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All organizations follow specific organizational structures to run the company smoothly. Each organizational structure has its specific characteristics. You may choose the one that suits your company’s needs the best. For example, the functional structure provides all authority to the manager. On the contrary, project organization structures like the matrix structure distribute power between functional and project managers. The hierarchy is different in each of them. Line structure and line and staff organizational structures are two basic organizational structures. Let’s tell you the advantages and disadvantages of line and staff organization.

What is a Line Organization System?

Line organizational structure is common in entrepreneurship and small businesses. It gives complete control to the top hierarchy, exhibiting authoritative leadership. For example, the owner of a small business acts as the leader or manager of inline systems. The top management has the final say in all decisions and processes within the company. It does not involve a large number of people.

What is Line and Staff Organizational Structure?

Line and staff organization is a little more complicated than the line system. Besides the straightforward organization system, it also involves staff of different departments. Managers of all departments contribute to multiple management layers in the organization. Line and staff structure is adapted by medium to large organizations with several employees. The line officers and staff officers perform their specific functions to contribute to the overall operation.

Line and Staff Authority Structure

Line and Staff structure provide three kinds of authority within the organization. The leaders follow the line, staff, and functional authority. Here’s a breakdown of the power in each.

Line Authority

Line authority means giving the person a particular amount of control for specific tasks. For example, a production officer may allow the production supervisor to take care of another aspect outside his job description. This kind of authority flows down the line. However, authority does not always translate to effectiveness. Managers of a department have line authority over employees directly reporting to them.

Staff Authority

Staff authority refers to advising the people with line authority for better results. It means the staff authority may work to facilitate the process in line control. For example, quality control officers may guide the production department in improving the stability of the product.

Functional Authority

Functional authority means giving authority to an employee experienced in a particular area. You may say that it is limited line authority. Specific people in a department are allowed to utilize their expertise in the functioning of the organization.

Advantages of Line and Staff Organization

Specialization

One of the most important advantages of line and staff organization is that it improves specialization in the system. Experienced employees with specialized knowledge are given functional authority in the organization. Line organization enables the staff to work more toward the execution of tasks.

Discipline

The clarity of authority and tasks within the company introduces discipline. The staff personnel does not supervise the line officers. Line personnel command the workers and give feedback. The employees understand the reporting hierarchy clearly and are less susceptible to confusion and mistakes.

Quick Decisions

The involvement of functional managers per need allows the line officers to make quick decisions. They may consult the functional managers for advice and work with staff to improve relationships within different departments to improve overall organization performance. It reduces the time taken for multiple approvals.

Better Coordination

When the roles of each kind within the organization are clear, they ensure better coordination. Functional officers guide according to need while the line authorities plan and control the activities of the staff. It improves different coordinations among all employees and personnel. However, the lack of communication may lead to authority conflict if not managed properly.

Convenience of Expansion

Having a three-way authority system in the company facilitates expansion and growth. Specialized employees help the line staff in processes by offering expert advice. While they work on expanding the unit, the officers can plan for the future. Some assistants or new officers may be appointed to expand and delegate tasks.

Better Utilization of Resources

Understanding the difference in the role of staff and line functions makes the best use of the workforce within the organization. The line and staff officers perform their functions smoothly through better coordination and cooperation. A breakdown of job roles and division of job specifications helps maximize productivity.

Practicality

Every organization needs to make practical decisions timely for progress and success. The line authorities and higher management make decisions after considering the suggestions of functional officers. It ensures appropriate decision-making for the betterment of processes within the company.

More Flexible

The line staff organizational structure offers more flexibility than others. Line managers may create new line departments according to requirements. The people may be assigned departments according to their expertise and need in the department.

Reduced Burden

Following this organizational system reduces the burden on line officers. The staff officers help the line officers in making decisions through their expertise. The line officers only have to perform the routine work and leave the rest to staff officers. It allows them to look for plans for the growth of the company.

Personal Development

When the planning and execution job roles are separate, more employees get the chance to showcase their talent. They may move higher in the hierarchy by correctly implementing their skills in the processes. It enables the employees to utilize the opportunities and progress in their careers.

