Management styles and qualities

Text 1.

Vocabulary

quality

staff

a top-down approach

rigid

a subordinate

to lack vision

to fail

to delegate

to reflect

to justify

to suit

to require

to raise many issues

liaison

empowerment

particular

a job specification

a person specification

Reading

Management styles and qualities

Every manager will be different, but over the years management theory has established three broad categories of management styles.

 

The authoritarian manager

This person is strict, demanding, controlling and probably too rigid in their views. They take a top-down approach. But some staff like this – they know where they stand and what their responsibilities are. Their jobs are clearly defined.

 

The consensual manager

This person believes in consultation, and in coaching and mentoring their staff to help them develop. Subordinates usually like this type of manager, but the manager may lack vision and fail to show leadership.

 

The hands-off manager

This person delegates everything, or just leaves problems in the hope that they go away. They will justify their style as empowerment (i.e. giving control over decisions to other people), but subordinates will feel a lack of guidance and support. Liaison between colleagues (co-workers) will be uncoordinated.

 

An important point is that management style might reflect the company culture as much as the personality of the individual. So, a hierarchical company with a bureaucratic decision-making process will suit one type of manager. On the other hand, a decentralized company where low-level managers can take the initiative will suit another.

We also have to remember that different business situations require different management qualities. Consider a manager who is methodical, systematic and organized. Is it always a good thing? Maybe there are situations where it’s better to be intuitive and flexible, or to take decisions quickly without knowing all the facts. Consider the manager who is a good team player, cooperative and supportive. Is it always a good thing? Maybe there are situations where it’s better to work on your own, being proactive and self-motivated.

 

Qualities or skills?

Here is something interesting to think about: notice that in the text above there is reference to styles and qualities, not skills. This distinction is important. Qualities are a part of your character and personality – they were present at birth or formed early in your life and you will find it hard to change these things. Skills, however, are things you can learn – like how to speak another language, or give a good presentation. Skills can be developed and improved through practice and experience, personal qualities much less so. That raises many issues for training, personal development and career choice.

 

Person specification

When looking for candidates for a particular job, many companies produce both a job specification and a person specification. This helps employment agencies and/or the human resource department to find suitable people. The person specification will include the skills needed, experience needed and personal qualities of the ideal candidate. The example below shows the final section, personal qualities:

 

PERSON SPECIFICATION

 

Skills and abilities

The ideal candidate will be able to demonstrate the following skills:

An ability to…

 

Personal qualities

The ideal candidate will:

· have a good understanding of the market

· keep up to date with developments in the field

Strategic ability

The ideal candidate will:

· be able to translate company strategy into individual business unit objectives

· be able to balance between conflicting business interests within the organization

Organization ability

The ideal candidate will:

· be a good administrator

· be a good time-manager

· be conscientious and thorough

· be a good team-builder

Relation to subordinates

The ideal candidate will:

· have an ability to motivate

· know when to delegate and when to refer upwards

· keep good lines of communication

· have an ‘open door’ policy

· be a good listener

· have an ability to control and give feedback in an appropriate way

Character

The ideal candidate will:

· like challenges

· be prepared to take risks

· be honest and transparent

· be single-minded and determined

· be able to recover quickly after a setback

· stay calm under pressure

 

Questions

1. What are the three main styles of management? Which one do you like more? Why?

2. What management style is more suitable for a rigid bureaucratic type of organization?

3. What management style can better suit a modern dynamic business? 

4. What is the key difference between qualities and skills?

5. What fact raises many issues for training, personal development and career choice, according to the text?

6. How do employment agencies and HR departments find suitable people for different vacant positions?

7. What is the difference between a job specification and a person specification?

8. What personal qualities do you think an HR manager should have?

9. What kind of manager do you think you will be?

10. Do you agree with the statement that ‘good managers are born, not made’?

Exercises

1) Find a word in the text above that matches each definition below:

1. expecting other people to obey rules completely – ___________________________________________

2. needing a lot of your time and energy – ___________________________________________________

3. involving the agreement of most people in a group; democratic –_______________________________

4. giving training or advice for a specific job or task –___________________________________________

5. advising and helping someone more generally over a longer time period –_________________________

6. exchange of information between people so that they work well together –________________________

7. where people and jobs are divided into many levels of importance –______________________________

8. taking action before it’s needed rather than waiting until problems develop –______________________

Look at the person specification section and find a word that matches each definition:

9. showing a lot of care and attention –_______________________________________________________

10. including every possible detail and avoiding mistakes –_________________________________________

11. wanting to do something very much so that you will not let anything stop you –____________________

