Management Theories

These are the most important theories about management philosophy:

 The Scientific Theory by Frederick W. Taylor. The key to this approach relies on three
factors: Simplify tasks as much as possible, divide work equally, and use monetary
incentives.

 The Administrative Theory by Henri Fayol. Managers are the most important part of
an organization. The more prepared they are, the more the organization will prosper.

 The Bureaucratic Theory by Max Weber. A strict order with clear rules is what makes
an organization successful because everyone knows what they’re supposed to do.

 The Human Relations Theory by Elton Mayo. An organization is made from people
who must work with each other, by creating positive relations between them the whole
organization benefits.
 The Systems Theory by Ludwig von Bertalanffy. An organization is a system
with many different parts, and like any system, its parts must act in harmony to
make the system work.
 The X & Y Theory by Douglas McGregor. There are two ways of understanding
employee motivation: Theory X sees the worker as lazy, selfish, and in need of
constant supervision. Theory Y sees the worker as a motivated individual that
can be trusted.

Martin Luenendonk. https://www.cleverism.com/lexicon/management-philosophy/

Management Theories
(https://courses.lumenlearning.com/wm-organizationalbehavior/chapter/different-management-
theories/)

Scientific Management Theory

Frederick Winslow Taylor developed and published his Scientific Management Theory
in 1909. At its core, scientific management theory believes that it is vital to find the most
effective way to complete each and every task, no matter how small. In the early 1900s,
managers would give orders to their workers with no guidance on how to accomplish
them. Managers and employees rarely, if ever, had interaction with one another. Taylor
believed this was an inefficient way to operate a business and recommended some key
changes.

Taylor argued each task should be completed as efficiently as possible. In addition,

everyone should be assigned a particular job based on their skills and abilities and must
be evaluated based on the quantity and quality of their work. Taylor did not think it was
fair or cost effective to pay every employee the same amount, regardless of their output.
While this may sound like common sense today, this was a groundbreaking idea in the
early 1900s. Another big component of scientific management theory is the idea of
training and development. Taylor argued it was extremely important to monitor and train
your employees on the tasks they are assigned to. By ensuring your employees are
efficient at their work, the output will be larger and of a higher quality.

One part of the scientific management theory that is not common today is the idea that
managers strictly manage and employees simply work. Nowadays, most companies
offer room for growth and advancement for their employees as opposed to keeping a
distinct barrier between management and employees. This theory had a huge impact on
the way companies operated and how they were able to create a more balanced pay
system, better training, and a more efficient workforce.

Administrative Management Theory

Administrative management theory was developed by Henri Fayol in the early 1900s
and is considered to be highly relevant even today. Fayol created fourteen principles
which he believed outlined the basis for strong and successful companies. It is
important to know that Fayol agreed with many of Taylor’s ideas and ideologies,
however, the main difference is that Taylor focused on the process of completing the
work most effectively, and Fayol focuses on the organizational structure of a company
as a whole.

Some of Fayol’s principles included a clear division of labor, ensuring each employee
had only one direct manager to report to, and a healthy manager-employee relationship.
Another important part of Fayol’s administrative management theory is the idea that
everyone in a company should be aligned by organizational goals. Fayol believed that
organizational structure was vital to the success and productivity of a company.

Bureaucratic Management Theory

The word bureaucracy tends to sound pejorative, or negative, by implying that a

bureaucratic organization is an impersonal machine that focuses more on numbers and
output than on the wellbeing of its employees. However, its intended meaning is actually
quite different. At the end of the 19th century, Max Weber created the bureaucratic
management theory. Unlike today’s interpretation of the word, Weber believed that
bureaucracy meant carefully developing and spelling out company objectives and
divisions of labor. While this included developing a hierarchy of command within the
company, it also included supporting and developing employees.

Weber built onto Taylor’s theory by adding a few key ideas of his own. Like Taylor,
Weber believed efficiency in completing tasks was a key component to success and
recommended detailed record keeping at all levels to monitor efficiency as well as areas
of opportunity. He agreed that all employees need to have clear job expectations and
each job should be standardized to allow for maximum productivity. The greatest
difference between the scientific theory and the bureaucratic theory is that Weber
believed in the importance of human emotion.

Emotion in business? This was absolutely unheard of during the Industrial Revolution.
However, Weber believed the two words were closely associated. Weber argued that
the increased use of technology could have a negative impact on a company’s culture.
Too much change can be harmful to company morale and create long lasting negative
effects on company success. In addition, Weber argued it was extremely important to
hire based on skill and, just as importantly, personality. To ensure the safety and
longevity of a company’s culture, Weber believed hiring employees based on their
personality was critical.

