The Blake Mouton Managerial Grid

The Blake Mouton Managerial Grid Balancing TaskTask- and People-Oriented Leadership

A popular framework for thinking about a leader’s ‘task versus person’ orientation was developed by Robert Blake and Jane Mouton in the early 19!s" #alled the Managerial $rid% or &eadership $rid% it  plots the degree of task'(enteredness versus person'(enteredness and identifies five (ombinations as distin(t leadership styles"

)nderstanding the Model *he Managerial $rid is based on two behavioral dimensions+ •

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Concern for People  , *his is the degree to whi(h a leader (onsiders the needs of team members% their interests% and areas of personal development when de(iding how best to a((omplish a task" Concern for Results , *his is the degree to whi(h a leader emphasi-es (on(rete ob.e(tives% organi-ational organi-ational effi(ien(y and high produ(tivity when de(iding how best to a((omplish a task" )sing the a/is to plot leadership ‘(on(erns for results’ versus ‘(on(erns for people’% Blake and Mouton defined the following five leadership styles+ Figure 1 – The Blake Mouton Managerial Grid

0mpoverished Management , &ow Results&ow 2eople *his leader is mostly ineffe(tive" 3eshe has neither a high regard for (reating systems for getting the .ob done% nor for (reating a work environment that is satisfying and motivating" *he result is disorgani-ation% dissatisfa(tion and disharmony"

#ountry #lub Management , 3igh 2eople&ow Results *his style of leader is most (on(erned about the needs and feelings of members of hisher team" *hese  people operate under the assumption that as long as team members are happy and se(ure then they the y will work hard" 4hat tends to result is a work environment that is very rela/ed and fun but where produ(tion suffers due to la(k of dire(tion and (ontrol"

Authority'#omplian(e Management , 3igh Results&ow 2eople Also Also known known as Autho Authorit ritari arian an or 52rodu 52rodu(e (e or 2erish 2erish55 &eader &eaders% s% peopl peoplee in this this (atego (ategory ry believ believee that that employees are simply a means to an end" 6mployee needs are always se(ondary to the need for effi(ient and produ(tive workpla(es" *his type of leader is very auto(rati(% has stri(t work rules% poli(ies% and

 pro(edures% and views punishment as the most effe(tive means to motivate employees" 78ee also our  arti(le on Theory X/Theory  "

Middle'of'the'Road Management , Medium ResultsMedium 2eople *his style seems to be a balan(e of the two (ompeting (on(erns% and it may at first appear to be an ideal (ompromise" *herein lies the problem% though+ 4hen you (ompromise% you ne(essarily give away a bit of  ea(h (on(ern% so that neither produ(tion nor people needs are fully met" &eaders who use this style settle for average performan(e and often believe that this is the most anyone (an e/pe(t"

*eam *eam &eadership , 3igh 2rodu(tion3igh 2eople A((ording to the Blake Mouton model% this is the best managerial style" *hese leaders stress produ(tion needs and the needs of the people e:ually highly" highly" *he premise here is that employees understand the organi-ation;s organi-ation;s purpose and are involved in determining  produ(tion needs" 4hen 4hen employees are (ommitted to% and have a stake in the organi-ation’s organi-ation’s su((ess% their  needs and produ(tion needs (oin(ide" *his (reates a team environment based on trust and respe(t% whi(h leads to high satisfa(tion and motivation and% as a result% high results" 78ee also our arti(le on Theory  "

Applying the Blake Mouton Managerial $rid Being aware of the various approa(hes is the first step in understanding and improving how well you  perform as a manager" 0t is important to understand how you (urrently operate% so that you (an then identify ways of be(oming effe(tive in both areas"

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*hink of some re(ent situations where you were the leader"

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=or ea(h of these situations% pla(e yourself on the grid a((ording to where you believe you fit"

8tep *wo+ *wo+ 0dentify areas of improvement and develop your leadership skills • •

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&ook at your (urrent leadership approa(h% and think about whether it suits the (onte/t" &ook at ways that you (ould (ould improve" improve" Are you settling settling for ‘middle ‘middle of the road’ be(ause be(ause it is easier than rea(hing for more> 0dentify ways to get the skills you need to rea(h the *eam &eadership position" *hese may in(lude involving others in pro!le" sol#ing or improving how you co""unicate with them% if you feel you are too task'oriented"
8tep *hree+ 2ut the $rid in #onte/t 0t is important to re(ogni-e that the *eam Management style isn’t always the most effe(tive approa(h in every situation" 4hile the benefits of demo(rati( and parti(ipative leadership are widely a((epted% there are times that (all for more attention in one area than another" 0f your (ompany is in the midst of a merger or some other signifi(ant (hange% it (an be a((eptable to pla(e a higher emphasis on people than on produ(tion" &ikewise% when fa(ed with an e(onomi( hardship or   physi(al risk% people (on(erns may be pla(ed on the ba(k burner% for the short'term at least% to a(hieve good results and effi(ien(y" %ote %ote&& *heori *heories es of leader leadershi ship p have have moved moved on a (ertai (ertain n amount amount sin(e the Blake Blake Mouton Mouton $rid was originally proposed" 0n parti(ular% the (onte/t in whi(h leadership o((urs is now seen as an important driver of the leadership style used"

And in many situations% the 5*eam Manager5 as an ideal has moved to the ideal of the 5*ransformational &eader5+ 8omeone who% a((ording to leadership resear(her Bernard Bass+

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0s a model of integrity and fairness"

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8ets (lear goals"

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3as high e/pe(tations"

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6n(ourages"

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2rovides support and re(ognition"

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8tirs people;s emotions"

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$ets people to look beyond their self'interest"

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0nspires people to rea(h for the improbable" 8o use Blake Mouton as a helpful model% but don;t treat it as an 5eternal truth"5

?ey 2oints *he Blake Mouton Managerial $rid is a pra(ti(al and useful framework that helps you think about your  leadership style" By plotting ‘(on(ern for results’ against ‘(on(ern for people’% the grid highlights how  pla(ing too mu(h emphasis emphasis in one area at the e/pense e/pense of the other leads to low low overall produ(tivity" produ(tivity" *he model proposes that when both people and results (on(erns are high% employee engagement and  produ(tivity in(reases a((ordingly" a((ordingly" *his is often true% and it follows the ideas of *heories @ and % and other parti(ipative management theories" 4hile the grid does not entirely address the (omple/ity of 4hi(h leadership style is best>C% it (ertainly  provides an e/(ellent starting point point for thinking about your own performan(e and improving your general leadership skills"