Directing
Directing questions centre on the four elements, Maslow's hierarchy and leadership styles, usually applied to a workplace scenario.
Elements
- Supervision: operational-level oversight linking management and workers.
- Motivation: Maslow's hierarchy of physiological, safety, social, esteem and self-actualisation needs; satisfied needs stop motivating.
- Leadership: autocratic (fast but low morale), democratic (participation but slower), laissez-faire (free rein, needs mature teams).
- Communication: formal and informal; the grapevine is informal, fast but prone to distortion.
Incentives
Financial: pay, bonus, profit sharing, co-partnership, retirement benefits. Non-financial: status, recognition, job security, participation, career advancement.
Worked example
A sales team's output falls even after a salary rise. Exit interviews show the team leader takes all decisions and criticises individuals publicly. Diagnosis: the raise meets only physiological and safety needs, while esteem and social needs remain unmet, and the autocratic style has suppressed initiative. Prescription: move towards a democratic style, give recognition and involve members in target setting.
Traps
- Rearranging Maslow's order or treating all needs as active at once.
- Claiming informal communication is always harmful.
- Confusing supervision (operational oversight) with direction (the whole function).
- Calling laissez-faire the best style in every situation.