® and the founder of the Center for Leadership Studies. In this post, Dr. Hersey takes an in-depth look into what he likes to call “A Healthy Personality.”

All people behave from these three ego states at different times. A healthy person has a personality that maintains a balance among all three; particularly, according to Abe Wagner. Nurturing Parent, Adult, and Happy Child. This means that these people are able, at times, to let the Adult ego state take over and think very rationally and engage in problem solving. At other times, these people are able to free the Child ego state and let their hair down, have fun, and be spontaneous and emotional. At still other times, healthy people are able to defer to the Parent ego state and learn from experience; they do not have to reinvent the wheel every time. They develop values that aid in the speed and effectiveness of decision making.

While a balance among all three ego states seems to be most healthy, some people seem dominated at times by one or two ego states. This is especially a problem when the Adult ego state is not in the “executive position” and a person’s personality is being dominated by the Critical Parent or the Destructive Child. When this occurs in people, it poses problems for their managers in the world of work.

More specifically, Child-dominated people who are mainly coming from Destructive Child do not engage in much rational problem solving. They learned in their early years that they could get things by screaming, hollering, and being emotional. It’s very difficult to reason with them in many situations. Instead of solving their own problems, these people want their managers or some other person to tell them what to do, where to do it, and how to do it – or what’s right, what’s wrong, what’s good, and what’s bad.

Parent dominated people, who are mainly coming from Critical Parent, also do not engage in much rational problem solving because they already know what’s right and what’s wrong. They seem to have an answer for everything. These people we would characterize with the comment, “Look! Don’t confuse me with the facts. I’ve already made up my mind.” It really doesn’t matter how much real information anyone brings to these people – they’ve already decided “it’s bad,” “you should,” or “you shouldn’t.”

Even Adult dominated people can be troublesome, because they can be very boring people with whom to work. They are often “workaholics.” They don’t seem to act like other people. They are never able to let down their hair and have fun. Thus, a balance between the three ego states makes for a healthy person.

Learn more about Doctor Paul Hersey, Situational Leadership® and the Center for Leadership Studies by contacting our Escondido, California offices at 1-866-759-5811. CLS conducts monthly Situational Leadership® workshops and has a session coming up this month. When in town, Doctor Hersey attends each workshop and always devotes a full hour or more to the students for a question and answer session covering Situational Leadership® and he makes every effort to answer any question, as long as it is about Human Behavior. The best part of the Q & A session is you get Doctor Paul’s responses with what he likes to call “The Bars Off.” When you attend a Situational Leadership® course at CLS you will enjoy the special treat of a module called “12 O’clock High.” After viewing the movie and going through the thought provoking leadership style and readiness assessment module, you will fully appreciate Dr. Paul’s favorite tee it up line!

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Transactional Analysis Ego States – "Parent State"

robert.archambeault@situational.com — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 15:00:00 Z

The Situational Leader

Doctor Paul "Doc" Hersey

Doctor Paul Hersey has spent a lifetime studying human behavior. Compiling years of experience and knowledge, Professor Hersey created the Situational Leadership® Model and founded the Center for Leadership Studies.

The Parent ego state is a result of the “messages” (conditioning) people receive from their parents, older sisters and brothers, school teachers, Sunday school teachers, and other authority figures during their early childhood. These messages can be thought of as recorded on “little cassette tapes” in people’s heads. They’re in place, stored up, and ready to go. All like dialing a number on the telephone. Push another button and you get a different message. After the message is given, the tape is rewound and ready to go again. For instance, if a father’s son was eating his dinner and was playing with his food, a common Parent tape such as the following might be played: “Stop playing with your food. Garth, and clean up your plate. People are starving all over the world, so you’re going to eat everything.” Now where did the father learn to say that? He probably learned it from his mother and father, who learned it from their parents. And now he’s playing it on his kids. This is a Parent tape. Many of us were taught when we were young that it’s good to clean our plate and bad to leave food on our plate. In fact, many of us probably still feel guilty today if we leave food on our plate.

