Do you find it difficult to move from task to task or are you highly flexible when it comes to retaining and evaluating lots of different information?

Or perhaps the idea of having to manage others really turns you off?

On the other hand, maybe you're the type who has never been bothered by the idea of delegating and loves the challenge of long-range planning.

There are all different types of managers.

Many times managerial success is directly tied to your own personal strengths and weaknesses as well as your personal action style.

The chart below outlines three common management action styles and describes the strengths and/or weaknesses of each type.

Before we go any further, let's take a look at each one.

Action Style Choices For Managers

There are three primary styles:
INACTIVE      
RE-ACTIVE   
PRO-ACTIVE

The following questions have quite different answers depending on the style:

Who is leading?       
In-active: Co-workers; chance; nearest personality disorder        
Re-active: Chance; nearest personality disorder        
Pro-active: You

Can subordinates depend on leader (trust)?         
In-active: No. Cannot predict what will happen. 
Re-active: Yes. Can expect late, usually disorganized, often negative behavior.      
Pro-active: Yes. Can feel safe because they trust action even when they disagree.

Frequency of stress situations    
In-active : Immediately, at level of chance; increases over time because team does not develop to meet increasing demands.    
Re-active: Never ending; often self - producing.    
Pro-active: Little emotional stress (burnout); physical stress only when systems are temporarily disrupted.

Severity of impact          
In-active: Often unknown until after weeks or months, then severe.          
Re-active: Severe; to survive, staff block awareness; subordinate staff productivity is minimal.   
Pro-active: Minimal for given issues and of brief duration.

Quality of training for subordinates         
In-active: Little, if any, effective training provided; most done by other subordinates.
Re-active: Training negative because it's given to correct action already taken.
Pro-active: Organized; gives what is expected to do job, time to practice and re-evaluate.

Productivity 
In-active: Random level; level development on one or few individual subordinates.
Re-active: Low level; too busy to get any task done; lots of partially completed tasks cause lessened level of support from others.          
Pro-active: Good level; efficient use of time and resources.

Service delivery        
In-active: By individual, not team, so not consistent.   
Re-active: Higher than needed; number of poor decisions because of time.
Pro-active: Consistent; slowly changing and improving.

You probably noticed rather quickly that being pro-active in your approach as a manager will get you much further and cause you much less stress than being either reactive or inactive.

So why is it that all managers don't take a pro-active approach?

Well, managers are human too. Like everyone else in the world, they have their own perceptions and their own personal weaknesses and areas where they can grow and improve.

Below is a list of the five most common reasons for each management action style.

As you read through these, be honest with yourself. If you feel weak in any of the areas, it is to your advantage to acknowledge it now so you can work to improve.

Not only will you raise the productivity level of your employees, but you will also save yourself a lot of personal stress and frustration.

Congratulations on taking this first step to improving your management skills and style.

Common Reasons for Each Action Style 

Personal thinking pattern         
In-active: Often can't move from task to task; incomplete thoughts       
Re-active: Not at ease planning; not creative; difficulty predicting     
Pro-active: Retains many pieces of data; very flexible; can evaluate from many points of view

Ability to design systems       
In-active: Often has difficulty understanding systems; usually better with concrete tasks with specific steps to follow
Re-active: Most decisions made independently; sees most issues as unique
Pro-active: Uses new data to evaluate and re-evaluate systems; generalizes easily

Understanding of dependency among complex variables      
In-active: Not a clue and often doesn't understand even when it is explained 
Re-active: Sees each issue separately, takes action without considering impact(s)
Pro-active: Usually considers several options and looks for impact of each one

Confidence  
In-active: Unsure of self as a person and/or skills 
Re-active: Often was skilled at non-manager tasks and when promoted perceives self as skillful manager; often doesn't see own style and doesn't know there are problems     
Pro-active: Realistic self-confidence; usually watches other managers and self with intent to learn and improve

Assumption of responsibility         
In-active: Can't tolerate feeling responsible; often make issue of team work; often hopes other staff will do task   
Re-active: Sees responsibility for each task; doesn't think of long range responsibility; often hopes for change in other systems       
Pro-active: Proud to be responsible for day-to-day and long range effectiveness

Studies show that the abilities listed above can be easily acquired, and, in fact, are primarily dependent upon two emotional factors which can be easily developed – an internal locus of control and a sense of self-efficacy.

Call Professional Teambuilding at 1-800-446-4742 and find out more about how our corporate teambuilding and motivational programs can help you build a more satisfied, motivated and productive workforce.

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