We all know that one key to a successful job is knowing how to work well with other people. I know it can be quite challenging for some, especially when you are the shy type. But if you are a manager or an HR employee, you cannot afford to say “no” to this task. Because apart from working with them, you are also assigned to be the one managing your people.
Managing people is a unique craft; it’s a craft that you will have to carry for the rest of your life as an employee. While some people are naturally well-versed in people management, some need a little bit more assistance and practice. And I know it takes time to master people management, but you can make improvements starting right now using these tips.
But first, what is people management?
People management is a set of practices that surround the processes of acquisition, optimization, and retention of talent. It is the process of providing support for the business and guidance for the people of an organization.
The art of managing people requires several skills. Those who manage their people need to be open and honest when communicating. They must know how to empower their employees, so they can develop new skills and be more productive. Most of all, people managers need to instill trust when managing people. Instilling trust means you are confident enough to rely on their abilities — and assistance when you need it most.
But it doesn’t stop there, though. As a people manager, you are assigned to address conflicts in the workplace, if there’s any. If there’s a miscommunication, you must act as the mediator between the opposing parties and help them achieve a collective understanding.
The bottom line here is people management is a multi-faceted task. From empowering employees to organizing them, you must be equipped with skills that can better help you interact with your employees and perform management tasks.
The following tips will help you on how to manage people effectively.
7 Essential Tips When Managing People at Work
1. Manage yourself before others
They say that to become an effective manager, you must first learn how to manage yourself — and I believe that’s true. While you are giving instructions to other people, you should also know your roles as a leader. One of your roles as a leader is becoming involved with the day-to-day activities of your business. This is what Larraine Segil, a management consultant, refers to as a “working element of the overall machinery of your business.”
2. Be fervent about managing people
As a leader, you must be fervent about three things: your people, your customers, and your products or services. Some leaders tend to overlook the importance of being passionate about their people. Little did they know, it will help create a progressive and inspiring work environment for their employees.
Also called “employee service”, being passionate about your people means providing them the benefits they deserve and improving your way of communication. By improving your employee service, you will be able to reap the benefits of motivated employees, including increased employee commitment and satisfaction.
3. Keep your emotions in check
Managing people means keeping your emotions in check. We may be emotional creatures, but emotional outbursts at work could negatively impact your working environment.
Learn the 10-second rule. When you feel your temper rising, try and count to 10 and recompose your emotions. If it helps, you can excuse yourself from the situation to get some time and moment to unwind.
Always remember that the workplace is no room for decisions made out of emotional outbursts. Most of all, yelling at your people will do you no good, it will only cause your people to lose their respect for you.
4. Understand each of your employee’s purpose
Before being able to communicate well with your employees, you have to understand their purpose. An employee’s purpose is part of what keeps them satisfied at work. Knowing what pushes them to do their work will help you understand how to help them succeed which can also benefit your company.
Most of the time, employees want to work on projects they believe they can perform well — it makes them feel more connected to their work. As a manager, you should be able to hand them the tasks that give them purpose.
5. Know when to praise and criticize
Giving praise might seem like an easy task for most of us, however, studies show that it doesn’t hold water it comes to the workplace. A survey shows that 44% of managers found giving negative feedback stressful. To make it worse, a shocking 40% of the same group never gave positive feedback to their employees.
In order to thrive, your employee needs a mixture of both praise and criticism. If you don’t give criticisms to your employees, you are hindering their growth. At the same time, not giving praise will cause your employees to be on-edge.
When giving criticisms, try to help them with solutions to work go through their weaknesses, instead of simply pointing out their mistakes. Doing this shows that you believe in their ability to improve. But don’t forget to finish your criticisms on a positive note!
6. Give negative feedback in private when managing people
As a follow up for tip #5, remember to always give negative feedback in private. Sure, giving praise in public is a good thing, but you should know it doesn’t work that way for criticisms. Your employees are more likely to listen to criticisms in private, unlike in public where they’re more likely to react defensively. Your employees will admire and respect you for being discreet.
7. Check in even when nothing is wrong
Managers should always check in on their employees even when nothing is wrong. Even if it seems like the sea is going pretty smoothly for your employee, you must regularly communicate with them to provide an easy space for them to turn to when things get rough. Meeting once a week is ideal, but you can also set biweekly meetings if necessary. In this way, you’ll have to power to prevent putting your employees in such a stressful situation because they’ll know who to turn to when they end up with a big problem.
Managing people at work is an important task to keep teams running and employees motivated. Whether you’re listening empathetically or solving conflicts at the workplace, it is your responsibility as a leader to be proactive about managing the people of your business.