Personality Subsystems – Eric Berne Transactional Analysis

> Parent Personality <

> Adult Personality <

> Child Personality <

Thus, a person is operating from Parent ego state when “old tapes” from childhood are mentally played back. These recordings say such things as “it’s right!” “it’s wrong!” “it’s bad!” “it’s good!” “you should!” “you shouldn’t!” Thus, our Parent ego state is the evaluation part of us that evokes value-laden behavior. But remember, this value-laden behavior is not necessarily “real value” – it’s “learned value.” In our example with Garth not cleaning his plate, it might have been more appropriate had his father said, “Don’t feel you have to eat everything on your plate if you are really not hungry” – particularly if Garth were a little overweight. Thus, cleaning up one’s plate is a “learned value” because, in a real sense, whether or not Garth eats all the food on his plate won’t impact starving children around the world; it will only impact the size of the garbage.

Dr. Paul Hersey was fascinated by the Eric Berne theories and devoted a large part of his life to studying human behavior and teaching human behavior management. His career is filled with incredible highlights. Easily one of his top achievements was the creation of the Situational Leadership® Model. Since inception, the model has been used to train more than 14 million managers and leaders. The vast majority of the world’s fortune 1000 firms are actively using and training their leadership teams with the Situational Leadership® program.

If you and/or your firm are interested in learning more about Situational Leadership®, we strongly encourage you to call our Escondido, California office at 1-866-759-5811. We also invite you to visit our web site (www.SituationalLeadership.Com) to learn more. Our CLS training group conducts monthly Situational Leadership® workshops that allow our prospective clients to learn more about the program first hand. These sessions are also used as “Train the Trainers” workshops for companies who have already purchased the program and are educating their trainers so they can in turn roll out the training program within their organizations. Participants from outside of California generally choose to fly into the beautiful San Diego International Airport. The drive to Escondido is a short 30 – 45 minute trip from the airport. Taking time to gain a complete understanding of Situational Leadership® by jumping into a training workshop is an incredibly valuable opportunity. Classes fill up pretty quickly so again, we encourage you to call 1-866-759-5811 now to secure your seat.

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Self-Actualization Needs

robert.archambeault@situational.com — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 15:00:00 Z

Dr. Paul "Doc" Hersey

Self-Actualization Needs - Situational Leadership®

Of all the needs discussed by Maslow, the one that social and behavioral scientists know least about is self-actualization. Perhaps this is because people satisfy this need in different ways. Thus, self-actualization is a difficult need to pin down and identify.

Although little research has been done on the concept of self-actualization, extensive research has been done on two motives that we feel are related to it - competence and achievement.

Competence. According to Robert W. White, one of the mainsprings of action in a human being is a desire for competence. Competence implies control over environmental factors - both physical and social. People with this motive do not wish to wait passively for things to happen; they want to be able to manipulate their environment and make things happen.

The competence motive can be identified in young children as they move from the early stage of wanting to touch and handle everything in reach to the later stage of wanting not only to touch but to take things apart and put them back together again. Children begin to learn their way around their world. They become aware of what they can do and cannot do. This is not in terms of what they are allowed to do but in terms of what they able to do. During these early years, children develop a feeling of competence.

Learn more about Management of Organizational Behavior and Situational Leadership® by contacting my Escondido, California office at 1-800-330-2840 or visit my web site at (www.situational.com). We have another Situational Leadership® training course coming up in February. Call my office and we will reserve a spot for You. Hope to hear from you soon?

Warmest Regards,

Dr. Paul Hersey

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Esteem Needs

robert.archambeault@situational.com — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 15:00:00 Z

Dr. Paul "Doc" Hersey

Esteem Needs - Situational Leadership®

The need for esteem or recognition appears in a number of forms. This blog post will discuss two motives related to esteem - prestige and power.

Prestige. The prestige motive is becoming more evident in our society today, especially as we move toward a middle-class society. People with a concern for prestige want to "keep up with the Joneses"; in fact, given the choice, they would like to stay ahead of the Joneses. Vance Packard and David Riesman probably had the greatest impact in exposing prestige motivation. Packard wrote about the status seekers and their motives, while Riesman unveiled "other-directed" individuals who were part of "the lonely crowd."

