Different managerial styles allow firms to grow, adapt
Bob Page started out as an auditor for the State of North Carolina. However, as a gay man, he worried that revealing “who he was” would get him fired. So when he founded Replacements, Ltd., an Internet-based tableware company in Greensboro, N.C., he wanted to prove that a company that embraces diversity could still be profitable.
“We have over 20 different languages and nationalities represented in our workplace,” said Page.
And while the company is willing to work with all employees on performance issues, derogatory comments about nationality, race, religion or sexual preference are not tolerated, he said.
The company has 550 employees, is one of the most successful companies in the tableware industry and received the first perfect score for the Corporate Equality Index, published by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation to rate American businesses on the treatment of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender employees.
However, does diversity encompass more than language, race, nationality, religion and sexual orientation? Does it also encompass managerial style?
“Diversity is infinite,” said Scott Fleming, president of Replacements, Ltd. “And the more diversity you have, the more diversity of thought you have, which ultimately makes for better business decisions. That diversity also incorporates the diversity of individual style.”
Too much diversity?
Different managers have different styles. This invariably means working in one department could be a vastly different experience than working in the department across the hall. But different managerial styles don’t necessarily lead to different cultures, said Scott.
“Culture is really about how the organization functions, it is really about the beliefs of an organization. Diversity, for instance, is an organizational value. You need to have people in your organizations who, although they have different styles, share common values.”
Bonnie Nixon, former director of human resources with both the Saskatchewan and Alberta governments, agrees.
“Different managers have different styles and this can impact the local culture to a large extent. However, in my public service career I found that if the leader placed a strong emphasis on something and followed through with rewards and action, where needed, then the values and ethics were met,” she said.
“Where the leader (placed) a strong value on diversity, not who you are but what you can do and what you can bring, and an HR group that hired based on competencies, then you tended to see the best person hired and promoted, and the culture was able to utilize each person’s individual genius effectively.”
Many styles, one corporate culture
An organization should have a framework of values and leadership competencies that help define the organization’s culture, said Jason Lauritson, vice-president of HR for Omaha, Neb.-based customer service provider West Corporation.
“These values and competencies act to align the actions and activities of the organization. Great organizations take this process to the next step and clearly define the expectations surrounding management,” he said.
These expectations essentially provide the requirements of managing within that organization, said Lauritson, and can include setting written goals and objectives for employees at the beginning of the year or conducting one-on-one meetings with direct reports once a month.
Within this type of framework, different management styles can be allowed without too many issues and there should be consistency when a person moves from one group to the next.
“We will never remove all of the stylistic differences between managers, so we need to create systems and structures that allow for it,” said Lauritson.
Different managerial styles are an important part of a business that allow it to grow and not be blindsided. At the same time, organizations need to ensure consistency from manager to manager.
This consistency comes from the organization’s values and should be used as the basis for determining new hires. When people share a common belief, employers can accommodate different styles without having competing cultures.
Michael Rosenberg is a principal with OYG Consulting in Brampton, Ont., and the author of The Flexible Thinker and co-author of The Flexible Thinker: A Guide to Extreme Career Performance.
