The Tannenbaum and Schmidt Continuum

• The Tannenbaum and Schmidt continuum is a model used to understand leadership styles, identifying four main styles: Tells, Sells, Consults, and Joins.
• Tells is a leadership style where the leader identifies the problems, makes the decisions, and announces the decision to subordinates, leading to implementation without discussion.
• Sells is a leadership style where the leader is in charge of the decision-making process but attempts to overcome any resistance or uncertainty through an element of discussion and persuasion.
• Joins is a leadership style where the leader defines the problem and then passes on the solving and resolution of that decision or problem to a group.
• Consults is a leadership style where the leader identifies the problem, presents the problem or the issue to a group, and listens to what the group believes might be the appropriate approach.
• Autocracy - manager makes all decisions without consulting others
• Tannenbaum and schmidt's model suggests that managers can choose to be more autocratic or democratic depending on the situation they face.
• Laissez Faire - employees make their own decisions with little input from management
• The continuum ranges from autocratic (telling) at one end to democratic (consulting) at the other.
• Involving employees in decision making can lead to higher levels of commitment and job satisfaction.
• Managers need to consider factors such as employee skills, experience, motivation, and knowledge when deciding how much involvement to give their employees.