What exactly is prestige? Gellerman describes it as "a sort of unwritten definition of the kinds of conduct that other people are expected to show in one's presence; what degree of respect or disrespect, formality or informality, reserve or frankness." Prestige seems to have an effect on how comfortably or conveniently one can expect to get along in life.

Prestige is something intangible bestowed upon an individual by society. In fact, at birth children inherit the status of their parents. In some cases, this is enough to carry them through life on "a prestige-covered wave." For example, a Rockefeller or a Ford inherits instant prestige with that family background.

Learn more about Management of Organizational Behavior and Situational Leadership® by contacting my Escondido, California office at 1-800-330-2840 or visit my web site at (www.situational.com). We have another Situational Leadership® training course coming up in February. Call my office and we will reserve a spot for You? Hope to hear from you soon?

Warmest Regards,

Dr. Paul Hersey

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Peter Drucker on Safety Needs

robert.archambeault@situational.com — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 15:00:00 Z

Dr. Paul "Doc" Hersey

Peter Drucker on Safety Needs - Management of Organizational Behavior

Peter F. Drucker suggests that one's attitude toward security is important to consider in choosing a job. He raises some interesting questions: Do you belong in a job calling primarily for faithfulness in the performance of routine work and promising security? Do you find real satisfaction in the precision, order, and system of a clearly laid-out job? Do you prefer the security not only of knowing what your work is today and what it is going to be tomorrow but also security in your job, in your relationship to the people above, below and next to you? Or do you belong in a job that offers a challenge to imagination and ingenuity - with the attendant penalty for failure? Are you one of those people who tend to grow impatient with anything that looks like a "routine" job? The answers to these questions are not always easy even though we all understand ourselves to some degree. But the answers are involved with how important the security motive is for that particular individual.

Learn more about Management of Organizational Behavior and Situational Leadership® by contacting my Escondido, California office at 1-800-330-2840 or visit my web site at (www.situational.com). We have another Situational Leadership® training course coming up in January. Call my office and we will reserve a spot for You? Hope to hear from you soon?

Warmest Regards,

Dr. Paul Hersey

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Safety Needs

robert.archambeault@situational.com — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 15:00:00 Z

Dr. Paul "Doc" Hersey

Safety Needs - Situational Leadership®

We mentioned that motives are not always apparent to the individual. Although some motives appear above the surface, many are largely subconscious and are not obvious or easy to identify. According to Saul W. Gellerman, security needs appear in both forms.

The conscious security needs are quite evident and very common among most people. We all have a desire to remain free from the hazards of life - accidents, wars, diseases, and economic instability. Therefore, individuals and organizations are interested in providing some assurance that these catastrophes will be avoided if possible. Gellerman suggests that many organizations tend to overemphasize the security motive by providing elaborate programs of fringe benefits, such as health, accident, and life insurance and retirement plans. Such emphasis on security may make people more docile and predictable, but it does not mean they will be more productive. In fact, if creativity or initiative is necessary in their jobs, an overemphasis on security can thwart desired behavior.

Warmest Regards,

Dr. Paul Hersey

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Motivational Research

robert.archambeault@situational.com — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 15:00:00 Z

Dr. Paul Hersey

Motivational Research - Situational Leadership®

Having discussed Maslow's hierarchy of needs, we can now examine what researchers say about some of our motives and the incentives that tend to satisfy them.

Most Important Self Actualization

Esteem

Social

Safety

Least Important Physiological

Need mix when social needs are high strength and self-actualization and physiological needs are less important

Most Important Self Actualization

Esteem

Social

Safety

Least Important Physiological

Need mix when esteem and self-actualization are high strength

Physiological Needs

The satisfaction of physiological needs (shelter, food, clothing) is usually associated in our society with money. It is obvious that most people are not interested in dollars as such, but only as a means to be used to satisfy other motives. Thus, it is what money can buy, not money itself, that satisfies one's physiological needs. To suggest that money as a tool is useful only to satisfy physiological needs would be shortsighted because money can play a role in the satisfaction of needs at every level. Extensive studies of the impact of money have found that money is so complicated an incentive that it is entangled with all kinds of needs besides physiological ones, and its importance is difficult to ascertain. Consequently, we will discuss the money motive later in another blog post. It is clear, however, that the ability of a given amount of money to satisfy seems to diminish as one moves from physiological and safety needs to others needs on the hierarchy. In many cases, money can buy the satisfaction of physiological and safety needs and even social needs if, for example, it provides entry into a desired recognition, and eventually self-actualization, money becomes a less appropriate tool to satisfy these needs and, therefore, less effective. The more individuals become involved with esteem and self-actualization needs, the more they will have to earn their satisfaction directly, and thus the less important money will be in their attainment.