Disadvantages of Line and Staff Organization

Poor Coordination

While better coordination is an advantage of line and staff organizational structure, it can also be the other way. Often the managers are not able to communicate the job roles to the employees. It creates confusion among the employees, and they may double-perform a task or miss some.

Ignored Advice

Unlike affiliative leadership structures, such organizational structures do not heed the officers’ advice. Staff officers do not have the authority to implement their opinions and recommendations without the line officer’s approval. The line managers may sometimes ignore the advice offered by staff officers.

Authority Conflict

Authority conflict is a common issue in organizational structures with multiple command officers like matrix and line and staff structures. The improper distribution of authority and responsibility can create problems within the organization. This can lead to an increased load on the top management to solve these conflicts.

High Employee Turnover

Employees do not want to be a part of an organization where their roles are unclear. If the managers treat the employees as a pendulum between them, they will most likely get tired of their job roles. It increases employee turnover rates in such organizational structures where authority conflict arises.

Dependency On Staff

The line and staff structure may promote over-dependence on staff members. The staff officer may plan and implement them with their own judgment without suggestions from others. It will encourage others to follow the same path. Thus, the management’s dependency increases on staff for information.

Functional Authority Inefficiency

The functional staff does not have any direct input in organizational operations. They only impart their suggestions to line authorities. The suggestions and recommendations may not always be accepted. Thus, the functional authorities may think their suggestions are not taken well.

Expensive

Line and staff organization is an expensive organizational structure. It requires more resources, including finance and infrastructure. It requires recruiting specialized employees who offer guidance to the line and staff officers. More training and development cost is involved in improving staff performance.

Unsuitable for Small Organizations

While many organizations follow a line organization system, a line and staff system is not suitable for small businesses. It requires high capital to recruit experts for the training of staff. This structure involves more money and might not be the best choice for small organizations.

How to Improve Line and Staff Organization?

Every organizational system comes with some pros and cons. However, you can make the best out of it by making adequate changes in the organizational structure. 

• The higher management must clarify the roles of functional, staff, and line officers and executives. They must stay within the limit of their authority and act accordingly.
• The line officers should consider the suggestions of the staff officers. The line management must give appropriate reasons in case of rejection.
• Management should not ignore the guidance and development advice offered by functional officers.
• Line and staff officers and managers must understand each other’s work scope and not try to interfere.

The Bottom Line

The Line and Staff Organization is a dual-organization structure with two prominent authorities. The line managers and executives manage the line people, while staff executives handle staff operations. Line managers plan, and staff helps in execution and betterment. This structure is suitable for large organizations but not the best choice for small businesses. It may increase the employee turnover rate if the job roles are unclear. The higher management can help improve line and staff structure by well-defined job roles and considering suggestions of functional officers.

Leadership and management are considered essential elements of running a business. Whether you are an entrepreneur or work for someone else, leadership qualities are a must for success. Studies show that every individual is a leader in their capacity and must exhibit leadership qualities like taking responsibility and initiative. Yet, things are slightly different when you are in a leadership role. When you are the CEO of your business or your higher management chooses you to be in a leadership role, you are responsible for your team. You are questioned for your performance and progress as your individual performance impacts your role as a team member as well.

As a leader, the main goal is to increase the productivity of your team and make sure everything goes smoothly. However, every leader is different from the others. Some leaders are autocratic or authoritative that keep the control in their hands. Alternatively, transformational and visionary leaders do not micromanage their teams. They allow the team members to give their best in whatever way they find convenient.

Let’s tell you more about authoritative leadership, including the advantages and disadvantages of the authoritative leadership style.

What is the Authoritative Leadership Style?

The most precise way to explain an authoritative leadership style is an authoritative leader’s motto, “My Way or the High Way.”

Authoritative leaders are also known as autocratic leaders. These leaders create specific operating guidelines and work according to the pre specified guidelines only. Authoritative leadership does not appreciate free thinking and creativity. Such leaders like to keep control in their hands and do not offer leadership opportunities to their team members.

While authoritative leadership is not considered the best practice, it is still widely used in a few organizations. It is a preferred choice of leadership style in government structures where people must align to a specific method as changes may lead to problems. The leadership is centralized without empowering others to make decisions.

