Preferred Management Style for Professionals?

      
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		            		Mohankrishna
Manager, India
			            
Preferred Management Style for Professionals?

	          		What is the preferred management style for handling a team of professionals? Why?
				      
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										              24

						            	Jaap de Jonge
Editor, Netherlands
												
				                Preferred Style for Managing Professionals

													According to the situational leadership model, we should adapt our management style to the situation, in particular to the development level of the employees. This development level of the employees depends on 2 main variables: competence in the task (area) and commitment to the task (area).

1. You start by examining their competence. Your team is composed of professionals. Assuming they are operating inside their domain of expertise, they have a moderate or even high level of competence in their task areas. So they fall in category D3 or D4 in the picture of the summary of Situational Leadership and the matching management style is either S3 or S4.

2. Now you consider their commitment to the task area:

If their task commitment/motivation is high, then they should be seen as D4 and the preferred management style would be S4: Delegating. In this situation, both the directive and the supportive behavior of the manager can be and should be low.

- If their task commitment/motivation is variable or moderate, they should be regarded D3, so your preferred management style would be S3: Participating/Supporting. In this situation, the directive behavior of the manager should be low, and the manager should focus on the relationship, supporting such professionals.

Note 1: You can find another angle to how you should manage professionals in the discussion "How can you Motivate Knowledge Workers?" which focuses on giving knowledge professionals a sense of making progress in meaningful work. Ultimately this approach arrives at the same conclusion as the above: TASK AUTONOMY AND PERSONAL SUPPORT.

Note 2: See also this best practice on Team Coaching of Smart Creatives in innovative firms.
				                
										              4

						            	Dil Prasad Shrestha, PhD
Management Consultant, Nepal
												
				                Consider also the Context when Managing Professionals

													In addition to two variables of the employees/ development, there should be a third variable:
3. Th... Sign up
				              
										              5

						            	Erik van geel
Management Consultant, Netherlands
												
				                Preferred Management Styles for Professionals

													@Dil Prasad Shrestha, PhD: I Think it's an interesting aspect you introduce. Leadership is not only ... Sign up
				              
										              2

						            	Alan Kennedy, Canada
												
				                Managing Professionals: First Expectations and Responsibilities

													It seems to me that management of a team of professionals has to begin with an explicit understandin... Sign up
				              
										              7

						            	Javier Elenes
Business Consultant, Mexico
												
				                Managing Professionals by MBPO

													I suggest MBPO, in which an extra letter P has been added to the classic MBO acronym.
In such Manag... Sign up
				              
										              3

						            	Karel V 
CEO, South Africa
												
				                Preferred Management Styles for Professionals

													In my observations, professional people do not like the command and control, or coercive styles of l... Sign up
				              
										              2

						            	Oshun, Grace Okaima
Lecturer, Nigeria
												
				                Use Situational Leadership Style for Professionals

													I agree with the analysis of the situational leadership style by @Jaap de Jonge. For any job to qual... Sign up
				              
										              3

						            	Briolett
Manager, Canada
												
				                Managing Professionals

													Hmmm. A lot of good points raised. My thoughts...
- Well educated doesn't equate to intelligent. Th... Sign up
				              
										              3

						            	Dammike Kobbekaduwe, Sri Lanka
												
				                Preferred Style of Managing Professionals

													Professionals have a deeper knowledge in their domain of expertise. However, if they lack common tou... Sign up
				              
										              1

						            	Graham
Teacher, Thailand
												
				                The Role of Culture in Managing Professionals

													Culture plays an important part in all of this. As a foreigner working in Thailand, it is evident fo... Sign up
				              
										              0

						            	Abdullah Sultan
HR Consultant, Saudi Arabia
												
				                Required Management Skills

													Managing a team of professionals requires certain skills. Most important is the skill of identifying... Sign up
				              
										              1

						            	Finn
Qatar
												
				                Managing Professionals from Multiple Cultures

													@Graham: indeed the culture of the organisation, and the environment (region, country) in which it i... Sign up
				              
