Technique 7.13 Blake-Mouton Leadership Questionnaire
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Instructions
Objective: To determine the degree that a person likes working with tasks and other people.
Instructions:
1. Please complete the 18 items in the questionnaire section.
2. Next, have them transfer their answers to the 2 respective columns provided in the scoring section. Total the score in each column and multiply each total by 0.2. For example, in the first column (People), if the learner answered 5, 3, 4, 4, 3, 2, 5, 4, 3 then his or her final score is = 33 X 0.2 = 6.6.
3. The total score for the first column (people) is plotted on vertical axis in the matrix section, while the total score for the second column (Task) is plotted on the horizontal axis. See the example on page 5. Finally, have the persons intersect the lines to see in what leadership dimension they normally operate out of:
Authoritarian
Impoverished
Team Leader
Country Club
Finding your Style
Below is a list of statements about leadership behaviour. Read each one carefully, then, using the following scale, decide the extent to which it actually applies to you.
For best results, answer as truthfully as possible.
1. ___ I encourage my team to participate when it comes decision making time and I try to implement their ideas and suggestions.
2. ___ Nothing is more important than accomplishing a goal or task.
3. ___ I closely monitor the schedule to ensure a task or project will be completed in time.
4. ___ I enjoy coaching people on new tasks and procedures.
5. ___ The more challenging a task is, the more I enjoy it.
6. ___ I encourage my employees to be creative about their job.
7. ___ When seeing a complex task through to completion, I ensure that every detail is accounted for.
8. ___ I find it easy to carry out several complicated tasks at the same time.
9. ___ I enjoy reading articles, books, and journals about training, leadership, and psychology; and then putting what I have read into action.
10. ___ When correcting mistakes, I do not worry about jeopardizing relationships.
11. ___ I manage my time very efficiently.
12. ___ I enjoy explaining the intricacies and details of a complex task or project to my employees.
13. ___ Breaking large projects into small manageable tasks is second nature to me.
14. ___ Nothing is more important than building a great team.
15. ___ I enjoy analyzing problems.
16. ___ I honor other people's boundaries.
17. ___ Counseling my employees to improve their performance or behavior is second nature to me.
18. ____ I enjoy reading articles, books, and trade journals about my profession; and then implementing the new procedures I have learned.
Scoring Section
After completing the questionnaire, transfer your answers to the spaces below:
Matrix Section
Plot your final scores on the graph below by drawing a horizontal line from the approximate people score (vertical axis) to the right of the matrix, and drawing a vertical line from the approximate task score on the horizontal axis to the top of the matrix. Then, draw two lines from each dot until they intersect. The area of intersection is the leadership dimension that you operate out of, ie
This chart will give you an idea of your leadership style. But, like any other instrument that attempts to profile a person, you have to take in other factors, such as, how does your manager and employees rate you as a leader, do you get your job done, do you take care of your employees, are you GROWING your organization, etc.
You should review the statements in the survey and reflect on the low scores by asking yourself, "If I scored higher in that area, would I be a more effective leader?" And if the answer is yes, then it should become a personal action item.
Notes
People and Mission
Some may ask, "In order to get a perfect score I would have to max out statements 2 (Nothing is more important than accomplishing a goal or task) and 14 (Nothing is more important than building a great team), but this would be a paradox."
One of the mottos of the U.S. Army is "People and mission first." That is, nothing is more important than accomplishing the mission and nothing is more important than looking out for the welfare of the people. A good leader can do both!
Relationships With Others
For statement 10 - "When correcting mistakes, I do not worry about jeopardizing relationships," some people might believe that a "people-person" would put a low score to this question. They might believe that a "people-oriented" person would not want to jeopardize a relationship.
But, if a leader really cared about the person, would the relationship (being friends) be more important or would guiding the person on to the correct behaviour be more important? Lets put it in a "leader-teacher" relationship - If you did not correct your learner's mistakes, would that make you a more "people" teacher? Probably not. Good leaders do what it takes to build and develop the people around them. The "relationship" is not what makes them tick...guiding others onto greatness is what a "people" leader is all about.
This question helps to separate the "country club leaders" who want to be friends with everyone; the "impoverished leaders" who are afraid they might make waves; and the real "people leaders" who are more concerned with coaching others so that they benefit the team. That is, if the leader lets one of her peers continue with the incorrect behaviour, does this help or hinder the other members of the team? It is best not to picture a "people" leader as a friend, but as a person who is concerned with the growth and welfare of others.
Instead of presenting a manager with a dilemma of choosing one or the other alternative, it shows how a leader can simultaneously maximize both production oriented methods and those that are people orientated
(source: http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/leader/bm_model.html)