Everyone that has had a few different bosses will know that management styles can vary greatly and produce different results. It is interesting to look at these styles and see what benefits and drawbacks that they might bring – ultimately, it comes down to a manager’s personality and ideas about working, but each can be highly effective in their own ways.
Democratic Management Style
In today’s day and age, the democratic management style is one of the most common in the UK and can bring many benefits to a business. This style, as the name suggests, invites employees to get involved in decision making which can bring more viewpoints the table, help staff to feel valued, builds team relationships and can increase morale and job satisfaction just to name a few of the main perks. In terms of drawbacks, this can slow down the decision making and sometimes lead to disagreements over decisions.
Persuasive/Autocratic Management Style
The persuasive/autocratic management style is the opposite of democratic where a top-down approach is taken where those at the top of the hierarchy are calling the shots. This can ensure that fast decisions are made, it can reduce employee stress and increase productivity in many cases. This style of management is common when it comes to interim management because interim managers do not have the time to get to know staff and are often brought in for their expertise and to handle complex problems. This is an effective management style, but sometimes it can lead to feelings of division between management and workers which can be problematic.
Laissez-Faire Management Style
A progressive approach to management is the laissez-faire management style, which encourages employees to take charge while a manager takes a back seat and provides support so that employee can flourish creatively. This is useful for encouraging personal growth and innovation but it is a style which can be challenging and lead to problems if the manager is not able to support and supervise effectively.
These are three of the main management styles that are common in today’s workplace. Every manager has their own slightly unique style and approach within the main management styles which will ultimately come down to their personality and beliefs about business and management. There is no right or wrong style but each one has its own unique benefits and challenges which will impact the manager’ performance, staff productivity and morale and the overall success of the company.
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