12. a problem that delays or stops progress –___________________________________________________

 

2) Change each adjective into an opposite meaning. If there is a prefix, it may be dis-, de-, in- or –un:

simple centralized co-operative coordinated direct flexible hands-off honest intuitive methodical organized stressed supportive top-down transparent

bureau __ __ __ __ __c __ __ centralized __ __ co-operative/__ __ helpful __ __ coordinated __ __ direct __ __ flexible/ri__ __ d hands-__ __ __ __ __ honest ra__ __ __ __ al carel__ __ __ __ __ __organized/m__ __ __y re __ __ __ed/c__ __m __ __ supportive b__ __ __ __ __- __ __ __ __ clear

 

3) Choose the best adjectives from the table above to describe these managers:

1. He is under a lot of pressure and looks worried all the time. He’s really _______________.

2. Once she has made a plan, she doesn’t like changing it. She is a bit _________________.

3. He likes to get involved and do things, rather than just talking about them or making other people do them. He is very ____________________.

4. Her desk is so untidy – papers are everywhere. It’s really ____________.

5. He produces complicated rules for everything. His approach is very _________________.

6. She’s honest and open and doesn’t try to hide anything. She’s very _________________.

 

4) Make phrases by matching an item from each column:

1. lack 2. know 3. work 4. take 5. keep 6. give 7. recover 8. translate

on your own and be self-motivated the initiative vision and fail to show leadership where you stand quickly after a setback general strategy into specific objectives up to date with the developments in the field feedback in an appropriate way

 

5) Complete the text about team with the words in the box:

breathing  carry out feedback guiding issuing progress     report back  running

 

The ability to lead teams is a key skill in the modern business world. The team leader has to move between a variety of approaches: __________ instructions and supervising closely at times, ___________ and encouraging and offering advice at other times.

The team leader is of course responsible for monitoring overall _____________, but once the team is up and _____________, and the objectives and team roles are clearly defined, then he or she may be able to take a back seat for short periods of time.

Team members like to feel that they can _____________ their roles without the leader ______________ down their neck all the time.

However, they do need to _____________ regularly, and the team leader is expected to give them constructive ____________ on their performance.

 

5. Translate the following sentences into Engish:

Управление – это очень важно. Успех или неудача компаний, некоммерческих организаций, спортивных команд и т.д. часто зависит от качества управления. Чем занимаются менеджеры? Одна из известных классификаций задач менеджеров была разработана Питером Друкером. Друкер был американским ученым, которого часто называют «отцом современного менеджмента». Он предположил, что работа менеджера может быть разделена на 5 основных задач: планирование (постановка целей), организация, интеграция (мотивация и коммуникация), оценка эффективности и развитие людей.  

 

Useful vocabulary:

Peter Drucker

success - успех

failure - неудача

non-for-profit organization – некоммерческая организация

to depend on – зависеть от…

quality -качество

well-known - известный

to develop – развивать, разрабатывать

to suggest - предполагать, предлагать

to divide – разделять

to set objectives – ставить цели

to measure performance – измерять/оценивать эффективность

 

Essay topic

According to the article, ‘authoritarian’ style of management is not always bad, while ‘democratic’ management style is not always good. Do you agree? Explain why and provide examples.

 

Text 2.

Vocabulary

amount of work required

to look frightening

time frame (timescale)

schedule (timetable)

to be ahead of schedule / on schedule / behind schedule

to be under a lot of stress / to be stressed out

to suffer from smth

to work long hours

to be expected of someone

fault

circumstances beyond your control

diary

wall chart

unpleasant

time-consuming

to get distracted

workflow

to implemented suggestions

rewarding

sense of achievement

Reading

Organizing time and work

At the planning stage of a project the amount of work required can look frightening. To make it manageable, you need to develop an overall time frame (timescale) for the project and a schedule (timetable) to show the dates or times when individual things should happen. Hopefully, through good time management, you will be ahead of schedule. Anyway, as long as you’re on schedule, there’s no problem. What you definitely don’t want is to be behind schedule. That means you’ll be under a lot of stress, and when you’re totally stressed out, your work will suffer. You might have to work long hours to catch up. And if you’re a manager, you probably won’t get paid overtime – it’s just expected of you.

Of course, it’s not always your fault. There can be delays for all sorts of reasons. Things can take longer than planned because of circumstances beyond your control. In that case… well, deadlines can become guidelines. What can you do to improve your time management? Here are some tips:

Time management tips

Ø Use a diary (AmE calendar) to plan your time. Software packages include this function, but many people prefer a wall chart with stickers and color-coding to show different activities.