Warmest Regards,

Dr. Paul Hersey

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Categories of Activities - Dr. Paul “Doc” Hersey

robert.archambeault@situational.com — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 15:00:00 Z

Dr. Paul Hersey

CATEGORIES OF ACTIVITIES

Activities resulting from high strength needs can generally be classified into two categories-goals directed activity and goal activity. These concepts are important to practitioners because of their differing influence on need strength, which can be useful in understanding human behavior.

Goal-directed activity, in essence, is motivated behavior directed at reaching a goal. If one’s strongest need at a given moment is hunger, various activities such as looking for a place to eat, buying food, or preparing food would be considered goal-directed activities. On the other hand, goal activity is engaging in the goal itself. In the case of hunger, food is the goal and eating, therefore, is the goal activity.

An important distinction between these two classes of activities is their effect on the strength of the need. In goal-directed activity, the strength of the need tends to increase as one engages in the activity until goal behavior is reached or frustration sets in. Frustration develops when one is continually blocked from reaching a goal. If the frustration becomes intense enough, the strength of the need for that goal may decrease until it is no longer potent enough to affect behavior-a person gives up.

The strength of the need tends to increase as one engages in goal-directed activity; however, once goal activity begins, the strength of the need tends to decrease as one engages in it. For example, as one eats more and more, the strength of the need for food declines for that particular time. At the point when another need becomes more potent than the present need, behavior changes.

Learn more about Situational Leadership® and the Situational Leadership® Model by contacting The Center for Leadership Studies at 1-800-330-2840. We hope that you will also take time to visit our blog at (www.situational.com/blog).

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Relationship Behavior - Doctor Paul Hersey

robert.archambeault@situational.com — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 15:00:00 Z

Relationship Behavior

Relationship behavior is defined as:

The extent to which the leader engages in two-way or multi-way communication if there is more than one person. The behaviors include listening encouraging, facilitating, providing clarification and giving socioemotional support.

Consider the organization that hires proven performers from one of their competitors. When these new employees report to work, it is important to encourage them to become a part of the team. In short, newcomers need to receive support from the boss. This is an example of high relationship behavior. The listening, encouraging and facilitating a leader engages in characterize the two-way communication which is distinctive of relationship behavior.

Learn more about Situational Leadership® and Doctor Paul Hersey by contacting our Escondido, California at 1-866-258-5511. Please take a few minutes to enjoy the rest of our web site.

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Situational Leadership® Task Behavior - Dr. Paul Hersey

robert.archambeault@situational.com — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 15:00:00 Z

Task Behavior

Task Behavior is defined as:

The extent to which the leader engages in spelling out the duties and responsibilities of an individual or group. The behaviors include telling people what to do, how to do it, when to do it, where to do it and who's to do it.

An example of high amounts of task behavior might be the last time you went for a blood test. The lab technician was probably very directive about it. Ignoring your squirming, you were told to roll up your sleeve and extend your arm. You were shown how to squeeze your hand during the sampling and when to do it. After the test was completed, you received specific instructions about holding the cotton swab over the area. You might have passed out in the process, but the technician was going to get the job done!

Notice that being directive doesn't mean being nasty or short-tempered. The technician might have been very friendly toward you, but the actions and statements were aimed at completing the task. Task behavior is characterized by one-way communication from the leader to the follower. The technician was not interested in how you thought the blood test should be performed.

Learn more about Situational Leadership® and Doctor Paul Hersey by contacting our Escondido, California at 1-866-258-5511. Please take a few minutes to enjoy the rest of our web site.