Qualities of an Authoritative Leader

Before we talk about the advantages and disadvantages of the authoritative leadership style, let’s look at the qualities of authoritative leaders.

• Authoritative leaders can take on challenges and finish projects without entirely relying on the team. They do not wait for the team members to update them about the progress and ask for it themselves before delegating further tasks.
• These leaders are confident in their decisions and are most unlikely to change their working methods. They are sure of their conduct and processes as those practices have provided outcomes throughout their career.
• They take the responsibility seriously and do not distribute the burden among the team. They carry most of the workload on their shoulder, and their team depends on them as the main decision-makers.
• Authoritative leaders have good communication skills to communicate all tasks down the hierarchy. Dealing with a lot of people at once can often lead to miscommunication. Thus, these leaders possess assertive communication skills to ensure proper communication among all channels.

Now that you know all about authoritative leaders, let’s talk about the pros and cons of this leadership style. Authoritative leaders are not only responsible or strict in their conduct. There’s a lot more to this leadership style. Here are all the advantages and disadvantages of the authoritative leadership style.

Advantages of Authoritative Leadership Style

Better Productivity

All the characteristics of authoritative leadership lead to improved productivity within the team. Each team member gives their best in the particular role they are assigned. Employees working under authoritative leaders are aware of their duties and typically produce results as expected. Meeting deadlines on time with no loopholes in the process leads to better productivity from the working. It directs the energy from problem-solving or managing other team members to finding perfection in their assigned tasks.

Relieves Burden from the Team

Authoritative leaders do not only take responsibility but also pressure from higher management. The team members are only expected to focus on the designated tasks without worrying about other aspects of the process. These leaders do not expect their team members to keep an eye on other factors affecting the project. Everyone has to ensure they are giving their best while the leader takes the complex decisions. This pushes the team to perform their tasks vigilantly.

Time-saving

Organizations that follow laissez-faire or visionary leadership styles may sometimes take more time to produce results compared to authoritative leadership. While studies often show that ideas created through brainstorming within ideas have a better impact, it is time-taking. On the contrary, the authoritative leadership style produces quicker results. It is suitable for companies that need to generate results in a shorter time. The leaders assign work along with strict deadlines. The team members do not have to spend a lot of time brainstorming new ideas. Eventually, it also reduces the time to consult with other people to find solutions to problems.

Lesser Mistakes

When everyone in the team follows a pre-designed model for working in the department, the chances of mistakes are less. The leader’s communication skills ensure that the team does not deviate from the given pathway and performs their task accordingly. Moreover, considering their responsibility, authoritative leaders go through each phase of the process to point out any errors and fix them immediately.

Clear Communication

As mentioned earlier, authoritative leaders have articulate communication skills to convey their message to the staff. They are responsible for communicating the progress to the team and higher management. So, employees working under an authoritative leader understand that they cannot instruct other teammates about their tasks. It prevents miscommunication within the team and makes way for better performance when the instructions are clear. It also avoids issues within the team as no team member tries to take the lead over the other by authorizing tasks.

Consistency

The authoritative leadership style provides consistent results, especially when working in small groups. It can be difficult to manage small groups as every member tends to make decisions themselves. Often, workers do not even inform the leaders before deciding on an important matter. In such situations, an authoritative leadership style provides a direction and pathway for the members to work on. There are lesser chances of miscommunication, and the group produces consistent results.

Suitable for Inexperienced Employees

The authoritative leadership style is suitable for inexperienced employees who may not be able to make decisions independently. It gives them a push start and offers an insight into how leaders work to keep the team running smoothly. It will also help them polish their skills of working in a team and utilize the expertise of their leader where needed.

Disadvantages of the Authoritative Leadership Style

Displeasure Within Team

While the authoritative leadership style is a good choice for some organizations, every employee might not appreciate it. Employees coming from a free-reign environment do not like being micromanaged or controlled. This can lead to displeasure and rebellion within the team about the leader being too bossy.

Many people do not like to be dictated to and expected to follow the rules word by word. It halts their creative abilities, and they believe they have been pushed into a small box. Such employees also think that any little mistake can lead to the blame falling on their heads as they failed to care for a minor problem. Thus, many employees prefer working under transformational leaders instead of authoritative ones. On the other hand, Laissez-faire leadership promotes creativity and leadership within leadership.