Ø Make a realistic plan and then prioritize the tasks. Do the ‘A’ tasks first – the important, unpleasant, or time-consuming ones. Then you’ll turn to the less important ones with a clear mind. Don’t get distracted by doing the small, easy tasks first.

Ø Use check lists.

Ø Know and use the filling system on your computer properly. A lot of the workflow in business involves electronic paperwork, and you need to know how to access documents, modify them, share them and archive them.

Ø Delegate

Ø Don’t try to be a perfectionist in everything. It takes time to get things absolutely right, and time is money. Short cuts can be acceptable, a ‘quick and dirty’ solution may be OK. Try to balance quality, cost and time.

But of course you now all that, and you have already implemented these suggestions. You use careful time management to plan your workload. You never put off unpleasant tasks or lose concentration. Because of this, your work is stimulating and rewarding, you do everything with calm and focus. At the end of each day you go home with a sense of achievement. You say to yourself, ‘The world is a better place today because of what I did in my job.’ Right?

What do managers manage?

Operations Planning Setting and achieving targets Improving productivity Controlling, delegating and giving feedback Decision-making Satisfying customer needs Managing quality Managing change   People   Planning staffing needs, and recruiting and selecting new staff Developing the team, supporting and guiding individuals Delegating and monitoring Motivating Managing conflict Carrying out performance reviews Rewarding achievement

Finance   Preparing and negotiating budgets Monitoring the budget Controlling costs Making investment decisions Information   Chairing and/or participating in meetings Replying to emails Telephoning Accessing information on the company IT network Reading and writing reports and proposals Keeping files up to date Speaking in public, giving presentation   Career development   Managing your boss Developing your skills and competences Attending conferences and seminars Reading about recent ideas and developments in your field Minimizing stress

 

Questions

1. Look at the list of six time management tips. Can you add any others? Which ones do you personally do?

2. What is the one thing that you could do – starting tomorrow - to manage your time more efficiently?

3. Look at what managers manage. Can you add another item or two under each main heading?

Exercises

Discussion topic

Draw your own personalized mind map of 'How l spend my time'. lf possible, focus on time at work. Otherwise, just think about your time in general. When you finish, show your mind map to a colleague end discuss.

Essay topics

Choose one of the topics below and write a short essay:

1) Planning is the basis of spontaneity. Do you agree or disagree? Explain why.

2) Harold Macmillan, a British Prime Minister, was  asked what was the greatest difficulty he faced. He replied 'Events, dear boy. Events’. Give an example from your own life of how events changed (or destroyed) your plans.

Text 3.

Vocabulary

entrepreneur

to have something in common

to simplify

authority

commitment

regardless of

as well as

praise

appreciation

recognition

used to (This building used to be our school. Moscow used to be a small village in the past.)

get out of someone’s way

empowering

trustworthy

resistance

to fail, failure

follow-through

ability

to laugh at yourself

financial reward

Reading

Leading and motivating

Motivation

A survey by Kaisen Consulting asked people in a wide range of industry sectors what made them feel good at work. Here are some of the results:

Notice the dominance of the top three categories:

A sense of achievement, and having that achievement recognized, appear to be strong motivators. Positive working relationships are also important. Notice also that ‘financial reward’ was only ranked sixth. This is quite surprising.

The researchers then asked people what made them feel bad at work/ here, the most common response by far was ‘a negative experience with colleagues’. A range of other factors were also mentioned: lack of recognition, company politics, stress, boring work, etc. items that were mentioned less often included: lack of support, having a bad boss, lack of direction and unsatisfactory level of pay. These did not seem to be important demotivators.

The researchers drew the following conclusions about motivation:

· In a task-oriented business world it’s important to remember that relationships and ‘emotional’ dimension to work are very important.

· Recognition and positive feedback are the oxygen of motivation.

· Employees ask: ‘What’s in it for me?’ Business success and customer motivation did not appear as motivational factors.

· Motivation and demotivation are not equal and exact opposites. For example, while achievement was the strongest motivator, ‘failure’ was rarely mentioned as a demotivator.

Questions

1. What things do all successful leaders have in common?

2. In what way do managers differ from leaders?

3. What are the characteristics of a good leader?

4. Think about historical examples of leaders and leadership.

5. What are the most important motivating factors according to the article?

6. The text mentions ‘praise, appreciation and recognition’ as being a part of motivation. Which one of these is the strongest motivator?

