The relationship between a manager and his or her team directly influences the working atmosphere and the company’s results. Today we focus on the 10 types of managers you often meet in companies and on some tips for creating a profitable working relationship with them.
1. The Workaholic
He works days, nights, weekends: his energy never seems to run out. This working method can be good for quickly achieving team goals (especially if they are linked to production bonuses), but on the other hand it can be very stressful.
The important thing is to set clear limits early on in order not to jeopardise the work-life balance.
2. The dreamer
He sees the future, but not always the present and all the steps necessary to realise his plans. In these cases it’s important to always take a lot of notes (there are always ideas!) and try to collect all the inspirations in a structured way.
Creative people need to be supported by analytical minds to achieve success!
3. The participative
The company is everything and his team must be at the heart of every experience, project and event. He is a great motivator and is always ready to roll up his sleeves. However, he demands the same from his employees and risks making the situation “too enthusiastic”.
How to approach him? Simple: in a participative way, but with limits.
4. The best friend
He behaves more like a desk mate than a manager, because he seeks the constant approval of those around him and is sometimes more concerned about relationships than work.
Treating everyone as equals instead of subordinates is a great way to boost morale, but can be negative if someone wants to take advantage of this. The focus should therefore be more on colleagues than on the manager.
5. The micromanager
The micromanager has to be involved in every single activity, thus undermining the independence of the individual employee and often his or her personal development. How to deal with it? The solution is proactivity: sending updates before they are requested is a good place to start.
6. The coach
His main objective is to motivate, to enable each employee to reach his or her true potential. Unfortunately he often gets carried away by enthusiasm and is disappointed if the desired result is not achieved.
The important thing here is to set realistic goals and to be open and honest when difficulties are encountered during the project.
7. The commander
This is what is known as a ‘boss’ rather than a ‘leader’. His approach is direct and sometimes almost dictatorial: everything must be done exactly as he asks, without delay.
Even if it does not seem so, he listens to proposals: presenting several solutions, rather than a single idea, can help to get into the good graces of this type of manager, who will then feel the situation under his control (by having multiple choices).
8. The data-driven
For this manager only numbers count, be they sales or discount percentages. He isn’t interested in qualitative comments, even if they are very important.
The only way to keep up is to focus on the data, especially those on which he is most focused.
9. The wise old man
He’s worked in the same company for decades and knows every single cog in the business ecosystem, inside and outside the office. He’s resistant to change, especially when it comes to working methods or tools.
In this case, it’s necessary to propose the changes step-by-step, with patience and explaining the pros and cons in detail.
10. The mercenary
The mercenary only thinks about the company’s profit if he is the owner or shareholder, or about his own profit if he is a manager with an incentive contract. His or her weapon is the ability to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the person in front of him or her, in order to use them to his or her advantage. This is a very good commercial skill, but it can cause problems for employees and subordinates!
If this is the case, these are our two top tips: always be careful with what you say and avoid showing your most vulnerable side.
An effective and enthusiastic manager is a key element in keeping a team motivated and engaged over time, but even among employees there are stereotypes: check-out this article where we’ve identified 10 of them.
