A common denominator in all projects is people, and therefore, a big part of the role of a project manager involves dealing with people and different stakeholders of a project. These skills may include abilities regarding negotiation, resilience, communication, problem solving, decision making, critical thinking and interpersonal skills. Leadership skills are the ability to guide, motivate and direct a team (p.56). He provides the team with leadership, planning and coordination through communication. Finally, some literature for further studies on the Grid are suggested.Īccording to Project Management Institute (PMI) standards, the project manager plays a critical role of leading a team to achieve the objectives of a project. The following consists of what is needed to know about the Managerial Grid, how to apply it, suggestions of improvements for a leader, as well as addressing main limitations of the Grid.

Its simplicity captures vital truths about management styles and implications. The Managerial Grid is widely accepted as an important and critical analysis of the behaviour of a leader. Blake and Mouton labelled and characterised the extreme corners as well as the center of the matrix. The Managerial Grid is a 9x9 matrix and it quantifies the degree to which the emphasis is on tasks and the emphasis is on the relationship with the subordinates, with Concern for Production as the x-axis of the matrix and Concern for People as the y-axis. It was developed with influence from Fleishman's work, using attitudinal dimensions rather than behavioural, like Fleishman. It was the outcome of their research for Exxon, where they worked towards improved leader effectiveness. The Managerial Grid developed by Robert Blake and Jane Mouton was first published in 1964. Thoughts on leadership and the ideal characteristics of a leader have evolved through time, but some have passed the test of time. Leadership is a productive field of study, with many theories reaching back decades. The leadership style of a project manager may be a result of combination of multiple factors related to the project or be of a personal preference. Project managers play a critical role of leading a team towards achieving the objectives of a project. 5.1.2 Step 2 - Suggestions for Improvement.5.1.1 Step 1 - Identify Leadership style.4.4.3 5,5 – Organization Man Management.

Blake mouton managerial grid pdf