Lesser Group Input

The lack of involvement from the team also leads to a lack of interest within the team. Often, team members feel demotivated when their experiences or suggestions are not welcome. They stop taking an interest in the processes within the company and only focus on the assigned tasks. It may result in issues the leader does not anticipate. Allowing the team members to give their input to improve the process can benefit the department and the organization.

No Flexibility

Authoritative leaders are highly concerned about receiving the designated tasks on time and usually offer little flexibility to the workers. The employees feel stuck in the company and look for better places to move to. The lack of flexibility may also harm their mental and physical health, resulting in more errors instead of better productivity.

Low Morale

Have you seen how team members love to give their opinions when asked?

Most employees appreciate it when their leaders and managers ask for their suggestions and opinions. Authoritative leaders typically lack this quality. Thus, the workers feel dissatisfied with their job as they find it robotic to only follow a given schedule. Many employees also leave their companies for the same reason they are not able to enjoy their job under authoritative leaders.

Lesser Room for Improvement

Persons, teams, and companies improve through feedback and criticism. However, authoritative leaders reduce the room for improvement within the team to a great extent as they do not ask for feedback. The members avoid offering feedback when not asked due to the nature of the leaders. It hinders the growth of the employees as individuals and the organization as a whole.

Blame Falls on the Leaders

People who are a part of teams run by authoritative leaders fear mistakes. Authoritative leaders do not spare employees minor mistakes and might not refrain from pointing you in front of the rest of the team. It is not so with the team only. Autocratic leaders are held responsible for any problems caused by the team. The higher management does not ask the team members about the issue as they understand the leadership style being followed. They believe it is the leader’s responsibility to deliver the required results.

High Dependency

What happens in authoritative leadership when the leader fails to respond to the team on time?

You guessed it right – the team misses deadlines, and productivity decreases. When the team is so dependent on the leader and not authorized to make any decisions, a delay in communication can stop the operation. It often leads to missed deadlines, delays in project delivery, and loss of clients.

Weak Team Engagement

It has been seen that teams with visionary leaders can perform better together even when no one is specifically authorized. They depend on each other and trust the other person to make the best decision. It also increases their sense of empathy, and the team members may cover another teammate’s task if they are not available. This cycle continues, and the work is not affected even if an employee is unavailable for a short period.

Insecurity

While we mentioned that authoritative leaders are confident in their conduct and methods, it is not always the case. Being humans, sometimes authoritative or autocratic leadership may also make wrong decisions. As authoritative leaders put themselves forward as confident, and experienced, it can be difficult for them to admit their mistakes. It develops a sense of insecurity in them that someone else might take their position if they cannot prove their expertise. The failure to consult with the team and take advantage of experienced members can harm the team’s reputation in the long term.

Higher Turnover Rate

A high turnover rate is common in organizations that follow authoritative and bureaucratic leadership. When an employee has worked in the same environment, performing the same task for some time, they will try to move to another place to learn more. Yet, companies do not typically mind this change as they also believe that they have made the best use of an individual’s capacity. When they receive the productivity they look forward to; such companies are open to recruiting new people interested in the task. However, recruitment is a costly and time-taking process, and it is better to retain employees than hire new ones.

What are the Best Authoritative Leadership Practices?

Being an authoritative or autocratic leader does not mean you only have to be strict in your conduct. You can maintain a healthy relationship with your team by following experts’ practices. Here are the best authoritative leadership practices you can follow:

Improve Communication

To be an authoritative leader to your team, it is important to improve your communication skills. All the matters in the department depend on your communication skills. A flaw in communicating the tasks to the workers to update the higher management can cause serious trouble. Active listening can also help you improve your communication skills while listening to others. Consider the ideas and suggestions of your employees even if you do not find them suitable enough to follow. It gives a message that you care about your team members.

Be Fair

An important factor that authoritative and autocratic leaders often forget is that they must be fair to everyone on the team. While the team does not put in extra input besides the designated tasks, sometimes a few employees feel that the leaders are being unfair. Put great effort into treating everyone in the team fairly and stop anyone who tries to be the leader when following authoritative leadership.

