What type of manager are you?

What type of manager are you? Go through our test below and find out! (Or skip it and read about the five types below.)

The Personal Manager

A.k.a. The People Pleaser

The Personal Manager, despite typically being an introvert, is someone who would like to get to know each and every employee on a personal level. The relationships he/she has with their employees are of vital importance. This manager knows that it is his/her people who make it all happen and if they don’t thrive, the business won’t either. You should make sure, however, that your employees are comfortable with this type of relationship. Some people are more private than others.

If you happen to be this type of manager, be careful of not becoming too much of a people pleaser. Honesty can seem daunting for a person who likes to get involved in people’s personal life, but please try to be honest — for everyone’s sake. If you just sweet talk your employees when you actually disagree with the situation at hand and then go and do the exact opposite of what you just told them, they will feel betrayed or unheard. Make the tough decisions, take responsibility and give honest feedback. Learn how to serve a S**T sandwich in this article.

The Enthusiastic Manager

A.k.a. The Get-Things-Done-Manager

As a manager you are quite enthusiastic about your new ideas and want people to join in the merrymaking. When people see limitations instead of possibilities it bugs you. But hey! They are just trying to be realistic. If you combine the mass of ideas you produce with a portion of realistic consideration, your ideas might stand a chance. Learn more about the combination of divergent and convergent thinking in this article.

As a person, the Enthusiastic Manager is typically outgoing and well-liked and this is greatly due to the fact that this manager understands and listens to their employees. But unlike the Personal Manager, the Enthusiastic Manager is not in risk of becoming much of a pleaser, as their enthusiasm can make him/her quite impatient to get things done.

The Directive Manager

A.k.a. The Control Freak

Another outgoing manager type is the Directive Manager. He/she is comfortable being the ‘boss’ and has no issue with telling people what to do. This type typically hates small talk and long explanations and loves when his/her people get right down to the point. No muss no fuss. Goals, deadlines and moving quickly is what this manager is all about.

Even as these areas are important in business and they do make for a good manager, this manager type might neglect the personal relationships a bit. If you fit the Directive Manager profile and find it tedious and a waste of your time to conduct 1-on-1s with your employees, then at the very least make sure that someone else talks to them. Still, I would always recommend the direct manager is the one to conduct 1-on-1s with people — covering both work related stuff and personal stuff.

The Implementer

A.k.a. The Follow-Through Manager

The Implementer is a planner who likes the process of the work. This manager will not like to simply be told what the end result is. Everything should be done in a thorough manner. They like to get their hands on whatever the employees are currently working with and see how everything has been followed through — just as they want to follow-through with tasks themselves. It is very important to this manager that everyone in the company is onboard with the plan. They might not always focus on the big picture, but they will ensure quality of work. You shouldn’t take too many shortcuts with this kind of manager.

The Analytical Manager

A.k.a. The Behind-The-Scenes-Manager

The Analytical Manager — as the name implies — are very fond of thorough analysis and logic. When people come to this type of manager with a new idea it should be supported with some analysis — however little. They like data, but will typically like to get input from several sources (e.g. talking to several employees) as well before making an optimal decision. This, however, makes for slower decision making in comparison to the Directive Manager, but the decisions made will be based on logic.

This manager is typically introverted and the relationships he/she forms with the employees are typically on an individual level. This doesn’t mean that these relationships are of a very personal nature, but are definitely based on a great deal of collaboration. Makes sure to talk about what’s important to the employee as well — conduct 1-on-1s.

The “Perfect Manager”

To be perfectly honest, I don’t like this term. Of course I have preferences on how I want to be managed and so does everyone else, but I will not make myself an authority on which management style is most optimal. Different styles fit different people, situation or even industries — although there are some management styles that are never appropriate.

In reality, as you very well know, you will often have a few qualities from all of the types, but the abovementioned profiles can serve as good indicators of how you are perceived by others. A well-balanced manager will know when to put which ‘hat’ on, even though some management styles will come more natural to him/her than others.

A good way to know how your employees prefer to be managed can be through conducting 1-on-1s. The personal conversation between employee and manager is vital in knowing what they are motivated about, how they feel and what they would like to achieve. Ensure that you talk about all the relevant topics with your employees and fit your management style to the needs of your people.

Originally published at www.duuoo.io.