How to Boost Office Productivity with Management
Every management style is an attempt to answer the question, ‘How do you get the best out of employees?’ Is it the substantial salaries, benefits and bonuses, threat of getting fired, prospect of promotions, recognition for hard work, flexible hours or something else that boosts their quality of work and productivity? Speaking very generally, there are two approaches to management we see today. We have the traditional, industrial-era corporate structure where you have a clear chain of command from top to bottom; distinct roles and responsibilities for each employee; and varied degrees of accountability the higher up you are. In this typical setup, you have specific duties and your incentives to work hard are either monetary (raises, bonuses and promotions) or the threat of termination. The modern organizational structure emphasizes collaboration among employees, flexible hours and creative freedom instead, something we often see in smaller companies and startups trying to retain talented staff. The underlying belief in this scenario is that happier employees work harder because they take pride in their work and have a vested interest in the well-being of the company.
So the question boils down to what management style works for your business? Sometimes, to seem trendy and attractive, a business might take the modern, easy-going approach only to find its productivity suffers. Other times, a business’ need for creative and collaborative problem-solving is held back by strict protocols and tight managerial oversight. So it’s not always the case that one style is better than the other, but simply what works better in certain settings. We’ll compare the two to see what works and when.
First, let’s begin with the main points of each structure.
Traditional Management
- Hierarchical
- Individual
- Command and control
- Inflexible
- Work is coordinated by roles & rules
- Team reports to manager
- Importance on top management
- 9 to 5
- Failure results in harsh consequences
The Traditional Way
Traditional organizational structures emphasize hierarchy and chain of command. Although this may not sound so appealing, this approach to management can actually be more effective for certain lines of work such as retail, and factory/production line work. Additionally, some benefits of traditional structures include clear knowledge of everyone’s roles and responsibilities, a clear promotional pathway and departmental loyalty. On the other hand, a major disadvantage of the traditional organization is slowness. In today’s rapidly changing and tech-driven economy, functions in a company must be able to adapt and progress quickly with the changing needs and wants of customers. If employees don’t have the autonomy to make these changes on their own, but wait on permission from top management, the process of change is slow and competitors who are quick to adapt and respond have the advantage.
Modern Management
- Flexible
- Team-oriented
- No clear chain of command
- Work is coordinated by self-organizing teams
- Team reports to customer
- Importance on customers
- Hours Vary
- Failure is understood – trial and error is seen as necessary for success
A Look at Alphabet – The Progressive IT Conglomerate
Today the traditional approach to management presents a less efficient option for many businesses. Corporations, small and large, are beginning to incorporate aspects of the modern management style where employees have more freedom and autonomy. Alphabet, one of the world’s largest companies and parent company of Google and all its divisions, has a very progressive approach to management. Google still continues its main activities of Search Engine, Maps, YouTube, Chrome and many more, while other subsidiaries of Alphabet, such as Fibre, Nest, and Calico operate as separate businesses.
Emphasis on Collaboration
With its dependency on intelligent creatives coming up with innovative solutions and concepts, Alphabet facilitates creativity and collaboration in the workplace. And with a strong focus on meeting and improving consumer satisfaction, speedy employee responsiveness is preferred to micromanagement. In this kind of environment, managers work side by side with employees to guide and shape their collective efforts rather than delegate and push. Supervision and oversight by management is replaced with open, lateral communication. By effectively communicating the tasks and targets of the team or company as a whole, management ensures employees always understand the work required and how their work relates to larger goals. Individual employees see the importance and value of their work to fellow colleagues as well as the corporation. Employees also understand the intrinsic benefit to themselves in completing their objectives, too.
A Social Work Environment
There is also an emphasis on maintaining a highly social environment for Alphabet. Putting a certain focus on the social aspect of the organization while maintaining financial goals is an important part of successful business and management. For example, Alphabet holds TGIF meetings every Friday. These weekly meetings enable employees and managers to connect with one another and socialize, collaborate and bond. This bright and positive culture in the workplace motivates everyone to put forth better work efforts and place the company first.
Alphabet’s structure encourages fast and flexible decision making, and relies on unconventional approaches to productivity. Creative freedom accelerates the process of innovation leading to new products and services, resulting in higher revenues. Open communication fosters the sharing of ideas which results in more opportunities to create synergies and proficiencies for existing and newer products. Lastly, the trust between smart engineers and product managers enables risk-taking and idea sharing that expands the creative process. These elements of success resulting from a modern organizational structure ultimately enable future breakthroughs in products, capabilities, and services.
Depending on your needs as a business, big or small, what do you think your management style should be?
By Kristin Cappuccio
