Adaptive Management Style

The good news is, at least so far, I'm still learning.  The bad news is, well, the bad news is that it took me this long to learn what might be fairly evident to a lot of other people.  That is, your preferred management style is really irrelevant.

What I've learned lately is that a manager needs to be somewhat fluid in his or her management styles.  For a long time I thought having a consistent management approach was probably the best avenue.  That way the people who work for you can understand your expectations.  Consistency is valuable, since it allows people to predict what may happen and how to plan for it. 

When I started managing people I used my preferred approach - a very hands off management style in which I provide relatively clear guidance about scope and timeframe and desired result, and then allowed the people working for me to determine the best approach to creating the solution.  I would check in from time to time to determine what progress was being made and to offer help.  I worked this way because I enjoyed working this way with my managers.

The reason this doesn't work in many cases is that it assumes that everyone on the team is self-motivated and can pick up and get started.  If everyone on the team were exact clones of me (God forbid) then that management style might have worked.  But on any team there are a range of work styles.  Some people are self-starters, some need encouragement and even a push to get started.  Some are very detail oriented and some don't worry about the finer details.  Some are very communicative and some aren't.

What I've learned is that regardless of my preferred management style, I've got to adapt it to the situation and the people who are working for me.  While I may prefer to give high level guidance and direction, for the more detail-oriented people who work for me, I've got to break it down for them and with them or they will struggle.  For the people who need a gentle boost, I've got to sit down with them on a regular basis to determine where they are and what motivation they need.  For the folks who like to color outside the lines, I've got to encourage that desire but ensure we are working on what our customers or clients want.

In other words, a good manager should constantly adapt her management style to the people she has working for her, based on their needs, capabilities and expectations.  Being a big picture manager to a team filled with detailed analytical types doesn't work well, and ultimately as the manager it's your job to get the people working effectively.

While you may be proud of your management "style" ask yourself this question - does my style work for the people who are working for me? 

Comments

[Todd]

Just a quick comment to say that you are not the only one who took a while to learn this. I'm right there in line with you.

[bean]

i think you're describing an age-old management concept called "Situational Leadership" :)

[laurence haughton]

I agree wholeheartedly but...

It is difficult to make an accurate assessment of exactly "what" each associate needs from you as their manager or coach. Your mental models, your personality, your current circumstances all affect the way you read signals and decide what each means.

You need a system (a process) for making more accurate assessments.

[Ken King]

I think it's a lesson most managers learn the hard way, as I did. It's the golden rule (do unto others as you would have them do unto you) in action: when you first get a chance to manage you bring with you all your own good and bad experiences and try to manage as you would like to be managed.

[wolske]

bean is right, what you're talking about is covered pretty well by Situational Leadership. In terms of that model, you're treating everyone as Developmental level 4 (highly capable and self-motivated). You seem willing to offer more support if they demonstrate a need (D3/S3), but wouldn't it be more effective if you did that in the first place?
I'm still new to the concept, but I see it as being critically important as I grow as a leader.

[Steve]

Marcus Buckingham's whole life now revolves around tha manager who can pick and choose the best management style for the situation.

His latest book, "The One Thing You Need to Know" deals with this talent.

http://snipurl.com/TheOneThing