Choose an appropriate management style
Firstly, managers must identify important concepts needed to create a good management style. When the concepts are brought together, they form their own theory of management or management style.
When deciding on a suitable management style, it is very easy for managers to come up with fancy names for ideas or concepts called paradigms to help explain the way to manage things.
At present, the three most common paradigms being discussed include:
- Chaos theory (unpredictability, complexity, change etc.)
- Workplace diversity (different views)
- Globalisation (especially with the presence of the Internet)
However, it is easy to lose track of all the paradigms used by other management experts and the technical jargon managers use to discuss their management styles. And many of the fancy names used for various styles are often based on really classic ideas known by others over many years.
There is a term we use for people who create fancy names for various management styles. It is called 'fad surfing'. Fad surfing are usually new names for which we already know about in one form or another in the past. (e.g. KISS, Theory Z etc).
Why do they exist? Partly because some people want to make money by writing management books on supposedly "new ideas" in the management world. But it is also the constant adaptation to change by management in an organisation overwhelmed by information and who think in a short-term manner which can result in a 'fad surfing' approach to management.
You must remember, most fads are usually quick fixes, not long-term solutions. If you want quality management, keep the ideas simple and stable and look for the valuable concepts tried-and-tested by management over many years while still retaining some level of flexible. This is what professional management is about. It is characterised by the rejection of quick-fix fads, technical jargon and dogma, and the skillful development and application of sound 'long-term' ideas to particular 'practical' situations.
Implement the management style
And secondly, start using the management style to help people in the organisation to achieve certain goal(s).