One Size Fit All Managers
Posted on April 20, 2018 by Paula Maddox, One of Thousands of Executive Coaches on Noomii.
Are you a "one size fits all" manager? Do you treat all employees and staff persons the same? Find out how to make them feel valuable to your business
Does your management style feel like a ‘one size fits all’? Do you feel everyone should be treated the same regardless of the circumstances? Does it appear that there are blanket instructions for everyone on the team regardless of the sensitivity of issues with a variety of individuals on the team? If your answer is ‘yes’ to one or more of these questions, it’s quite likely that you are a ‘one size fits all’ manager. That management style is not favorable among employees and it has a very low success rate. Why? Because each individual on the planet is different. We may sound alike, look alike or assimilate one another from time to time, but let’s be honest…each of us is different from the other. We think differently, we act differently and our experiences are different. Therefore, it’s nearly impossible for a manager to manage everyone on the team the same way and believe that successful results can be achieved in such a manner. Each individual has their own set of circumstances and challenges to address each day. Also, we all have different personalities, temperaments, viewpoints, perspectives, triggers and different ways in which we respond to people and learn. Therefore, it’s natural for us to desire special or different treatment, based on our individual value. When a manager attempts to take on a ‘one size fits all’ approach with the team, it says to the employees that the manager isn’t fully invested and that the employees are not valued or recognized for their individual skills and personality. The employees feel that they don’t matter and the manager doesn’t care about them or their well-being. And who wants to feel like they’ve blended into the wallpaper and not recognized for the individual they truly are? When employees don’t feel valued…other problems begin to develop and one thing leads to another and none of them are good. If you are a manager, this is your wake up call! Value your people, because if you don’t value them or support them in their job roles, you will not be successful in yours. If you are an employee, be valued for the individual that you are. Have an honest conversation with your manager about how you feel. Each of us need feedback in order to improve, grow and develop into better individuals. It’s just as important to receive feedback as it is to give it. What is your perspective? PM