MICHAEL DEMPSEY - Cranfield University

Modes of management - styles
When people fail (hopefully we don't have too many people that
fail) then it's made clear and they have clear expectations of
how to put it right. So I think the staff would say (and they have
said about me, in fact) that they think I'm fair and I think that's
right. (Interviewee J)
A similar balance between inclusiveness and direction was articulated
in a regional context:-
In terms of our values, in terms of inclusiveness, not being the
sort of managers who just tell people -- although interestingly
enough in our IIP assessment it says that consultation was a bit
tokenistic. I think people often say that. But I think you've got
to, sort of, vary it, really. There are occasions where you do
have to direct people to do things and say "I expect you to do
this" and follow that through. (Interviewee O)
One manager, in discussing her management style and the importance
she attaches to being a decent and fair manager, emphasised the
importance of clarity for the staff:-
My door is always open. People can come to me at any time
and so I like to think that my management style is open but it is
hierarchical as well. We had a situation before where everybody
wasn't really clear about who their manager was but knew that
they could go to the senior person. The restructuring that I have
done within the Group has brought tiers of management in and
that means that people have responsibilities towards other
people and so there is to a degree, although my door is always
open, of hierarchy. (Interviewee D)
Other characteristics of management style include stakeholder
awareness:-
Delegation:-
Well it would have to be a sort of stakeholder management type
style. (Interviewee L)
I have kind of reinstated the idea of having a sort of middle
management tier that you actually trust to do something and get
on with things and delegate to and that has made a real
difference. (Interviewee G)
And another manager expresses aspirations to openness and equality
whilst acknowledging her personal difficulties in achieving those
virtues:-
Chaotic. Seriously, chaotic…I do try to be open when people
will talk to me. I do know there should be a drive to give equality
338