The Management Trends: The Right Management Style

Know your Management Style Now!

Ever wondered how you perform as a manager or supervisor? Have you tried assessing yourself and determining what have been your practices, behavior or characteristics that either enable or hinder you from doing your responsibilities smoothly?  Have you asked the people around you how they see you? In the growing challenges of the business and professional world, it is always advantageous to be aware of the chunks of information that play significant roles in our daily functioning- such set of info includes the different management styles.

Management style is the product of our personality and the skills, abilities and behaviors we bring to the role. The study of management style is important since it profoundly impacts the climate, the leader or manager establishes within their team. Many psychologists have sought to clarify these styles to enable practitioners to inform and improve their contribution to the organization. Much theory emerged in the 20^th century and still has relevance today. One example is the work of William Moulton Marston (1893-1947) who devised a four – quadrant behavioral model, popularly referred to as the DISC model.

In this, he proposed four discrete management styles:

1. The Dominant Manager – These are managers who seek a high level of control. They tend to consult little with their subordinates but do have the push and drive that delivers organizational results. They can however be frustrating to work for since the climate they foster does not encourage creativity. In the 21^st century, organizations need to be creative to sustain themselves.
2. The Influencer – This manager has charm and builds good relationships throughout their teams. They offer employees the respect they deserve and create inclusive collaborative, loyal communities which are underpinned by high levels of trust.
3. The Steady Manager – is typified by a procedural, dependable approach. Most managers fall into this category, preferring a climate of predictability and security; preferring convention and consistency. Change for these managers can be a challenge since such individuals often require the reassuring support of a coach during times of transition.
4. The Compliant Manager – These managers literally manage their people ‘by the book’ and follow the rules. They tend to be inflexible and rigid in their style, demanding compliance with standard policies and procedures.

However, in practice we find managers are combinations of all these styles. Rigid typologies can often confuse reality. For example, in certain HEC roles, a compliant style is essential. In project management, often we find the n style effective to achieve targets on time, within schedule and budget. The reality is that the truly competent manager draws on his skills to apply the right management style to the specific situation encountered; that is the true skill of management.

Interested in your management style? Why not join us at AZTech to discuss some of these issues and how they impact your thinking. I only buy reflecting on our practice can we truly transform our performance.

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