The task-relationship model is defined by Forsyth as “a descriptive model of leadership which maintains that most leadership behaviors can be classified as performance maintenance or relationship maintenances.” Task-oriented (or task-focused) leadership is a behavioral approach in which the leader focuses on the tasks that need to be performed in order to meet certain goals, or to achieve a certain performance standard. Relationship-oriented (or relationship-focused) leadership is a behavioral approach in which the leader focuses on the satisfaction, motivation and the general well-being of the team members.
Task-oriented and relationship-oriented leadership are two models that are often compared, as they are known to produce varying outcomes under different circumstances.
Qualities of relationship-oriented leadership
Relationship-oriented leaders are focused on supporting, motivating and developing the people on their teams and the relationships within. This style of leadership encourages good teamwork and collaboration, through fostering positive relationships and good communication. Relationship-oriented leaders prioritize the welfare of everyone in the group and will place time and effort in meeting the individual needs of everyone involved. This may involve offering incentives like bonuses, providing mediation to deal with workplace or classroom conflicts, having more casual interactions with team members to learn about their strengths and weaknesses, creating a non-competitive and transparent work environment, or just leading in a personable or encouraging manner.
The benefits of relationship-oriented leadership is that team members are in a setting where the leader cares about their well-being. Relationship-oriented leaders understand that building positive productivity requires a positive environment where individuals feel driven. Personal conflicts, dissatisfaction with a job, resentment and even boredom can severely drive down productivity, so these types of leaders put people first to ensure that such problems stay at a minimum. Additionally, team members may be more willing to take risks, because they know that the leader will provide the support if needed.
The downside of relationship-oriented leadership is that, if taken too far, the development of team chemistry may detract from the actual tasks and goals at hand.
The term “people-oriented” is used synonymously, whilst in a business setting, this approach may also be referred to as “employee-oriented”.
Relationship-oriented leaders are primarily focused on supporting, motivating and developing individuals and teams through collaborative working.
This style of leadership is in contrast to task-orientated leadership.
Relationship-oriented leaders seek to establish meaningful relationships with their staff and aim to utilise this emotional connection to maximise staff performance.
Criticisms of Relationship-Oriented Leadership
The major criticism to this style of leadership is that with a focus on the relationships between the leader and the staff the actual task at hand can sometimes be overlooked.
Not wanting to work staff too hard, too much, in a way they don’t enjoy, etc. can risk not getting the job completed in the timeframe that has been set.
Another key criticism of relationship-oriented leadership is that some employees may take advantage of a people-focused leader.
If staff sees the leader accommodating their every need they may start to take liberties to see how far they can push the leader with what they will get away with.
While risk taking was a key strength it can also be considered a criticisms as well.
Risk is essential for progressing an organisation but the risk also needs to be calculated.
Too much risk taking, at the wrong time and in the wrong place can result in irreversible errors which the leader will find difficult to repair.