Cuesta College Student Life & Leadership: Club Handbook

Advisor intervention style survey

Look at the advisor intervention style survey to choose your own advising style.

This instrument relates to the idea of situational leadership which discusses the use of group maturity, task behavior, and relationship behavior levels. Based on your specific situation within your student organization, advising styles can be adapted to deal with each.

Figure 1 shows the Hersey and Blanchard Situational Advising Style, which will assist you in the contingency approach to advising students.

Advisor Interventions Style Survey Instructions

Six typical situations which a group advisor might encounter have been included in this instrument. For each of these situations, five alternate ways of responding have been listed.

Each alternative response is different from the other four. Since you will be asked to differentiate among the five responses, it is necessary that you read all five alternatives before answering.

After reading all five responses, select the response which is most similar to the way you would actually react in that situation, and place the letter corresponding to that response (A,B,C,D,E) somewhere on the most similar end of the scale.

Next, select the response which is least similar to the way you would actually react, and place the letter corresponding to that response (A,B,C,D,E) toward the least similar end of the scale. Complete your answer by placing the three remaining letters within the most-least range in terms of how well each response reflects the way you would actually react In that particular situation (see example).

Example: I have just won $15,000 in a magazine publisher’s contest. I will probably:

  1. Pay off all outstanding bills and place the remaining amount in a savings account.
  2. Invest the entire amount in sound stock.
  3. Buy a new car.
  4. Take an expensive trip.
  5. Place the entire amount in my savings account.
Most Similar   A D     C B E     Least Similar
9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0

Of the five alternatives, this person chose response A as most similar to the way he or she would respond in this situation, although not giving it the highest ranking. Response E was least similar. He/she ranked responses D, C, and B very dissimilar to the way he/she would respond.

There are no right or wrong answers. The best response is the one which most accurately reflects the way you would respond in that situation.

In each case, answer the questions as if you were the student organization advisor.

  1. One of the Psychology Club members has created a stress situation in the group by criticizing my work as an advisor to other members of the club. In discussing this situation with that member, I will promptly:
    1. Talk as little as possible and wait for that person to ask for my opinion or ideas as he/she feels the need to do so.
    2. Be very active in the discussion so as to clarify for that person the reasons underlying my actions and the position I feel he/she must adopt.
    3. Allow that person to do most of the talking in the interview, and listen in a non-judgmental and accepting manner.
    4. Be as active as he/she and try to arrive at conclusions which represent our joint points of view.
    5. Try to win that person’s respect and then persuade her/him to my point of view.
    Most Similar                     Least Similar
    9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
  2. A special committee has been formed by the Student Center Coordinator to consider proposals for improving services of the Student Center. The committee included representatives from several different student organizations and meets weekly. The Student Center Coordinator asked me to serve as advisor to the group. In these committee meetings, I will probably:
    1. Wait for my opinion to be asked and usually accept the majority opinion.
    2. Assist other members of the committee in clarifying their ideas and emphasize good relations among committee members.
    3. State my ideas and opinions in the context of my contract with the Student Center and work toward a feasible, although not perfect, proposal.
    4. Encourage all committee members to actively participate in creating the proposal and emphasize understanding of and agreement to a proposal that is satisfactory to all involved.
    5. Try to persuade the committee members to accept my point of view and push for a realistic proposal that can be adopted.
    Most Similar                     Least Similar
    9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
  3. In determining the success of my advising a specific student leader, I will probably emphasize:
    1. The extent to which her/his friends’ decisions reflect accepted leadership behavior and the organization’s norms and rules.
    2. The extent to which he/she follows expected behavior, and the amount of urging necessary on my part to achieve this.
    3. The student’s sense of personal development, self-acceptance, and perceived ability to work with others.
    4. The value of particular behaviors in relation to the goal he/she and I have set in our meetings.
    5. Her/his loyalty toward and trust in me in the context of our relationship.
    Most Similar                     Least Similar
    9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
  4. I have just been informed about a group of students who want to abolish a new program organized by the Campus Programming Board. Five of them have arranged to meet with me next week. In talking with this group, I will probably:
    1. Answer their questions directly and courteously but not become involved in an active discussion regarding the purpose and goals of the program.
    2. Clarify for them the reasons for the program, the position Board members and I have taken in relation to the program, and my authority in relation to such programs.
    3. Listen carefully to their comments and assist them in talking about their concerns without explaining my position on the program in detail.
    4. Carefully explain the reason for the program and my position, but also assist them in clarifying both their concerns and ways these concerns can be explored in relation to the program.
    5. Listen carefully to their comments, but then gradually attempt to gain their acceptance of my position on the new program.
    Most Similar                     Least Similar
    9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
  5. Special leadership training programs have been scheduled on separate days for new members of the Student Senate. Some Senate members have not been attending. It was previously decided that these programs were important for the maximum functioning of the Senate and members were aware of this expectation in regards to their position. To assure attendance at the programs, I am likely to:
    1. Clarify the reasons for the leadership training programs and the consequences of not attending.
    2. Arrange a discussion with those not attending and encourage them to explore their personal goals and responsibilities as Senate members.
    3. Carefully outline the reasons for the training program, and emphasize to all Senate members the expectation of attendance.
    4. Contact each Senate member not attending and encourage him/her to do so.
    5. Arrange meetings with all Senate members to assess why some are not attending the meetings and discuss alternative in-service training formats.
    Most Similar                     Least Similar
    9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
  6. Two members of the Computer Club are working together with a group of other students to plan a Game Club Conference on campus. Other members are in disagreement about the type of programs to be offered. They think games demean the purpose of the organization. Their personal dispute is affecting the group, and other members of the club are becoming concerned. I have decided to meet with the two club members to discuss the situation. In this meeting, I will probably:
    1. Remain neutral or stay out of the argument.
    2. Try to smooth over the feelings and keep the two working together.
    3. Try to dismiss the conflict and present my views on the disagreement.
    4. Use my position to encourage them to arrive at an equitable solution to the problem situation.
    5. Try to create a situation so the two can identify reasons for their conflict and explore means to achieve all the goals of the clubs.
    Most Similar                     Least Similar
    9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0

