Geher Blog 3 – Solving Problems/Improving Leadership

As my third week comes to a close, I have been able to get a better sense of the leadership styles of the various supervisors here as well as having observed many interactions and made observations regarding potential problems between the supervisors here and other members of the organization. Ultimately, as I have discussed in both of my last two recent blogs, the leaders and supervisors here are extremely laid-back and open to listening to the other members of the organization. This informal and relaxed style of leadership which is clearly leaning towards relationship oriented leadership does not cause many conflicts or common problems which one might expect to see in a workplace. Rather, the environment is quite collaborative and employees are self-directed, able to make their own schedules, and given the opportunity to prioritize whatever they believe to be most important. However, the potential problems that this relaxed style of leadership may lead to are more about there being too much flexibility in the workplace and therefore weaker and less effective leadership, as members of the organization may not see the leadership as strong enough to motivate them. Personally, I believe that there is under-use of leadership by those in formal positions as they are so accommodating and do not have strict requirements or expectations at all. While this strategy is effective for those of us who are self-motivated, it may lead some to be less efficient employees if they need more structure or persuasion. This could be addressed by creating a more united front between the various supervisors and leaders along with implementing some loose guidelines and regiments for those who may work better with stronger leadership. On the other hand, there is evident teamwork and collaboration throughout the entire division as a result of this more open and flexible leadership style. As aforementioned, the supervisors all look for feedback and are always open to ideas, and I strongly believe that this positively impacts the environment and work product of the site. Allowing for all members of the organization to feel seen and heard cultivates an environment of collaboration to achieve shared goals as a team. The flexibility of the site definitely lends itself to being an effective space for teamwork and collaboration.