Treat Team with Respect

Often the team members in an autocratic setup also feel like they are not respected as the leaders do not give importance to their suggestions. You may clear to the team that you are the final decision-making authority, but do not make them feel less. Enable them to express themselves and show empathy, so they do not feel disrespected or ignored.

The Bottom Line

Authoritative leadership, also known as autocratic, provides complete authority and control to the leadership only. Some advantages and disadvantages of the authoritative leadership style include increased productivity, less time consumption, clarity, less group input, and weak team engagement. Some people like working under autocratic leadership, but most find it intimidating and dictating. You may choose this leadership style if it suits the organization’s setup.

It’s no surprise that a study comprising LinkedIn participants showed that 88% of them were happy when their boss was absent from work. A bad manager is everyone’s nightmare! We often think that getting into a multinational is the most important goal in one’s professional life. But, working in an esteemed organization with a bad manager is worse.

You do not need a magnifying glass to spot a bad manager in your organization. You can easily point out the signs of a bad manager. Here are a few to help you understand if you are working under a toxic boss.

Over-Work is Routine

Good bosses realize the importance of work-life balance in their employee’s life. Thus, if your boss keeps asking you to stay for a longer time in the office or adds more workload without considering your health they are not a good boss.

Sometimes, a project may require long sittings. However, it must not be a norm in the workplace.

Regular Outbursts

One of the most common traits of a stressful boss is their continuous yelling. Some managers believe that shouting at their employees will gain more respect. On the contrary, it shows that they want to exhibit their power. Yelling in the workplace is a big no.

Does Not Give You Credit

You worked day and night for a project your boss had to present to the CEO. But, he did not credit you for your research and composition.

Haven’t we all experienced it?

It is common for toxic bosses not to credit their teammates. They believe that the employees are working for them and there is no need to give credit. Although, considerate leaders make sure that they provide credit to their team where due.

No Empowerment

Many organizations play a significant role in grooming their employees to excel in their professional life. One of them includes empowering them. Bad managers usually do not want to distribute power as they fear being taken over. While your boss may think otherwise, empowering talented individuals increases growth rates and revenue.

Does Not Support You

If you have not had a great boss, you may not relate. But, let us tell you that supportive bosses make sure to be your best advocate. They understand the strengths and weaknesses of their team and defend them in front of other managers. They do not let others degrade you and emphasize your strong points. Unfortunately, bad bosses with a coercive mindset often lack advocacy. They think it will reduce their authority over the employees.

Micromanagement

There is nothing worse than having to report every moment to your boss. We all expect our managers to trust us a little, right?

If your boss wants to know everything you are doing in the project, they might not have good intentions. Sometimes it is habitual, while managers often want to take credit for the work done. Linked In reports show that 79% of employees have been micromanaged at least once in their careers. It reduces innovation and interest in giving the best.

No Feedback

While bad managers may believe in micromanagement, they often forget about the feedback. They fail to conduct one-on-one meetings for their team. How does one improve their performance without constructive feedback from the leaders?

Favoritism

Favoritism is a common issue in workplaces where bosses like to divide and rule. Managers may choose a few favorites in the office and assign important responsibilities to them only. They justify this irrational delegation of tasks by overstating their favorite’s abilities. This behavior in an office is quite unprofessional and must be conveyed to higher management or the HR department.

Innovation is Not Welcome

How many times has your boss rejected an efficient working strategy? Uncountable times? Don’t worry. You are not alone in this boat.

Autocratic leaders with an authoritative mindset are often against innovation in functioning. They prefer giving strict instructions to comply with. An unappreciative manager neither encourages your ideas nor conveys them to higher management.

Lack of Clarity

As opposed to authoritative leaders, some bosses are not interested in the company’s benefit. They do not clarify the objective, mission, strategy, or expected outcomes. They might not give clear instructions about the task or change their mind too often. It is one of the most alarming signs of a bad manager. Influential leaders always have a game plan and clear goals communicated to their team.

Insulting Employees

Insulting someone publicly is the worst thing to do. Yet, some bosses do it intentionally. It could be due to favoritism in the department or a minor mistake. Many bosses exhibit their authority by publicly criticizing an employee over a slight error or miscommunication. Run away from such a boss immediately.

