Business is not a static thing; it’s dynamic. Especially in 2023, it often feels like the landscape can change in the blink of an eye. Ultimately, flexibility is the key to thriving in this ever changing environment, meaning tailoring your management style to the situation is essential to success. Situational management is, in some ways, all types of management rolled into one.
Situational leadership is about adaptability and entails employing different styles for different situations. Great leaders throughout history weathered radical changes and shifts because they made adjustments, which is what business demands.
Read our blog for an overview of situational management.
What is Situational Management in Business?
Situational management occurs when leaders adapt their leadership style to changing situations to bring the best out of their people and achieve greater success.
It requires assessing situations, adjusting, and adapting their style to the circumstances and their employees. Situational management in business follows the philosophy that there is no single best management style for all situations.
Situational leadership, also called contingent leadership, is a balancing act in some ways. Managers must treat their people uniformly while considering their individual needs and making exceptions and adjustments as circumstances change.
“Situational leadership is about meeting your people where they are. While we advise against micro-management, parts of this type of leadership can be necessary. Sometimes delegation requires more involvement on the manager’s part to succeed in certain situations. Leadership is like cooking. You have to know what ingredients and spices to use. A little bit of salt can enhance the flavor, but overdo it, and you will have problems.” – Stacey McKibbin, CEO of Consilio.
Key Considerations for Situational Managing in Business
Situational leadership requires considering and navigating things like your personality and leadership style, your people’s abilities and motivation, and the complexity of the situation. Effective managers adapt their styles to individual capabilities and group situations.
As circumstances and conditions change, leaders must be able to assess them and determine what leadership style is ideal for a given situation. There are two components to consider when determining an employee’s capabilities: their ability and motivation.
Sometimes, managers must direct and oversee behavior to ensure tasks get done. In other situations, the manager can focus on encouraging and motivating behavior without telling employees what to do. Qualities managers must develop to be situational leaders include:
- Flexibility
- Being an active listener
- Having a clear sense of direction
- The ability to encourage participation
- Coaching skills
- The ability to direct and take charge
- Being persuasive
- The ability to delegate
Premier Leadership and Manager Training Programs
Business is ever-evolving. To evolve with it, leaders and companies must be adept at adapting to change. In 2023, flexibility will be what dictates success. Because of this, situational managing in business is more important than ever. At Consilio, we provide the leading leadership training programs and manager coaching that empowers leaders to assess situations, make adjustments, adapt, and achieve greater success.
Are you ready to create success on purpose and stay a few steps ahead of the changing world? Schedule a consultation to start honing your skills as a situational manager. No matter the situation, we will ensure you can flourish.
