Scenario
Put yourself into this scenario:
Your boss has given you a big project to do however you have been provided with no direction on what expectations there are. You are aware of the deadline and deliverable but now you need to find your own way…
Your old boss would never do something like that, you would be given a piece of work and have them watching over you, questioning each thing you did and trying to give advice on what you should be doing.
These two situations demonstrates opposite two very different management styles.
The first is laissez-faire whilst the second is a micromanager.
Laissez-faire managers:
- Delegation masters
- Leave their team to it
- Minimal supervision provided
Micromanagers:
- Resist delegation
- Watch over their team doing the task
- A lot of opinions and advice
To find balance in your approach you need to understand when your team need more freedom and when they need your supervision. Understanding the balance will allow you to be an effective manager.
A Laissez-faire approach is best with:
- Senior, experienced, and highly educated workers.
- Teams with drive, assertiveness and self-confidence.
- Creative groups.
Micromanagers approach is best with:
- Young, inexperienced workers.
- Workers who consistently miss deadlines if left to their own devices.
- Departments where conflict is an issue.
- Teams that rely on quick decisions.
Discover more from 3WH
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.