Under Delivering

A good boss always calculates and promises only what is possible. Alternatively, toxic managers do not consider the possibilities beforehand and usually overpromise. It leads to mistrust and an inability to deliver work on time.

Demotivating

It is a given with bad managers that they fail to motivate their employees. Laissez-faire leaders encourage their teams to innovate and give their best. However, self-centered bosses do not care about the morale of their employees and want to use them as much as possible. This work environment can be mentally and physically draining for the employees.

Lacks Ownership

Lack of ownership is among the most prominent signs of a bad leader. Typically such bosses hold the team for blunders regardless of their mistakes. While they fail to give credit for success and offer feedback, they also lack ownership of mistakes.

Ungrateful

If your boss says Thank you to you for staying extra hours, you are lucky. And your boss is definitely not a bad manager. However, it’s a rare sight.

Most people encounter toxic managers in their careers who are never thankful to their employees. They do not care if you work from home, stay extra hours in the office, or sacrifice your weekend. They believe that they are entitled to these services because they are an employee.

Does Not Say “No”

These managers are difficult to classify as bad or good managers because they are good for some and bad for others. For example, your boss’s boss asks for a presentation due next week. He might know that it is impossible to give it to him by the deadline but commits anyhow. Overpromising and the inability to say “no” increase your workload. Such a boss can be huge trouble sometimes.

Gossips

While leaders usually stay out of politics within the department, some enjoy the gossip. Your toxic manager may indulge in office gossip, leading to miscommunication and trust issues. It is preferable to avoid giving personal information to employers who do not respect your privacy.

Over-Dependent

Managers who lack clarity are more liable to over-dependence on their employees. They might look to their team to perform the tasks independently without proper guidance. The lack of direction in the team may cause distress and failure to meet deadlines.

Fails to Resolve Conflict

Affiliate leaders are well-known for their ability to resolve conflict and promote harmony within the company. But, your manager might not have the same mindset and fail to resolve conflict among team members. Prolonged resentment within the team may lead to issues in work processes.

Poor Listening

A bad manager is not only bad at resolving conflicts but also does not listen to their employee’s concerns. The inability to listen to and understand the team’s problems discourages the team from putting their input toward the functioning.

No Team Building

The lack of listening, miscommunication, and favoritism in the organization causes problems among the workers. They do not appreciate each other’s roles and try to be among their boss’s favorites. This tug-of-war between employees disturbs the working atmosphere and lacks teamwork.

Unprofessional Behavior 

A less-talked-about crucial element of having a bad boss is unprofessional and unethical behavior. Some bosses are evil beyond the functional issues and try to hit on or date their staff. They do not only ask to date but also threaten job security and make false allegations when refused. It’s a sad aspect of working under a toxic boss.

High Turnover Rate

Before you join a company, you must check the turnover rate. The retention or leaving of employees speaks a lot about the management and the bosses. A high turnover rate within the department is a critical sign of a bad manager. Supportive managers usually make an effort to keep their employees instead of letting them go immediately.

How to Survive a Bad Manager?

Once you know the signs of a bad manager, you can beat them and survive in the environment using a few techniques. Some of the best ways to survive a bad manager include ignoring them if they say anything bad, acting like you do not understand what they mean, mentioning their mistakes to them, and improving your skills. Improving your skills will allow you to look for better jobs and get rid of this toxic atmosphere.

As they say, “do what you love and love what you do.”

However, not everyone gets the opportunity to do what they love. The managers often do not let the employees love what they do because of their behavior.

According to a survey by Gallup, managers do not appreciate their employees’ strengths and try to fix their mistakes instead. The reports show that only one out of three employees say that they have the freedom to perform what they excel at.

Another study shows that strength-based management improves the organization’s engagement and productivity.

Let’s tell you about the advantages and disadvantages of strength-based management in detail.

What is a Strength-Based Management Approach?

A strengths-based management approach considers the employee’s strengths over the weaknesses. This management system does not ignore shortcomings but assigns tasks based on the worker’s strengths. When the managers focus on the employee’s strengths, the team works on their weaknesses to turn them into strengths.

