Overly Directive or Absent Management: Two Opposite Risks

When we talk about management practices that weaken a team, the authoritarian manager comes to mind first: the one who decides everything, monitors every detail and leaves no room to maneuver. But there is an opposite risk, more discreet and just as real: the absent manager, who sets no direction, makes no decisions and leaves the team to fend for itself.

These two stances look opposite. For employees, however, their consequences are surprisingly similar.

In companies in Madagascar, where hierarchical relationships often carry great weight and openly challenging a superior is rare, these imbalances can persist for a long time without ever being voiced.

Overly directive management

The highly directive manager often means well: ensuring quality, meeting deadlines, avoiding mistakes. But when control becomes constant, the team loses all autonomy. Every decision goes up the chain, every initiative is corrected, every mistake is pointed out.

Employees end up proposing nothing, for fear of getting it wrong. They carry out tasks without understanding the purpose of their work, and the constant pressure builds up.

Overly absent management

At the other extreme, the absent manager may be overwhelmed, uncomfortable in the role, or convinced the team does not need them. Objectives remain vague, priorities change without explanation, disagreements are never settled.

Employees then have to guess what is expected of them. Some compensate by taking on too much, others disengage, and tensions between colleagues get resolved without any framework, often badly.

Surprisingly similar effects

• Stress: from the pressure of control on one side, from constant uncertainty on the other.
• Confusion: employees no longer really know what is expected, or how their work will be judged.
• Lack of recognition: the directive manager mostly sees mistakes, the absent manager sees nothing at all.
• Disengagement: unable to act, or left without support, employees gradually withdraw.

In both cases, the team loses what it needs to work well: a clear framework, real room for autonomy, and support that is available when difficulties arise.

Managers do not always see themselves as their team does

The difficulty is that neither manager easily recognizes themselves in these portraits. The directive manager sees themselves as demanding and committed. The absent manager sees themselves as respecting everyone’s autonomy. The intention is often good, but what matters is how the team experiences this management day to day.

The point is not to single out bad managers, but to spot imbalances that can affect anyone, especially during periods of heavy workload or when taking on a new role.

Do you know how your teams actually perceive the management they receive every day?

Measuring rather than assuming

Irobii helps companies in Madagascar measure, anonymously, how employees perceive management practices. These results give managers and leadership a factual basis to adjust their approach, backed by expert support when needed.

Assess how your teams perceive their management.