Employees and their teams are essential for any competitive organization. They handle daily tasks and activities, ensuring continuous operations. As such, teams determine whether you will deliver on your core functions. As a manager, it is up to you to guide them and inspire them to perform.
Managing a team to success is easier said than done. The modern workplace is dynamic and consists of diverse employees and structures. Each worker has their individual goals, needs, and psychology. They don't respond to the same processes in the same way and thrive under various structures. Luckily, there are many management styles you can rely on for proper leadership.
This article defines a management style and discusses the different styles. We'll also provide tips to help you find an appropriate management style for your institution. Let's get started.
What is a Management Style?
A management style is the approach leaders and managers use to inspire and lead. It describes how managers work with employees to achieve objectives. It shows how a manager organizes, decides, delegates, and applies authority. While managers generally have similar responsibilities, each has a specific approach to leading. And while there are many styles, each manager prefers one, sometimes unconsciously.
Your management style shows itself in how you interact, your personality, and how we operate. Understanding your style helps you create a more effective way to lead. Some factors that will affect your style include company size and culture. You must also comprehend other management styles and adjust in case of changes. Some internal and external factors that affect management style include the following:
- Organizational culture and policies
- Team members' skill levels
- Employee engagement
- Labor laws
- Competitors, suppliers, and consumers
Types of Management Styles
You can blend various management styles to find the perfect fit. Here are some common management styles to inspire high team performance.
1. Persuasive
Persuasive management style involves unilateral decision-making. The managers will decide, and the employees must abide by it. However, the manager must bring the employees on board by explaining why they made the decision. You must deploy persuasion skills to share the rationale behind the decision. Most employees will easily accept managerial decisions if previous ones worked out well.
Pros
- Fosters trust between employees and managers
- Ensures easy acceptance of top-down decisions
- Builds logic and rationality in the employees and ensures they feel seen
Cons
- Decision-making is one way, and it can make employees feel undervalued
- Decisions may face resistance from employees
A persuasive management style is ideal for managers leading an inexperienced team. This approach allows you to decide and explain it to the employees, helping them learn.
2. Democratic
A democratic management style involves employees and managers participating in decision-making. The manager solicits employees' ideas, input, and insight through various forums. Employees can access vital information about goals and rely on it to offer insight. The manager uses the feedback to make the final decision, which the employees follow.
Pros
- Provides employees with the context of where the company is heading
- Fosters high engagement, which increases team performance
- Employees feel valued and seen
Cons
- The process is slow and could take up crucial company time
- Many people have access to crucial information, increasing the risk of leaks
- Employees not involved could build resentment
This style is ideal for an organization that promotes creativity and innovation. It also reduces resistance to implementing significant company changes.
3. Transformational
This approach encourages employees to perform exceedingly well. Managers' primary role in transformational management is prioritizing agility and growth. They push employees to meet organizational expectations and exceed them. They also provide the best environment for the team to get outside its comfort zone. Transformational managers also play the role of a guide and motivate employees. This requires a close and collaborative relationship between workers and managers.
Pros
- Helps employees improve and grow their careers to newer heights
- Allow employees to have a better picture of the company's goals and future
- Fosters problem-solving skills
Cons
- Pushing employees can slowly lead to burnout
- Stretching out employee abilities can negatively impact productivity
The transformative management style is ideal for motivated and high-performing employees.
4. Consultative
Are you leading a team of specialists with expertise in the subject matter? The consultative management style is perfect for you. This approach encourages managers to actively seek employee input and insight. While the final decision is yours, the style states that you should use the feedback you receive. Expert insight can help you make more informed decisions that lead to success.
Pros
- Fosters unity and trust between the team and the manager
- Encourages effective communication within the team
- Leads to multidirectional feedback and communication
Cons
- Everyone contributing slows down the decision-making process
- Excessive use can lead to employees questioning managers' competency
- Some employees whose contributions are not used may feel aggrieved
The consultative management style is perfect for managers leading specialized teams. It is also ideal for those taking on mentor roles.
