I am glad to welcome you, dear readers of the blog! Management style is a whole group of methods by which a manager influences the work capacity of subordinates, their motivation and realization of opportunities. It can be democratic, liberal and directive. We will take a close look at all of them, but today I want to talk directly about the directive management style.
Characterization
With complete authoritarianism, the leader usually pursues such a goal as complete unquestioning obedience. He dominates everyone, makes decisions on his own, not at all paying attention to the recommendations of the team. Such a boss demands that everyone, even the slightest nuances, be reported to him, sometimes he even puts surveillance cameras on the staff so that control is not weakened.
Favorite methods of personnel management are orders, orders, demands, comments, reprimands and deprivation of bonuses. And to motivate employees, he resorts to threats or to a very detailed story about the negative consequences that will immediately follow in case of disobedience or improperly performed work. Can be rude and allow himself to be harsh. In general, he cares much more about the result of his activity than the interests of his subordinates.
He does not allow himself curiosity, empathy, affection, and in general any feelings towards them, as he keeps a very clearly defined distance, which no one has the right to violate. Therefore, he does not communicate with anyone, believing that only managing each employee is his main responsibility, and not establishing contact. Not everyone is able to cope with the role of an autocrat, as he has to work much more than expected and without any rest at all.
In addition, if he makes decisions on his own, then he himself is also responsible for the consequences, and given the fact that tension is growing in the team due to such an attitude, they do not warn him about any nuances in advance, and rejoice in case of his failures .
Types
- Exploitative — the planning system does not include staff, which, in turn, is very angry. After all, the leader, even if he made a decision that turned out to be successful, did it without listening to the people around him, and they feel not only not appreciated, but completely useless and unnecessary. As a result, every slightest mistake causes them a storm of emotions, especially joy, because in this way they confirm their negative assessment of their superiors.
- Benevolent — the attitude is more condescending, so much so that the boss can take an interest not only in the affairs of his subordinates, but also clarify their opinion. Although he will still act in his own way, sometimes even defiantly, in order to show once again who has the power here. This form is more loyal, at least it gives more freedom to show initiative and independence. In this form, there are also threats to increase motivation, but often it doesn’t get to the point.
Advantages and disadvantages
From the previous articles, you already know that you can’t look at the situation one-sidedly, because each, even at first glance, very negative, has its pros and cons, which develop and show new opportunities.
Cons
- The autocrat often experiences guilt, as the level of responsibility sometimes goes off scale, because there is no one to share it with.
- Psychosomatic diseases that arise as a result of excessive stress, the body simply works for wear and tear, not being able to recover.
- Impotence. The directive style is chosen by people who crave power and control, but in life it is impossible to control everything, and from this the feeling of powerlessness becomes unbearable, which they cannot come to terms with and admit.
- Subordinates do not withstand such heat, so the company loses very valuable employees who could bring a lot of benefits to development.
- Accordingly, the firm incurs economic losses.
- The team is very dependent on the authorities, they are obliged to coordinate every step, therefore, in the event of his illness or vacation, the work process is disorganized, because no one dares to take the initiative and act independently, so the organization will be on the verge of collapse. Therefore, the manager who has chosen the directive method simply must always be healthy, full of strength and associate all his desires and aspirations only with work.
- The psychological climate in the team is very unfavorable.
- The autocrat does not always understand how to proceed, because he «looks» at the situation from one angle, not always having reliable information, but all because subordinates are silent, knowing that their opinion is not important, and out of a desire to avenge such a superficial themselves attitude do not share with him observations and comments.
Pros
- The company has no problems with discipline and difficulties with conflicts.
- Since there is only one goal — a good result, then everything works harmoniously for it, without being distracted by other needs and nuances.
- An authoritarian person is deprived of the need to compete, since he occupies the highest position in the hierarchy. And this gives an inner feeling of freedom, high self-esteem and self-respect.
- This style is very effective when there is a crisis in the company and such a “cold” approach is required.
- There are no negative consequences when the distance between subordinates is violated and the authorities lose their authority or find themselves in some compromising conditions.
- Clarity, when everyone has a predetermined role, makes relationships very clear.
Conclusion
In general, when everything is overly centralized, it is useful during times of crisis, when it is necessary to take power into your own hands and bring the company to a leading position, but if you linger in this role, ignoring the needs of people, you can lose the whole team and fall into a vicious circle, the way out of which will be a change in management style.
I recommend reading the article on destructive and constructive conflicts, from which you will learn how to get out of the dispute as a winner. That’s all for today, see you soon.