7. What top demotivators did respondents name in the given research?

8. What things motivate and demotivate you at work or study?

Exercises

1) Find a word in the first section of the text that matches each definition:

1. (two words) from the beginning ________________________

2. (three words) the whole situation, not just one part of it _____________________

3. the way in which someone is involved in an activity; position __________________

4. understanding how other people feel ____________________

5. knowledge that is based on feelings rather than facts ________________________

6. giving someone more control other their life and work _______________________

7. able to be trusted __________________

8. results ___________________________

2) Make phrases from the ‘Motivation’ section by matching items form each column:

1. Positive 2. Negative 3. Sense of 4. Lack of 5. Company 6. Physical 7. Task- 8. Financial

achievement (motivator) feedback from your boss (motivator) recognition (demotivator) experiences with colleagues (demotivator) oriented business world politics reward environment

Discussion topics

1. 'Leaders and managers are different.' Do you agree or disagree? Explain why.

2. A leader I admire is … because...

3. 'Leaders have to take difficult decisions. you'll never be a leader if you need to be liked by other people.' Do you agree or disagree? Explain why.

4. Look again at the bar chart showing the results of the survey. Do you think that people in their thirties responded in the same way as people in their fifties? Do you think that men responded the same way as women?

5. Talk about a recent occasion when you successfully influenced someone (or a group). Describe how you did it.

6. Ted Talks. Watch the following talk on Ted.com and answer the questions below:

What do all great leaders have in common | Matt Beeton | TEDxOxbridge

Questions:

1. Do most leaders enjoy their jobs?

2. What is the speaker trying to find out in his book?

3. Can you recognize any of the leaders in the photographs?

4. Who is the greatest leader of our time according to Matt’s children?

5. List the factors that DON’T make great leaders.

6. Is emotional intelligence essential for leadership?

7. What 3 main factors does Matt see as the most important for any leader?

8. Who said that ‘Action without vision is passing time, vision without action is day dreaming, but vision and action change the world’? What do you know about this person? Do you agree with him? Why?

Text 4.

Vocabulary

to recruit,recruit, recruitment

to hire

a key area

to involve

to allocate

a full-time \ part-time employee

to consider

extra costs

fixed-term contracts

temps

Independent contractors

work off premises ['premɪsɪz]

to replace an existing employee

job description

essential and desirable specifications

offer opportunities to someone

referral, reference

to attract applicants

a classified / display ad

to draw up a short list

to establish rapport [ræ'pɔː]

to do psychometric [ˌsaɪkə'metrɪk] tests

Reading

Recruitment

Recruitment (hiring) is a key area within human resources. The process involves many decisions.

Tips for a CV (resume)

Ø Put a ‘Summary’ in a box at the top – one short paragraph with your current position and objectives. 

Ø Put the ‘Work experience’ before ‘Education’, with the most recent job first. Include reference at the end, or at least a line saying they’re available on demand.

Ø Be specific on your descriptions of responsibilities in previous jobs.

Ø Focus on achievements (i.e. important things you have done) rather than skills.

Ø Include lots of action verbs.

Ø Don’t leave gaps in your employment record, and don’t put down to many jobs in a short time.

Tips for a cover letter

Include a cover letter with your CV. This could be the body of an email if you are sending the CV as an attachment.

In the cover letter:

Ø Refer to the particular vacancy (e.g. where you saw it advertised).

Ø Show how your skills and experience would be relevant.

Ø Highlight a couple of points from your CV.

Ø Say when you are available for an interview.

Ø Generally ‘sell’ yourself

Questions

1. What decisions does the process of recruitment involve?

2. Is it always necessary to hire new staff on a permanent contract is there is a vacancy in the firm? What other options can be considered by the employer in this case?

3. Why is it desirable to organize an exit interview with the employee who is leaving the company before hiring a new recruit?

4. Name the main stages of a typical interview. What is the first step at the interview?

5. Why is it important to establish rapport with the candidate?

6. Why is it necessary to keep record of each candidate right after the interview with them?

7. What kind of checks should be done before making a job offer to a candidate?

8. What is the difference between a CV and a resume?

9. How can you make your CV look more impressive? What should be avoided when drawing up a CV?

10. What is a cover letter?

Exercises

1) Find a word in the text that matches the definition:

1. (human resources) a range of skills ______________

2. buildings that a business uses __________________

3. decide to use a particular amount of money, time, etc. for a particular purpose __________________

4. examinations that you have passed__________________

5. finding somebody who has the right skills for a senior job and persuading them to leave their present job __________________

6. (two words) people who have recently joined an organization _____________

7. (phrasal verb) protects someone by hiding unpleasant facts about them _____________

8. (phrasal verb) reading something to find the information you want _____________

9. a pre-designed document, formatted for a particular purpose _________________

10. relationship of understanding, friendliness and respect ______________________

11. decide that someone has a desired standard or level.

