When it comes to managing a team, every GM seems to take a different stance. Some prefer to motivate staff with incentives, like Coaching Inn’s hero of the month awards, others may prefer leading by example, while still others may feel that the best way to motivate staff is to trust them to make their own decisions. The options for managing your team may seem almost endless, but as it turns out, there are six widely acknowledged management styles that most GMs (and managers in general) fit into.
So which kind of manager are you?
If you found this fun, you may enjoy our other quizzes:
Whether you're a pacesetter, a coach, consultative or autocratic, it can be fascinating to learn more about other management styles. They are:
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Autocratic or Directive: You are the decision maker, and your staff know it. You run a tight ship, and keep a keen eye on what is going on at your property. You don’t accept anything but the best from your team, and expect them to maintain your high standards across the board to ensure that guests have problem-free stays. Examples*: Donald Trump, Martha Stewart and Helmsley Hotel Chain’s Leona Helmsley.
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Consultative or Authoritative: You value your staff’s input, and want them to be on board with any decisions that you make, but at the end of the day, the buck stops with you. That’s why you try to make sure that your team understand the decisions that you make, but even where your staff may disagree, you rest assured in the knowledge that you’ve made the right decisions for your property. Examples: Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos of Amazon.
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Pacesetting: You want to set a great example for your staff to follow, and if that means getting your hands dirty, you’re happy to get it done. When your staff see how committed you are, they’ll feel motivated to follow your lead and work just as hard. You have high standards, but the fact that you can get it done goes to show that anyone can, so there are no excuses for any of your teams to lag behind. Examples: Arianna Huffington of Huffington Post and Microsoft’s Bill Gates.
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Persuasive or Affiliative: Your people’s happiness means the most to you, but you understand that not everyone can get what they want. This means that you have to make the hard decisions, but they’ll always be based on feedback from your staff, and you’ll try to find a solution that as satisfies as many people’s needs as possible, both when it comes to staff, and to guests. Examples: Facebook COO, Sheryl Sandberg, and New York Yankees’ Joe Torre.
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Participative or Democratic: You don’t believe in holding all the cards — your staff are the backbone of your property, and their voices are just as important as your own. The best solutions are those that everyone agrees on, whether they’re an owner or part of your housekeeping team. Your role is to facilitate decision making, and to make sure that everyone’s voice is heard. Examples: Starbucks CEO, Howard Schultz and PepsiCo’s Indra Nooyi.
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Coaching or Laissez-Faire: You don’t see yourself as a manager per-se, but more of a mentor. You’re there to help your staff wherever you can, but you trust that they’ll make the right decisions on their own, and that they don’t need managing as much as they need guiding in the right direction every now and then. When they do, you’ll be ready to help with as much advice as they need to develop and grow in their positions. Examples: Former American president, Ronald Reagan and business magnate, Warren Buffett.
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