5. Delegative
The delegation managerial approach offers employees the freedom to work their way. In this style, a manager assigns tasks to employees and lets the workers handle their roles without oversight. Ultimately, the manager returns to review the results and offer advice for future projects. This approach works in scenarios where the employees have expertise in the subject.
Pros
- Employees have the autonomy to work, increasing satisfaction
- Promotes problem-solving and teamwork among employees
- Foster full creativity among the employees
Cons
- No oversight can hurt productivity
- Absence of management leads to poor conflict resolution
- May break the common sense of purpose in a team
This management style is ideal when employees have more expertise than the manager. The manager takes a facilitative role.
6. Collaborative
This style involves employees and the manager making decisions together. Managers create an environment and provide processes and platforms for deep discussions. After everyone provides input, a decision is reached through majority consensus. Managers encourage employees to own the decision and its results. The approach offers employees more input on guiding long-term goals.
Pros
- Boost employee loyalty to the organization, reducing turnover
- Fosters a sense of unity and common purpose
- Improves team spirit
Cons
- It is time-consuming and can slow down operations
- Majority rule doesn't always mean you're doing the right thing
This style is ideal when you want to engage an expert team in forging ahead. It is essential when undergoing a huge organizational or industry change.
7. Visionary
The visionary management style fits managers who lead through motivation and inspiration. These managers are less concerned with the daily routine and focus on the larger objectives. They must sell their vision through rational explanations and persuasion. Visionary managers also provide employees with autonomy to work with minimal oversight. They'll check in regularly but encourage employees to work without intervention.
Pros
- Fosters creativity and innovation among employees
- Improves employee engagement through inspiration
- Leads to high customer satisfaction
Cons
- Only visionary and inspirational managers can use it
- The style takes more of a leadership approach rather than a managerial one
The visionary managerial style is best for innovative and disruptive teams. Each member must also have self-control skills and be able to manage themselves.
8. Paternalistic
The paternalistic management style involves a manager whose primary purpose is employee well-being. The manager makes the final decision but has employees' interests at heart. They also communicate the reasoning behind the decision, but do not take input. As such, there is no collaboration in decision-making between managers and employees.
Pros
- Increases employee satisfaction and loyalty as managers focus on employee well-being
- Improves employee retention
- Focusing on employees can increase productivity
Cons
- Employees start to depend on managers, reducing productivity
- Some employees may dislike the close manager-employee relationship
The paternalistic management style is perfect for institutions with a strong culture. It is also more ideal for smaller organizations.
9. Authoritative
This is one of the most common management styles for managers in large organizations. Managers who use this approach make decisions and communicate them to subordinates. The employees have no input into decision-making and must adhere to decisions. Managers set clear policies and closely monitor employees to ensure they follow them. Failure to adhere to directions usually leads to penalties.
Pros
- Decision-making is faster, ensuring continuous operations
- Ensures that employees are always engaged and working toward given goals
Cons
- Creates an "us" vs. "them" mentality between management and employees
- Discourages collaboration and input, hindering innovation and creativity
The authoritative management style is ideal in situations where quick decision-making is necessary.
Factors to Consider When Choosing the Best Management Style for You
Various management styles have different approaches and are ideal for different situations. You must find what fits you and your team. However, finding the right management style takes time and experimentation. Here are some factors that will influence the management style you'll use:
- Time to complete a project or make a decision
- Your personality and management qualities
- The volume of work the team is to handle
- The industry and organizational culture
- Personality and competency of employees
- The type of culture you want to build in the organization
Improve Team Performance with the Most Appropriate Management Style
Management and leadership are vital to the success of any team. You must ensure you lead your subordinates most effectively. Start by analyzing your preferred approach to help you identify your way. While a manager's primary goal is to coordinate a team, not all situations are equal. As such, you must find an effective management style for every situation.
Begin by understanding the various management styles, along with their advantages and disadvantages. Also, know when and where they work best to help you choose the perfect one. Ensure that you look at all the factors that could affect your decision. You can also take our Certified Professional Manager course to learn more about management styles. Ensure you seek studies from a well-recognized professional training center.