2) Make phrases by matching an item from each column:

be on recruit work allocate start	work in a different way on a permanent contract looking elsewhere for a job off the premises as a freelancer temps through an agency
ask focus keep do draw up	an interview on track a shortlist of candidates on achievements rather than skills open-ended questions some background checks

 

Essay topics   

1) Describe your company’s recruitment procedure. ls it successful? How could it be improved?

2) Work on your CV (resume) – real or imaginary.

Text 5.

Vocabulary

to build awareness of smth

to reinforce

subtle

unintended

to convince

media outlets

product placement

account manager

to assess

to negotiate deals

place an ad

coverage

to maintain contacts

goodwill

philanthropy

to threaten

digital convergence

Reading

Promotion

The aims of promotion

Promotion can have a variety  of different aims. lts classic aims are:

- to build awareness of a new product.

- to reinforce a brand.

- to stimulate demand, either by getting new customers to try a product (eg free sample, free trial), or by getting existing customers to buy more, or sooner.

But promotion can work in more subtle, often unintended, ways. For example it can create an initial interest in a product category and then convince customers that they have a need for it – before they think about specific brands.

Promotional activities

There are four main types of promotional activity:

Advertising

This includes the whole variety of media outlets: television, radio, print (eg newspapers, magazines), Internet (ie web and email), direct mail, outdoor (eg billboards, buses), indoor (eg airports, in-store), product placement, mobile devices and sponsorship.

Large companies rarely handle their own advertising; they usually use the services of an agency – perhaps using different agencies for different product lines.

Sales promotions

This includes coupons, special offers, contests, loyalty programs, etc.

Personal selling

This can be face-to-face or via the telephone

Public relations (PR)

This has various functions:

· Monitoring the media for any coverage of the company, and maintaining contacts with people in the media (eg using news releases as part of a press kit).

· Keeping in contact with customers and /or employees through company newsletters, in-house blogs, etc.

· Crisis management when something happens that threatens the company image.

· Organizing special events to build both brand awareness and brand loyalty. Events might include parties, product demonstrations, stunts, seminars, etc – often in unusual locations.

· Building goodwill through community programs and philanthropy.

Other targets of promotion

Finally, it’s important to remember that customers aren’t the only target of promotion. Other targets of a marketing message might be news media, special interest groups (eg environmental organizations), opinion formers (eg doctors for the pharmaceutical industry), trade associations, partners in the distribution channel (eg retailers), investors, employees, etc. An often overlooked area is the importance of in-house promotions: explaining a new product to the sales force and motivating them to sell it.

Trends in advertising

Changing media choices:

Cellphone screens, social networking sites, podcasting (audio and video).

Digital convergence:

Everything will connect to the network (not just computers, televisions and cellphones, but also wallets, fridges and cars).

Audience monitoring:

Tracking and measuring how consumers respond to advertisements is becoming easier and more important.

GPS in personal mobile devices:

This allows business to push targeted, location-specific ads (eg restaurants, bars, specialist sops).

 

3. Questions:

1. What are the main classic aims of promotion?

2. How does indirect (subtle) advertising work?

3. Name and describe the four main types of promotional activity.

4. Give examples of media outlets.

5. What do public relations managers do?

6. Apart from customers, what other targets of promotion are there?

7. What are the recent trends in advertising, according to the article?

Exercises

1) Find a word in the text above that matches each definition below:

1. Large boards for advertisements in an no outside public place (BrE hoardings) ___________________________

2. Providing money for a special event or a sport team in order to advertise a brand name ____________________

3. News about something – on the television, on the radio, or in a newspaper or a magazine - _________________

4. (two words) information given to reporters that contains news plus supporting material (eg background information, photos) ____________________________

5. Silly or unusual things that are done to get public attention ______________________

6. (formal) kind feelings towards a person or organization _______________________

7. The practice of giving money and help to people who are poor or in trouble _________________________

8. A situation in which things gradually become very similar _______________________

9. Following the development or progress of someone or something ______________________

10. A system that uses radio signals from satellite to show an exact position on the Earth __________________

 

2) Make phrases by matching an item from each column:

1. build	an ad in the media
2. stimulate	in contact with customer
3. take	demand by offering a free trial
4. place	awareness of a new product
5. issue	how consumers respond to advertisements
6. keep	an initial concept through to the final advertisement
7. monitor	targeted ads to a mobile device
8. push	a news release

 

3) Underline the verbs that make sense in the sentence:

