Blake-Mouton Managerial Grid
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Abstract
Project managers play a critical role of leading a team towards achieving the objectives of a project. The leadership style of a project manager may be a result of combination of multiple factors related to the project or be of a personal preference. Leadership is a productive field of study, with many theories reaching back decades. Thoughts on leadership and the ideal characteristics of a leader have evolved through time, but some of the thoughts have passed the test of time.
The Managerial Grid developed by Robert Blake and Jane Mouton was first published in 1964. It was the outcome of their research for Exxon, where they worked towards improved leader effectiveness. It was developed with influence from the work of Fleishman’s, using attitudinal dimensions rather than behavioural, like Fleishman.
The Managerial Grid is a 9x9 matrix and it quantifies the degree to which the emphasis is on tasks and the emphasis is on the relationship with the subordinates, with Concern for Production as the x-axis of the matrix and Concern for People as the y-axis. Blake and Mouton labelled and characterised the extreme corners as well as the center of the matrix. The Managerial Grid is a widely accepted as an important and critical analysis of the behaviour of a leader. Its simplicity captures vital truths about management styles and implications. The following consists of what is needed to know about the Managerial Grid, the application of it, suggestions for improvements for a leader, as well as the limitations of the Grid.
Leadership in Project Management
Project manager plays a critical role of leading a team to achieve the objectives of a project. He provides the team with leadership, planning and coordination through communication. Leadership skills are the ability to guide, motivate and direct a team [1] (p.56). These skills may include abilities regarding negotiation, resilience, communication, problem solving, decision making, critical thinking and interpersonal skills. A common denominator in all projects is people, and therefore, a big part of the role of a project manager involves dealing with people and different stakeholders of a project. The project manager should strive to be a good leader, as leadership is a crucial part of a successful project [1] (p.60).
Project managers need to possess over both leadership abilities as well as abilities in management, in order to succeed at their job. The key is finding the correct balance for all occurring situations. It is often displayed in the project manager’s leadership style, how the management and leadership is employed. The leadership style of a project manager may be result of a combination of multiple factors related to the project or be more of a personal preference. The style can change and evolve through time, based on the factors in play each time. The major factors are for example characteristics of different elements related to the project, that is characteristics of the leader, of the team members, of the organization and/or of the environment [1] (p.65). Thoughts on leadership and the ideal characteristics of a leader have evolved through time, but many thoughts have passed the test of time, one of them being the Managerial Grid.
Development of the Grid
The Managerial Grid was developed by Robert Blake and Jane Mouton between 1958 and 1960 and it was first published in 1964. Blake and Mouton were management theoreticians, and the model were the outcome of their research for Exxon, where they worked towards improving leader effectiveness. [2] The Grid was developed with influence from Fleishman’s work and according to him, there were two underlying dimensions of leaderships’ behaviour which he called consideration and initiating structure.
Blake and Mouton used attitudinal dimensions rather than the behavioural like Fleishman, their attitudinal dimensions being Concern for Production and Concern for People. The dimensions are claimed to reflect the character of thinking and feeling applied behaviourally to achieve an intended purpose, rather than being a reflection of behaviour. [3]
The Managerial Grid
The Managerial Grid is a 9x9 matrix with Concern for Production, that is getting results, as one dimension of the grid or as the x-axis. The other dimension, or y-axis, being Concern for People, subordinates and colleagues. The phrasing of concern for is not referring a mechanical term that indicates the amount of actual production achieved or actual behaviour towards other people. It is more about indicating the character and strength of assumptions present behind any given style of leadership [4] The dimensions are viewed as interdependent and the interaction of the two dimensions to create a specific leadership approach, is specified by a comma [3]
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