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If you asked 10 entrepreneurs about which management(http://www.docstoc.com/course/82/improving-your-management-skills) style theyfound the most effective, you’d likely come back with 10 distinct answers, each as uniqueas the entrepreneur that provided them. While no one management style is ideal orapplicable to every business, it’s important to be mindful of what management style isused in yours. Identifying your management style means taking inventory of how youapproach your business, especially in regards to employee interaction(http://www.docstoc.com/article/165389561/Building-a-Great-Company-Culture-Without-Forcing-It) and crisis management. Knowing your management type can helpyou change it if necessary, as certain circumstances may call for such a shift.

Below we discuss five of the most common types of managers. While most entrepreneursmight relate to one type, the ideal manager should be able to move from one to anotheras the situation warrants. Keep reading to learn which style is right for specific situationsand when you should set some of your managerial habits aside and adopt a different one.

The Dictator

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5 Types of Leaders: What's Your Management Style?By: Jaimy Ford (/profile/JaimyFord) Thursday, May 29, 2014

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Dictators make all decisions (http://www.docstoc.com/video/147141524/Strategy-How-to-Make-the-Right-Business-Decisions), basing them on what they feel is best for thebusiness. Rarely will they ask for input from their employees, and they may or may notmake final decisions with their employees in mind. They will usually "go it alone" whenestablishing new product lines (http://www.docstoc.com/course/57/create-and-sell-a-physical-product), creating partnerships(http://www.docstoc.com/article/165394472/Developing-the-Right-B2B-Partnerships)or considering new ventures (http://www.docstoc.com/article/161328313/How-to-Form-a-Joint-Venture) without consulting others in the organization. Dictators largelyrely on their own experiences and knowledge to set agendas they feel best answer theirbusiness’ needs.

When being a dictator works: If you are faced with an immediate crisis or other urgentbusiness matter, you will often need to step up and make the decision that is in the bestinterest of the business without consulting your team first. Sometimes quick action iscritical, and asking everyone to weigh in or come up with solutions could waste precioustime you just don't have.

When being a dictator may not work: While this management style often leads to efficientbusiness operations because only one person is involved in the decision making, it canalso lead to costly oversights and mistakes that wouldn't have occurred had frontlineemployees been consulted. Managers and executives, no matter how smart or well-reasoned their decisions, are still susceptible to errors in judgment.

The Collaborator

Collaborative managers are conscious of their entire organization and acknowledge theutility of feedback from employees, investors(http://www.docstoc.com/article/165398887/What-Investors-Are-Really-Looking-For),partners and vendors used to reach business objectives. Collaborators will regularly call

meetings (http://www.docstoc.com/article/161899070/The-Importance-of-Corporate-Meeting-Notices-and-Minutes) to brainstorm ideas(http://www.docstoc.com/article/163096121/Strategies-for-Business-Ideation-and-Brainstorming). They compel employees to offer feedback on business proposals and mayeven go as far as designating a “devil's advocate” to pinpoint problems with a plan.

When being a collaborator works: Involving employees in the decision-making process isalmost always a good idea because you benefit from insight gleaned from differentperspectives. Collaboration also boosts employee morale(http://www.docstoc.com/article/170574142/10-Ways-to-Boost-Employee-Morale), asemployees feel valued because their ideas are requested and respected. This alsoprovides employees with a real sense of commitment to projects they are activelyinvolved in. It’s also a great strategy when time is abundant, giving you plenty of time tohash out ideas. Just be sure you aren't using collaboration to stall when you are pressedto make an important decision.

When being a collaborator may not work: Collaborators can often be seen as indecisive oreven weak because they spend so much time talking about ideas and not enough timeexecuting them. Employees can become frustrated if all the discussion leads to nowhere.Also, beware of instances where an employee may not have enough knowledge aboutproject details to provide relevant or useful advice. Bad advice can be costlier than noadvice at all.

The Micromanager

Micromanagers (http://www.docstoc.com/article/164366484/The-Dangers-of-Micromanaging-When-to-Delegate) need to control everything and feel it’s necessary toconstantly be in the loop, even in seemingly trivial discussions. They check in withemployees too frequently and expect constant updates on the status of projects. Theyoperate with the expectation that each employee must complete every assignmentexactly as the micromanager would. Employees have little freedom to be creative or touse their own intuition and knowledge to solve problems.

