What’s Your Management Style?

If I asked you to describe your management style what would you say?

What would your employees, co-workers or line manager say? And does it matter?

I like to think of it this way – if any of your team or co-workers were asked to describe you, what would they say? What do you want them to say?

Perhaps more importantly, can you influence what they say?

Perhaps one of the most important actions in the process of establishing your role as a manager is to clearly define your leadership style so your team respond well to you, they know what to  expect from you and they know “what the rules are.” Otherwise, it can take them months to figure out what is expected from them.

So how do you clarify your management style? Here are some simple tips:

Decide what kind of leader you want to be. Similar to drafting an office rules of conduct, choose your “personal policies” for these four areas:

1) The way I will work as a manager. This is not a wish list, but a realistic list of things you will and will not do. Examples of things you will do could include:

-  being energetic

-  getting to the point in conversations

-  have high expectations, and encourage people as much as possible to play to their strengths

Examples of things you might choose not to do include:

-  yell across the office when I need to talk to someone

-  using demanding rather than courteous language when assigning someone a task

2) The best way to work with me. Describe the things you expect others to do when working with you, such as:

-  be professional

-  prepare for one-on-one sessions

-  be honest

-  manage your own career development, knowing that I will provide resources and support.

Do not:

-  come unprepared to meetings

-  put your own agenda before the team

-  waffle when asked a direct question

3) Define the rewards and consequences of your style. Communicate to others that you do realize there are upsides and downsides to the way you operate and how people relate to you, and that you will do your best to recognize and encourage diversity of views.

4) Work on your style! It’s always worth showing you know you’re human and are looking to develop  too!

The hardest part about identifying your leadership style is that you will have to ask yourself some tough questions such as: “what qualities do I possess that people identify with as a leader?” and “what areas might I need to improve on to move this team forward?” Once you address these questions, you will be able to communicate your style to others and begin building the leader relationship.

Ultimately, what matter most is that you consciously think about how you want others to see you – and then work hard on ensuring what you do and say continually reinforces this with your team.

Want to try out a simple self-assessment? We have a couple of management style questionnaires in our free membership area, which can help you reflect on your own style, so you’re in a better position to communicate this to your team. They won’t take long – but can be a useful exercise!

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For more information to help you with the people side of management,
including how to improve employee motivation and get the best out of your team, take a look at these great resources:

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