Take ‘hands-off’ approach to managing your team

The concept of ‘managing your team' is not intuitive for many managers and for some it even cuts against the grain of what they think they should do as bosses. A highfunctioning team can't be created by decree. Real teams - ones that do collective work - perform well not when the boss demands it, but when their colleagues expect it.

For organisations to develop, they require a direction. The people who manage the business provide the direction. Taking responsibility for making decisions and running a business well is a skill. Businesses today place considerable emphasis on getting the right people with the right skills into key posts. They need to ensure that these people have the opportunities to develop decision-making skills.

Management involves control and organisation to get something done. In the course of business, managers use many different skills. They: Plan and organise people and resources Set and monitor budgets Control operations or services in order to meet customers' needs The ability to manage is essential at all these levels in the organisation.

So, it is obvious that managers have to perform many roles in an organisation and how they handle various situations will depend on their style of management. A management style is an overall method of leadership used by a manager.

In management text books, the three most talked about management styles are ‘democratic, autocratic and paternalistic and management by walking around'. The selection of the correct management style may lead to greater motivation and productivity from the team members.

However, it is not as easy as just 'picking' a style. Managers' personalities and characteristics will influence the type of style adopted. For example, a timid manager will find an autocratic management style difficult to adopt. Autocratic style In such a style of working, the superiors do not take into consideration the ideas and suggestions of the subordinates. The managers have the sole responsibility of taking decisions without bothering much about the subordinates. The subordinates in such a style of working simply adhere to the guidelines and policies formulated by their bosses. They do not have a say in management's decisions. Employees lack motivation in autocratic style of working. Paternalistic style In paternalistic style of working, the leaders decide what is best for the employees as well as the organisation. Policies are devised to benefit the employees and the organisation. The suggestions and feedback of the subordinates are taken into consideration before deciding something. In such a style of working, employees feel attached and loyal towards their organisation. Employees stay motivated and enjoy their work rather than treating it as a burden. Democratic style In such a style of working, superiors welcome the feedback of the subordinates. Employees are invited on an open forum to discuss the pros and cons of plans and ideas. Democratic style of working ensures effective and healthy communication between the management and the employees. The superiors listen to what the employees have to say before finalizing on something. Management by walking around In this style of working, managers treat themselves as an essential part of the team and are efficient listeners. The managers interact with the employees more often to find out their concerns and suggestions. In such a style of working, the leader is more of a mentor to its employees and guides them whenever needed. The managers don't lock themselves in cabins; instead walk around to find out what is happening around them.

Situational styles

Managers must also adjust their styles according to the situation that they are presented with. Below are four quadrants of situational leadership that depend on the amount of support and guidance needed:

Telling

Works best when employees are neither willing nor able to do the job (high need of support and high need of guidance).

Delegating

Works best when the employees are willing to do the job and know how to go about it (low need of support and low need of guidance).

Participating

Works best when employees have the ability to do the job, but need a high amount of support (low need of guidance but high need of support).

Selling

Works best when employees are willing to do the job, but do not know how to do it (low need of support but high need of guidance).

Examples

The different styles depend on the situation and the relationship behaviour (amount of support required) and task behaviour (amount of guidance required). Should managers use only one management style? No, they should not!

Listed below are a few situations and options for what you would do. Try to decide which of the four situational styles would work best in each situation. Then pick the option that best fits that style.

Situation 1 -- The team members in your programme appear to be having serious problems getting the job done. Their performance has been going downhill rapidly. They have not responded to your efforts to be friendly or to your expressions of concern for their welfare. Which style would you pick? What would you do?

Suggested solution -- Establish the need for following the programme procedures. Emphasise the meeting of the expectations for task accomplishment. Be sure that staff members know you are available for discussion, but not to pressure them. Talk with your team and then set performance goals. Wait and see what happens.

Situation 2 -- During the past few months, the quality of work done by team members has been increasing. Record keeping is accurate and up to date. You have been careful to make sure that the team members are aware of your performance expectations. Which style would you pick? What would you do?

Suggested solution -- Stay uninvolved. Continue to emphasize the importance of completing tasks and meeting deadlines. Be supportive and provide clear feedback. Continue to make sure that staff members are aware of performance expectations. Make every effort to let staff members feel important and involved in the decisionmaking process.

Situation 3 -- Performance and interpersonal relations among your staff have been good. You have normally left them alone. However, a new situation has developed and it appears that team members are unable to solve the problem themselves. Which style would you pick? What would you do?

Suggested solution -- Bring the group together and work as a team to solve the problem. Continue to leave them alone to work it out. Act quickly and firmly to identify the problem and establish procedures to correct it. Encourage the staff to work on the problem, letting them know you are available as a resource and for discussion if they need you.

Situation 4 -- You are considering a major change in your programme. Your team has a fine record of accomplishment and a strong commitment to excellence. They are supportive of the need for change and have been involved in the planning. Which style would you pick? What would you do?

Suggested solution -- Continue to involve the staff in the planning, but direct the change. Announce the changes and then implement them with close supervision. Allow the group to be involved in developing the change, but do not push the process. Let the staff manage the change process.

As a manager, how you handle different situations in your business will depend on the style of management you use. Being a good manager involves more than just telling people what to do - it also involves choosing the right approach and management style to suit the situation.

The bottom line that managers need to keep in mind is that along with profits, they need to ensure employee satisfaction as well. The perfect blend of all the positive and conducive aspects of all the management styles and techniques can lead to a harmonious and profitable management style for any organisation.

(The writer is a corporate director with over 25 years’ senior managerial experience. He can be contacted on lionwije@live.com)