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Dr. Paul Hersey - Situational Leadership® Hierarchy of Needs "Self Actualization"

robert.archambeault@situational.com — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 15:00:00 Z

Hierarchy of Needs - Self Actualization

Once esteem needs begin to be adequately satisfied, the self actualization needs become more prepotent. Self actualization is the need to maximize one's potential, whatever it may be. A musician must play music, a poet must write, a general must win battles, a professor must teach. As Maslow expressed it, "What a man can be, he must be." Thus, self actualization is the desire to become what one is capable of becoming. Individuals satisfy this need in different ways. In one person it may be expressed in managing an organization; in another it may be expressed athletically; in still another by playing the piano.

In combat, a soldier may rush a machine gun nest in an attempt to destroy it, knowing full well that chances for survival are low. This courageous act is not done for affiliation or recognition but rather for what the solder thinks is important. In this case, you may consider the soldier to have self-actualized - to be maximizing the potential of what is important at this time.

The way self actualization is expressed can change over the life cycle. For example, a self actualized athlete may eventually look for other areas in which to maximize potential as physical attributes change over time or as horizons broaden. In addition, the hierarchy does not necessarily follow the pattern described by Maslow. It was not his intent to say that this hierarchy applies universally. Maslow felt this was a typical pattern that operates most of the time.

Learn more about Situational Leadership® by contacting our Escondido, California offices at 1-800-330-2840. We hope you will also take time to enjoy the rest of our web site (www.situational.com).

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Dr. Paul Hersey - Situational Leadership® - Goals

robert.archambeault@situational.com — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 18:00:00 Z

Situational Leadership® - Goals

Goals are outside an individual; they are sometimes referred to as "hoped for" rewards toward which motives are directed. These goals are often called incentives by psychologists. However, we prefer not to use this term since many people in our society tend to equate incentives with tangible financial rewards, such as increased pay, and yet most of us would agree that there are many intangible rewards, such as praise or power, which are just as important in evoking behavior. Managers who are successful in motivating employees are often providing an environment in which appropriate goals (incentives) are available for need satisfaction.

Motive Strength

We have said that motives, or needs, are the reasons underlying behavior. All individuals have many hundreds of needs. All of these needs compete for their behavior. What, then, determines which of these motives a person will particular moment leads to activity. Satisfied needs decrease in strength and normally do not motivate individuals to seek goals to satisfy them.

The Situational Leadership® Model is an incredibly powerful training tool. More than 700 of the world's fortune 1000 firms have utilized the training program. To learn more about Situational Leadership® and the training workshops offered through our Escondido, California training facility please contact us at 1-800-330-2840. We hope you will also take time to visit the rest of our web site (www.situational.com).

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Dr. Paul Hersey, Situational Leadership® - Motives

robert.archambeault@situational.com — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 15:00:00 Z

Situational Leadership®-Motives

People differ not only in their ability to do but also in their will to do, or motivation. The motivation of people depends on the strength of their motives. Motives are sometimes defined as needs, wants, drives, or impulses within the individual. Motives are directed toward goals, which may be conscious or subconscious.

Motives are the "whys" of behavior. They arouse and maintain activity and determine the general direction of the behavior of an individual. In essence, motives or needs are the mainsprings of action. In our discussions we shall use these two terms - motives and needs - interchangeably. In this context, the term need should not be associated with urgency or any pressing desire for something. It simply means something within an individual that prompts that person to action.

The Situational Leadership® Model is an incredibly powerful training tool. The system is utilized in more than 700 of the world's fortune 1000 companies. For more information about Situational Leadership® and the training workshops offered through our Escondido, California training center please contact us at 1-800-330-2840. We invite you to also take time to enjoy the rest of our web site (www.situational.com).

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Dr. Paul Hersey - Performance Behavior

robert.archambeault@situational.com — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 15:00:00 Z

Performance Behavior

Behavior is basically goal oriented. In other words, our behavior is generally motivated by a desire to attain some goal. The specific goal is not always consciously known by the individual. All of us may wonder at times, "Why did I do that?" The reason for out action is not always apparent to the conscious mind. The drives that motivate distinctive individual behavioral conscious mind. The drives that motivate distinctive individual behavioral patterns ("personality") are to a considerable degree subconscious and, therefore, not easily accessible to examination and evaluation.