1. The agency carried / placed / published / put / ran / took out an ad in a magazine. (5 correct answers)

2. The magazine carried / placed / published / put / ran / took out the ad. (3 correct answers)

4) The items in the box are all methods of sales promotion. Match each one to its definition below:

discount  loyalty program  contest  personal appearance  free samples  trade-in free product    coupon   free trial

 

1. a competition where the winner gets a prize _______________

2. small piece of paper which you can use to buy goods at a lower price ___________________

3. short-term price reduction ___________________

4. experiencing a small quantity of a product without purchasing it __________________

5. experiencing a service for a short time without purchasing it __________________

6. ‘buy on, get one free’ ______________________

7. where customers are offered a rewards (eg discount, free product) for frequent purchasing ______________

8. where a celebrity appears somewhere in order to generate customer traffic _______________

9. using an older product as part-exchange for a new product _____________________

5 ) Study the table below and label each column with one of these types of promotional activity: advertising, personal selling, sales promotions, PR

	1 ______________	2 ______________	3______________	4________________
Intended audience	mass and targeted	mass and targeted	mass	targeted
Message flow	one-way	one-way	one-way	two-way
Payment model	paid	paid	non- paid	paid
Interaction type	non-personal	non-personal	non-personal	personal
Demand creation	lagging	quick	lagging	quick
Message control	good	good	poor	very good
Message credibility	low	medium	high	medium
Cost effectiveness	difficult to know	medium to high	high (because non-paid)	high

 

5. Choose one of the topics below and write an essay:

 

1) It’s increasingly difficult to reach customers through advertising. Media channels are becoming ever more diverse and fragmented. What is the advertising industry doing to meet this challenge?

2) The better an advertisement is, the more people remember the advertisement and the less they remember the product. Can you think of an example of this?

 

Exam topics and questions:

1. What management styles do you know? How does a management style reflect the personality of a manager on the one hand, and the type of organization, on the other?

2. What is management? What do managers manage? How important is it for a manager to be able to organize their time efficiently? Can you manage your time?

3. In what way do managers differ from leaders? What are the characteristics of a good leader? What qualities do all great leaders have in common?

4. Why do you want to work in Human Resource Management (HRM)? Who or what influenced your choice of future profession?

5. What are the advantages and disadvantages in the work of HR managers?

6. What kind of personality should an HR manager have to succeed in his\her career? What traits of character may have a negative impact on their work?

7. What main functions do HR managers perform?

8. Describe the process of selection and recruitment.

9. What types of interviews do you know? Name and describe the main stages of a typical interview.

10. What is a CV? What information does it normally contain? How should it be organized? Give a few tips on how to prepare a decent CV.

 

Text 1.

Vocabulary

quality

staff

a top-down approach

rigid

a subordinate

to lack vision

to fail

to delegate

to reflect

to justify

to suit

to require

to raise many issues

liaison

empowerment

particular

a job specification

a person specification

Reading

Management styles and qualities

Every manager will be different, but over the years management theory has established three broad categories of management styles.

 

The authoritarian manager

This person is strict, demanding, controlling and probably too rigid in their views. They take a top-down approach. But some staff like this – they know where they stand and what their responsibilities are. Their jobs are clearly defined.

 

The consensual manager

This person believes in consultation, and in coaching and mentoring their staff to help them develop. Subordinates usually like this type of manager, but the manager may lack vision and fail to show leadership.

 

The hands-off manager

This person delegates everything, or just leaves problems in the hope that they go away. They will justify their style as empowerment (i.e. giving control over decisions to other people), but subordinates will feel a lack of guidance and support. Liaison between colleagues (co-workers) will be uncoordinated.

 

An important point is that management style might reflect the company culture as much as the personality of the individual. So, a hierarchical company with a bureaucratic decision-making process will suit one type of manager. On the other hand, a decentralized company where low-level managers can take the initiative will suit another.

We also have to remember that different business situations require different management qualities. Consider a manager who is methodical, systematic and organized. Is it always a good thing? Maybe there are situations where it’s better to be intuitive and flexible, or to take decisions quickly without knowing all the facts. Consider the manager who is a good team player, cooperative and supportive. Is it always a good thing? Maybe there are situations where it’s better to work on your own, being proactive and self-motivated.

 

Qualities or skills?

Here is something interesting to think about: notice that in the text above there is reference to styles and qualities, not skills. This distinction is important. Qualities are a part of your character and personality – they were present at birth or formed early in your life and you will find it hard to change these things. Skills, however, are things you can learn – like how to speak another language, or give a good presentation. Skills can be developed and improved through practice and experience, personal qualities much less so. That raises many issues for training, personal development and career choice.