Even in today’s business world, there is an anti-bureaucratic tone. For example, the
term management is often replaced with leadership. The argument for this is that
management is a mundane and structured task while leadership is a unique and heroic
act. With this thought process, managers are viewed in a negative light while leaders
are appreciated and recognized. Although in many places managers and leaders may
appear to perform their job the same way, the focus on eliminating bureaucratic tone
and perceived terminology from today’s workplace is evident[1].

Human Relations Management Theory

As the title implies, Human Relations Management Theory is centered around human
interactions and relationships. Elton Mayo believed that all early management theories
only focused on how money affects employee performance. He believed there were
more factors that influenced how employees behaved and performed at work. To test
his theory, he began a study at Chicago’s Western Electric Hawthorne Plant in the
1920s and 1930s and created his own management theory based on his findings which
are more commonly known today as The Hawthorne Effect.

The initial goal of the The Hawthorne Study was to determine how changing the lighting
would or would not affect employee productivity. They began the study with a small
group of employees who they interacted with throughout the process. The study found
that regardless of how they changed the lighting, productivity increased. When they
were unable to make a connection as to why productivity improved, they began
branching out to other departments to see if the results were similar. They realized that
the lighting changes did not affect productivity but instead the daily interactions with the
employees throughout the process motivated them to work more efficiently and increase
their output. They allowed employees to voice their opinions, frustrations, and
successes which in turn helped the employees feel more valuable. In addition, since
they knew they were being monitored, they were more motivated to perform on a higher
level. This was a revolutionary discovery that put the spotlight on human relations and
highlighted the importance of individual and group dynamics.

General Systems Theory

In the 1940s, biologist Ludwig von Bertalanffy created his General Systems Theory. You
might be wondering why a biologist would have any impact on management. Keep
reading to see if you can connect the dots.

Ludwig von Bertalanffy believed that your body is the sum of all parts. For example,
your nervous system works together with your digestive system, which work with each
organ and muscle group to allow a person to function. If one function of the body fails to
work, the body as a whole cannot effectively operate. Humans are most healthy and
functional when all aspects of their being are working together effectively. He also
argued that the environment can have an effect on each of the parts. A broken leg can
prevent you from walking or the flu can have you bedridden for days. Each of these
issues can damage the overall productivity of a person.

Ludwig von Bertalanffy’s theory is still found today in many management styles and
theories. His work shows that external factors can prove to be toxic to an environment.
Although he was referring to the human body, the same can be said for the workplace.
Negativity and other toxic outlooks can have a harmful effect on motivation and
performance at all levels in an organization. And, like his theory states, even when only
one component of the organization isn’t executing properly, it will have an undesirable
effect on the rest of the organization.

X&Y Management Theory

Based on his observations in the 1950s and 1960s, Douglas McGregor developed the
X&Y Management Theory, by arguing that all managers can be grouped into two
categories. The first category known as Theory X explains that managers have a
negative view of their employees and believe that employees need to be forced or
coaxed into working. Theory X Managers tend to micromanage with the belief that
employees will not motivate themselves to complete their work. This theory can be
linked back to the scientific management theory and its focus on output above
employee development and input.

On the opposite side of the spectrum, Theory Y Managers believe that employees are
inherently motivated to work. Theory Y managers value the importance of helping their
employees to thrive by providing opportunities for learning and development. Theory Y
is focused on the idea of team versus independent work. McGregor argued that a team
environment paired with an emphasis on individual professional development produces
better results and a healthier work environment. Theory Y continues to prove its
relevance and is still present in today’s business world.

What do some of the original management

theorists believe?

 Different managers have different schools of thought.

 Frederick W. Taylor’s theory is scientific.
 Henri Fayol’s theory is administrative.
 Max Weber’s theory is bureaucratic.
 Elton Mayo’s theory is based in human relations.
 Ludwig von Bertalanffy’s theory is systemic.
 Douglas McGregor’s theory is based on different types of workers.

There’s a lot more to managing a team than meets the eye. To properly lead
a business, you need to appeal to employees through numerous methods,
including emotional and financial incentives. Employees tend to
enjoy authentic managers who value them as people and professionals,
whereas some of the original management theories didn’t value kindness or
work-life balance.

Management is a constantly changing field, and it’s both an art and a

science. Most modern-day workplaces employ multiple management
theories to ensure optimal employee output. While many of these systems are
hybrids of multiple theories and strategies, there are a few famous strategies
that have been studied by managers for decades.

Different managers have different schools of

thought
Until the day computers can think, learn and feel emotions, humans will
probably be the most complicated assets to manage. We’ve come to expect
error-free performance from a printer or fax machine, but you can’t expect
the same thing from a human. On the other hand, there are many things that
machines just aren’t capable of, which makes human assets irreplaceable.
For this reason, proper management is vital to an organization’s success.