Sigmund Freund was one of the first to recognize the importance of subconscious motivation. He believed that people are not always aware of everything they want; hence, much of their behavior is affected by subconscious motives or needs. In fact, Freud's research convinced him that an analogy could be drawn between the motivation of most people and the structure of an iceberg. A significant segment of human motivation appears below the surface, where it is not always evident to the individual. Therefore, many times only a small portion of one's motivation is clearly visible or conscious to oneself. This may be due to an individual's lack of effort to gain self insight. Yet, even with professional help for example, psychotherapy understanding oneself may be a difficult process, yielding varying degrees of success.

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Doctor Paul Hersey - Readiness Cue Library

robert.archambeault@situational.com — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 15:00:00 Z

Readiness Cue Library

To enhance your understanding of readiness it is necessary to build a library of cues for each of the four levels. In the following pages we have provided a collection of general cues meant only as a starting point. The best cues for you will come from thinking about your own followers and how they act during certain situations.

It is imperative that you take the time to personalize each performance readiness level. At the core of Performance Readiness Level R1 is the issue of performance. The follower cannot or will not demonstrate ability. Setting aside those rare moments of frustration and impatience, leaders do a relatively good job of recognizing the "cannot" situations as beyond the follower's control. In these settings the follower gives strong signals of apprehension or fear.

The "will not" episodes seem to be more difficult, perhaps because we feel (and sometimes we are) challenged. Sometimes others will demonstrate their defiance through "don't want to" statements indicating a lack of desire to do what we want when we want it done. Some articulate this in a way that is acceptable; others resort to temper tantrums and aggression. This is when addressing the defiance becomes more important than the task.

For the purpose of brevity, R1 works fine. For the purpose of understanding and collecting cues we need to break R1 into two distinct combinations of Unable and Insecure of Unable and Unwilling.

Learn more at: The Center For Leadership Studies. Please enjoy the rest of our web site: (www.situational.com)

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Situational Leadership® – The Core, Twelve O’clock High and Trainer Certification

robert.archambeault@situational.com — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 00:26:05 Z

Doctor Paul Hersey and his CLS training team are preparing to conduct the next Situational Leadership® training workshop. The leadership workshop is being conducted at the CLS Escondido, California training facility between December 7 - 11. There are still a few seats available so if you are interested in participating, please call our offices immediately at 1-800-330-2840.

Don't miss this opportunity as Doctor Paul Hersey will be leading several of the sessions during the week. Professor Hersey is a wonderful communicator and keeps the sessions very informative and enjoyable as he details the key elements of the Situational Leadership® Model and relates the material back to his real life stories. We promise you will enjoy the session and really grow in your ability to lead your team to success.

Dr. Paul Hersey - A Hammer Won't Always Do The Job

robert.archambeault@situational.com — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 23:51:20 Z

The Situational Leader

For every job there is an appropriate tool. Hammers are great for pounding nails. You could also use a hammer to cut a two by four in half but it would leave a lot of rough edges. For that particular activity there is probably a better tool. To build effectively you need a variety of tools and the knowledge of what they are designed to accomplish.

The same is true for leadership and management. It is unrealistic to think that a single tool is all that's needed to manage effectively. A trap many people fall into is the reliance on the latest fad to solve all their management problems. There seems to develop an unrealistic assumption of what this will do for them. Many useful management tools have been developed over the years, but the leader should know what to expect from them, and just as importantly, what not to expect.

You need to understand and be able to use different tools when leading and managing people. The concepts of Situational Leadership® are intended to add to your "tool box" and increase your effectiveness as a leader. We're not saying this is the only tool you'll need, but it's a foundational piece every leadership "handyman" or "power tool Goddess" should have at their disposal.

To learn more, please take time to tour the rest of the web site (www.situational.com) or obtain a copy of "The Situational Leader" or the "Management of Organizational Behavior."

