Finding the best manager
I used to dread interviews. I’m experienced enough to talk about design technicalities, but I still struggle with personal questions. One that stumped me was, “What are you looking for in a manager?” I usually said something noncommittal like, “Someone who is hands-off and lets me do my job.”
As a nerdy designer who trusted my ability to do good work, I just wanted to do the work I was excited about and be left alone. This answer usually raised eyebrows and didn’t satisfy my interviewers. They were right to be skeptical because I hadn’t thought much about my ideal work environment.
I decided to take this question to the internet and learn about different management styles. This helped me figure out what I’m looking for in a manager and I hope it helps my fellow designers too.
Different styles of manager for different designers
The management style that suits you the best depends on a lot of different factors but I think we can highlight the most important two: where you are in your career and how you like to work. Usually the more seniority you get, the less supervision you want, and vice versa. In terms of working styles, I have seen every kind of designer, from people who want support at every step of the design process to designers who want complete free reign over their project. It’s also important to understand that the way you manage people might not be the way you want to be managed. As a manager you have to be flexible and be able to adapt to what your team needs the most. There is an infinite variety of management styles, but most of them fall under the main three following categories:
- Autocratic / authoritarian management
A single individual, usually the manager, makes all the decisions and holds the authority within the team. The team input is usually limited and they are expected to follow the manager’s decision. The manager can sometimes share the rationale behind the decision but always ends up having the last word. This is the most top-down style of management, a clear hierarchy is established and usually communication goes one way. This is often found in big companies like Tesla, where most of the decisions are made by higher management and convey down the line.
Pros & cons: this style of management is helpful in a crisis or in a fast paced environment, unfortunately it often limits innovation and can often alienate employees who want to grow their career.
It might be for you if: you are more on the junior side of your career or if you just want to be head-down in the work and move things quickly. It also provides structure since the hierarchy and expectation are clearly defined.
It might NOT be for you if: you want to do things your way, have a voice that matters in the direction of your work or want to try to do things differently.
How you could describe this in an interview if this is your preference: I am looking for a manager that has a strong leadership style and knows what they are doing. Someone that can tell me what to do and that I can trust to make decisions when decisive actions are required.
2. Democratic / participative management style
Employees are highly involved in the decision making process. Managers seek input, feedback, and ideas from their team before making decisions. This management style aims at empowering team members and facilitating communication between an organization at different levels and promotes team work. It is a useful style to help with conflict resolution and is usually used by companies who want to foster a positive work culture.
Pros & cons: this style of management is helpful to make individuals feel valued as individual contributors and often ends up with more well-rounded decisions but it is a slow process. Since decisions involve gathering input from multiple sources, the decision-making process might be longer compared to autocratic management.
It might be for you if: you want to work in a very collaborative environment where you can express your opinions and impact the product you are working on. It is a good management style for mid-level and senior designers who are comfortable with their skills. It is also a good opportunity to learn since most managers that use this style act as mentors.
It might NOT be for you if: you want a fast-paced environment or if you want to be on a team that drives a lot of innovations. In a democratic management style it is hard to strike a balance between making a decision and how many employees should be involved. Ideas that come out also tend to be more generic after being through several rounds of reviews.
How you could describe this in an interview if this is your preference: I am looking for a manager that values my input and that lets me express my thoughts about my projects. Someone I can rely on to help me grow my career and improve my skills.
3. Hands-off / laissez-faire management style
Managers provide minimal direction, guidance or intervention. They trust their team members to manage their own tasks and responsibilities. The team is mostly self-directed and team members are accountable for achieving results. The managers are mostly involved in delivery and leading the direction of the team. It is often used in startups or companies with highly-skilled individuals. Valve is one of the most infamous examples of this management style but while it did drive a lot of innovations and become a leader in the video game industry, their implementation of it was widely criticized. Steve Jobs was also known for hiring talent and letting them follow their instincts.
Pros & cons: this style of management often helps drive innovation and let individual employee’s creativity shine but you have to maintain effective communication and managers have to make sure the team has the necessary resources to complete projects. For some team members the lack of support or structure can be difficult. It is a management style that is often geared toward more senior designers.
It might be for you if: you are confident in your skills and want to be able to stretch your brain by finding bold new solutions or if you like to be a jack of all trades. This style can also suit you if you like to work autonomously, thrive in creating their own structure and handle their time management well.
It might NOT be for you if: you need a lot of structure, guidance and support or struggle at keeping deadlines. Having complete freedom can be overwhelming. It might also not suit you if you have difficulty reining in projects, it is good to find very innovative solutions but you still need to have them implemented.
How you could answer if you wanted a hands-off manager: I am looking for a manager that lets me run with my ideas and explore the limit of my creativity. Someone that can make sure no politics or higher concern are blocking my progress while I look for innovative solutions.
So, in the end, what am I looking for in a manager? Well, it’s a mix of everything listed above, and very similar to what we established in Phaidra. My “ideal manager” is someone I can trust to make the right decisions for the well-being and individual growth of the team. That listens to what we have to say, encourages feedback and standing-up for ourselves. Someone that I can use as a mentor or a resource but trusts me enough to let me run with my ideas and deliver deadlines on time without having to check with me every step of the way.
But the most important thing to remember is that both how you like to be managed and how you manage people is deeply personal and there is no right or wrong answer. And finding the right manager is more about understanding how you work and what works well for you.