“Proper management” is a tricky term, though. Not every employee, and

certainly not every group of employees within a company, responds the same
way to certain managerial tactics. The best managers are able to use
different styles when dealing with different people, while still using one or two
major guiding philosophies for leading a team. This can make modern
management challenging.

Theorists have long speculated on what type on management is best for

humans in the professional setting. Their management theories, or collections
of ideas that provide the framework for effective management strategy, are
implemented in modern workplaces to motivate and bring out the best in
employees.

It’s common for managers to use more than one theory to achieve
productivity or organizational goals. It is important for managers to
understand these different theories and know how to implement them, while
also realizing past management theories don’t always tell the whole picture
when it comes to effective leadership.

Here’s more on the six most popular management theories discussed above

in the infographic.

Scientific theory by Frederick W. Taylor

This one is a classic. Taylor’s scientific theory poses some fascinating
questions by diving deeper into the efficiency of work processes. Taylor was
an engineer, and he experimented in various ways to determine the most
efficient and effective ways to get tasks done.

On the surface, this theory held great value. The scientific theory aimed to
make work more efficient. Unfortunately, the theory had some major flaws as
well.
Taylor created four principles of his scientific management theory. First, each
task should be studied to determine the most efficient way to do the task. This
disrupts traditional work processes. Second, workers should be matched to
jobs that align with both their abilities and motivation. Third, workers should
be monitored closely to ensure they only follow best working practices. Fourth,
managers should spend time training employees and planning for future
needs.

There are a few positives of this theory. Maximizing efficiency is a great idea.
Assigning workers to jobs based on their abilities and motivation levels is also
an interesting idea that could have beneficial effects in some areas.

Major flaws in the theory include the de-emphasis on teamwork. An incredible

focus on specific and individualized tasks eliminates creative problem-
solving and makes teamwork obsolete. The scientific management theory
also encourages micromanagement that could drive today’s employees
crazy.

Administrative theory by Henri Fayol

Fayol developed six functions of management that work in conjunction with 14
management principles. This theory has a few core ideas that live on today,
but you’ll rarely find a workplace swearing by Fayol’s 14 principles.

The six functions are as follows:

 Forecasting
 Planning
 Organizing
 Commanding
 Coordinating
 Controlling

Some people combine forecasting and planning into one function, simplifying
the theory down to five functions. The functions are straightforward, with Fayol
saying managers need to plan for the future, organize necessary resources,
direct employees, work collaboratively and control employees to make sure
everyone follows necessary commands.

The 14 principles are as follows:

 Division of work – Employees should have complementary skill sets that allow
them to specialize in certain areas.
 Authority – Management needs authority to give employees orders. This
authority must be agreed upon.
 Discipline – This gets to the idea of employees listening to commands and
being disciplined in getting work done. If a manager sets a deadline, an
employee should have the discipline to meet it.
 Unity of command – Employees answer to their managers, and there aren’t a
bunch of unnecessary people involved with the process. Going over your
manager’s head would be an example of breaking this principle.
 Unity of direction – Teams should be striving for common goals.
 Subordination of individual interests – The team comes before the individual.
 Remuneration – There are monetary and non-monetary versions of
remuneration. Both are needed to motivate employees.
 Centralization – There should be a balance between decision-making power.
For example, a company’s board of directors should have a say, but the
midlevel managers shouldn’t be overpowered.
 Scalar chain – Each company should have clear hierarchical structures.
 Order – This refers mostly to cleanliness and organization within a workplace.
An office shouldn’t be disgustingly messy.
 Equity – Employees should be treated well.
 Stability of tenure of personnel – This principle suggests that businesses
should try to limit turnover and keep employees around as they accumulate
knowledge and improve.
 Initiative – Employees should share ideas and be rewarded for innovative
thinking and taking on new tasks.
 Esprit de corps – Employee morale matters. This principle suggests that
managers should work to keep employees engaged and interested.

There are quality aspects of this theory. Remembering all 14 principles can be
challenging and makes more sense for a test on management than an
entrepreneur running their business, but the principles apply in today’s
workforce. Things like equity and remuneration are important aspects of
management. Other principles, like scalar chain, aren’t always necessary.
Some businesses find success without clear hierarchies, and the
organizational setup depends largely on the business and the size of the
company.

Bureaucratic theory by Max Weber

Weber created the bureaucratic theory, which says an organization will be
most efficient if it uses a bureaucratic structure. Weber’s ideal business uses
standard rules and procedures to organize itself. He believed this strategy
was especially effective for large operations.

