Anyone can learn some basic techniques to effectively manage people. In this article, I’ll share with you my five beginner tips to effectively manage people.
Acknowledge great work
Don’t be the kind of person that feels too proud to appreciate other people’s work when they perform excellently. You know it won’t take anything from you to do that, so don’t be the kind of person who is known for criticising other people’s works at all times.
Here’s the thing. Everyone wants to do a great job, so when they do so, recognise it by appreciating it. This type of recognition always goes a long way in boosting your self-confidence and encouraging them to do even better with employee productivity. Also encourage creativity and ensure that everyone is clear about what is expected of them.
To avoid unnecessary argument or friction amongst everyone, however, you need to know how to balance both praise and criticism. If you only give praise for great work, you won’t give people the chance to grow.However, if on the other hand you only criticise them you make them demoralised and discouraged.
Be an effective communicator
Generally building relationships with people requires communication. When wanting to effectively manage people, it is one of the first places to begin. and in managing people as well it cannot be left out.
To be an effective communicator means that you can pass your message across to the other party and adequately, without any form of misinterpretation from both ends. Effective communication is about how you make people feel around you. It is what determines how well people will respond to you. When managing a team or group of employees, be open enough to communicate the latest updates on ongoing projects, let them feel among the team.
Nobody wants to be tossed aside or made to feel irrelevant, wherever they find themselves also being an effective communicator means to become a better listener. You want to make sure you are attentive, make eye contact, take notes and wait for the other person to finish before you start to talk. It helps both parties understand each other better because you won’t have to assume things since you heard them clearly and give them enough attention to express the true intents of your heart.
Being an excellent communicator also means making yourself approachable and accessible. Be the kind of person or boss people can approach easily at any time. Also encourage feedback and listen to other people’s suggestions. You are in a better position than they are doesn’t mean that you’ll always be right or you will know nothing better than the rest of the world, so be open to constructive criticism and feedback.
Understand your purpose
In order to be able to effectively manage people, you have to understand their purpose and assignment and also know what brings them joy. Realising this will help you relate with them better because you know what they want and what they are willing to do so well.
Although understanding their purpose will help you delegate the right assignments to them because you don’t want to find yourself asking the wrong person to do the right tasks and vice versa, here’s the thing people want to work on project where they believe they can do well and when allowed to do so, they feel more connected to their work.
Recognising this will help you learn how best to deal with them.
Check in on people
Learn to check on people when you don’t need anything from them. You know that friend that only calls you when they need something? Well, you don’t want to be that kind of person amongst your teammates. You don’t want to wait until something is wrong before you become courteous and friendly, so be empathetic, seek the welfare of your teammates and check up on them when you don’t need them to do anything for you.
Otherwise they will begin to avoid your calls, knowing fully well that you are calling to either demand something or give them some extra work. Managing people isn’t that difficult. After all, if only you realise it is more about how you make people feel whenever they are around you.
Separate personal and organisational problems
Relationships will always encounter some rough grounds and friction, however when working with people you need to be able to differentiate personal problems from organisational problems. Working with people can be challenging because most times we tend to think that the most important thing is getting the work done. So we put the job over others.
Do you know what happens when we do that? We flare up at their mistakes and in most cases take it too personally. The problem with doing this, is that you soon begin to mix things up, you begin to attach your feelings to it and it becomes challenging to create a cordial work relationship.
Although you might get the work done this way, it will be due to negative pressure not positive and this can eventually wreck your relationship with them.
Summary
So there are my five main tips for new leaders to effectively manage people.
- Acknowledge great work
- Be an effective communicator
- Understand your purpose
- Check in on your team
- Separate personal and organisational problems
Good luck in your future leadership career!
