Ryan Giggs has found himself in an unusual situation over the past few weeks. From being one of the boys with the rest of his teammates – albeit a statesman of the club who probably handed out more than his fair share of advice – to suddenly being in charge of everyone! It just goes to show how quickly things and change in football – and more interestingly and relevant to us management in general.

The acting Manchester United manager, however temporary it might have been did have thing on his side. He knows the business and the people inside and out. For anyone taking their first management position suddenly being in charge of other human beings and tell them what to do is an incredibly daunting prospect. There are some who will relish the opportunity to excerpt some power whilst others will hate even then thought of it. Most people fall somewhere between these two stools and we all do have a manager inside of us no matter how poor a manager it is. If you find yourself working in an environment where you are expected to manage your own time and close your own deals unaided you are acting like a manager. You have a team of one – you – but you are using manager qualities.

By developing this qualities and work ethics you will be able to develop your management style. Not everyone manages other same way. Indeed we have all no doubt had some fantastic leaders, and others that fall short of the mark. The main styles most encountered in the working world include:

• Autocratic – Controls all decisions which will reflect the opinion & personality of the manager
• Consultative – A more paternal style then Autocratic, others can have an input and make decisions however the manager’s word is final!
• Persuasive – Prefer to ask and explain why actions should be taken rather then simple tell their subordinates what to do. This can come across as a slightly weak management style when used in the wrong situations
• Democratic – Working as part of the team to come to a consensus when decision making
• Chaotic – Total control over decision making processes handed over to staff
• Laissez-Faire – Hands off with the opportunity to delegate responsibilities and allow others to make their own decisions

Whilst there are a number of additional styles they all consist of variations and combinations of the above however to be truly successful you will need to combine a little of everything to succeed. A management style develops over time and we subconsciously use the methods we liked from those who have managed us.

It will not be an instantaneous event creating and developing your style however it will come naturally. Depending on the personalities you will be managing it could even be worth sitting down with your new team members and having a full and frank conversation about what you expect from them and what you can provide to them. This might work better on newer and less experienced members of staff whereas those who have a long track record in the role might consider it interference and stamping authority.

We are all different. We all have different drives and motivations. The way you might have to manage one individual could be very different from another. By learning and researching different methods and motivational techniques you will be able to further hone your management technique. Remember we can’t all turn into a Sir Alex Ferguson, an Ars̬ne Wenger or even a Brenden Rogers overnight! Take your time to find out what does and doesn’t motivate your team, how they react to ‰’management interference’ and how they liked to be overseen. Remember you are in the management role because the company considers you to have the skills, knowledge and personality to succeed in the role – give yourself time to decide where you fall in the list of styles and let the success flow!