The theory includes the following five principles:

 Task specialization – Weber stressed the importance of each employee

fulfilling a specific role within a company.
 Hierarchy – Weber wanted each company to have a clear hierarchy within
the organization.
 Formal selection – When selecting leaders, businesses view a person’s
qualifications. They should be appointed to certain roles based on
qualifications, which means they won’t be elected by vote.
 Rules and requirements – These ensure everyone knows what’s expected of
them. Weber wanted business to have uniform standards, and rules are
essential to achieve this goal.
 Impersonal – The rules and regulations make a business structure
impersonal. Promotions aren’t about emotions or personal ties, but rather
performance.

Elements of this theory make sense. Some rules and standards are certainly
necessary within every organization. On the other hand, it’s not easy to
implement many of these ideas. The theory and practice don’t line up. It’s
almost impossible to keep emotions out of business decisions, and
sometimes emotions are needed.

If your company offers three months of paternity leave, but a new mother has
complications with her baby near the end of those three months, some
managers may offer another few weeks at home to care for the child. With
Weber’s mindset, a manager would coldly ask her to return to work after three
months like everyone else. Emotions shouldn’t always dictate decisions, but
the best managers can relate to their employees on a personal level.

Human relations theory by Elton Mayo

In stark contrast to Weber’s bureaucratic theory of management, the human
relations theory emphasizes relationships. Mayo believed that productivity
increases when people feel like they are part of a team and valued by their
co-workers.

The human relations theory emphasizes praise and teamwork as

motivational factors. This is basically the opposite of the bureaucratic theory.
While emphasizing personal factors is a good idea, there can be too much of
a good thing. Valuing relationships above all else can lead to tricky situations
like office romances and promotions based on personality rather than job
accomplishments.

A happy medium between the bureaucratic theory and human relations

theory might be a better goal for managers. Some rules are necessary, but
you shouldn’t dehumanize employees either.

Systems theory by Ludwig von Bertalanffy

The systems theory of management believes that each business is a system,
much like a living organism, with numerous things going on to keep the
operation rolling along. A business isn’t just its CEO, and a person isn’t just a
brain. A person needs its other organs and other key features to live. A
business needs more than just a CEO to survive.

While the organism idea is a little extreme – most business operations aren’t
life-or-death endeavors – the analogy applies. The systems theory says
everything needs to work together for a business to succeed.

There is some truth to this theory, as businesses can benefit from getting
different departments on the same page. If a business’s sales team is
struggling, it can hurt the whole operation. On the other hand, a sales team
struggling doesn’t necessarily hurt the accounting department. Many
businesses have separate entities within their organization, so this theory isn’t
completely accurate.  

X&Y theory by Douglas McGregor

The X&Y theory of management assumes there are two different types of
workers. Theory X workers lack ambition and drive and need to be ordered
around by bosses to do anything. Theory Y workers, on the other hand, enjoy
work and strive for self-fulfillment.

Both views of employees are a bit extreme, as most workers fall somewhere
between X and Y. Employees don’t need to be ordered to do every task, but
there is some need for discipline and rules for most employees. Many
employees do enjoy work, but it doesn’t always come naturally and requires
some encouragement at times. There should be a middle ground for
implementing this theory.

“This theory is largely considered to be obsolete today, as few managers

begin from a starting position of being highly polar or binary in terms of their
management style being just one of two options at opposing ends of a
spectrum,” said Polly Kay, marketing manager at English Blinds.

The bottom line on management theories

Management theories popularized in the early to mid-1900s weren’t perfect.
That’s unsurprising, as different theories of management have gained steam
in recent decades. Popular management theories from the past often touch
on important aspects of management but ignore other crucial points. When
studying or implementing these theories, it’s important to know the pros and
cons of each and how those might apply to your business, even if you aren’t
directly using a certain style.

“In the real working world, few managers and business leaders consciously
use management theories as rigid frameworks to adhere to or as long-term
guiding principles,” said Kay. “That said, many do attempt to consciously
incorporate individual elements of their preferred management theories into
their broader management style.”

When it comes to implementing management theories, it’s important to

understand that no two employees or businesses are the same. A certain
style may offend one employee, while another employee may respond
beautifully. Management is both art and science, and being an effective
manager requires more than an understanding of certain theories. How they
put them into practice is what separates good and bad managers.

https://www.business.com/articles/popular-management-
theories-decoded/
5 Principles of Great Management
(Bill Davis, MA, CM, Forbes School of Business and Technology® at the University of Arizona
Global Campus) https://www.uagc.edu/blog/5-principles-of-great-management

According to Steve Jobs, “Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard
to get your thinking clean to make it simple.” By understanding and learning to apply
these universal principles, you are more likely to excel as a manager in any
organization. Read this blog to learn the five principles of great management. 

