Based on the House’s path-goal theory:
Give advice to Lesedi on how to deal with her new employees.
Explain the leadership style Lesedi used for Natalie and Jonas. Motivate your answer from the case study for both individuals.
Based on the House's path-goal theory, Lesedi can use the following advice to deal with her new employees effectively:
1. Set clear expectations: Lesedi should clearly communicate her expectations to her new employees, Natalie and Jonas. By providing specific goals and objectives, Lesedi can ensure that they have a clear understanding of what is expected from them. This will help in establishing a clear path for employees to follow and improve their performance.
2. Provide support and guidance: As a leader, Lesedi should provide support and guidance to her new employees. She should be available to answer questions, provide necessary resources, and offer feedback to help Natalie and Jonas succeed in their roles.
3. Adjust leadership style based on employee needs: Lesedi should adopt different leadership styles based on the individuals' needs. In the case of Natalie, who is self-motivated and experienced, she can use a more delegating leadership style. Lesedi can provide her with autonomy and freedom to make decisions, allowing her to utilize her expertise. On the other hand, Jonas, who is new to the role and lacks confidence, may benefit from a more directive and supportive leadership style. Lesedi can provide clear instructions, offer guidance, and provide reassurance to boost Jonas' confidence and help him grow.
4. Offer rewards and incentives: Lesedi can use rewards and incentives to motivate Natalie and Jonas. By offering recognition, bonuses, or other incentives, Lesedi can encourage them to perform at their best. This will create a positive work environment and foster a sense of achievement among the employees.
In the case study, Lesedi demonstrated different leadership styles for Natalie and Jonas:
- For Natalie: Lesedi used a delegating leadership style. She recognized Natalie's self-motivation and experience and trusted her capabilities. Lesedi empowered Natalie by giving her the freedom to make decisions and handle her workload independently. This leadership style motivated Natalie and allowed her to excel in her role.
- For Jonas: Lesedi used a more directive and supportive leadership style. She noticed Jonas' lack of confidence and provided clear instructions, guidance, and reassurance. This helped Jonas feel supported and enabled him to gain confidence in his abilities. Lesedi's supportive approach helped Jonas overcome his initial challenges and grow in his role.
Both leadership styles were effective in motivating and supporting the employees based on their individual needs, leading to their success and growth within the organization.
According to the House's path-goal theory, which focuses on how leaders motivate their employees to achieve goals, here are some advice and analysis for Lesedi on dealing with her new employees:
1. Assess and understand the needs of each employee: Lesedi should spend time getting to know her new employees, Natalie and Jonas. By understanding their needs, values, and abilities, she can determine the appropriate leadership style to adopt for each individual.
2. Provide clear expectations: Lesedi should clearly communicate the goals and expectations to Natalie and Jonas. By setting clear objectives and providing guidance on how to achieve them, she can help them understand what is expected of them.
3. Offer support and guidance: Lesedi should be available to provide support and guidance as needed. By being a resource for Natalie and Jonas, she can help address any challenges they may face and provide direction when required.
Now, let's analyze the leadership style Lesedi used for Natalie and Jonas based on the case study:
For Natalie:
In the case study, it is mentioned that Natalie is a motivated and ambitious individual. Lesedi recognized Natalie's potential and provided her with opportunities for growth and development, particularly by assigning her to special projects. This indicates that Lesedi may have adopted a supportive leadership style for Natalie. The supportive leadership style involves providing emotional support, encouragement, and guidance to employees to enhance their job satisfaction and motivation.
For Jonas:
Jonas, on the other hand, is described as someone who prefers clear guidance and direction. Lesedi assigned him clear tasks and set expectations for him to follow, which suggests that Lesedi may have used a directive leadership style for Jonas. The directive leadership style involves providing specific instructions and guidance to employees to help them understand their roles and tasks clearly.
By adapting her leadership style to the individual needs of Natalie and Jonas, Lesedi can enhance their motivation, job satisfaction, and overall performance.
To advise Lesedi on how to deal with her new employees based on House's path-goal theory, we need to understand the leadership style she used for Natalie and Jonas. Let's look at the case study and analyze their experiences.
First, House's path-goal theory suggests that leaders should provide clear goals, support their subordinates, remove obstacles, and enhance their satisfaction to increase motivation and performance. Lesedi's leadership style can be evaluated based on these principles.
For Natalie, the case study mentions that she is a motivated employee who appreciates feedback and clear guidelines. Lesedi provided her with a structured training program, regular check-ins, and feedback on her progress. This aligns with a directive leadership style, where the leader provides clear instructions and outlines expectations for the subordinate. By setting up clear goals, Lesedi helped Natalie understand her role and how to contribute to the team's success.
For Jonas, the case study mentions that he is self-driven and prefers autonomy in his work. Lesedi acknowledged Jonas's expertise and encouraged him to take on more responsibility, allowing him to work independently on a project of his choice. This reflects a participative leadership style, where the leader involves subordinates in decision-making and empowers them to contribute their ideas and skills. By giving Jonas the freedom to choose his own project and trusting his judgement, Lesedi enhanced his motivation and job satisfaction.
Now, based on this analysis, here's my advice for Lesedi on dealing with her new employees:
1. For employees like Natalie who appreciate structure and clear guidelines, continue to provide clear expectations, responsibilities, and feedback. Ensure that goals are well-defined, and provide regular check-ins to assess progress and provide guidance.
2. For employees like Jonas who prefer autonomy and self-directed work, continue to recognize their expertise and give them the freedom to explore projects that align with their interests and skills. Encourage them to take on additional responsibilities and involve them in decision-making processes.
3. Be adaptable and flexible in your leadership approach. Understand that different employees may have different preferences and styles, so be willing to customize your leadership style accordingly. Regularly communicate with your employees to understand their needs and adapt your leadership style to maximize their motivation and performance.
Remember, the key to effective leadership is to understand and adapt to the needs of your individual employees while aligning with the overarching goals of the team.