										              -2

						            	Andrew Blaine
Business Consultant, South Africa
												
				                More of the Same

													Surely the simple answer to the question "What is the preferred management style for handling a team... Sign up
				              
										              6

						            	Gandhi Heryanto
Management Consultant, Indonesia
												
				                Managing Professional

													In the past in traditional management, workers did as they were told by their boss. This could not b... Sign up
				              
										              2

						            	Seelig, Netherlands
												
				                It Depends on Culture

													@Graham: I agree it depends on culture. In individual low hierarchical cultures like the Netherlands... Sign up
				              
										              0

						            	Joseph L Mbolota
HR Consultant, Zambia
												
				                Don't Ignore the Advice of Professionals

													One thing is certain, professionals once assigned a task love to be trusted and respected as such. I... Sign up
				              
										              3

						            	Willie Odemwingie
Lecturer, Nigeria
												
				                Managing Professionals Requires Giving Freedom

													There is no fixed style and there should not be any style cast in stone for managing professionals. ... Sign up
				              
										              1

						            	jacinta wamwaki
Kenya
												
				                Freedom to Professionals

													@Willie Odemwingie: I agree professionals are the gurus in their area of profession. They do not nee... Sign up
				              
										              0

						            	s c narang
HR Consultant, India
												
				                Management Style in an R&D Organization

													The management of an Research and Development organization calls for an Inspiring Leadership, a comp... Sign up
				              
										              2

						            	Nzyoka
Student (University), Kenya
												
				                Management of Professionals

													In as much as professionals are experts in their areas, we need consistency in the organization, we ... Sign up
				              
										              1

						            	Wismayer, UK
												
				                Preferred Management Style for Professionals: Management by Invitation

													Today there is really only 1 management style and that is management by invitation. Long gone are th... Sign up
				              
										              1

						            	Pigeot, Germany
												
				                Management of Professionals that are Low on Knowldege and Commitment, but they're not to Blame

													Of course age, culture and background are adding complexity to managing professionals.
Having a fra... Sign up
				              
										              4

						            	Jose A. De las Rivas
Management Consultant, Spain
												
				                5 Conditions for Successful Management of Professionals

													In my experience, there are five requirements that must be met by senior managers to always make the... Sign up
				              
										              2

						            	Goran Skoog
Management Consultant, Sweden
												
				                Visionary Management is Required

													1. Create a shared vision for the team of professionals, which reflects the personal visions of the ... Sign up
				              
										              3

						            	ANTONIO BARRANCO RUIZ
Director, Spain
												
				                What is the Preferred Management Style for Handling a Team of Professionals? Why?

													There is no ideal management style in general, because the most successful style is the one that cov... Sign up
				              
										              1

						            	Tyrell Clifford, Sri Lanka
												
				                The Style of Managers that Professionals Hate

													@Vongani Karel Nkombyane: I totally agree with you. Managers only with experience don't like to list... Sign up
				              
										              1

						            	Andrew Blaine
Business Consultant, South Africa
												
				                Management of Groups

													I find it of great interest that my initial response has been found unpopular. It does not change my... Sign up
				              
										              -1

						            	Seelig, Netherlands
												
				                Vuxen Level

													@Goran Skoog: I understand that. That is typical Swedish. And in my humble opinion a very mature way... Sign up
				              
										              2

						            	Goran Skoog
Management Consultant, Sweden
												
				                Swedish Management

													@Seelig: I guess you're right. Support of team building and teamwork is a hallmark of Swedish manage... Sign up
				              
										              2

						            	Qazi Ata
Consultant, Pakistan
												
				                Required Leadership Style for Handling Professionals

													I have gone through all the available reactions. Every one has commented according to his own workin... Sign up
				              
										              1

						            	Tyrell Clifford, Sri Lanka
												
				                Preferred Management Style for Professionals

													I agree with Qazi Ata, however a visionary leadership style is very important to inspire professiona... Sign up
				              
