Dev Randhawa discusses management styles.
A recent piece in the Huffington Post’s management section has laid out three poor styles of management for start-ups – I’ve decided to look at them and see if they’d have any use in a sector outside of the start-up sector, which is mostly focused on the wider tech industry.
The little details
Can management styles that don’t work at start-ups work elsewhere?
The author starts with Micromanagement. In recent years, ‘micromanagement’ has become a pejorative term with almost entirely negative connotations (even the term’s Wikipedia article says so).
While it’s easy to view micromanagement as invasive and demoralizing, it does have a use when re-appropriated as a method for keeping an eye on talented but unruly employees that need guidance and a reminder of the existing hierarchies in work. One has to be careful though, as the method is still capable of being suffocating.
In the context of operating outside of the start-up sphere, I can see why micromanagement may have its uses – in the freelancer-driven start-up sector I can definitely see where there is an issue.
When moving over to the opposite of the spectrum, however, things get interesting.
Hands-off
The ‘hands-off’ style may be effective for creative workers who need room to think, but outside of the start-up sector there’s a definite need to keep employees in check and provide a guiding hand. For example, a ‘hands-off’ approach wouldn’t be particularly smart in the uranium industry, which is heavily regulated and monitored due to its nature.
The final option offered is a strict disciplinarian approach, which can be somewhat intimidating and damaging for workers who are not suited to constant, strict management from their superiors – I wouldn’t advise this for anything but the army!
In summary, some good points are made but it’s always worth thinking outside of the start-up bubble and remembering different industries have different management styles.
About Dev Randhawa
Dev Randhawa is a CEO and an expert in natural resource exploration. He is also an active blogger.
