David Brent's celebrity (from the BBC's The Office) can be attributed to his character's uncomfortable familiarity to anyone who's done a 9 to 5 stint behind a desk. His attempts to be popular with staff regularly backfire and de-motivate the team.

Brent's approach to management ultimately fails because he has chosen the ill-fated path of trying to marry the traditional command and control style with the more relaxed attitude to leadership favoured by younger enterprises. The upshot is that his team think he's a twit.

Finding the management style that's right is a preoccupation of many companies, particularly start-ups that are beginning to recruit, or small firms that have reached a size where they begin to lose that "family" feel. Often burnt by "big company" experiences, the modern manager prefers to cultivate a relaxed working environment where fun is permitted and rules are superfluous.

By building a culture of mutual trust and respect instead of coercion and fear, they hope to motivate their staff to unprecedented levels of performance and loyalty.

At IT software company Alpha Landsteinar, this means offering a good range of non-traditional benefits, including nice company cars, a pool table and stereo, relaxing sofas and a monthly take-away. Most staff can choose to work from home, or from their choice of the company's four offices. There is no clock-watching either; staff start and finish when they want.

The result? An exemplary staff retention record, and a workforce that voluntarily puts in long hours. "We started with just four people in 1997 and now have more than 80," says finance and marketing director Peter Lingham. "That's a rapid growth in staff, yet we've hardly lost anybody in that time and the few that have left have since come back."

Employees can dress casually and if they want to take a break to play pool, no one will bat an eyelid. The chances are they'll still be found at their desk at 6pm.

"The founders came from bigger companies, and were fed up of the bureaucracy and politics," says Lingham. "It's easier to be flexible when you're a small company, and we've employed staff on the basis that this is how we operate.

"So far, this approach hasn't been abused. Our flexibility is repaid by our staff's flexibility. There's no work-to-rule culture. Consultants are happy to take responsibility for jobs that might otherwise be deemed beneath them when they're with a customer, and they don't complain if they get home late after a site visit."

Everyone in the company is on first-name terms and the organisational structure is flat. "The directors have a direct line of communication with all staff, and are very open - we're always available on our mobiles or by email," Lingham says.

Because the company is dispersed across four sites, it has been easy to retain a small team environment despite the increased workforce. Regular emailed newsletters ensure that everyone knows what's going on and, as a personal touch, occasions such as birthdays or the birth of a baby are marked with a message or card.

Such gestures should not be underestimated. Japanese manufacturing firms, world-renowned for their efficiency, use team songs and exercises to build a team atmosphere in an otherwise monotonous working environment.

But then it's possible to have enough of a good thing. "White-collar workers in Japan traditionally feel obliged to stay late, and attend all-night drinking sessions and trips away with the company to demonstrate their commitment," says Pernille Rudlin, a consultant in the cultural differences between Japanese and European businesses.

But, handled properly, it can produce measurable benefits, according to Peter Riding, chairman of Video Arts, the training video company started by John Cleese (famous for comedy-based management training videos such as Meetings Bloody Meetings).

"Staff today want more than pay and rations; they want to work in an environment that fits with their own values and beliefs, and today that includes having fun at work," he says. "Meanwhile, managers are beginning to realise humour in the workplace reduces barriers to change."

Behaviour breeds behaviour, too. So, if staff are happy at work, they're more likely to provide a good customer experience. "If you run a company with no respect for staff, don't be surprised if your business results are directly affected," Riding warns.

Motivation is particularly important where multi-skilled teams need to be cultivated. "This takes a particular kind of management," says Riding. Informality and group activities early on in the team-building process will be important, as will be the creation of an environment where staff are encouraged to admit to gaps in their knowledge.

The days of the super boss are gone and, in this new multi-skilled environment, even managers need to be prepared to concede their limitations.

David Skipsey, managing director of management training company Develop, has just returned from America where he observed that a preoccupation with the needs of the customer is translating into a need for a wider range of skills at even the highest level of a company.

Organisations now need a balanced team of managers, he says - those who can come up with ideas, creativity and inspiration on an ongoing basis; those who can shape these ideas into business opportunities; those who can push these opportunities into production; and those who can monitor and control the resulting solutions to ensure they continue to meet the market need.

"Often it's the first category that's missing," he says. "Once the first spark of innovation has passed, the creativity that drives a company forward can soon be lost, especially from the top team.

So what can be learnt from the exaggerated scenarios painted by The Office? "It highlights a lot of common mistakes companies make with recruitment, appraisals and so on," says Skipsey. "Companies forget that their success depends on people. This is odd given the effort that is put into controlling just about any other kind of company asset."

So, relaxed or otherwise, best lesson for managers is to worry less about operational detail, and invest more energy into developing team spirit.

What is a good boss made of?

Business Link for London, the capital's small business support service, says a good boss will motivate and inspire confidence, creating a happy, productive workforce. As a result, the business and the staff will prosper. It offers the following dos and don'ts.

What is a good boss made of?

Business Link for London, the capital's small business support service, says a good boss will motivate and inspire confidence, creating a happy, productive workforce. As a result, the business and the staff will prosper. It offers the following dos and don'ts.

A bad boss will:

· always be right;

· never apologise;

· take all the credit;

· blame everyone else;

· criticise - constantly;

· be secretive;

· over-supervise;

· bully others.

A good boss will:

· motivate: explain business targets and how each staff member can play a part in achieving them;

· communicate: ensure lines of communication are always open. Explain changes and discuss any problems staff may have. Give regular feedback and constructive criticism;

· praise: people like to hear they've done the job well;

· acknowledge initiative: if someone has a good idea, make sure they get full credit;

· encourage staff development: develop, train and mentor staff;

· be honest and truthful: honesty is regarded as the most important attribute a boss can have;

· take an interest: in their work and goals and helping identify their strengths and abilities;

· muck in: get your hands dirty when things get busy