What kind of manager are you?
There are so many different management styles, and there is no one and only ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ one, however some prove to be less effective than others.
Typical extreme styles are:
Depending on the situation of the business, every style can have its own merits, so a good manager should master several of them. With the emergence of coaching in the workplace, it is beneficial to combine a hands‐off management style with one that employs a coaching approach in which the manager acts as the agent, helping team members to achieve bigger and better things. Applying coaching to a management style requires shifting from a ‘telling them what to do’ approach to ‘asking them what they are going to do”. Rather than interjecting and solving the issues, a coaching manager would look to provide support, challenge, feedback and guidance. And developing this coaching style, as a manager, is inspiring to those who are on the receiving end.
One of the first benefits of getting people to think and decide for themselves is that when people work things out for themselves, they are more engaged in the solution, feel more responsible for the outcome and more committed to making it work and not fail, overcoming potential barriers and in consequence gaining a sense of empowerment and pride of its success, which will lead to an increase in their confidence.
Do you have what it takes?
The role of a ‘Super Manager’ is actually to get things done through other people. This is done by communicating the end result and, in turn, empowering the team members to achieve it. Coaching is crucial here as it is all about bringing empowerment, allowing your team members to achieve the result, remaining available for them should there be any obstacles or ideas they need to discuss.
To develop yourself into becoming a ‘Super Manager’, you have to start by knowing what kind of manager you are or you’d like to be. A question you should ask yourself is “what value do I add as a manager?”
Understanding your natural and typical tendencies – and having this self‐awareness ‐ is essential before deciding if you want to change them. As with almost everything in life, we have a choice to change. Being a manager doesn’t mean you have all the answers or the final word. Sometimes more value can be added to a team by encouraging them to find answers on their own.
A manager who uses coaching skills places value on people’s ability to think for themselves, making sure that they have what they need to succeed. This kind of manager believes that their value is to develop their team, offering feedback and challenge, rather than advice and ideas.
As a ‘Super Manager’ you need to be fully aware that: