Although management styles play a key role in employee performance and organizational success, managers may not always use the right style at the right time to get the results they want, according to a July 23 report from the American Management Association.

In fact, managers and direct reports seem to differ in their views on the best timing, efficacy and appropriateness of different management styles.

“The style a manager uses when leading people is critical because it has a profound impact on their motivation, performance and overall effectiveness,” Manny Avramidis, president and CEO of AMA, said in a statement. “It has to be the most appropriate style for the circumstances, and both manager and employee have to be comfortable with the style used in order to get the best results.”

In a survey of more than 1,100 U.S. knowledge workers, AMA asked managers and employees about four main management styles: democratic, autocratic, laissez-faire and facilitative.

While 55% of managers said they use a democratic style, only a third of direct reports said they’re managed that way. In addition, 90% of managers said they shift between different styles, but only 60% of employees said their manager had the ability to do so.

On the employee side, about half said they were managed in the style they preferred, but the other half said they were dissatisfied with their manager’s style. Nearly 1 in 5 workers said their managers were autocratic — yet no one said they preferred that style of management.

Management styles also factor into retention, given that managers heavily influence talent development, according to a Beamery survey. Few C-suite leaders pointed to managers as key players in talent retention, yet they said the most important parts of managers’ roles include connecting their teams to upskilling opportunities and career guidance.

Managers can also serve a critical role in addressing employee burnout, according to a report by The Grossman Group and The Harris Poll. Employees who reported thriving in their job said their manager seemed to be empathetic and genuinely invested in their success.

But managers are facing increased pressure to perform, as well, especially as workloads become more intense and they face demands from both leadership and their direct reports, according to a Perceptyx survey. A majority of managers said they could use more training and coaching, which led to more engagement and less stress among those who received coaching, the report found.

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