thefunnel

 ”What is your management style” or “Explain your management style”, is a question that’s often asked in interviews, at management training courses or just generally. How do you best reply to this question in a structured and concise way? One way is to break down your organizational philosophy into a few sub elements, and then address each of these separately.  Examples of these sub elements are Leadership style, Performance Expectations, Image, People and Executive Commitment. Each of these in turn can then be broken down even further. For example your performance expectations could be either Easy, Realistic, Stretched, High or Very High. Let’s say that your style is Stretched for you and your organization. Next you have to articulate what Stretched Performance means to you. It could be defined as: Ambitious, Plan is the Plan, There’s Life Outside Work, Alignment, Loyalty is Rewarded, and Clear Rules. Another example: People. What kind of people do you want to hire to your team? Value, Good, The Very Good, The Best or The Ninety-Ninth Percentile? Let’s say your philosophy is hiring The Best. You could define The Best as: Professional, Committed, Team Players, Positive Intention and with a Long Term Perspective. And what about your Leadership style. Do you Lead, Manage or Empower? If your dominant style is let’s say empowering, what does it mean for the dimensions of Professionalism, Experience, Street Visdom, Task, Relationship, Respect, Trust, and Achievement?