Going through the company, to conduct interviews with a manager and one other employee; a non-manager, I was overwhelmed by the attitude of the employees. The employees were engrossed in their work and seemed to be working with intent. The prime reason behind interviewing two officers from two different tiers of the organization was to understand the management style behind the high-quality work coming from the company. This essay explains the interviews that took place. It also contains my analysis of the meetings, regarding the management style followed in the organization.
The first interview was with the department manager. The department manager has around a hundred people under him. Work is mostly project-based and requires the employees to work in teams. Teams are formed as work comes and are broken, once the project ends. The department manager is one of those people who genuinely cares for his subordinates. He has told them his door is always open to anyone with questions. His aides can discuss their official problems with the manager. This policy has helped create a very open and friendly atmosphere at the office. All employees are on the same page with the manager and care for each other’s needs.
The manager claims he is extremely involved with his work and is present at the office as long as necessary. Often, he has to come early and leave late for home. He thinks being there gives his subordinates the feeling that he is willing to help them with whatever issues they face. He holds regular meetings with various sections of his department to stay updated with whatever is going on in the office. Besides, the employees are free to drop by and discuss their issues. The manager considers it essential to keep up to date and feels that it allows him to manage the department well.
Credit should be given to the manager for maintaining a relaxed environment at the office. The type of work done in the organization is so intense that the employees are often under pressure to meet deadlines. During these periods, John and Rebecca help the manager make life bearable for the employees. Building employee morale is considered the organization’s primary focus, and I think the manager is doing a remarkable job on it.
The manager believes his employees are all self-motivated and able to handle the work. That is why he lets his employees pick projects they think they can do. He usually shoots ideas occasionally but allows the employees to handle the work. Apparently, the manager believes in delegation a lot. Though he stays in touch with all the work, he leaves it to the employees(6 Management Styles and When Best to Use Them – The Leaders Tool Kit – Leaders in Heels).
The manager, who comes from a technical background, is very tech-savvy. He has introduced Office 365 on the department floor. The software helps the team plan and track goals and organize projects. Initially, when he came up with the idea to install the software, he was met with resistance from the employees. They thought this might mean more rigid controls over them, with more involvement from other departments. However, as they learned that the software helps with their tasks, the employees assisted them in installing it. The software can be considered as a non-intrusive oversight for the manager.
The second interview was conducted with one of the employees who works under this manager. Judging from the answers the employees gave, it seems that the consensus of the employees on the manager’s management style is excellent. They consider his views and style as favorable to their career growth. Apparently, the manager is open to ideas for everyone, though he also feels the need to give his thoughts.
According to the employee, the manager usually works through emails and chats because the entire department is seated so close by that he feels that he might disturb the others if he talks on the phone. The whole team communicates through chat. The projects, however, are usually picked by the manager and the CIO. They then allocate the plans down to the employees according to their priorities. It does not mean that the employees do not have their say.
According to the employee, the manager’s management style is democratic because he takes ideas from his subordinates and weighs those ideas. The democratic management style is an open style, which allows all members of the team to share responsibility equally. In it, ideas are discussed freely, by everyone in the group. The democratic style is common in dynamic organizations, where work parameters and the environment rapidly change. It involves every member to take an active part in the decision-making process. Ultimately, all the ideas and information are put forward, and a decision is taken based on everyone’s ideas. Considering that the manager works in the IT department, a democratic leadership style fits him best.
Work Cited
6 Management Styles and When Best to Use Them – The Leaders Tool Kit – Leaders in Heels. https://leadersinheels.com/career/6-management-styles-and-when-best-to-use-them-the-leaders-tool-kit/. Accessed 5 Dec. 2017.
