How Is Your Management Approach Viewed By Others?
When you are a manager, your management style will be viewed and noted by a host of people you are working with. Your colleagues and subordinates will each have an opinion about your management style. Most people acquire their management skills through learning. This can be observing other managers, taking training classes or through trial and error. It is quite possible that along the way, you might have picked up some poor management skills that need to be done away with.
Evaluating Your Management Style
You can get feedback from neutral parties on your management style. However,
it also helps to sit down and identify your strengths and weaknesses where your management skills are concerned. The idea is to build your strengths further and address your weaknesses. For instance, being a hard worker can be a strength, but having difficulties writing performance evaluations of your subordinates is a weakness.
You also need to identify your management style. Depending on which book you read, you will get several management styles. However, the key management styles are directing, supporting, delegating and coaching management styles. Directing management style is perfect when deadlines are near and the manager does not have time to explain. It also helps when managing inexperienced personnel.
The coaching style uses explaining decision, getting suggestions and praising individual workers. While the manager may solicit suggestions, he takes the final decision. The supporting style lends a patient ear to individuals and encourages them to be self-reliant, solve problems and make decisions. This is a good management style when handling experienced personnel. It creates ownership among the team members. Delegating management style looks to empower personnel to act independent and ensures resources are available to get the job done.
Improving Your Management Style
Once you are aware of your management style, strengths and weaknesses, it is time to use the information to improve your management approach. Improving weaknesses take commitment, as changing, even for the better, is always difficult. When you want to change, it is best to take it slow and have a goal in mind. This is easier said than done. For instance, you want to be a better listener. However, when one of your team members comes to your office, you could be busy checking your email, shuffling papers or even checking your watch. To become a better listener, you will have to make a concerted effort. Next time a team member comes to speak to you in your office, sit back, fold your hand and do not touch anything on your desk. Instead focus on the speaker and pay close attention to what he has to say. It may be difficult in the beginning, but you will become a better listener with practice.
It also is important to understand each team member. You would need use different management style with each person. This means knowing what motivates each team member and what makes them tick. Motivation is what drives productivity and allows people to take initiatives. If you know what motivates each team member, you can provide that working environment to help them perform optimally and this will, in turn, reflect well on your management style. Remember, each person has different needs when it comes to support and providing them with a roadmap. The style you adopt will depend on the situation. At times, you may have to delegate work and other times, you would have to offer support to show the team member the way. This means being flexible and understanding.
Being a manager is tough and you will have numerous challenges every day. In addition, people will judge you for your management approach. Change the things you want to improve and get to know your team members. This will help increase your department’s productivity and make you a better manager.