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Dr. Paul Hersey - Skills Of A Manager

robert.archambeault@situational.com — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 00:54:07 Z

Dr. Paul Hersey

SKILLS OF A MANAGER

It is generally agreed that there are at least three areas of skill necessary for carrying out the process of management: technical, human, and conceptual.

* Technical Skill - Ability to use knowledge, methods, techniques, and equipment necessary for the performance of specific tasks acquired from experience, education, and training.

* Human Skill - Ability and judgement in working with and through people, including an understanding of motivation and an application of effective leadership.

* Conceptual Skill - Ability to understand the complexities of the overall organiztion and where one's own operation fits into the organization. This knowledge permits one to act according to the objectives of the total organization rather than only on the basis of the goals and needs of the one's own immediate group.

To learn more about The Situational Leadership® Model please take time to look around our web site, or give us a call at 1-800-330-2840 and request immediate assistance.

Make Today A Great Day!

Dr. Paul "Doc" Hersey

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Three Competencies Of Leadership

robert.archambeault@situational.com — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:47:09 Z

Doctor Paul "Doc" Hersey

Three Competencies Of Leadership

In leading or influencing, there are three general skills or competencies: (a) diagnosing - being able to understand the situation you are trying to influence, (b) adapting - being able to accept your behavior and the other resources you have available to meet the contingencies of the situation, and (c) communicating - being able to communicate in a way that people can easily understand and accept. Here is a brief summary of each.

* Diagnosing is a cognitive - or cerebral - competency. It is understanding what the situation is now and knowing what you can reasonably expect it to be in the future. The discrepancy between the two is the problem to be solved. This is what the other competencies are aimed at changing.

* Adapting is a behavioral competency. It involves adapting your behaviors and other resources in a way that helps to close the gap between the current situation and what you want to achieve.

* Communicating is a process competency. Even if you are able to understand the situation, even if you are able to adopt behavior and resources to meet the situation, you need to communicate effectively. If you can't communicate in a way that people can understand and accept, the whole process will not have the impact you would like it to have.

Make Today A Great Day!

Dr. Paul "Doc" Hersey

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Dr. Paul Hersey's - The Situational Leader

robert.archambeault@situational.com — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 18:39:13 Z

Dr. Paul Hersey's book, is the story of a Situational Leader. It's a story of a manager who is under the gun to achieve results, develop team members and contribute to organizational success. This book is intended to help you maximize your potential as a leader and as a manager because sometimes things just don't turn out the way they're supposed to - especially when other people are involved.

It's a common problem. Normally, little can be accomplished without the cooperation of others. At home, in social settings or on the job, you're often in situations where the behavior of other people determines your success.

Popular literature would have you believe that successful managers can do miracles in just one minute, but we live in the real world; it's time to consider the other 59 minutes. A practical model is needed to help identify strategies for meeting the ongoing challenges encountered in leadership situations. Leading and managing is a full-time job that should be practiced every hour of every day.

Often leadership and management tools are not put to use by the practitioners for which they were designed. Somewhere between the "ivory tower" of academia and the "shop floor" most theories lose their impact. It's tragic that so much useful information is discarded. The reason these theories have not been put to use is that the information has seldom been translated into practical models that can be replicated and applied.

It may be appropriate at this time to note the difference between a model and a theory. A theory attempts to explain or interpret why things happen as they do. Theories deal with insight. As such they are not designed to recreate events. A model, on the other hand, is a pattern of already existing events which can be learned and therefore repeated. For example, in trying to imagine why Henry Ford was motivated to mass produce automobiles you would be dealing with theory. However, if you recorded the procedures and sequences necessary for mass production of automobiles, this would be a model.

To learn more about Dr. Hersey's book, the Situational Leadership® Model, or the activities of The Center For Leadership Studies, please take a minute to tour our web site (www.situational.com).

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Where does leadership credibility fit in terms of effective leadership?

robert.archambeault@situational.com — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 21:29:00 Z

As I talk with clients I find leaders who are effective over long periods of time, have one thing in common, they act in ways that cause people to see them as credible. The leaders are believed, and trusted, both in the specifics of what they say, and generally, as people.　

Where do you find credibility fitting into effective leadership?