Most managers you talk to will pride themselves on their own particular management style. They will tell you that they are authoritarian, easy going, hard, soft or sticklers for time, targets results or simply giving their staff the space they need to perform the tasks in question.
These managers know what has to be done and they do it, they never miss a deadline even if that means working late into the night and because they never miss a deadline their reliability is appreciated by those more senior to them. Having a defined style ensures that not only do they know what has to be done they are also very clear as to how it should be done as well. Each task has its own clearly defined steps to be followed and rules to be adhered to.
While that all might seem great on the surface, the reality may be somewhat different. The problem is that everybody is different, everyone has their own unique style of working and everyone has different talents and ways of expressing their creativity and utilising the talents they have.
Now, if I am a passenger on an aircraft, I admit I would much prefer to have a pilot who would go through the checklist from start to finish for every single take off and landing and at times like that you don’t really want someone to express their creativity to see if they can find a different way to land a plane!
In most cases however there is room for some flexibility and if it is there is it should be given. There is often more than one way to complete a task and as the job of management is more concerned with getting the job done rather than the process of getting it done, if you are striving for excellence in Management you should have the confidence to give your staff some space. Of course there are standards and regulations to follow – that is a given.
Now back to management styles, the best management style is never one style. The very best management style changes to suit the person who is being managed. If one member of staff requires me to check in with them every day, for reassurance and confidence, and if they are a valuable team member who performs better when confident and reassured – then I will. On the other hand if I have a wonderful employee who gets on with the job and treats my presence as an interruption to the important job they are doing, and as long as I can trust them, I will leave them alone.
One of the notes you should have on every one of your staffs records is which camp they fit into and then it is up to you to manage accordingly – not according to your style – to their style. That is how you get cooperation and respect. Each of these staff members will be happy working for me as a manager and will enjoy their jobs more and we know that people perform at a higher level when they are happy what they are doing.
In the scenario painted above – if I ignored the first member of staff for long periods and spent long hours with the second checking their work, can you see what a difference it would make to their experience in work.
Know your people, care for your people and rather than treating people the way you would like to be treated, I think it is much better to treat people the way they want to be treated. There is a huge difference.
These managers know what has to be done and they do it, they never miss a deadline even if that means working late into the night and because they never miss a deadline their reliability is appreciated by those more senior to them. Having a defined style ensures that not only do they know what has to be done they are also very clear as to how it should be done as well. Each task has its own clearly defined steps to be followed and rules to be adhered to.
While that all might seem great on the surface, the reality may be somewhat different. The problem is that everybody is different, everyone has their own unique style of working and everyone has different talents and ways of expressing their creativity and utilising the talents they have.
Now, if I am a passenger on an aircraft, I admit I would much prefer to have a pilot who would go through the checklist from start to finish for every single take off and landing and at times like that you don’t really want someone to express their creativity to see if they can find a different way to land a plane!
In most cases however there is room for some flexibility and if it is there is it should be given. There is often more than one way to complete a task and as the job of management is more concerned with getting the job done rather than the process of getting it done, if you are striving for excellence in Management you should have the confidence to give your staff some space. Of course there are standards and regulations to follow – that is a given.
Now back to management styles, the best management style is never one style. The very best management style changes to suit the person who is being managed. If one member of staff requires me to check in with them every day, for reassurance and confidence, and if they are a valuable team member who performs better when confident and reassured – then I will. On the other hand if I have a wonderful employee who gets on with the job and treats my presence as an interruption to the important job they are doing, and as long as I can trust them, I will leave them alone.
One of the notes you should have on every one of your staffs records is which camp they fit into and then it is up to you to manage accordingly – not according to your style – to their style. That is how you get cooperation and respect. Each of these staff members will be happy working for me as a manager and will enjoy their jobs more and we know that people perform at a higher level when they are happy what they are doing.
In the scenario painted above – if I ignored the first member of staff for long periods and spent long hours with the second checking their work, can you see what a difference it would make to their experience in work.
Know your people, care for your people and rather than treating people the way you would like to be treated, I think it is much better to treat people the way they want to be treated. There is a huge difference.