1

GRID TRAINING

Questions to spare a thought on.

2

When your manager puts you in charge of

organizing a project, what would you do first?

Would you develop the timelines and tasks and start to

assign responsibility?

Would you think about other people and fit this into
their tasks, opting for people who can and want to do
it?

What would you do if tasks start to fall behind and

the plan is off track?

Would you chase everyone to get back on track,

regardless of other commitments they have?

Would you ease off, knowing that they are strained and
just busy doing their jobs, let alone extra tasks you
have given them?

Grid Training and Development

4

Proposed by Blake and Mouton

Also known as managerial grid

Aims at attaining much more than the development

and growth of the individual managers

It is the technique which integrates individual, team

and organizational development

This model depicts two prevailing concerns found in all

organizations concern for productivity and people

MG helps the managers in evaluating their concern for

people and productivity.

It also stresses the importance of team management

leadership styles.

Stages of Managerial Grid

6

1) Training:
The mangers learn about grid concepts and how they are
applied in week long seminars. After appropriate
instructions, these key managers will work to implement
the grid programme through out the organization.
2) Team development:
Members of the same department are brought together to
discuss how they are going to attain 9, 9 position on the
grid.

3) Intergroup development
Marks the beginning of overall organizational
development
There is a shift from micro level of individual and group
development to a macro level of group organizational
development.
The main focus is on improving co- ordination and
cooperation among work groups
Inter group tensions are dealt with openly and joint
problem solving procedures are adopted

4) Organizational goal setting

The participants contribute to and agree up on the
important goals of the organization.
A sense of commitment and self control is instilled in
the participants as the managers and subordinates
work together through out the organization
5) Goal attainment
The participants attempt to accomplish the goals which
they set in the fourth stage.

6) Stabilization
All the efforts from stage 1 to 5 are evaluated and
critical analysis are made and in the light on this
various programmes may be redesigned.

Interpretation of the leadership grid diagram

The Managerial Grid

10

Co-ordinates
11

Co-ordinates (1,1) impoverished management

The manager makes the minimum efforts to get required
work accomplished as a result minimum standards of
performance and minimum worker dedication

Co-ordinates(9,1) Authority compliance

Excellent work design efficiency in operations, well
established procedures and the interference of human
element is in the minimum degree.

12

Co-ordinates (1,9) country club management

Thoughtful attention to the needs of the people

Personal and meaningful relationship with workers,
friendly atmosphere, high morale and loosely
structured work design or in other words primary
concern for people, production secondary

13

Co- ordinates (9,9) (team Management)

Work accomplishment from thoroughly committed
people, trust worthy and respectful atmosphere, highly
organized task performances

Co ordinates (5,5) middle of the road

management
- Concerned with balancing the necessity to get the work
done while maintaining worker morale at a satisfactory
level.

Behavioral elements
14

Grid theory breaks behavior down into seven key

Description
elements:
Element
Taking action, driving and supporting
Initiative
Questioning, researching and verifying
Inquiry

understanding

Advocacy

Expressing convictions and championing

ideas

Decision making

Evaluating resources, choices and

consequences

Conflict resolution
Resilience

Confronting and resolving disagreements

Critique

Delivering objective, candid feedback

Dealing with problems, setbacks and

failures

How to use the Model

15

Step 1: Identify your natural leadership style:

Take the managerial grid questionnaire to see where you
naturally fall within the grid

Step 2: Identify real world examples:

- Now to support your results of the questionnaire, think of an
example in the real world where you had to handle a situation
that involved leading someone or a team

- Plot this on the grid and see how you compared the
questionnaire to the results

16

Step 3: Identify ways to improve:

- With your managerial grid mapped, showing both the questionnaire
results and the real world example, think about what you could improve
to be a more balanced leader, with the main target being team leader

Identify 3 ways to improve your skill set. Example: you may be too task
oriented and therefore lack softer elements of people skills. Perhaps
improving communication or delegation skills may help. Alternatively,
you may be too people focused and perhaps some training on
performance management would help you balance your skill set?

17

Step 4: Regularly reflect:

Keep reflecting and reviewing your performances in
situations. Take notes regularly and reflect every day or
week, giving yourself an honest appraisal with the view
of identifying how and where you can improve your
skills