 

Person specification

When looking for candidates for a particular job, many companies produce both a job specification and a person specification. This helps employment agencies and/or the human resource department to find suitable people. The person specification will include the skills needed, experience needed and personal qualities of the ideal candidate. The example below shows the final section, personal qualities:

 

PERSON SPECIFICATION

 

Skills and abilities

The ideal candidate will be able to demonstrate the following skills:

An ability to…

 

Personal qualities

The ideal candidate will:

· have a good understanding of the market

· keep up to date with developments in the field

Strategic ability

The ideal candidate will:

· be able to translate company strategy into individual business unit objectives

· be able to balance between conflicting business interests within the organization

Organization ability

The ideal candidate will:

· be a good administrator

· be a good time-manager

· be conscientious and thorough

· be a good team-builder

Relation to subordinates

The ideal candidate will:

· have an ability to motivate

· know when to delegate and when to refer upwards

· keep good lines of communication

· have an ‘open door’ policy

· be a good listener

· have an ability to control and give feedback in an appropriate way

Character

The ideal candidate will:

· like challenges

· be prepared to take risks

· be honest and transparent

· be single-minded and determined

· be able to recover quickly after a setback

· stay calm under pressure

 

Questions

1. What are the three main styles of management? Which one do you like more? Why?

2. What management style is more suitable for a rigid bureaucratic type of organization?

3. What management style can better suit a modern dynamic business? 

4. What is the key difference between qualities and skills?

5. What fact raises many issues for training, personal development and career choice, according to the text?

6. How do employment agencies and HR departments find suitable people for different vacant positions?

7. What is the difference between a job specification and a person specification?

8. What personal qualities do you think an HR manager should have?

9. What kind of manager do you think you will be?

10. Do you agree with the statement that ‘good managers are born, not made’?

Exercises

1) Find a word in the text above that matches each definition below:

1. expecting other people to obey rules completely – ___________________________________________

2. needing a lot of your time and energy – ___________________________________________________

3. involving the agreement of most people in a group; democratic –_______________________________

4. giving training or advice for a specific job or task –___________________________________________

5. advising and helping someone more generally over a longer time period –_________________________

6. exchange of information between people so that they work well together –________________________

7. where people and jobs are divided into many levels of importance –______________________________

8. taking action before it’s needed rather than waiting until problems develop –______________________

Look at the person specification section and find a word that matches each definition:

9. showing a lot of care and attention –_______________________________________________________

10. including every possible detail and avoiding mistakes –_________________________________________

11. wanting to do something very much so that you will not let anything stop you –____________________

12. a problem that delays or stops progress –___________________________________________________

 

2) Change each adjective into an opposite meaning. If there is a prefix, it may be dis-, de-, in- or –un:

simple centralized co-operative coordinated direct flexible hands-off honest intuitive methodical organized stressed supportive top-down transparent

bureau __ __ __ __ __c __ __ centralized __ __ co-operative/__ __ helpful __ __ coordinated __ __ direct __ __ flexible/ri__ __ d hands-__ __ __ __ __ honest ra__ __ __ __ al carel__ __ __ __ __ __organized/m__ __ __y re __ __ __ed/c__ __m __ __ supportive b__ __ __ __ __- __ __ __ __ clear

 

3) Choose the best adjectives from the table above to describe these managers:

1. He is under a lot of pressure and looks worried all the time. He’s really _______________.

2. Once she has made a plan, she doesn’t like changing it. She is a bit _________________.

3. He likes to get involved and do things, rather than just talking about them or making other people do them. He is very ____________________.

4. Her desk is so untidy – papers are everywhere. It’s really ____________.

5. He produces complicated rules for everything. His approach is very _________________.

6. She’s honest and open and doesn’t try to hide anything. She’s very _________________.

 

4) Make phrases by matching an item from each column:

1. lack 2. know 3. work 4. take 5. keep 6. give 7. recover 8. translate

on your own and be self-motivated the initiative vision and fail to show leadership where you stand quickly after a setback general strategy into specific objectives up to date with the developments in the field feedback in an appropriate way

 

5) Complete the text about team with the words in the box:

breathing  carry out feedback guiding issuing progress     report back  running

 

The ability to lead teams is a key skill in the modern business world. The team leader has to move between a variety of approaches: __________ instructions and supervising closely at times, ___________ and encouraging and offering advice at other times.

The team leader is of course responsible for monitoring overall _____________, but once the team is up and _____________, and the objectives and team roles are clearly defined, then he or she may be able to take a back seat for short periods of time.