Principle No. 1: The Functions of Management

While managers often view their work as task or supervisory in orientation, this view
is an illusion. 

At the most fundamental level, management is a discipline that consists of a set of

five general functions: planning, organizing, staffing, leading and controlling. These
five functions are part of a body of practices and theories on how to be a successful
manager.

Understanding the functions will help managers focus efforts on activities that gain
results. Summarizing the five functions of great management (ICPM Management
Content):

1. Planning: When you think of planning in a management role, think about it as the
process of choosing appropriate goals and actions to pursue and then determining
what strategies to use, what actions to take, and deciding what resources are needed
to achieve the goals.

2. Organizing: This process of establishing worker relationships allows workers to work

together to achieve their organizational goals.

3. Leading: This function involves articulating a vision, energizing employees, inspiring

and motivating people using vision, influence, persuasion, and effective
communication skills.

4. Staffing: Recruiting and selecting employees for positions within the company (within
teams and departments).

5. Controlling: Evaluate how well you are achieving your goals, improving performance,
taking actions. Put processes in place to help you establish standards, so you can
measure, compare, and make decisions.
Principle No. 2: The Types and Roles of Managers within
the Organization

Organizational structure is important in driving the business forward and every

organization has a structure. No matter the organizationally specific title,
organizations contain front-line, middle, and top managers. Above the top
management team are a CEO and a board of director levels. To see this structure
even more clearly, visualize a pyramid model. The more you move toward the top of
the pyramid, the fewer managers you have. All of these management roles have
specific tasks and duties. According to Jones and George, “A managerial role is the set
of specific tasks that a manager is expected to perform because of the position he or
she holds in an organization.” These skills can be gained with a degree
in organizational management.
All great managers play important roles in this model. One important thing to
remember is from Henry Mintzberg, a management scholar who researched and
reduced thousands of tasks performed by managers to 10 roles (ICPM). His model
points out that there are three main types of roles all managers play; they are
decisional, interpersonal, and informational. In the decisional role, managers can
perform in an entrepreneurial manner, as a disturbance handler, resource allocator
or negotiator. In an interpersonal role, managers may be figureheads, leaders, and
liaisons. In the informational role, they monitor, are disseminators or spokespersons,
and they share information.

Principle No. 3: Effective Management of Organizational

Resources

An essential component of operationalizing the organization’s strategic plan is

allocating resources where they will make the most impact. In fact, Dr. Ray
Powers (2015), associate dean in the Forbes School of Business &
Technology, argues that it is the most important thing to do. 
“I define resources as people, time, money, and assets — and of course the basic
definition of a project is to have a goal and a start and end date — for pretty much
any activity we do,” he explains. 

Managers participate in operational planning and budget planning processes and, in

doing so, actively determine what should be done, in what order it is to be done, and
determine what resources are appropriate to be successful in achieving the plan.
Keep in mind that this is not a personality contest. The strategic plan and its specific
objectives determine what is important and what may not be as important.
Principle No. 4: Understanding and Applying the Four
Dimensions of Emotional Intelligence (EQ) in Maximizing
Human Potential

Effective managers understand the context and culture in leadership situations. What
helps these managers succeed? It is simple; they understand EQ (the
competencies in each dimension of emotional intelligence). 
Those four dimensions are: a high self-awareness, social awareness, self-
management, and good social skills. All of these competencies are important, and
they lead to great connections with people. They lead to stronger and more effective
managerial performance. EQ is a very important component for excelling as a
supervisor. 

The job of the manager is to find a way to turn a team member’s skill and talent into
a higher level of performance. This idea doesn’t suggest manipulation at all. Instead,
it is about maximizing human potential, one team member at a time. It is as much art
as it is science.

Dr. Diane Hamilton, program chair in the Forbes School of Business & Technology,
recently described a candidate seeking a position on the faculty senate with having a
high EQ. Dr. Hamilton, a highly skilled professional who possesses knowledge and
skill in the area of Meyers Briggs Type Indicator, recognizes the importance of EQ. 

“He demonstrates emotional intelligence and exemplifies the high caliber of

candidate I would like to represent the FSB,” she said about the candidate. 