Core Principles of Strength-Based Approach

The definition of a strength-based approach gives nine guiding principles that act as the backbone and guiding practice.

Everyone has Potential

One of the main characteristics of the strength-based approach is that limitations do not define a person. Each team member has strengths and capabilities that differentiate them from others.

We Become what we Believe in

Strength-based management encourages seeing challenges as opportunities. Such leaders, like coaching leaders, push their teams to take on challenges and believe in their potential.

Your words Determine your Reality

One of the most common issues with traditional coercive leaders is their choice of work. They do not care about using bad language with their employees to get the job done. Modern leaders opt for a friendlier approach and use thought-out words to motivate their teams.

Change is Necessary

Changes are critical in any transformational leadership to change the way people think and behave. It allows them to improve and do better in their jobs.

Better Relationships Lead to Positive Changes

When people trust in their management, they change per needs. They are ready to accept challenges and do their best to succeed. On the contrary, unsupportive management cannot bring the best out of its people.

Every Individual is the Author of their Story

One of the nine guiding principles contributing to the advantages and disadvantages of strength-based management is understanding by the management. You must understand that each person creates their own story. You may guide them but do not shape them.

Begin with Acknowledgment

Begin the change and strength-based approach by acknowledging what the person already knows. They may be more willing to take on challenges relating to what they are familiar with.

Change has no Shortcut

It suggests that there is no single method for change. It is a journey and process with several steps. It requires patience and flexibility.

Change is Inclusive

When you are working to bring changes in an organization through a transformational or strength-based approach, it must be inclusive. The leaders should inform the team of the expected changes and discuss how to cope with them.

Advantages of Strength-Based Management

Improved Skills

Improvement in skills and job roles of the employees is among the most prominent advantages of strength-based management. It gives them the confidence to explore different domains and expand their skill set. Highlighting your employees’ natural abilities pushes them to give their best and take on new job roles faster. This approach gives rise to better leaders for the future with better hard and soft skills.

Increased Productivity

A positive environment in the organization always allows the employees to be more productive. Another survey by Gallup also suggests that employees working on areas of their strength are 7.8% more productive. When the teammates learn new skills and take up challenges, they perform better and give improved results.

Less Time Consumption

Many managers often focus more on fixing the weaknesses of the employees than strengthening their skills. However, enhancing and utilizing existing skills takes less time than fixing imperfections. Often employees do not cooperate with the management, resulting in time wastage. Thus, it is better to focus on the skills and abilities of your team and work to improve them.

Builds Self-Esteem and Confidence

Strength-based management helps build self-esteem in the company. It also improves emotional intelligence and teamwork in the organization. The workers believe in their skills and abilities, which gives them the confidence to believe in themselves.

Higher Engagement

Every department in a functional organization performs a specific function. The tasks are divided among different team members. The division of tasks among the team members according to their expertise and area of interest brings them together to accomplish goals. It keeps everyone in the team engaged and offers better solutions utilizing their strengths. Reports show that the strength-based approach engages double the employees as the average engagement of 30% in the US.

Better Mental Health

The strength-based approach focuses on the team members’ strengths but does not drain them. Employees feel less stressed, upset, and tired when the right strategies for strength-based management are used. One method is not to keep them working for hours continuously if you want to adopt a strength-based approach in your organization, ensure not to burn out your employees.

Less Turnover Rate

Helping employees improve the skills they feel confident about instills trust in them. It enables the team members to contribute to organizational success in the best possible way. Happy employees do not leave your company to move to another.

Disadvantages of Strength-Based Management

No Scientific Evidence

There is no scientific evidence regarding employees in a strength-based management company. While different studies suggest that people in a company work better when their managers focus on their strengths, no studies show exact results. The absence of scientific backup does not mean this approach is ineffective.

Increase in Competition

This management approach allows employees to identify their strengths and improve them further. It drives a sense of competition among peers as well as the higher personnel. However, it may become a disadvantage of strength-based management when the executives see the juniors as a threat. They might think the juniors will become experts and take over their position.

Over Confidence

Overused strengths have the tendency to become toxic in the long run. Team members who work hard on their skills believe that the company cannot survive without them. This overconfidence can lead to unreasonable demands and issues within the organization. The managers might not realize when some of their teammates become toxic because of their overconfidence.

