Five Different Management Styles

Let’s face it – managing people is not easy. If it was, everyone would be a great manager and we all know that is not the case!

Management Style Cartoon

Being a “good” business manager takes a number of different skills and abilities to succeed. You need to be dynamic, organised and ready to take control. On top of these factors, there are also several different management styles you can adopt. The style  you choose will be a reflection of your personality, workplace and situation and will determine its effectiveness.

That’s why it’s important to be aware of the different management styles, so you can CHOOSE the right technique for the appropriate situation and context. Otherwise you’ll make the same blunders inept managers make – doing the wrong thing for the wrong reasons, at the wrong time, the wrong way!

Management Style #1: Directive Style

The directive management style is the hard, ‘do what I tell you’ way of doing things. Generally, this isn’t a practical way to go about your business, as you want your employees to respond via their trust and appreciation of you. If an employee is underdeveloped, they may feel intimidated by this type of management. Similarly, if they are highly developed, they may become frustrated with you. This style is only  successful when there is a crisis or serious situation, when you need to show direction and determination amongst the chaos.

Management Style #2: Participation Style

The participation style of management is highly effective in several different situations. By adopting this style, you give each and every employee an opportunity to speak up and have input. This builds a ‘team effort’ feeling within the workplace, which is likely to increase compliance. However, this style may not be as effective when an employee is underdeveloped and still needs close supervision. That’s why one-size does not fit all when it comes to managing people and situations.

Management Style #3: Authoritative Style

The authoritative management style is somewhat similar to the directive style. The key difference, however, is  this style is more of a ‘firm but fair’ way of managing employees. You provide your workers with a vision of where they should be and where they should be going. With clear goals set, they are able to work individually towards achieving them. This is a successful management technique, although some of the more underdeveloped workers may still need more supervision and direction. An authoritative style requires that you command authority, either formally or informally. Without it, you are just being directive and as previously stated, that is largely ineffective and yet remains a popular management style…!

Management Style #4: Coaching Style

The coaching style of management is similar to participation, however, it focuses more on building your employees’ skills to a higher level of proficiency. By coaching your workers, you are not only encouraging them to participate and get the work done, but you are assisting them in building their own skills as well. This is highly effective with motivated workers who hope to gain more skills.

Management Style #5: Affiliative Style

This management style has a primary objective of building relationships between workers and minimising conflict. By doing this there is a wonderful level of harmony within the workplace which may encourage your employees to meet set goals voluntarily rather than by force. It is a ‘people first’ style of managing. It may not be effective if goals are not being met or if there is a crisis situation that needs to be addressed. It necessarily requires a much higher skill set than the directive and authoritative styles, understanding personality profiles and team dynamics. It is not recommended for your or first-time managers.

There are a number of different ways to manage a business. Obviously, one style won’t always fit your workplace. You need to change your style depending on the tasks and situations that need to be addressed. To know more about successful business management, visit Coral Homes franchise business or Coral Homes on True Local.

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