Principle No. 5: Know the Business

A common axiom in management is that a qualified manager can manage any

business. This point is only partially true. It is true that most managers are
generalists rather than specialists; however, many very successful managers began
their careers in specialist roles. What most successful managers bring to their work in
leading crews, departments, divisions, and companies is both a solid knowledge of
the business (they are very experienced) and a solid knowledge of the principles of
great management. Manager aspirants must first learn the characteristics of the
business by doing, working in the trenches, and discovering how the various pieces of
the organization work together to become a universal whole because very good
managers discover what is universal in the business and capitalize on it to advance
the business and improve performance.
Conclusion

Remember, as a manager, for greater job satisfaction and career success you should
align to your organization’s vision, mission, strategies, leadership, systems, structure,
and cultures. In all you do, treat people fairly and honestly and do your best to follow
and embrace your organization’s ethics and core values as well as your own. Talk the
walk and walk the talk, and remember, people are watching and seeing how you walk
it. Give your very best to your teams, organizations, and customers. Be an effective
manager to get the performance results for your organization and build trust and
positive relationship with your people.
12 Management Best Practices to
Use
ByEric CzerwonkaLast UpdatedApril 19, 2022

Did you know that only 60% of employees say they have a world-class manager?
A good manager plays a significant role in creating a positive and highly productive
workplace. Your behavior and management can transform your team into a super
productive unit and improve morale among your direct reports.
There are some standard good management practices that successful managers use. If
you haven’t already implemented them, our article will tell you how, and explain the
benefits.
We’ll cover 12 examples of best practices for managers and team leaders, from how to
communicate better, to how to delegate, and educate your team. So let’s get started.

1. Hire the right people (someone you’d be happy

to see in the hallway)
Wrong hires have a big impact on a company’s productivity and costs. They usually
perform lower than others, and managing an underperforming employee takes 70%
more time than managing a high performing one.
Additionally, if your staff doesn’t share your company’s values, you’ll find it challenging
to get everyone rowing in the same direction. At the end of the day the goal is
maximizing profitability.
While a candidate does need to have the right essential skills for a role, you can’t “train”
someone to have the right attitude and personality that fits your company. Business
management is people management – make it easier for yourself from the start.
There are many advantages to hiring employees that are a strong cultural fit. Such
employees bring more value to your business. They are generally more satisfied with
their positions and exhibit that satisfaction through their work results.
Here are some steps you can take to improve your chances of hiring the right person.

Consider a wide range of candidates

You need a vast pool of potential employees to find the perfect fit. As long as you have
assessment criteria in place, you’ll know who to shortlist and invite for an interview.
Don’t limit your search to one job board either as you will lower the chance for finding
the right candidate. You never know – professional social media like LinkedIn and
AngelList could be the key to connecting with future members of your team.

Draw up an assessment criteria

Predetermined rules give you greater consistency in the recruitment process. You can
use your criteria to analyze candidates, select them for interviews, but also to compare
and score interviewees’ answers. You can even take it a step further – a Walden
University case study revealed that practical demonstrations were key in determining if
candidates 1. had the knowledge to complete tasks and 2. fit into the organization.

Prioritize cultural fit

When recruiting, prioritize the cultural fit and not just the role fit. This means that during
the recruitment process, you must look beyond the candidate’s qualifications.
You’ll need to determine whether they share your company’s views and values,
and then consider the candidate’s skills and the role fit.
Picture seeing them down the hallway— would you be happy to see them?

2. Be consistent in your actions

Consistency means that employees know exactly what to expect of you as predictable
managers bring stability to the workplace. Without a consistent leader, employees are
likely to feel confused and stressed, which will affect their productivity.
An excellent example of a consistent leader is Jack Welch, the former CEO of General
Electric, who is often named as one of the best leaders in history.
Jack Welch’s practice of ranking employees and eliminating the worst performers
(otherwise known as the “rank-and-yank” method) worked well for him at General
Electric.
Although some may have considered his leadership harsh, he was always consistent at
his actions and his expectations were clear.
Good or bad, a consistent approach brings a multitude of benefits to your workplace.

3. Communicate (clearly, accurately and

thoroughly)
Bad management often stems from poor communication. If you experience problems
with your team, it may well be that your communication skills need some honing.
To become a better communicator, begin with the basics. Excellent communication is
clear, accurate, and thorough, and doesn’t leave people with a question mark over their
head.
And it’s especially important when you’re delegating tasks. When telling someone what
to do, make sure you cover all the necessary details:

 Who is responsible for the task

 What they have to do
 When they have to do it by
 How should they do it (if needed)

Whether we are talking about written or oral communication, the same rules apply. Try
to deliver the punchline first, then complement your main point with supporting
information.
Since listening makes a big part of good communication practices, welcome additional
questions from your team, and be ready to answer them with patience and empathy.

