I took the Least Preferred Coworker (LPC) test and was rather surprised by the results. I consider myself to be a people person. In the workplace, I have a keen sense of how to solve problems in a manner that benefits both parties. I am one of a few that is able to bridge groups and remain friendly with all parties. I have worked with some extremely difficult individuals to the point of anxiety, depression and fear of the work environment. As I took the test with one difficult co-worker in mind and I tallied my numbers, I was surprised to see a score of 54. I doubted the results and took the test again with a different coworker. My score was a 46. This says that I am task-oriented, concerned with results. How can that be when I use my people skills to successfully navigate obstacles in the workplace?
“A leader’s LPC score is akin to a basic aspect of his or her personality (e.g., assertiveness), and as such, it should be relatively stable and difficult to change over the short run” (Schriesheim & Neider, 2006, p. 452).This makes sense but it fixes aspects of my personality in place and doesn’t allow for change. I like many others, want to think that over time my personality will grow and change, yet I’m sensing a boundary. “[L]ow-LPC leaders are more effective under very favorable and unfavorable conditions” (Schriesheim, Tepper, & Tetrault, 1994, p. 562). I do prefer extreme situations rather than moderately favorable situations, “that is, in situations that are going along very smoothly or situations that are out of of control” (Northouse, 2013, p. 125). I have been in many unfavorable conditions which gave rise to the coworkers that were the subjects of my LPC test.
“Leadership effectiveness is most easily enhanced by changing the situation rather than by trying to alter the leader’s style” (Schriesheim & Neider, 2006, p. 452). Changing the surroundings especially in the workplace is not always feasible. If I truly had the power to change the workplace, I would have done so a long time ago. I am a task-oriented leader who works best in extreme situations. How can I use this information to my advantage? Can this help me in those scenarios that fit between the extremes? I am good at creating and maintaining positive leader-member relations. I can also adjust my coaching depending on whether I am sensing that an individual needs explicit directions or has a good handle on the subject matter. The variable that I cannot control is position power. The good news is I am on a track to increase my position power and I can use my knowledge of contingency theory to ensure my future success.
— O. Lewis
References:
Northouse, P. G. (2013). Leadership: Theory and Practice (6th ed.). Los Angeles, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc.
Schriesheim, C. A., Tepper, B. J., and Tetrault, L. A. (1994). Least preferred co-worker score, situational control, and leadership effectiveness: A meta-analysis of contingency model performance predictions. Journal of Applied Psychology, 79, 561–573.
Image 1 retrieved from: http://blog.inclusivastrategies.com/2012/10/transcending-small-business-obstacles.html February 23, 2014.
Image 2 retrieved from: http://blog.fitmarkbags.com/2013/11/21/looking-beyond-the-surface/ February 23, 2014.