In my earlier write-up on People Management, I discussed some of the basic principles that I believe form the foundation of effective people management – being a good listener, engaging in meaningful conversations, building trust, appreciating people and confronting difficult situations in a positive manner.
But people management does not end there. In fact, these are only the beginning. and leads to understanding people is the real leadership skills.
As we spend more time working with people, we gradually realize that people management is not really about managing people; it is about understanding people.
Every individual comes with a different background, personality, ambition, expectation and definition of success. This makes managing people in the workplace both challenging and interesting.
Two people sitting across the same table, holding similar positions and receiving exactly the same instructions can interpret the same situation completely differently.
That is where the real challenge of leadership and people management begins.
UNDERSTAND WHAT DRIVES PEOPLE
One of the biggest mistakes a manager can make is assuming that everybody is motivated by the same things. For some employees, money may be the biggest motivation. For others, it may be recognition.
Someone may want a better designation, while another person may want freedom to make decisions. There are people who want rapid career growth, while others value stability, learning opportunities or a healthy work environment.
There are also people who may never openly tell you what they really want. A good manager therefore needs to look beyond the obvious.
Ask. Listen. Observe.
Sometimes the employee who appears least ambitious may simply be waiting for the right opportunity. The person who constantly asks questions may not be challenging authority; perhaps he or she genuinely wants to understand and the quietest person in the room may sometimes have the most valuable solution.
People are rarely as simple as their designations suggest. Understanding employee motivation is therefore one of the most important people management skills a leader can develop.
DON’T MANAGE EVERYONE THE SAME WAY
Fairness does not always mean treating everybody identically. It means understanding what is fair for each individual while protecting the larger interests of the organization.
A young employee may need direction.
An experienced employee may need autonomy.
A high performer may need a larger challenge.
A struggling employee may need patience, coaching and mentoring.
Treating all of them in exactly the same manner may actually be unfair.
Effective team management requires flexibility. Good managers learn to change their approach without changing their principles.
The values remain constant but the management style may change. This is where emotional intelligence becomes an important part of effective leadership.
RECOGNITION IS NOT ONLY ABOUT REWARDS
We often associate employee appreciation with salary increments, promotions, awards and bonuses. These are important, but appreciation begins much earlier.
A simple “well done” at the right time can have tremendous impact. Calling someone personally to acknowledge an effort can sometimes mean more than a formal certificate. Giving credit to a team member in front of others creates confidence.
Mentioning someone’s contribution when they are not present can build a reputation that travels much further than the manager realizes.
There is another important aspect of appreciation:
Give credit where it belongs.
A leader who takes credit for the team’s achievements may enjoy the moment, but gradually loses the team’s confidence. A leader who gives credit to the team builds something much more valuable – trust and loyalty.
This is why employee recognition is not merely an HR activity. It is a fundamental part of people management and employee engagement.
DON’T CONFUSE FEAR WITH DISCIPLINE
There is a very thin line between discipline and fear. An organization can be made to function through fear, but it cannot be made to flourish through fear.
When employees are afraid of making mistakes, they stop taking decisions. When they stop taking decisions, they stop taking ownership and when ownership disappears, an organization may continue to operate, but it stops growing.
A good leader should therefore create an environment where people can say:
“I made a mistake.”
without immediately feeling that their career is over. Accountability is essential but accountability should be accompanied by learning.
The question should not always be:
“Who made the mistake?”
Sometimes the better question is:
“What can we learn from it so that it does not happen again?”
This approach creates a healthier workplace culture and encourages people to take responsibility rather than hide problems.
PEOPLE REMEMBER HOW YOU MADE THEM FEEL
Years after leaving an organization, people may not remember every instruction given by their manager. They may not remember every meeting, they may not remember every target but they will remember how they were treated. They will remember the manager who listened when nobody else did. They will remember the person who gave them an opportunity.
They will remember the leader who stood behind them when they made an honest mistake and equally, they will remember the person who humiliated them in front of others.
This is perhaps one of the most important lessons in people management:
Your behaviour becomes somebody else’s memory.
Therefore, every interaction matters. A manager’s words, body language, response to pressure and treatment of employees all contribute to the culture of an organization.
THE LEADER IS ALSO PART OF THE PEOPLE
Perhaps the biggest misconception about people management is that there is a “manager” on one side and “people” on the other.
In reality, the manager is also one of the people. We are all part of the same organizational ecosystem. Our moods affect others, Our reactions influence conversations, Our biases influence decisions and Our behaviour gets copied.
If a leader comes to work angry every morning, people learn to be cautious.
If a leader listens patiently, people learn to communicate.
If a leader accepts mistakes honestly, people learn accountability.
If a leader appreciates others, appreciation becomes part of the culture.
The organization eventually behaves like its leaders behave.
That is why people management begins with managing ourselves.Before asking whether our employees are motivated, disciplined or engaged, perhaps we should ask whether our own leadership behaviour is creating the environment we expect from them.
COMMUNICATION IS MORE THAN WORDS
Good workplace communication is not simply about speaking clearly it is also about knowing when to speak, when to listen and when to remain silent. Sometimes a manager can solve a problem simply by giving an employee enough time to explain it. Sometimes the most important part of a conversation is not the answer given by the manager but the confidence created in the person who is speaking.
Communication also includes what happens after the conversation.
Do we remember what the employee said?
Do we follow up?
Do we act upon genuine concerns?
Do we communicate difficult decisions honestly?
These small actions determine whether employees believe that communication within the organization is genuine or merely a management exercise.
CONFLICT CAN BUILD A STRONGER TEAM
Conflict in an organization is not always a bad thing. Different opinions are natural when people with different experiences, cultures, generations and personalities work together.
The real problem is not disagreement. The real problem is how we handle disagreement.
A manager who suppresses every disagreement may create silence, but silence does not necessarily mean agreement. People may simply stop expressing themselves.
Healthy conflict management means allowing people to disagree respectfully while keeping the larger organizational objective in focus.
Confront the issue, not the person.
Discuss the behaviour, not the character.
Find the solution, not the culprit.
A disagreement handled maturely can actually strengthen relationships because people learn that differences can be discussed without destroying respect.
AND FINALLY – KNOW WHEN TO LET GO
There comes a stage in every manager’s journey when he has to understand that his job is not to have all the answers. His job is to create an environment where the right answers can emerge.
Delegation is therefore not simply distributing work.
It is giving people the confidence to take ownership. Letting someone do something differently from the way you would have done it is not necessarily losing control. Sometimes it is leadership. The real test of a manager is not how much work he can personally accomplish.
It is how much his people can accomplish without constantly needing him. That is the transition from being a manager to becoming a leader.
PEOPLE MANAGEMENT IS A HABIT
People management is not a technique that we master once and forget. It evolves with every person we meet, every disagreement we handle, every mistake we make and every relationship we build. It is developed through everyday behaviour.
A smile.
A nod of acknowledgement.
Five minutes of patient listening.
A word of appreciation.
Giving credit.
Accepting a mistake.
Standing by your team.
Having a difficult conversation without losing respect.
These small actions gradually become habits, and those habits eventually become leadership behaviour. And perhaps the most important lesson is this:
We don’t manage people to make them work for us.
We manage ourselves so that people can work with us. That, in my view, is the real essence of People Management.
