CEO Describes The 3 Different Types Of Managers, And Only One Is Effective
A bad manager can often be a dealbreaker for an employee's decision to stay at a company.
Ground Picture / Shutterstock A CEO revealed the one type of effective manager who elicits the best results for a team's success at a company — and the other two types of managers who are not as effective.
She explained that there are only three different types of managers in the workplace.
"There are three types of managers, I want you to think about these types on a spectrum," Conroy began. "So on one end of the spectrum, you have micromanagers. On the other end, you have, what I call, absentee managers. Right in the middle, you have balanced managers."
1. Micromanager
Starting with the micromanager, Conroy explained that they are not as common as people may think, but when you do end up having one, it's often a miserable experience. As Conroy noted, the micromanager is often driven by "radical insecurity" and the only way to pacify that insecurity is to breathe down the necks of their employees, and demand to know and manage every little detail.
"It can feel absolutely oppressive to work for these people. What you wanna do with these people is flood them with information. You copy them on every email or BCC them," Conroy recommended. "Your job is to basically mollify them and keep them busy."
Conroy acknowledged that you can't keep micromanagers busy forever, and eventually, there will come a time when you must decide to leave.
2. Absentee manager
Next in line is the absentee manager, who is the complete opposite of the micromanager. Conroy explained that people often have to track down and chase this type of boss just to get a one-on-one meeting set up.
"They avoid you. They give you no direction. They literally disappear and sometimes, with these people, the only time you see them is when there's a fire drill, they need something, or maybe you've made a mistake," she continued.
Conroy suggested that the best way to deal with this type of manager is to try and pin them down. Stress that you know they have a busy schedule, but you need them to make time to speak with you about whatever issues need to be addressed.
"If you can't pin them down, come up with a weekly report. Could be as simple as an email with bullets," she added.
3. Balanced manager
The last type of manager is the balanced one, and according to Conroy, this is the best one to have in the workplace.
"The balanced manager is the dream," Conroy said. "It's a person who is outcomes-based and doesn't really care how you do your work as long as you do it. The door is open, they give you advice, they give you feedback that's decent. They give you the benefit of the doubt."
Out of all the ones she mentioned before, this is the type of manager that most people would love to have. Realistically, however, Conroy claimed that even if aren't blessed with a balanced manager, you can still try the aforementioned techniques to have a better work relationship with your boss.
A boss' management style can have a drastic effect on their employees.
Many people aren't afraid to quit and find somewhere else to work if their manager is giving them a hard time. According to a Gallup study, 50 percent of employees left their jobs "to get away from their manager to improve their overall life at some point in their career."
At the end of the day, Conroy's insights into the different types of managers and how to handle them can provide a thorough guide for employees to navigate the complexities within their professional lives. In any workplace dynamic, it's important to have a mutual understanding between you and your boss, especially seeing this relationship is a major reason why a work environment can so quickly become toxic and unbearable.
Nia Tipton is a Chicago-based entertainment, news, and lifestyle writer whose work delves into modern-day issues and experiences.