Category Archives: Job Interviews

Adding Maturity Modeling To Your Visual Communications Toolkit

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Maturity Models Introduction

Maturity models are powerful visual tools that should be part of every smart professional’s toolkit. Maturity models are the most used tool in my own practice. I find that maturity models:

  • provide a complete survey of the entire range of levels of a particular area, all on one page
  • form the basis for assessing where an organization or project is on a continuum
  • help organizations or project teams envision what their ultimate goal or level looks like, and what their most productive next step is that aligns with their plans to progress to that level

You’d be surprised at how prevalent maturity models are in our professional lives, although they may not go by that name. For example, a job ladder is a powerful maturity modeling tool for employees and managers alike but is seldom, if ever, viewed as such. Once you learn the key characteristics and benefits of using maturity models you’ll be able to:

  • more readily recognize a maturity model when you see one
  • better utilize the models using principles we’ll be discussing
  • construct models of your own and increase your effectiveness many times over as a result!

Stay tuned as this discussion continues in the post series designed to help you increase your effectiveness by adding maturity modeling to your toolkit.

Related Posts:

Maturity Modeling 101: What All Maturity Models Have In Common

3 Steps To Creating Your Own Maturity Model – Part 1

3 Steps To Creating Your Own Maturity Model – Part 2

3 Steps To Creating Your Own Maturity Model – Part 3

Using the Situational Leadership ™ Model in Job Interviews

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I mentioned in my last post that a management job interview will likely include a question about how you might handle a given employee situation. An effective way to respond to this question is to draw a picture while providing an explanation.

PUTTING THE SITUATIONAL LEADERSHIP ™ MODEL TO WORK

The Situational Leadership ™ Model by Dr. Hersey teaches us that the correct way to respond to any employee situation depends on the employee’s level of competency in their task areas combined with their commitment to these tasks. These two factors determine the management style to take in any given situation. This is the what I like to append to my “it depends” answer.

I like to begin my response using the explanation above while drawing an X-Y graph on my notebook paper. I label the X axis commitment and the Y axis competency. I also like to label the corner of the graph ‘low’ and both ends of each axis ‘high.’  (see image below)

I complete the graph by creating a 2 x 2 matrix since there are four possible combinations of competency and commitment in this model:

  1. Low competency/low commitment
  2. Low competency/high commitment
  3. High competency/high commitment
  4. High competency/low commitment

This leads to four possible management style responses depending on the assumed level of competency and commitment. This is where we answer the question of how to respond. Our response depends on the employee’s level of competency and commitment.

I like to name and draw each of the four management styles as I discuss them which results in the completed diagram below:

  1. Low competency/low commitment = Coaching Style
  2. Low competency/high commitment = Supporting
  3. High competency/high commitment = Delegating
  4. High competency/low commitment = Directing

GIVE SPECIFIC WORK EXAMPLES

I might also add that for each type of management style you explain it is important to include a very brief, real-life example from your career. This not only confirms your understanding of the management style but also demonstrates your use of it in a work situation.

In this post I focused on using a picture in a job interview illustrated by Dr. Hersey’s Situational Leadership ™ model. I purposely left out a lot of details of this model in favor of keeping the focus on how a picture helps increase the effectiveness and success of a job interview. If you are not familiar with this model and plan on using it in a job interview I suggest you might benefit from studying it in greater detail by exploring Dr. Hersey’s website.  You’ll find more information about the model as well as certification courses in using it at your place of business.

I also suggest you create your own examples of each style and where you used them in your career so that you are fully prepared to share them in your interview.

Recent posts on this topic:

Succeeding in Management Job Interviews Using Pictures

Job Interviews: Increasing Use of Diagrams and Whiteboards

Standing Out In Job Interviews Using Visual Communications

Job Interview Success: Draw A Picture!

Succeeding in Management Job Interviews Using Pictures

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You can be sure that a management interview will a include a question about how you might handle a hypothetical situation with an employee. Here’s a wonderfully effective way to respond using a simple, well-known framework.

WHAT ALL MANAGEMENT QUESTIONS HAVE IN COMMON: THE EMPLOYEE

No matter what the management question is concerning a situation with an employee, don’t forget that the common denominator is the employee. And as all employees come in different flavors, most answers can begin with “it depends.” A great response will not only discuss what it depends on, but also what it does not depend.

You see most interviewees are trying to figure out your dominant management style and if there is a fit between your style and the team you may be hired to manage. But we all know that an effective manager is skilled in at least four styles and employs them depending on what is needed at the time. Therefore the appropriate answer does not depend on your dominant management style but knowing and using the style most needed considering the employee and the situation at hand.

This approach is clearly the case of not directly answering the question asked, but answering the question that should have been asked and gives you the opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge of the theory and the wisdom of your experience in a way that will make you stand out from the pack.

NEXT UP: USING THE BLANCHARD HERSEY SITUATIONAL LEADERSHIP MODEL

Recent posts on this topic:

Job Interviews: Increasing Use of Diagrams and Whiteboards

Standing Out In Job Interviews Using Visual Communications

Job Interview Success: Draw A Picture!

Using the Situational Leadership Model in Job Interviews