Read the scenario shown below and discuss:

a. What stage of group development was the group in?

b. What are the leader’s tasks in this stage?

c. Using Hersey and Blanchard’s Situational Leadership Theory, explain what style of ledership Ramila Zamora should have used given the current situation. Why?

Scenario for Question 4

Ramila Zamora looked forward to her recent promotion to management and was looking forward to her transfer within the large county hospital to another nursing unit. She was enthusiastic and hopeful about working together with other nurses to improve patient care through effective teamwork. She felt that she was well prepared to lead and supervise and was grateful for the opportunity.

Ms. Zamora was provided very little information about her predecessor and knew less about her subordinates. She was stymied and baffled about the behavior of the nursing staff during her first team meeting. Ms. Zamora introduced herself to the group and with what she thought was great enthusiasm, distributed her agenda and immediately began to delegate tasks to the team members. She noticed that three of the five members began to look at each other and roll their eyes. As she continued to read the list of responsibilities, designating team members to the various tasks, two members got up and began pouring coffee and speaking softly to each other. Ms. Zamora was exasperated. She told them that the meeting was over and that she did not want to take any more time away from their jobs then was necessary.

She returned to her new office feeling deflated and discouraged. She asked herself several questions. What went wrong? Why did the nursing staff treat her so rudely? Had she made a grave career mistake? What should she do?