My position as an academic advisor demonstrates a perfect
example of both directive and supportive behavior. It is something that I use
and rely on daily when advising my students. Of the two, my job mainly consists
of directive behavior. By definition, directive behavior is the one-way
communication where leaders point directly to the activity that followers need
to complete (Blanchard, 2008) . As academic
advisors, students and their success is our priority. To make this possible, we
assist and guide our students from the day of their admission to the day they
graduate.
Though any people-oriented position requires directive
behavior, I believe that supportive behavior is what really drives both the
leader and followers to success. By definition, supportive behavior is the
two-way communication where leaders help followers feel comfortable to receive participation
and response from their followers (Blanchard, 2008) . According to
empathy and job behavior researcher Parkash Singh, behavior is what people
actually do. In other words, what’s going on inside one’s head affects how
people act and perform (2014). Aware that our delivery of communication and
services correlates with behaviors and reactions of my followers, it is
important to perform more than the task itself.
The talk from the latest discussion board post demonstrated
this importance. Though Greg Bock, a Fire Chief from Alton, Illinois manages
and plays the role of the “big boss” in his department, he didn’t want his coworkers
to have this mentality. Instead, he showed his care and concerns: which
included the 30,000 residents of Alton, “I’m not there to flex my muscle and
show you who the boss is” along with how you must treat people like “they’re
your best friend” (NPR, 2008) . If ones break down
the roles of fire departments, we all might say that their goal is put out
fires. However when thinking critically, this involves more than just putting
out fires. Almost every case of a fire will involve people. People that are in
distress both physically and mentally from the fire. Bock was able to carefully
identify this, and expressed his need of care for everyone: both in and out of
the department.
Similar to Bock, I too follow a similar approach. From past
and current experiences, I fully understand the various situations students go
through. As a student, I look up to my advisors: believing that they are always
there for me when I need the help. However during my time as an undergraduate
student, I was constantly treated in a rush, resulting in lack of advisement
and more stressful issues. Now that I am an advisor, a leader in my small
community, I do not want to be viewed as someone who’s merely there to “get the
job done”. I truly do care about my students and their goal of success. As a
result I often relate my experiences to similar situation students. This
establishes a comfortable, caring environment. Like a mirror, students often react
positively back- resulting a more fluid environment to perform my job
efficiently.
References
Blanchard, K. (2008, May 25). Situational
Leadership. Leadership Excellence, 19.
NPR. (2008). A Small-Town Fire Chief Juggles Big
Responsibilities. Washington D.C. doi:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=94011870
Singh, P. (2014). Employees' use of empathy to
improve their job behavior. The International Business & Economics
Research Journal (Online). Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.libproxy.db.erau.edu/docview/1525361493/abstract/2F2815C3B74C411EPQ/1?accountid=27203
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