4. Listen actively and ask questions

As Sir Richard Branson says, “Listen more than you talk. Nobody ever learned anything
by hearing themselves speak.”
Listening to your staff, trying to understand their perspectives and concerns shows them
they’re appreciated and is a good practice to do.
Employees who feel listened to are happier and have lower stress levels. On top of that,
those who believe their managers use active-empathetic listening (AEL) feel more in
control at work and have higher general well-being.
One of the easiest ways to become a better listener is to show that you care.
Demonstrating that you care about your employees enhances your professional
relationships and shows staff you see them as valuable assets in the workplace.
You should encourage staff to voice opinions and ask questions—this also shows
you’re listening and engaging with them. When you do ask questions, however, avoid
interrupting them as they speak. Doing this encourages staff to open up to you.
That said, even the most supportive business owners may have trouble getting their
employees to open up due to the power imbalance. In those cases, prioritize increasing
your team’s comfort with using your Human Resources department to voice any
concerns.

5. Lead by example
If a manager is demanding something she is not doing herself, then the employees will
be less motivated to do it.
Show, don’t tell. If you want to influence your team, the best thing you can do is to be an
example to follow. Remember that employees look up to you to determine what is
acceptable and desirable behavior in the workplace.

Ask yourself — What behaviors do you exhibit that others already mirror? Which ones
could you start exhibiting that will influence your team and make the workplace better
for everyone?
For instance, can you:

 Show greater flexibility?

 Demonstrate a stronger work ethic?
 Communicate more clearly?

Leading by example may sound like a cliché, but it’s a vital part of proper management,
so think about the areas where you can be a powerful role model for others.
6. Delegate and get out of the way
Some managers fear delegation because of the underlying concern that they could
complete the task better. However, with a limited amount of time, delegation becomes
an essential part of project management.
Delegating not only saves you time, but it also helps develop your team. By delegating
more tasks, your employees will build their skills along with their confidence.
When you delegate a part of work to your team, you also enable them to develop their
way of doing things. Whichever approach they take, don’t interfere. Instead, take a step
back, ask for updates, and check whether they require your input.
To avoid micromanagement, provide your staff with the tools they need to do an
outstanding job. A good training program is a foundation for successful delegating.
Create documentation and processes (if they aren’t already in place) so that your
employees have a roadmap for success.
Looking for some guidance on when to delegate? Try using the 70% rule.
If someone can do a task 70% as well as you can, delegate it. Train that person for an
additional 10% and be happy with 80% as a result, because nobody will do things
exactly as you.
Managers need to understand & accept that.

7. Provide constructive feedback regularly

Mistakes will happen—it’s a part of managing a team.
Your reaction to those mishaps, however, can either make your team more effective or
start a conflict. Delivering feedback properly is a critical management practice to master.
Most people enjoy becoming better at their job, and they can achieve this with regular
feedback you give them .
However, you need to steer clear of critiques. Instead, give your staff useful, actionable
feedback that they can apply to their role and grow their skills.
The secret is striking the right balance. Kyle Porter from Salesloft says that for one
“critique” (or feedback on what to improve), you should use five praises to balance
things out.
Here are some best practices for giving feedback to your employees:

Give feedback in person

Giving constructive feedback in a crowded office is never a good idea. It can damage
your employee’s confidence and self-esteem while making them defensive. Instead, find
empty space or hold a one-to-one meeting in your office .
Before you move on to any negative comments, begin with acknowledging the positives.
If there are areas for improvement, talk with your staff about how you can achieve this
together.
And when you come to share constructive feedback, be positive and informal. Your tone
of voice is everything. It will help to take the fear out of a meeting and make your team
member feel more relaxed.
Don’t overwhelm them – use clear goals
Although it’s important to stress areas that need improvement, there is a thing as too
much information.
Instead of telling your employee about everything they need to work on, prioritize the
most important area of concern for the moment and focus on that.
Once you address the most pressing issue, you can move on to the next thing.
Giving feedback can feel uncomfortable for both sides but it’s crucial for employee’s
growth and thus—retention.
Paul Petrone, Linkedin’s Head of Academic and Government Marketing, shares that
employees are more likely to quit if they aren’t growing in their role.
Regular feedback for your employees will help your day-to-day operations run more
smoothly and give your team a sense of accomplishment as they develop and meet
clear goals.
Consider introducing your team to benchmarking – comparing your methodologies to
those of the best businesses in your industry. Doing so will provide a steady source of
inspiration and motivation for dedicated workers.
Similarly, Key Performance Indicators – defined by your business objectives –
were noted to improve industrial production. This is thanks to being able to compare
KPIs with similar businesses to identify poor performance and locate improvement
potential in your company.

