Imagine that you work for one of the top sporting goods retailers in the country. You are considered one of their top managers so it comes as no surprise that they have asked you to provide guidance and mentoring to a new manager at another store in your state. When you meet with this person you quickly discover why they are struggling - they constantly try to find the one best way to do things. What advice will you give this person to improve their management skills?.

Because specific management techniques tend to work better in certain situations, there really is no one best way to do things. The idea is to fit the management technique to the situation in an "if-then" manner. Management tools and techniques must be appropriate to the demands of the situation. For example, flexible and adaptable organizations tend to perform better in unstable and rapidly changing situations. Reviewing systems, contingency and situational approaches to management will also help this new manager adapt their style to the organization and her employees.