The Pros and Cons of Monkey Management: A Closer Look

Monkey management is a leadership style that focuses on

The idea is that people are both naturally motivated and capable of achieving great things when given the right tools and support. By investing in their team members, leaders believe they can help create a more engaged and motivated workforce. Accordingly, in a monkey management-environment, leaders provide guidance and support to their team members, but ultimately, the team is responsible for their own success.

One of the key principles of this relational leadership model is transparency. Leaders should make a conscious effort to be open and honest with their team members, sharing information and providing regular feedback. Obviously, this is meant to build trust, foster a sense of collaboration within the team and – ultimately – create a more engaged workforce.

But that’s not all. Empowering your monkeys is just as much about providing employees with the resources and support they need to succeed. This might include training, access to technology and other tools, and opportunities for professional development. (It depends on your business what exactly your team needs to be successful.)

Overall, monkey management is a relational leadership style that emphasizes collaboration and the sharing of responsibility. By giving employees the autonomy and assistance they need to excel, organizations can create a more dynamic and successful workplace.

If you’re looking to justify why your team should give monkey management a try, look no further.

Here’s the definitive list of good things this leadership model will bring to your organization:

Overall, the pros of monkey management include increased employee engagement, collaboration, and innovation. What’s not to like?

So, we all agree that organizations can reap enormous benefits from the introduction of monkey management, right? But beware, there’s a flip side to this coin and it looks like this:

Bottom line: leaders must be aware of pros and cons of monkey management alike. It’s not all wine and roses, and the potential for implementation challenges, isolation and burnout among employees must be carefully considered.

We already mentioned employee engagement and how it can benefit from introducing the monkey leadership approach in your organization. However, as indicated in the previous chapter, the specific impact on morale – and productivity – can vary greatly depending on the specific implementation of this leadership style. In general – that’s your starting point -, this approach has the potential to both enhance and hinder employee satisfaction and well-being:

Whether your team goes down one road or the other – it’s your choice.  First, make sure to choose the monkey leadership model only if it really fits your organization. Then, don’t exploit its principles to simply get rid of work and dump all responsibilities on your team. Rather, grant freedom to act while still sharing in the ultimate responsibility and providing guidance when needed.

Effective communication is essential to being successful with the monkey management leadership model. After all, this approach relies on open, transparent, and frequent communication between leaders and team members in order to have its greatest impact.

In a monkey management environment, leaders must be willing to: 

This mirrors the principles of Corporate Leadership, where open dialogue and inclusion in strategic decisions build a strong and motivated workforce. All of this is essential to build trust and promote a collaborative culture within the team. Not only among the workers “on the ground”. It also allows team members to have confidence in their leader, by clearly understanding the organization’s overall goals, the leaders’ expectations, and the support available to them.

But constant and effective communication is also critical for addressing any challenges that inevitably arise from the introduction of a novel leadership method. Regardless of how careful you might be not to step on any toes, starting to “monkey-manage” will at some point create friction. This has less to do with any inherent deficiencies of this approach, but flows naturally from the mere novelty of the method.

So, communicate often and communicate well. By fostering open and frequent conversations – including about the specific ways, in which the monkey management technique is implemented in your team -, you can be all the more effective and successful with your new, favorite approach to leadership.

As with employee engagement, the impact of monkey management on decision-making and problem-solving can be both positive and negative, depending on how the leadership style is implemented.

On the one hand, the monkey approach can promote critical thinking by fostering an environment of innovation and creativity. As we’ve heard, it encourages team members to take risks and try new things, which can help them think outside the box and come up with novel solutions to problems. Additionally, monkey management encourages open communication and collaboration, which can help create an environment where team members exchange ideas more freely and challenge each other’s thinking, leading to better outcomes overall.

On the flip side, monkey management might sometimes negatively affect problem-solving within your organization. This is largely due to two reasons.

As always, recognize there’s no such thing as a free lunch. Overall, the impact of monkey management on decision-making and problem-solving within your team can be positive when implemented effectively. But beware of the pitfalls. If not careful, you may yield the opposite result!

From what we’ve seen, the effectiveness of monkey management can vary depending on the specific industry and situation.

For example, monkey management may be especially effective in industries that are fast-paced and constantly evolving. In these environments, it can be important for employees to be able to think on their feet and make quick, independent decisions. By empowering employees to take charge of their own work and solve problems on their own, monkey leaders can help create a more agile and adaptable workforce.

Additionally, monkey management may be more effective in situations where there is a high degree of uncertainty or ambiguity. In these cases, a more structured and hierarchical approach may not be as effective, as it may be difficult for leaders to anticipate and plan for all potential challenges and obstacles. By empowering employees to think for themselves and take the initiative, leaders in this style can help create a more resilient and adaptable team.

All that doesn’t mean that other industries can’t benefit from the monkey approach. Just keep in mind it’s not only about your own leadership skills and the way you implement this leadership model. It may well be that your area of work is just not ideally suited for monkey management techniques.

While monkey management is a relatively new leadership style, there are already several real-life examples of its successful implementation.

These examples show that, when implemented effectively, monkey management really can be a cultural gamechanger, so why not give it a try?

If you are considering implementing monkey management in your workplace, there are several key tips to keep in mind, in order to make this leadership style successful:

The successful implementation of monkey management requires a combination of resources, communication, and adaptability. By following the above tips, you, too, can create a more empowering and fulfilling work environment for your team.

Monkey management is a leadership style that is justifiably gaining popularity due to its potential to foster collaboration, innovation, and empowerment among employees. While there are many potential benefits to this approach, there are also significant challenges when it comes to the actual implementation. In order to make monkey management effective, leaders must be prepared to provide their team with the resources and support they need, promote open and transparent communication, and be willing to adapt their approach as needed. By following these tips, you, as a leader, can create a more dynamic and successful work environment using the monkey management style.