Managers have a lot of responsibility on their shoulders. They are responsible for making sure their team successfully achieves their goals, while also guiding everyone towards the vision of the organization. That’s a tall order, and effective management requires a great deal of planning, preparation, and organization. It also requires the right mindset. Managers can have many different styles and it’s not that one is right or wrong, but rather how effective it is in that particular setting. As a manager, you are expected to come up with an effective management style that works for you and your team. Here are just a few tips for making your management style more effective.
1. Be Consistent
In order for any management style to be effective, it must be consistent. You must reward the same behaviors in the same way and discourage the same behaviors every time. You must make sure you are doing this fairly for every member of your team. Otherwise, there will be confusion about what your expectations really are. Likewise, once you have settled on a management style, you need to stick with that style across the board. For example, if you are democratic leader and your team is used to participating in the decision making process, you cannot suddenly change your leadership style and start dictating what everyone should do. Employees rely on you for structure, routine, and expectations so you must remain consistent if you want to see results.
2.Choose a Style That Naturally Suits Your Personality
It may sound great in theory to be a laissez-faire manager, but if you naturally have a Type A personality, this will not be effective. No matter how much you want to remain hands-off, your natural instinct will be to jump in and oversee what is happening. This isn’t to say that you should be a micromanager or a dictator. It simply means that you should stick with a management style that suits your natural personality. Otherwise, you will always be fighting with yourself to hold back. This will only become frustrating over time. Instead, choose a management style that matches your leadership style and personality and use your skillset to your advantage.
3. Communicate Effectively
No matter what kind of management style you have, communication is essential for success. You must make sure you clearly communicate your expectations to your team. When relaying information, recapping meetings, sharing company updates, or divvying up roles for a new project, you should strive for clarity and accuracy. In addition, you should make it a point to encourage two-way communication. You should listen and value the opinions of others just as you expect them to do with you. When you create a culture where communication is encouraged, you build the bridge of trust with your employees.
4. Be Transparent
Management is only effective when there is transparency, and this goes for any management style. You should aim to be open and honest with your employees at all times. When you are passing along information, be truthful about it and don’t omit certain information. Withholding crucial information will cause your team to lose trust in you. Honesty is key, no matter your management style.
5. Implement Feedback
The only way to truly know if your management style is working is to gather feedback from your team. Effective implementation of feedback can be highly impactful for organizations. When employees are encouraged to share their feedback, you empower them to feel valued and heard. It’s also a great way to learn what your employees think about your management style. In turn, you should provide regular feedback to your employees so they can work on their strengths and weaknesses.