Ignores Weaknesses

The suitable strength-based management approaches make sure that you do not ignore the weaknesses of your employees. Sometimes the leaders entirely focus on their strengths without understanding how their shortcomings can hinder their progress. Successful strength-based management highlights and improves the string points without neglecting the weaknesses.

The Bottom Line

The advantages and disadvantages of strength-based management depend on how you implement the system. It can help boost productivity, increase engagement, improve skills in less time, and reduce turnover. Alternatively, you may neglect the weaknesses of your team workers leading to overconfidence and a sense of competition. Thus, it is essential to apply strength-based management considering the guidelines to get the best out of it.

Tom Ruth mentions, “If you focus on people’s weaknesses, they lose confidence.” So, focus on their strengths and see how it facilitates organizational growth.

Companies usually follow a centralized or decentralized organizational structure. Yet, sometimes organizations also adopt the matrix system. The matrix system pushes the team to work towards their goals more efficiently as they report to more people. It allows the managers to keep in touch with the teams and their members.

The matrix structure has disadvantages but still, it is more suitable for interconnecting different departments and having them on board about company activities. Let’s tell you all the advantages of matrix organizational structure to know why big names like Starbucks use the matrix system.

What is Matrix Organizational Structure?

The matrix organization is a fusion of functional and project management systems. It consists of an organizational structure where the employees report to multiple people simultaneously. It comprises a functional and a project manager. The project and functional managers supervise members of the same team. It enables the functional manager to have details of each project at the root level. Having a matrix organizational structure also gives insight into each employee’s performance.

Components of a Matrix Organizational Structure

The two fundamental components of a matrix structure are a functional manager and a project manager.

• The functional manager oversees the horizontal structure according to the department. They represent the traditional organizational structure.
• The project manager manages a cross-functional team. It is usually a different team for each project with representatives from each department.

In a matrix organizational system, these hierarchy systems work side by side. It gives equal, more or less opportunity to both according to the type of matrix structure.

Advantages of Matrix Organizational Structure

Inter-Departmental Harmony

A matrix system brings different skilled and experienced workers together for a particular project. It improves communication between different departments and allows them to communicate openly. As more companies move towards specialized job roles, employees from different departments form a team. Employees from varying departments trust each other’s abilities under the functional and project managers.

Flexibility

Besides specialized jobs, the matrix system allows workers to perform different tasks in a project. While the right people perform the right task, they also get an opportunity to understand the working of other departments. This encourages the employees to give their input on the project based on previous experiences. You may also utilize a specialized person for another task per need as they understand the working through matrix system.

Steady Flow of Information

The flow of information is more efficient and quick when it goes both horizontally and vertically. It also prevents miscommunication as the employees report to two managers at once. All the team members are in the loop about the process and status of tasks.

Less Time Consumption

One of the most significant advantages of matrix organizational structure is how it speeds up the process. Communication between departments and the higher hierarchy makes the process quicker. Every person within a team performs the assigned task and reports to the managers. They command the next step to avoid hindrance in the process.

Efficient Use of Human Resources

When the employees are flexible and understand the process of different departments, they can be used more efficiently. The employees can be used in another domain if required. This saves you from hiring a new workforce for a short period.

Adaptation Per Need

The matrix system is of three types; weak matrix, strong matrix, and balanced matrix system. Each of them gives different authority to the functional and project managers. Organizations may choose from one of these according to their need for every project.

Consistent Functional Roles

This system combines functional and project roles. While the project roles may end with the project, the functional roles stay consistent. The team may participate in other projects. Thus, it provides better job security to the employees.

Employee Growth

Working in a diversified environment in various projects enables the employees to learn more skills. They can utilize these skills in their job role or participate in other projects. It provides growth opportunities to the employees while excelling in their respective fields meanwhile.

The Bottom Line

The matrix system is a combination of functional and project management. In such a system, the members of each project team report to the functional and project managers. The advantages of a matrix organizational structure include less time consumption, open communication, flexibility, and choosing the right structure. It also empowers the employees by securing their jobs in functional roles and enabling them to acquire new skills.