Haupz Blog

... still a totally disordered mix

Management Styles

2022-10-01 — Michael Haupt

What a nice little catalogue of management styles this is. Mine is a mix of 1+3, with a bit of 5 and 6 and a very occasional nugget of 10 (if I have to). Or so I believe. People should just tell me.

On a somewhat more serious note, this is an interesting guide not just for managers, but also for people who are thinking about switching career tracks to take on managerial roles, or who have just done so. I believe that two things will be true about the ultimate style someone exhibits:

  • First, it's going to be a mix of some of the ten styles, and never just one. Add in some situational sensitivity, and that becomes a good thing.

  • Second, it'll emerge from someone's personality rather than being a conscious choice. The latter may be possible, but the acting will show, and it'll look (and feel) unnatural.

The catalogue is even helpful for people in individual contributor roles - it can help them recognise certain behaviours and can serve them a framework for giving feedback in case they feel their manager isn't doing quite the right thing in certain situations. (Heck, I'd appreciate being told I'm in bureaucratic mode when I shouldn't be!)

Tags: work