Knowing your Maturity Level

When your leader is trained in organizational behavior, they are taught to look for a follower's maturity level and their willingness to perform their tasks. I believe that it is equally important to train followers to know their skill and will quotient as well. Don't you? Learning where you fall into the spectrum of maturity will better help you to become an effective follower. Are you ready to learn?


The following diagram shows various stages of a follower’s readiness/Maturity Level based on their skill and will:


The four stages of follower readiness according to Hersey & Blanchard, who are the textbook writers of Organizational Behavior are as follows:

• People who are both unable and either unwilling or too insecure to take responsibility to do something. They are neither competent nor confident. (M1)
• People who are having less skill level, but willing to do necessary job task falls into this M2 category. They are motivated but currently lack of the appropriate skills.(M2)
• People who are able but unwilling or too apprehensive to do what the leader wants (M3)
• People who are both able and willing to take responsibility and do what is asked of them (M4)

Where do you fall into this spectrum? Once you understand this, you can also see where your leader is coming from. There are four leadership styles that you will see your leader using. They are:

1. Telling/Directing Leader — a leader provides detailed instruction and closely coaches the follower.

2. Selling/Coaching Leader — a leader provides explanations and principles, engages the follower in a discussion of the work, and coaches as needed.

3. Facilitating/Counseling Leader — the leader assists the follower with goal clarification and ideas, then coaches as needed

4. Delegating Leader — the goal is clarified and the work turned over to the follower.

Now, put these two concepts together and you will see how your leader responds to you. What areas do you think you need to show improvement on? Do you need to improve your skill or your will more? Here is how these two come together:

• At stage M1, followers need clear and specific directions. The appropriate style that your leader will choose is high-task and low-relationship or Telling/Directing (S1).
• At stage M2, both high-task and high-relationship behavior is needed by your leader, otherwise known as Selling/Coaching (S2). The high-task behavior compensates for the follower’s lack of ability, and the high-relationship behavior tries to get the followers psychologically to “buy into” the leader’s desires.
• Stage M3 represents motivational problems that are best solved by a supportive, non-directive, participative style. The approach your leader would choose would be low-task and high-relationship or Facilitating/Counseling (S3).
• At stage M4, your leader does not have to do much because these followers are both willing and able to do the job and take responsibility. The followers need neither task directions nor motivational support, thus low-task and low-relationship style or Delegating (S4) work best for this kind of subordinates.

Try to work on becoming an M4 follower in your maturity level. You will see your leader start to delegate more responsibility to you. This will improve your effectiveness and efficiency right where you are at improving not only yourself, but the organization you serve. you will also receive the significance that you deserve because you are using your experience and maturity to complete your task.