										              0

						            	Andrew Blaine
Business Consultant, South Africa
												
				                Visionary Management

													@Goran Skoog:  Why should these principles be reserved for professionals exclusively? Surely, with a... Sign up
				              
										              1

						            	Seelig, Netherlands
												
				                Jazz Style Management

													@Qazi Ata: That's exactly what Ricardo Semler (Semco) is doing. With one big difference. The workers... Sign up
				              
										              1

						            	Sibusiso Mngomezulu, South Africa
												
				                Metaphor for Managing Professionals

													Imo, the best way to manage professionals is to get them to be specialist in looking for the ball as... Sign up
				              
										              1

						            	Goran Skoog
Management Consultant, Sweden
												
				                Visionary Management, Always

													@Andrew Blaine: Of course you are right. A management built on a shared vision is applicable everywh... Sign up
				              
										              0

						            	Karel V 
CEO, South Africa
												
				                Managing the Human Resources

													The Human Resources are known as the most important resources in an organisation. Will the managemen... Sign up
				              
										              2

						            	Vijay Bhatia
Consultant, India
												
				                Managing Professionals: Sharing the Vision

													I agree with Mr @Goran Skoog that the vision has to be shared. However, that is easier said than don... Sign up
				              
										              1

						            	Randy StPierre
Student (University), United States
												
				                Preferred Management Style

													@Briolett: Thank you for your insight on this subject, especially pointing out that not all people t... Sign up
				              
										              2

						            	Maurice Grasso
Business Consultant, Australia
												
				                Managing Professional Staff & Teams

													I agree with most of the comments. The right people in the right jobs know what needs to be done, so... Sign up
				              
										              1

						            	chaovalit
Director, Thailand
												
				                How to Manage Professionals: Observe, Analyze and Learn

													Observe them, Analyze them, and Learn to understand them. Then you will know how to manage them well... Sign up
				              
										              1

						            	Phionah Atuhaire
Project Manager
												
				                Managing Professionals: Give Freedom and Direction

													Interesting topic here. Thoughts above appreciated. In my opinion, there is no one management style ... Sign up
				              
										              1

						            	Vladimir Kuryakov
Consultant, United States
												
				                Preferred Style for Managing Professionals Depends on the Task

													Different types of management are required for different tasks, for example:
A) HIGHLY DIVISIBLE AN... Sign up
				              
										              0

						            	jorge anibal hoyos hoyos
Manager, Colombia
												
				                Analyze Professionals in their Inner-self

													Let me recall General Patton during the Normandia invasion. Nazis knew him as an always go-forward G... Sign up
				              
										              0

						            	Eyad
Manager, Jordan
												
				                Professionals are Performing Easily but are Difficult to be Managed

													I see that managing professionals should be based on flexibility principles in most of the commercia... Sign up
				              
										              1

						            	Gregory Johnson
Coach, United States
												
				                Management Style for Managing Managers

													@Jaap de Jonge: This is a very delicate dance. The level of self-confidence among the reporting mana... Sign up
				              
										              0

						            	Maurice Hogarth
Consultant, United Kingdom
												
				                Who is the Professional?

													@Andrew Blaine: Andrew I agree.
I wasn't clear on your first posting but suspected, then your secon... Sign up
				              
										              2

						            	Jaap de Jonge
Editor, Netherlands
												
				                Meaning of Professionals in the Context of This Topic

													I suggest in this discussion, the meaning of "professionals" is: Persons who have the type of job th... Sign up
				              
										              1

						            	PeterMaria van Herpen
Switzerland
												
				                The 'workforce' Consists of Individuals

													So, as a manager you have the usually ungrateful task to give each the type and intensity of managem... Sign up
				              
										              1

						            	A McClintock
Lecturer, Australia
												
				                Managing Professionals

													If people know how to do their jobs, leave them alone, they don't need someone trying to control the... Sign up
				              
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