I had worked at Target all throughout high school and during college. While working at this part-time job, I have gone back and forth through all of the development stages multiple times throughout my time there. The development stages are a part of the situational approach to leadership, which states that leaders should match their leadership style to the situation and their followers (Northouse, 2019).
When I first started, I remember not knowing how to do anything, and was very timid due to this. I asked a lot of questions, and was very unsure of myself. I would have been classified as D1, being low in competence but high in commitment (Northouse, 2019). My supervisors and peers all treated me with the directing style (high directive, low supportive) as they explained to me what to do and how to use the different software (Northouse, 2019). I stayed in this stage for a few months as I was learning how to do everything.
After the first holiday season, I had been at Target for a few months and I was finally comfortable working without asking constant questions to my coworkers. However, my initial excitement for the job had died down and I entered into a stage of showing up to work, doing my job, and then going home. I had entered developmental level 2, some competence but low commitment (Northouse, 2019). My supervisors responded with a coaching leadership style (high directive, high supportive), as they still had to tell me what to do for each shift, but they would talk to me a little more and were starting to learn things about my life outside of Target (Northouse, 2019). I remember staying in this phase for at least a year.
At some point in my time at Target I had started becoming a little more ambitious, and was taking it upon myself to start cross-training in different apartments. I would ask questions on how to get items from the back, and how to backstock. I did this so I wasn’t always having to rely on the backroom workers. I was starting to be able to work more independently, and this freedom was increasing my enjoyment. I had entered developmental level 3 with moderate competence and variable commitment (Northouse, 2019). My supervisors responded by changing their leadership style more into a supporting role (high supportive, low directive), they no longer had to go over what I needed to do at each shift because I was able to figure it out myself (Northouse, 2019). When we did interact, it was more for casual conversation, than it was about work, and we would joke around.
I stayed in developmental level 3 for a while, but then I had switched departments to early mornings. With this I had a completely new set of responsibilities and so for a while I went back to developmental level 1 with a directing leadership style. However, due to my previous knowledge, once I learned all my new responsibilities I immediately switched to developmental level 3 with a supporting leadership style.
Eventually, I remember this one summer in particular, I had reached developmental level 4, with high competence and high commitment (Northouse, 2019). My supervisor would use a delegating style towards me (low supportive, low directive), I would go in everyday and do my job, and even acted as a trainer to the new employees and then leave (Northouse, 2019). I knew pretty much all there was to know about target, and my supervisors responded by giving me my own responsibilities and letting me do my job the way I saw fit.
Overall, my time with Target had not been stagnant. I went through all of the developmental levels and receives all of the different leadership styles. I had even gone back down to a lower developmental level at one point. This shows that the developmental levels are on a continuum that is fluid and leaders should be aware of this.
References:
Northouse, P .G. (2019). Leadership: Theory and Practice. Los Angeles: Sage Publications
I really like the way you explain development being on a continuum instead of being stagnant stages as most people might believe. Do you think having supervisors that were able to adapt to their leadership to where you were in your development helped you to learn your job better and/or faster? When I was learning the ropes at my current job, the supervisors I seemed to learn the most from the supervisors who adapted their leadership style to where I was developmentally. Additionally, I feel as if that adaptation helps new people feel more free to explore within the specified limits of the job. I’ve noticed when I allow my trainees to do that, they seem much more confident and willing to learn more about the job.