Introduction
The job of a manager is not an easy one, but there are certain factors that can simplify it to a considerable extent. The knowledge of correct communication strategies and suitable problem-solving techniques promotes the creation of the most favorable environment for each employee in the tram. A manager’s ability to identify the strengths and weaknesses of his or her subordinates allows avoiding personal and professional issues and helps one to plan the work of his or her unit in the most productive way. However, one’s talent for evaluating one’s own strong and weak points is of no less importance. A manager that is able to identify his or her weaknesses is the most likely to gain success since such people work hard on improving their drawbacks while simultaneously evolving their strengths.
My Strengths
The top three strengths of my management style are ethical leadership, time management, and emotional intelligence. Ethical leadership promotes responsible decision-making and enables me to treat every employee with dignity and fairness (Nankervis et al., 2017). This trait helps me to approach every work situation with due attention and care to detail. Managers who apply an ethical approach never listen to one side of the story but instead, they give an opportunity to both conflicting parties to express their views on the situation. Ethical leadership will be helpful in the process of managing people since my subordinates will see that I am not biased and can be trusted. Thus, team members will not conceal any problems from me but will learn to deal with dilemmas effectively and mutually.
Time management is another highly beneficial feature for a good manager. For me, it means the ability to cope with the tasks I have without delays and to teach my team to use their time effectively. This strength is rather advantageous in management since it enables me to organize a schedule efficiently and delegate tasks when necessary. Finally, emotional intelligence is the tool helping a manager to understand and regulate not only his or her own emotions but also those of their subordinates (Hopkins & Yonker, 2015). With the help of this strength, I am able to notice changes in people’s moods, which enables me to cope with negative relations at the workplace. I can help employees to manage their personal or work-related problems so that they would not affect the final outcomes.
Opportunities
The three areas in which I currently feel weak are probing, diagnosing team building, and problem-solving. Probing questions as a communication style constitute a rather productive approach to finding out more detail. Probing enables the manager to receive clarifications from employees or analyze whether the information given by them is verified and truthful. Currently, I cannot say firmly that I have mastered this skill, but I intend to take a course in managerial communication to improve this feature. Team building diagnostics is another important skill for a manager since team building is known to enhance the process of effective employee communication and collaboration (Beauchamp et al., 2017). Although I acknowledge the significance of team-building exercises, I cannot prognosis when and which ones are needed. I plan to read scholarly literature and analyze some practical examples in order to improve this weakness.
Finally, I have to develop my problem-solving skills to the extent that will allow me to find resolutions to work issues promptly. To do so, I have scheduled to listen to several online lectures and to read professional literature on problem-solving for managers. I believe that with the improvement of this skill, I will contribute to my team members’ efficiency by avoiding conflicts or mitigating them as soon as possible.
Management Style
I would define my management style as a combination of democratic and visionary ones. For me, the collaborative philosophy pertaining to democratic management is the most suitable way of guiding people’s work. Taking into consideration the opinions of subordinates not only gives the opportunity to engage each employee but also develops a trusting atmosphere and gives people a feeling that their efforts are appreciated. I enjoy the process of idea sharing and find it necessary to involve each tea member in the process of idea generation. Meanwhile, the element of the visionary style that is the most attractive for me is the possibility to convey the general vision of the organization to one’s team. By pursuing the goals of democratic and visionary management, I can gain the best outcomes for the team and reach the company’s goals effectively.
Conclusion
The analysis of my management style’s strengths and weaknesses allowed me to identify the features that are currently well-developed, as well as those requiring further promotion. I realize that there are areas for development, and I am ready to cover these by being a persistent learner and a confident manager. In my opinion, effective managers are not the ones who distribute work to subordinates but the ones who inspire people to solve problems mutually and come up with the most effective ideas for the benefit of the whole company.
References
Beauchamp, M., McEwan, D., & Waldhauser, K. J. (2017). Team building: Conceptual, methodological, and applied considerations. Current Opinion in Psychology, 16, 114-117. Web.
Hopkins, M. M., & Yonker, R. D. (2015). Managing conflict with emotional intelligence: Abilities that make a difference. Journal of Management Development, 34(2), 226–244. Web.
Nankervis, A., Baird, M., Coffey, J., & Shields, J. (2017). Human resource management: Strategy and practice (9th ed.). Cengage Learning.