What is effective people management?

Good people managers are leaders. They listen, they are attentive to others and they adapt their leadership style to the people who report to them. Their role is to make sure that their teams have the tools, support and resources to deliver their best work. Below are some of the key characteristics of effective leaders.

Good leaders communicate their vision

A vision is something to look forward to and to aim for. Leaders who communicate their vision for the business give their teams a clear idea of what needs to be achieved and why. The manager would articulate the vision clearly and be personally dedicated to the vision.

Effective managers lead by example

If managers follow the same procedures as they advise others to follow, they demonstrate that rules apply to everyone at your organisation and help reduce top-down hierarchy pressure. People managers align the standards they set for their teams with their own. This behaviour will demonstrate accountability, credibility and humility.

Good leaders are good communicators

Good leaders are excellent communicators, and their communication skills emanate from their listening skills. When conveying the message, they should be clear, mindful and to the point. They usually know what information to share and when. In addition, being a people manager also means knowing how to handle misunderstandings or conflicts in the workplace.

Leaders empower the workforce and are generous with recognition

Successful people managers are inspiring leaders. They recognise the effort of their teams or individuals when it is due. Being generous with recognition has a positive effect on team morale. Employees know their hard work is valued and maintain strong motivation. In addition, good people managers are open to delegating and giving ownership to their team members. They trust them and the work they deliver and encourage their teams to be creative and ‘do it their way’.

Effective managers know how to motivate their teams and inspire them

Being able to make tough decisions is another part of a leadership role. These decisions often need to be made quickly and can be difficult emotionally for all parties involved. Having the strength and the humility to be able to handle these situations is an important trait. Such managers know how to boost team motivation, inspire them and generate enthusiasm while maintaining productivity.

Take a look at the content below for more on employee motivation:

• How to develop employee engagement and motivation in the workplace
• Employee benefit programmes: a guide to employee motivation

People leadership skills for your business

There is much more to leadership roles than just getting the best out of people. When it comes to managing people, there are some elementary skills that may help boost your business’s efficiency.

High satisfaction from optimised systems

Leaders with strong organisational skills have a direct effect on satisfaction within the workforce. Having the right systems and processes in place provides a structure to the organisation and increases accountability. Similarly, delegating appropriately builds satisfaction through ownership. Good people managers know when, to whom and how to delegate tasks. By doing so, they put their trust in their teams and are able to optimise the working day for all.

Ethics as a driver for employee morale

The way employees are treated by the business and its leaders has an effect on their morale and their level of engagement. Employees who know they can count on their leader are more likely to be invested and productive. Happy employees perform better.

For more on employee engagement, you could read our article on 11 employee engagement ideas.

Good communication

Having suitable leaders may help improve communication within the team. With a good flow of communication, the team may work well together and misunderstandings could be avoided. Talking transparently between colleagues is essential to understanding different points of view.

Reduced leadership turnover

Leaders are often under pressure. Business leaders who have the right skills, know how to delegate, communicate well and inspire their teams are more effective at their job and thus able to avoid difficulties and handle challenges when they arise.

What to look for when it comes to people management skills

When looking for a people manager, the following skills may be useful ones to look for in potential candidates:

Transparent and open communication

Having open discussions is also an important part of being a people manager. It helps avoid misunderstanding and ensures everyone works in harmony. Successful leaders are able to keep the line of communication open at all times. They are transparent on the organisation’s goals and what it will take to get there. In today’s work environment, communication can take many forms, such as emails, video updates, town halls, Q&A sessions, etc. Regardless of the channel used, the message should be clear and easy to understand for all.

Humility and empathy

Having a management role means working closely with others to understand everyone’s situation and have empathy. Not all individuals will react in the same way to a situation. Understanding each person’s point of view and addressing it with humility could help bring the leader closer to their team.

Positive mindset

Work weeks can be long, stressful and overwhelming. Having a positive attitude towards challenging situations helps lift employee morale and encourage perseverance.

Organisational skills

People management means managing the workload of different team members, balancing between internal and external meetings, and much more. Having strong organisational and time management skills is a great help. To manage their time effectively, leaders could learn to delegate and prioritise. They could set themselves and their teams specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound goals – also known as SMART goals.

Strategic thinking

Strategic thinking is the ability to make informed decisions quickly. The decisions should not be biased and should therefore be well researched. Strategic thinking is closely tied to managing priorities. It is about finding opportunities that will create value and focusing on them.

Ownership and accountability

Leaders also usually have a good sense of responsibility. A good people manager has the ability to challenge their team and protect them at the same time. They take accountability for the group without blaming others.

People development

A people manager also dedicates time to developing their team members. They mentor individuals and guide them through their career progression.

Knowing to delegate

A willingness to trust others to complete their work and the ability to delegate are also useful skills. These skills may be harder for some to adopt than others, but it is worth the effort to develop these traits. Without them, a leader may become overwhelmed by the number of tasks that need to be completed and the weight of their responsibilities.

Positive and constructive feedback

Providing feedback goes hand in hand with developing people. It ensures that employees within the organisation are fully aware of the expectations and how to fulfil them. It allows them to grow and, if desired, to elevate themselves within the organisation.

You can read our article on communication at your workplace: positive and constructive feedback for employees for help with providing feedback to your team.

6 essential tips for aspiring people managers

Reading the above section, you may wonder how to become a people manager. Leadership can be learnt, and those who want to become people managers can work on developing their skills to be more effective in their role. The following are some areas an aspiriting people manager could focus on:

1. Be honest and keep to your values

Leaders are individuals whom people usually look up to. To be inspiring, their honesty should shine through. This will filter down to their teams and, in the medium to long term, could make for a better work environment.

2. Cultivate your creativity

Creativity and innovation often lead to process efficiencies. By applying a creative, positive approach, challenges become opportunities that drive business change, strengthening the organisation.

3. Trust your abilities and stay humble

People managers cannot be experts in all areas. They have to trust their teams of subject matter experts and be confident in their abilities. In addition, they have to gain confidence in themselves, in the way they present themselves and their results. This is a gradual process that requires humility throughout.

4. Keep learning

Those who do not keep learning will see their skills become obsolete. Today’s work environment evolves at a fast pace, so it is important to continuously learn about new technologies, tools, methods and much more.

5. Continuously work on your interpersonal skills

Soft skills such as active listening and other interpersonal skills should be worked on continuously. They inspire confidence and trust and will make for better leaders.

6. Develop your network

This might seem obvious, but successful people managers cultivate their network. They are connected, which gives them the ability to address challenges faster by reaching out to the right people. Building internal and external relationships is a large part of the job.

People management skills could be made a focus within your organisation to ensure that the values of your business are reflected in its leaders. It makes for happier employees who feel supported and can develop. Investing in people managers may help your business run more efficiently and get better results in the long term.