Work is all about people. Any company’s number one asset is its staff. Look after your staff and they will look after you – well with a little bit of good people management anyway. But, what contributes to making a good people manager?
Looking after People’s Interests
People, in general, tend to be somewhat self-centred. It’s the ‘look after number one’ approach. It’s quite understandable because the philosophy goes that if they don’t look after their own self interests, who else is going to?
Well, the answer is that you’re going to – at least as far as their working lives go. It’s something that will garner your staff’s appreciation and loyalty, and it’s the number one factor in becoming a good people manager – having their best interests at heart (just as long as that doesn’t conflict with the company’s interests of course).
Ensuring your Staff is Challenged
One of the key factors to good people management is making sure that your staff is always gainfully employed; that their skills are being challenged. No one likes to sit around doing mundane, meaningless tasks all day long, it’s boring and it’s degrading. By carefully managing your staff’s workload and introducing new methodologies, you will keep them keen and, thus, productive.
Encouraging Staff Participation
Although you might be the manager, it doesn’t mean that good ideas can only come from you. There are some managers who take input from their staff, but who then claim the credit for any good ideas that they implement. That’s a real ‘no, no’. If you haven’t got the integrity to award credit where it’s due, you will never be a good people manager.
Grooming Others for Management
The most successful businesses are those that adapt and change according to the economic climate and environment. Part of that change is grooming people for progression. It’s why encouraging staff participation, and giving credit where it’s due is so important.
The Carrot and the Stick
Gaining the staff’s respect is important for any manager. Without it there will be anarchy. Having integrity and not only being fair, but being seen to be fair is essential. The importance of giving praise and credit where due has already been expounded, but on the other side of the coin, it is equally essential to correct staff when necessary. The most important thing of all is using the proverbial “carrot and stick” only when necessary or appropriate. If you do have an occasions to admonish a member of staff, this is best done in private. This is all part of managers and staff having a mutual respect for each other.
The Importance of Mutual Respect
Everyone deserves to be respected in their own right. We are all individuals with our own private lives. In our own private lives and homes, we are all important parts of our surroundings. A mother, a father, a breadwinner or a mentor. We each have our own sense of identity and self importance. This should also be respected in the workplace, too.
Training the Managers of Tomorrow
Learning how to become a good people manager is an essential skill for any up and coming management trainee. You can find out more about attaining this skill – learning to engage and inspire your staff – by checking out the training courses that are available from leading management and personal development services, such as Illumine, which promotes management excellence in the managers of tomorrow.
About the author: Howie ran his own business, for over 17 years, in the corporate identity marketplace. He now works as a writer and is particularly active in the management/personal development arena, using the hands on management experience he gained as an entrepreneur to pen blogs, articles and other publications for a variety of clients within the niche market.