Advisor Interventions Style Survey Scoring Sheet

Directions: Copy your responses from the six situations onto this sheet. Be sure to note that the order of the letters (A,B,C,D,E) varies for each item. Place the scale value you assigned to the letter A on item 1. For example, above the letter A on this sheet. Then do the same for all other letters. Your scores for the five advising styles are the sums of the five columns on this sheet.

Item:
1.          
  A B C D E
2.          
  A B C D E
3.          
  A B C D E
4.          
  A B C D E
5.          
  A B C D E
6.          
  A B C D E
Low task
low relationship		 High task
low relationship		 Low task
high relationship		 Moderate task and relationship High task
high relationship
Sums:

Notes regarding the advisor intervention style survey

The Advisor Intervention Style Survey is modeled after the Managerial Grid developed by Robert Blake and Jane Mouton (1978). The five advising styles relate to the five leadership styles they identified in their work. The low-task, low-relationship style would be characterized as a passive advisor who offered assistance only when it was sought. A high-task, low-relationship advisor would be expected to be very directive in style and to be most directly concerned with the task performed by the group. The high-relationship, low-task advisor would be expected to be concerned most directly with relationships among members of the group. The moderate task-and-relationship advisor would seek to create a balance or work out a compromise between task and relationship concerns. The high-task, high-relationship advisor would emphasize the dual importance of both concerns and the interdependence of members of the group to accomplish task functions.

The Advisor Intervention Style Survey is presented primarily to encourage consideration of alternative intervention strategies, as well as to encourage individuals to examine their own advising styles. It is not intended to suggest one best advising style for all situations. It may provide insight, however, into the advising style with which an individual is most comfortable, thereby assisting the advisors to better know themselves and to better prepare for advising situations which will require new behaviors.

Adapted and reprinted from
Intervention Style Survey by
B.H. Arbes. 1972 Annual
Handbook for Group Facilitators.
University Associates Inc., 1972.