Somehow, I Manage: Examining the management style of Michael G. Scott - Deepstash

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MICHAEL SCOTT

David, here it is, my philosophy is basically this, and this is something that I live by, and I always have, and I always will:

MICHAEL SCOTT

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109 reads

What's His Secret?

What's His Secret?

In the episode of The Office "The Duel", Dunder Mifflin's CFO David Wallace meets with Michael Scott to discuss the Scranton branch's success in the midst of economic decline. David is trying to find what Michael is "doing right".

Michael, assuming he was in trouble, is completely unprepared for such a question. But Michael being Michael tries his best

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58 reads

MICHAEL SCOTT

Don't ever, for any reason, do anything to anyone for any reason ever, no matter what, no matter where, or who, or who you are with, or where you are going, or where you've been... ever, for any reason whatsoever...

MICHAEL SCOTT

2

58 reads

Nonsense Or Genius

Nonsense Or Genius

While Michael's response appears to be a random collection of phrases and he himself admits he didn't know where he was going with his train of thought, there is some wisdom to be found in his long-winded and repetitive philosophy, especially when put into the context of the rest of the show.

1

47 reads

Minimalist Management

Minimalist Management

Perhaps it could have been phrased a bit more eloquently, but if we boil it down and study Michael Scott during the day to day at Dunder Mifflin Scranton, we begin to notice a style: simplicity and minimalism.

"Don't ever, for any reason, do anything to anyone for any reason ever...."

While some may disagree, I've noticed that Michael seems to essentially leave his employees alone, trusting them to do their jobs.

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33 reads

Obviously this isn't entirely true, as we do see Michael conduct meetings, call employees to his office, make conference calls, etc., but generally we don't see Michael "micromanaging", he has actually stated he doesn't like to be micromanaged.

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39 reads

PAM BEESLY

Sometimes your laziness borders on incompetence.

PAM BEESLY

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36 reads

Apathy Vs. Minimalism

Of course, doing nothing and not caring at all doesn't work when it comes to leadership.

Michael's management style isn't perfect and obviously doesn't work for everyone. He has been called out (many many times) for his nonsensical and distracting theatrics.

But if we know Michael Scott at all, we know he is not uncaring, and when it comes down to the wire he pulls through (did I stutter?

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31 reads

Finding The Balance

As with everything in life, there is a balance to management.

One of my previous employers bordered on extreme micromanagement. She scheduled everything. Literally everything. There is definitely such a thing as over-involvement in your employees work.

Another of my managers leaned more to the other extreme, whose lack of involvement allowed drama and incompetence to grow.

The sweet spot is somewhere in between: structure is necessary in the workplace, but so is freedom. A manager must be available to their employees, not too involved and not too distant.

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32 reads

World's Best Boss

Pobody's nerfect.

Experience in management and sales helped Michael Scott find the balance between minimalist and micromanagement, even if he didn't know how to express his own philosophy.

He trusted his team to do the work. He thrived under lack of supervision, and his branch did too.

A little humor helps too!

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32 reads

CURATED BY

kohrakazi

I'm a creative, world-building nerd who enjoys learning everything about everything.

CURATOR'S NOTE

These are just some observations I've made during my (many) rewatches of The Office. Transferring departments at work recently has let me see different management styles and the office gives me a comedic lens to compare them.

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