How I was misunderstood by my managers and now I am probably doing the same

1. How I was misunderstood by my managers and now I am probably doing the same Christopher Ward ILM Level 3 Award in Leardership & Management

2. Talk overview • Context: my background • The ‘situational leadership’ model • My experience of ‘being managed’ • Being a ‘leader’ • What am I going to change? • Conclusions

3. History of being lead and leading • University of Liverpool • Mechanical Engineering • Erlson Engineering, Skelmersdale • Production Engineer • University of Liverpool • PhD • Loughborough University • Research associate • Lecturer

4. The situational leadership model (Hersey & Blanchard) HIGH Supporting Low task and high relationship Coaching High task and high relationship Relationship behaviour (supportive) Delegating Low task and low relationship Directing High task and low relationship LOW Task behaviour (directive) HIGH

5. My first ‘proper’ job • Erlson Engineering (Making bits for car engines) • Shop floor • Into the office • Boss 1 (!) • Boss 2 (!) • Conclusion • I left! Supporting Low task and high relationship Coaching High task and high relationship Delegating Low task and low relationship Directing High task and low relationship

6. ‘Escaping’ back to academia • University of Liverpool • Car engines • PhD supervisor (!) • Loughborough University • Trains • Post-doc supervisor (!) Supporting Low task and high relationship Coaching High task and high relationship Delegating Low task and low relationship Directing High task and low relationship

7. Becoming an academic (‘proper person’) • I was now a ‘research leader’ • Responsible for • Post-doc’s • PhD’s • Final year project students • The style I tried to employ • Consulting/empowering (Tannenbaum & Schmidt continum) • Because this had suited me!

8. Where it worked • !, the post-doc • Competent, knowledgeable and committed • Two journal papers • !, the project student • Highly capable and hard working • Top of the year Supporting Low task and high relationship Coaching High task and high relationship Delegating Low task and low relationship Directing High task and low relationship

9. Where it failed spectacularly! • !, the PhD student • Lacking confidence and used to didactic learning • Still unsure of ability • !, the project student • Low capability and poor work ethic • Failed the year Supporting Low task and high relationship Coaching High task and high relationship Delegating Low task and low relationship Directing High task and low relationship

10. What am I going to change? • Treat everyone as an individual • Make no assumptions and adapt style • Create a better dialogue • Regular meetings • Review regularly • Don’t be too downbeat about failures • Some people are just rubbish!

11. Conclusions • I have a lot of experience of being lead • Trying to draw on good and bad practice • Analysis informed by the situational leadership model • Leadership tailored to the individual