Business Coaching

There may be some truth to Michael Scott's mug. Keyword: some.

If you’re a television watching American, you’ve heard of The Office, an American spin-off of the British sitcom starring Steve Carrell. The show portrays Carrell as a poor manager… but is he?

In the British original, the boss, David Brent, played by Ricky Gervais, is an egomaniacal moron, unable to look past his own needs. In the American spinoff, Steve Carell’s Michael Scott began the same way, but over the show’s seven seasons, he has become something different.

He looks at his business as more than just the bottom line. He shows he cares about his employees and he believes in himself and the team he has assembled, for better or worse. He has become, in some ways, an effective manager who gets the most out of his team.

For example, he is constantly involved in his team’s lives. From taking an active role in Jim and Pam’s relationship to trying to find love for his employees in the last Valentine’s Day episode, the employees at Dunder Mifflin Scranton know he cares.

According to recent studies, one of the biggest problems employees encounter in the workplace is management that doesn’t care. Nobody wants to feel like they are easily replaceable or underappreciated. This is something Scott makes sure to not do.

Of course, on the show Scott does some ridiculous things, but his management style makes a relevant point for small businesses to take note of.

The personal touch that Scott exhibits on The Office is one that could be used to help businesses of all kinds, so long as it’s balanced with a strong team and business structure.

While nobody believes Scott is the role model to emulate when it comes to business management, following a few of the “strategies” that he uses certainly make sense for company’s looking for an edge. Do any Office fans- or non-fans- agree?