Management Styles

Managershavetoperformmanyrolesinanorganizationandhowtheyhandlevarioussituationswill
dependontheirstyleofmanagement.Amanagementstyleisanoverallmethodofleadershipusedbya
manager.Therearetwosharplycontrastingstylesthatwillbebrokendownintosmallersubsetslater:
o

Autocratic

Permissive

Eachstylehasitsowncharacteristics:
Autocratic:Leadermakesalldecisionsunilaterally.
Permissive:Leaderpermitssubordinatestotakepartindecisionmakingandalsogivesthema
considerabledegreeofautonomyincompletingroutineworkactivities.
Combiningthesecategorieswithdemocratic(subordinatesareallowedtoparticipateindecision
making)anddirective(subordinatesaretoldexactlyhowtodotheirjobs)stylesgivesusfourdistinct
waystomanage:
DirectiveDemocrat:Makesdecisionsparticipatively;closelysupervisessubordinates.
DirectiveAutocrat:Makesdecisionsunilaterally;closelysupervisessubordinates.
PermissiveDemocrat:Makesdecisionsparticipatively;givessubordinateslatitudeincarryingout
theirwork.
PermissiveAutocrat:Makesdecisionsunilaterally;givessubordinateslatitudeincarryingouttheir
work.

Inwhatsituationswouldeachstylebeappropriate?Inappropriate?
Managersmustalsoadjusttheirstylesaccordingtothesituationthattheyarepresentedwith.Below
arefourquadrantsofsituationalleadershipthatdependontheamountofsupportandguidanceneeded:
Telling:Worksbestwhenemployeesareneitherwillingnorabletodothejob(highneedofsupport
andhighneedofguidance).
Delegating:Worksbestwhentheemployeesarewillingtodothejobandknowhowtogoaboutit(low
needofsupportandlowneedofguidance).
Participating:Worksbestwhenemployeeshavetheabilitytodothejob,butneedahighamountof
support(lowneedofguidancebuthighneedofsupport).
Selling:Worksbestwhenemployeesarewillingtodothejob,butdontknowhowtodoit(lowneed
ofsupportbuthighneedofguidance).
Thedifferentstylesdependonthesituationandtherelationshipbehavior(amountofsupportrequired)
andtaskbehavior(amountofguidancerequired).

Canyouguesswhichmanagementstyleswouldworkbestforeachsituation
listedabove?
Shouldmanagersuseonlyonemanagementstyle?Situationalstyle?
Listedbelowareafewsituationsandoptionsforwhatyouwoulddo.Trytodecidewhichofthefour
situationalstyleswouldworkbestineachsituation.Thenpicktheoptionthatbestfitsthatstyle.
Situation1
Theemployeesinyourprogramappeartobehavingseriousproblemsgettingthejobdone.Their
performancehasbeengoingdownhillrapidly.Theyhavenotrespondedtoyoureffortstobefriendlyor
toyourexpressionsofconcernfortheirwelfare.
Whichstylewouldyoupick?Whatwouldyoudo?
a.

Reestablishtheneedforfollowingprogramproceduresandmeetingtheexpectationsfortask
accomplishment.

b.

Besurethatstaffmembersknowyouareavailablefordiscussion,butdontpressurethem.

c.

Talkwithyouremployeesandthensetperformancegoals.

d.

Waitandseewhathappens.

Situation2
Duringthepastfewmonths,thequalityofworkdonebystaffmembershasbeenincreasing.Record
keepingisaccurateanduptodate.Youhavebeencarefultomakesurethatthestaffmembersare
awareofyourperformanceexpectations.
Whichstylewouldyoupick?Whatwouldyoudo?
a.

Stayuninvolved.

b.

Continuetoemphasizetheimportanceofcompletingtasksandmeetingdeadlines.

c.

Besupportiveandprovideclearfeedback.Continuetomakesurethatstaffmembersare
awareofperformanceexpectations.

d.

Makeeveryefforttoletstaffmembersfeelimportantandinvolvedinthedecisionmaking
process.

Situation3
Performanceandinterpersonalrelationsamongyourstaffhavebeengood.Youhavenormallyleft
themalone.However,anewsituationhasdeveloped,anditappearsthatstaffmembersareunableto
solvetheproblemthemselves.
Whichstylewouldyoupick?Whatwouldyoudo?
a.

Bringthegrouptogetherandworkasateamtosolvetheproblem.

b.

Continuetoleavethemalonetoworkitout.

c.

Actquicklyandfirmlytoidentifytheproblemandestablishprocedurestocorrectit

d.

Encouragethestafftoworkontheproblem,lettingthemknowyouareavailableasaresource
andfordiscussioniftheyneedyou.

Situation4
Youareconsideringamajorchangeinyourprogram.Yourstaffhasafinerecordofaccomplishment
andastrongcommitmenttoexcellence.Theyaresupportiveoftheneedforchangeandhavebeen
involvedintheplanning.
Whichstylewouldyoupick?Whatwouldyoudo?
a.

Continuetoinvolvethestaffintheplanning,butdirectthechange.

b.

Announcethechangesandthenimplementthemwithclosesupervision.

c.

Allowthegrouptobeinvolvedindevelopingthechange,butdontpushtheprocess.

d.

Letthestaffmanagethechangeprocess.