When being a micromanager works: When you have just hired a new employee, or you aretrying to turn around the performance of a struggling employee, watching them closely isideal. You want to ensure that they are on the right track and help them overcome anychallenges before they exacerbate. Another time to micromanage is when you mustfollow specific rules or guidelines for regulatory, legal or compliance issues. Remember tolet employees know that your constant attention is to ensure compliance and does notreflect a lack of trust in them or their abilities.

When being a micromanager may not work: As a result of working under constant dictation,employees may feel boxed in and controlled. This can have an extremely detrimentaleffect on morale, which increases turnover(http://www.docstoc.com/article/81744464/Why-Employees-Quit) and breedsdissatisfaction (http://www.docstoc.com/article/166686311/Symptoms-of-Employee-

Dissatisfaction-to-Look-Out-For). For those employees who have proved theircompetence and trustworthiness, ease up and give them the space to do their jobs theway they see fit.

The Delegator

Delegators take a hands-off approach and allow their employees to run the business.They divide and make assignments based on whom they think can best handle a giventask, and they spend the bulk of their time generating new business and crafting long-term strategy instead of focusing on the minutiae of business operations. Because theyhave built a strong team trusted with managing the business, they can focus ongenerating revenue. Employees may also feel affirmed by the confidence shown in theirability by trusting them with these operations, which increases their commitment to thebusiness.

When being a delegator works: If you have enough competent staff, it's almost always awin-win situation to delegate work to employees(http://www.docstoc.com/article/79359176/Admitting-Its-Time-to-Delegate). Just besure to regularly consult with employees about their workload and regularly confirmtheir comfort level before you unload new assignments on them. Also, be sure to step infrom time to time to cover the grunt work and to show employees that you are still part ofthe team. Finally, make certain that employees fully understand how the work you doeach day contributes to the bottom line.

When being a delegator may not work: Problems occur if there aren't enough employees tocover all the work, and employees become resentful as they struggle while the boss is outentertaining clients with golf, sporting events and lunches. It can also be extremelyupsetting for hardworking employees to not get any credit for delegated work theycompleted; as such, be sure to always acknowledge all contributors when projects aresuccessfully finished. And even though you may have a pool of employees to delegate to,they may not yet have the skills to handle that type of work. If possible, take time to trainyour potential delegate on the finer points of the job to ensure it’s done right.

The Coach

Coaching managers(http://www.associationforcoaching.com/media/uploads/accreditation-documentation01/Becoming_a_Business_Coach.pdf) believe in a team-orientedatmosphere, where everyone contributes to the goals of the business. Because of that,coaches are committed to training employees and providing regular and frequentfeedback. They praise employees when they deserve it and constructively correct themwhen they slip up. Much like the collaborator, they believe everyone should provide inputand be involved in decisions that affect the team. Employees typically feel a great deal ofloyalty to managers who invest so much time and effort in helping them succeed.

When being a coach works: Effective coaching of all of your employees helps them growand advance their careers. However, don't forget to acknowledge your best employees.Rewarding employees who deserve it sets an example and motivates underperformers. Italso drives friendly competition that can raise everyone's performance.

When being a coach may not work: Because coaches want everyone to succeed, they'lloften treat their lowest performers the same way they treat their stars. Top performerscould resent that their outstanding efforts aren't setting them apart from the rest of theteam, and they might either begin to perform at an average level or take their talentselsewhere, which can bring down productivity. Conversely, lower-performing employeesmight begin to see their subpar performance as adequate, which stifles productivity evenfurther. If this is the case, make sure to temper your encouragement with pragmatism byspecifying where an employee may need to improve.

Conclusion

Determining your management style is the first step to understanding its impact on yourbusiness. Knowing your management approach helps you recognize your organization’sstrengths as well as highlight its areas for improvement in whatever situation may arise.It’s also worth noting that no one style is set in stone, and managers should feel free toimplement and test a given style as they see fit.

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