Chapter 6: Managing Social

Distance

By: Lorne Lantz, Carly Moore and Becky Routledge

AGENDA

L = f (L1 + L2 + Gm + s)

Closeness Distance

Closeness

When should we be close? Building a team Coaching or giving intensive help

What occasions? While traveling together Sharing food and drink Can be staged

Must fit personality and style of leader as well as situation

Closeness

Disadvantages Addressing performance issues Premature Leaders fail to recognize accountability

Issue of authenticity Genuine closeness Two-way street

Distance

Advantages: Loss of Hierarchies

Create distance to establish perspective Legitimacy

Disadvantages: Trend of introverted managers

Lose touch with organization (people) Lose employee buy-in

Distance

HOW to create distance

Use active sentences, avoid conditional verbs (should, could, might) Shows confidence

Tone of Voice

Balance Between Closeness and Distance Role-switching trait

Distance: to establish perspective, see big-picture Closeness: to know what’s really going on inside Boundaries of variation

Situation-sensing skills Emotional Intelligence

Know your organization- sociable vs. solidarity cultures Cultural Intelligence

Balance between closeness and distance

WHEN to shift the balance?

gradual shiftSocial distance Closeness

Distance- When you tell them WHAT to do

Closeness- When you talk about HOW

Balance between closeness and distance

HOW to shift the balance? Give them warning Keep people on their toes by using conflicting

signals

Final-take away

Social distance is a special type of situation sensing- reading when to get close,

when to be more distant, and then knowing which behaviours are most appropriate.

Effective leaders constantly practice and hone their skills!