Management styles and skills Chapter 3

Management Styles Management: a group of activities including POLC which aim to effectively and efficiently control company resources in order to meet objectives. Traditionally, there are five ways you can do this... All People Can Play Lacrosse

Autocratic Management Style Strictly top-down, hierarchical. Authoritarian. Communication is one-way. Boss maintains all control and makes all decisions then tells staff what to do. Employees given information on a “need to know” basis. “You are paid for what you do here, surely that is enough!” Do things by the book and expect the same from employees.

Autocratic Management Style Advantages: Decisions are made quickly. No confusion over who is in charge. Direction is clear Disadvantages: Causes poor morale and low motivation Shows lack of trust Low job satisfaction for staff.

Autocratic Management Style Can you think of situations when this style would be suitable ???

Persuasive Management style Similar to autocratic, except that managers attempt to persuade or “sell” to employees the decisions they have made. Decision making is still centralised. “From now on you all have to start at 8am. Just think of all the peak hour traffic you will miss by starting that little bit earlier.” One –way communication. Managers seek to gain trust from employees by attempting to assure them all decisions are made with their best interests in mind.

Persuasive Management style Advantages: Decisions are made quickly. No confusion over who is in charge. Direction is clear Employees may feel valued if the “selling” is done effectively. Disadvantages: Still could cause poor morale and low motivation Shows lack of trust Low job satisfaction for staff.

Consultative Management Style Managers are willing to consult with subordinates and understand the importance of positive relationships with employees. Flatter management structure. Two-way communication but at the end of the day, management still make the final decision.

Consultative Management Style Advantages: Employees feel valued. Employees have opportunity to have their opinions heard – they could be good ideas that benefit the business. Good morale and motivation levels. Disadvantages: Time consuming. Not all ideas can be implemented. Could cause tension Might not be able to consult every time. Inconsistent.

Participative Management Style Allows employees to be part of the decision-making process. Similar to consultative. Flatter management structure. High level of trust placed in employees. Staff’s skill, knowledge and technical expertise recognised.

Participative Management Style Advantages: Motivation and morale are generally high amongst staff. Generally, managers give staff more praise. Managers provide guidance to staff re: KPI’s etc. Disadvantages: Time consuming. Staff may be unclear about their role. Eg. One minute they are allowed to make decisions, the next they are not. More people involved – greater risk of losing control.

Laissez-faire Management style “Leave well alone.” Employees are given control for setting direction, tasks and decision making. Managers take a step back. Employees given little or no guidance. Can you think of a situation where this would be a good style??

Laissez-faire Management style Advantages: Can promote creativity. Staff may be feel empowered. Disadvantages: More people involved – greater risk of losing control. Staff may feel unguided and lack motivation.

Contingency Management A contingency is something that is undecided but depends on the situation. Manager uses whatever style fits the situation in order to be more effective. Factors that would affect the style would be: The organisation – goals, culture, etc. Themselves as a manager – personality, etc. Employees – skilled/unskilled? Personality etc Task – difficulty, skills required, etc. Other constraints – time, budget etc.

Management Skills In order to Plan, Organise, Lead and Control effectively, a manager requires certain skills. They are communication, negotiation, time management, delegation, leadership, stress management, emotional intelligence and decision making.

Communication The transmission of information to one or more persons, in a way that ensures the recipient’s understanding is a close as possible to the meaning the sender intended. If you only learn one thing from me this year, it should be “Communication is the most important skill for a manager to have.” What ways do we communicate with each other??

Types of Communication Formal: Official. Directly related to organisational activities. Eg. Meetings, conferences, appraisals, interviews, emails etc. Informal: not official but may still be related to the organisation. Eg. Gossip, networking, the “grapevine”, emails etc.

Communication Verbal (oral): can be formal - meetings, conferences, interviews, phone conversations etc. or informal- gossip etc. Written: email, memos, meeting minutes etc. Can result in errors, or TONE OF THE WRITING BEING MISREAD. Non-verbal: Body language, tone of voice (not what you are saying but how you are saying it), image of communicator, setting of meeting.

Communication Would you take orders from this guy? Crossing your arms is non-verbal communication Would a business meeting in a pub be taken seriously??

Communication Dont get confused! Communication is not always just one of these types, it is usually a combination: Formal/Verbal Formal/written Informal/non-verbal Informal/verbal Informal/written. Can you think of an example for each of these?

Barriers to effective communication Physical distractions Ineffective technology (ie. Email crashes) The words used – words can mean different things to different people Cultural differences How credible is the person sending the message. Ie. Would you believe an email saying school had been cancelled that was sent by a student??

Improving communication Allowing two-way communication Listening as well as speaking Being clear and concise – dont waffle on! (Just like in your Outcomes.) Being aware of non-verbal cues being sent. Understanding that there is a time and place for everything. Managing by wandering around (not just sitting your office all day.)

Negotiation The process of reaching an agreement through discussion and compromise. Aiming for a “win/win” situation. Stages for a successful negotiation: Setting goals Setting limits for compromise Establishing positive working atmosphere Recording information and confirming understanding

Negotiation Knowing when to compromise Sealing the deal Confirmation of details. Negotiation Activity

Time Management The recognition by a manager that time is a finite resource and an acknowledgement that there is a need to plan time effectively. Something that you should be champions at by the end of this year.

Effective Time Management 1. Setting out the tasks to be done – making lists etc. 2. Delegating tasks - being able to hand tasks and responsibilities to employees but maintaining accountability 3. Establishing priorities -based on difficulty of task and deadline – don’t leave the hardest things until last!! 4. Allocating time to particular tasks. 5. Adding in deadlines 6. Review in case of changing priorities, events, etc.

Delegation The handing over of tasks, responsibility and authority to employees by managers who in turn maintain accountability for the tasks’ completion. Benefits: manager’s time is freed up for other tasks. Stress is reduced Organisation runs more smoothly when boss is away. Employees feel trusted and valued. Increased motivation and promotion prospects. Better training.

Delegation Problems: if manager is not organised, they may not want to delegate as they dont know what is going on themselves. Managers might fear being “shown up.” Managers might not have the time or inclination to train staff. Managers might have an autocratic/persuasive style that does not really welcome delegation.

Team Leadership skills Those skills that the manager must employ to ensure the team is managed effectively including coaching, encouraging, conflict management etc. The ability to work as a member of a team is one of the most important skills employers look for. Leading a team includes: Clearly defining roles of members and goals of group Ability to encourage and recognise team effort. Ability to resolve conflict Managing team relationships

Stress Management Think of all the tasks a manager might be expected to do in a single day and you will understand how they could experience STRESS. Think of some things that make you stressed and how you react when stressed.

What influences Stress? Demands of the job Level of skill (theirs and employees) Physical demands Poor interpersonal skills/relationships with employees Signs of stress: Increased absenteeism Illness Decreased performance, motivation, morale.

Avoiding Stress (think of these this year!!!!) Improving time management Keeping well informed (no nasty surprises) Saying “No” Redesigning tasks of office space Keeping fit and healthy Asking for HELP!!! Less of this - More of this -

Emotional Intelligence (EQ) The awareness of not only one’s own emotions, but also the emotions of others. Self-manage/control impulses Be socially aware A leader who recognises that employees emotions play an important role in the workplace will be able to motivate staff and increase productivity.

Decision Making The process of making choices from available alternatives. SADIM (from Polc) Important not only to make decision, but also follow up and review results of decision. Effective communication of decisions and reasons for decisions important.