Your management style is your management style. Whether it is more of a micromanager, more of a manager who allows a lot of independence, or if you strictly adhere to all rules or if you are more flexible, this list can certainly be endless when it comes to your responsibilities and management style. But it’s making an effort to be aware of your style that will lead to success for both you and your department.
While some managers have an innate ability to shift their management style based on their employees, you may be a manager that likes to stick to your style, as you feel that your group is most successful when you do so. And if this is a case there is something you can do that will enhance the probability of your employees embracing your management style. Transparency is key when it comes to your management style’s effectiveness.
When making a hire or when taking someone new into your company or department, it’s important that you spell out what your expectations are. Go ahead and share how you like to manage. While this is important in all cases, it’s especially needed if you don’t feel like you can adapt your management style to your employees. So let’s take the micromanaging example to expand on. If supervising the details of each of your employees’ jobs is important to you, you really should explain that to your potential hires or transfers into your department. Why is this so important? Because if you aren’t clear and set expectations for your subordinates there may be dissatisfaction on the side of your employee after starting the job. And that is a formula for disaster! So no matter what your management style is, and what is important to you, you need to be clear up front to potential employees, so they know if they can successfully work for you. You want it to be a win-win situation after all.
When it comes to being an effective manager, transparency is the key to success. By filling in your employees on your expectations, everyone is clear as to what is expected, and accepting of what will be, and that will lead to a successful working relationship for all involved.