Recreation, Sport & Tourism 390
The first step of any project is setting goals and objectives. This project was no different. My goal upon completion of the STAR Party was to have a better grasp on leading through social interactions with peers while still being task-oriented. The objective for this goal is to be very aware of my communication with all group members through different communication outlets. I knew going full force into the project with a task-driven train would not be the most productive approach to take with this project and specifically, this group.
The STAR Party was a great opportunity for me to practice integrating people-oriented and task-oriented leadership styles. In a strictly people-oriented approach, leaders are very interested in forming and continuing social connections with subordinates while the task at hand is of second importance. The task-oriented leadership approach is just the opposite. These leaders are solely focused on completing the task at hand, with little regard for building social connections. After reflecting on my past leadership style, I have realized I am a very task-oriented leader. Thus, I decided this leadership opportunity was a great project to discover a winning combination of people-oriented and task-oriented leadership styles. With this discovery, I can successfully apply it to my current and future leadership positions.
In the beginning, during the first few communications with the group, I took a very social approach. This consisted of many side conversations, asking how their classes are going, how they are enjoying their jobs, and other miscellaneous subject areas. During these first few meetings in September and October, I realized this high degree of people-oriented leadership would not get the job done. As a group manager, I needed to be focused on the big picture of the event, leaving the fine details to the group members themselves. I quickly realized that the smaller details were not getting accomplished. From mid-October to early November, I knew I had to readjust my leadership style; here is when I switched to heavily task-oriented communications and interactions. This method included constant contact with the group and updates on the project. Although a lot was accomplished during this leadership method period, I quickly realized I was reverting back to my usual leadership style; all work and no play. As soon as this became evident, I toned down the task-oriented push and turned up the social leadership method. Upon finding the winning combination of social-oriented and task-oriented leadership styles, I was able to lead the group in a fun, yet effective and efficient manner.
Reflecting back on the STAR Party and my journey of leadership styles, I have realized that I need to be more personable and approachable to those I lead. I feel I was able to achieve my goal of becoming a more people-oriented leader while still focusing on the task at hand. I know this because in the thank you letter I received from the group, it was full of positive comments saying how easy it was for them to come to me with any questions or concerns they had. This is great evidence that I was able to discover the right combination of people-oriented and task-oriented leadership styles.
This project focused on many skills and attributes that are important to becoming a leader. During this project, I focused on relationship building, team development, communication skills, and self-awareness. Applying the self-awareness attribute, I have more awareness for my tendencies to be a task-driven leader. I need to realize that for some situations this may be okay, but for others I need to balance task-driven with people-driven styles of leadership to accomplish the most. I feel I can still learn more in the area of team development. I need to leave enough time for a bond to form between group members in order to have high group cohesion.
Overall, planning the STAR Party connected to my goal of Team Development: to learn ways to improve a group’s dynamic and to be a facilitator for conflict resolution.