Team members like to feel that they can _____________ their roles without the leader ______________ down their neck all the time.

However, they do need to _____________ regularly, and the team leader is expected to give them constructive ____________ on their performance.

 

5. Translate the following sentences into Engish:

Управление – это очень важно. Успех или неудача компаний, некоммерческих организаций, спортивных команд и т.д. часто зависит от качества управления. Чем занимаются менеджеры? Одна из известных классификаций задач менеджеров была разработана Питером Друкером. Друкер был американским ученым, которого часто называют «отцом современного менеджмента». Он предположил, что работа менеджера может быть разделена на 5 основных задач: планирование (постановка целей), организация, интеграция (мотивация и коммуникация), оценка эффективности и развитие людей.  

 

Useful vocabulary:

Peter Drucker

success - успех

failure - неудача

non-for-profit organization – некоммерческая организация

to depend on – зависеть от…

quality -качество

well-known - известный

to develop – развивать, разрабатывать

to suggest - предполагать, предлагать

to divide – разделять

to set objectives – ставить цели

to measure performance – измерять/оценивать эффективность

 

Essay topic

According to the article, ‘authoritarian’ style of management is not always bad, while ‘democratic’ management style is not always good. Do you agree? Explain why and provide examples.

 

Text 2.

Vocabulary

amount of work required

to look frightening

time frame (timescale)

schedule (timetable)

to be ahead of schedule / on schedule / behind schedule

to be under a lot of stress / to be stressed out

to suffer from smth

to work long hours

to be expected of someone

fault

circumstances beyond your control

diary

wall chart

unpleasant

time-consuming

to get distracted

workflow

to implemented suggestions

rewarding

sense of achievement

Reading

Organizing time and work

At the planning stage of a project the amount of work required can look frightening. To make it manageable, you need to develop an overall time frame (timescale) for the project and a schedule (timetable) to show the dates or times when individual things should happen. Hopefully, through good time management, you will be ahead of schedule. Anyway, as long as you’re on schedule, there’s no problem. What you definitely don’t want is to be behind schedule. That means you’ll be under a lot of stress, and when you’re totally stressed out, your work will suffer. You might have to work long hours to catch up. And if you’re a manager, you probably won’t get paid overtime – it’s just expected of you.

Of course, it’s not always your fault. There can be delays for all sorts of reasons. Things can take longer than planned because of circumstances beyond your control. In that case… well, deadlines can become guidelines. What can you do to improve your time management? Here are some tips:

Time management tips

Ø Use a diary (AmE calendar) to plan your time. Software packages include this function, but many people prefer a wall chart with stickers and color-coding to show different activities.

Ø Make a realistic plan and then prioritize the tasks. Do the ‘A’ tasks first – the important, unpleasant, or time-consuming ones. Then you’ll turn to the less important ones with a clear mind. Don’t get distracted by doing the small, easy tasks first.

Ø Use check lists.

Ø Know and use the filling system on your computer properly. A lot of the workflow in business involves electronic paperwork, and you need to know how to access documents, modify them, share them and archive them.

Ø Delegate

Ø Don’t try to be a perfectionist in everything. It takes time to get things absolutely right, and time is money. Short cuts can be acceptable, a ‘quick and dirty’ solution may be OK. Try to balance quality, cost and time.

But of course you now all that, and you have already implemented these suggestions. You use careful time management to plan your workload. You never put off unpleasant tasks or lose concentration. Because of this, your work is stimulating and rewarding, you do everything with calm and focus. At the end of each day you go home with a sense of achievement. You say to yourself, ‘The world is a better place today because of what I did in my job.’ Right?

What do managers manage?

Operations Planning Setting and achieving targets Improving productivity Controlling, delegating and giving feedback Decision-making Satisfying customer needs Managing quality Managing change   People   Planning staffing needs, and recruiting and selecting new staff Developing the team, supporting and guiding individuals Delegating and monitoring Motivating Managing conflict Carrying out performance reviews Rewarding achievement

Finance   Preparing and negotiating budgets Monitoring the budget Controlling costs Making investment decisions Information   Chairing and/or participating in meetings Replying to emails Telephoning Accessing information on the company IT network Reading and writing reports and proposals Keeping files up to date Speaking in public, giving presentation   Career development   Managing your boss Developing your skills and competences Attending conferences and seminars Reading about recent ideas and developments in your field Minimizing stress

 

Questions

1. Look at the list of six time management tips. Can you add any others? Which ones do you personally do?

2. What is the one thing that you could do – starting tomorrow - to manage your time more efficiently?

3. Look at what managers manage. Can you add another item or two under each main heading?

Exercises