8. Spread Your Positivity

Moods are contagious, and you have a bigger impact on everybody’s mood than you
may realize.
When you come to work in a bad mood, it affects the productivity, morale, and quality of
work of your employees. So, don’t forget, as a leader, you’re responsible for setting the
atmosphere throughout your company.
Now, this doesn’t mean you have to hide negative things from your team, but if you
act cranky and defeated , the chances are that attitude will spread to your team as
well. So put any drama or panic to the side and act professionally.
To further spread positivity, you can:

 Smile at team members and colleagues more

 Celebrate the little wins with your team

Just as importantly, remember not to neglect mental health care for yourself either.
Ensure that you get enough sleep, some exercise, eat a balanced diet, and take time
out when you need to; otherwise, it will be hard to maintain a positive attitude.
If you feel you’re close to burning out, request a personal day so you can return
refreshed and positive, ready to motivate your team again. It’s up to you as a good
manager to manage your ups and downs.

9. Develop your people

When you focus on your staff’s development, you’re helping them to become better at
their jobs. Helping them learn more can parallelly improve their soft skills as well as
specific job-related skills.

If you want to encourage your team to grow and progress, you need to give them the
resources they need to further their development. This means providing staff with:

 Training
  Mentoring
 Motivation

You can do that by getting staff more involved at work, such as mentoring a junior
employee or presenting to senior staff. If you’re used to hosting regular meetings, try
setting a goal of each one directly benefiting as many employees as possible. Foster a
learning environment.
Additionally, you can develop your team’s skills by putting them into another role. This
could be helping you to interview a prospective employee, working on a new project, or
shadowing another colleague.
For new experiences outside of their day-to-day roles, see if your company has a
professional development budget for sending employees to a training class.
Also, if there is an opportunity to bring an employee on a business trip or to a
conference, go for it. Doing so will give your people the chance to see your company’s
work in the broader context of your industry or market.
They’ll come back to work with renewed enthusiasm and a greater sense of purpose.

10. Be flexible
Learn to relax your need for control and show your staff some flexibility.
When you are flexible with how your people accomplish tasks (within your company’s
procedures), they have the opportunity to innovate and find more efficient ways of
doing things.
Overly rigid management can lead to alienating your employees and lowering company
morale. Remember that there’s more than one way to approach a task, so show some
flexibility in getting things done.
Being more flexible also means being more patient. Some of your employees won’t
always grasp the finer points of a task at first. However, they’ll get better, so offer them
some leeway in the meantime or allow them to find their way of doing things.
Again, you’ll want to properly train employees before giving them more flexibility. They
must understand core company processes before they can innovate.
A good management practice is to allow flexibility for employees that are well-trained
and confident in their roles. Give them more opportunities to solve problems and find
solutions with your guidance.

11. Remain as transparent as possible

You may underestimate just how much your staff value truth and transparency.
Transparency brings trust, and with that comes greater respect and loyalty from your
staff.
Greater transparency also gives your staff confidence. They have a clear picture of
where the company is heading. And if there are problems ahead, keeping staff well
informed eases uncertainty, thus reducing stress.
And when you show greater transparency to your staff, there are many more
advantages, such as:

 Team building becomes quicker : A transparent approach means staff are happier to
voice opinions and give their perspectives.
 Problem-solving becomes easier . When your staff are aware of potential problems,
they can work together to create solutions.
 You build deeper relationships: When you solve problems more openly, trust deepens
among your team, and the workplace performs better. This means everyone wins.

If transparency is so important, why aren’t more leaders transparent?

A Forbes article says it’s because managers are worried about not appearing
authoritative.
However, we see that transparency at work brings many benefits, so try to implement it
as a good management practice.

12. Use quantitative data to make decisions

Using quantitative data is an effective way to create employee training and development
programs. This technique is also known as DDDM (data-driven decision making.)
Many top-performing companies turn to data to make decisions. Instead of relying on
guesswork or gut instinct, they prefer to let the facts guide them. Google is just one of
the high-profile companies that use data in the workplace .
They relied on data for training managers. Google started by using data from employee
surveys to draw up a set of behaviors that separate good managers from bad ones.
That revelation allowed them to reshape management training systems, giving new
managers the ability to excel.
However, for data-driven work culture, your workplace needs to have a strategy in
place. The first step is to define your goals—both achievable and measurable.
Once you’ve outlined your goals, you’ll know which areas you must focus on and what
type of data you’d need to gather.
Using quantitative decision making to create new training programs has its advantages,
but you also need to know how to manage that data, and most importantly, how to keep
it secure.

Good managers can manage anything

When you rely on good management practices, you can professionally develop yourself
and, consequently, develop your team.
As John Maxwell said about leadership – “tend to people, and they will tend to the
business.”
Achieving this means that you must lead by example and act in the same way you
expect others to act.
Show your human side. Show your employees that you value their work ethic or the
results they deliver. Demonstrate empathy, compassion, and a helping hand when it’s
needed.
Follow the 12 rules we shared to take your managerial skills to the next level and to
create a team that trusts and respects you.

https://buddypunch.com/blog/management-practices/