People Management – Effective Tips on Managing People

The Effective People Manager or Supervisor has a framework of People Management objectives, processes and best practices to ensure they lead, manage, motivate and develop each of their Team Members.  They build effective habits, and these habits include identifying clearly their goals and expectations with each report, and identifying their way forward with each person.

The Goals of the People Manager

The measure of the Supervisor’s success is how much they have IMPROVED the performance of their people.  The questions to ask are –

• Are the Team Members achieving their goals and objectives?
• Are they constantly improving and developing?
• Are blocks to improvement being addressed or removed?
• Are they achieving the desired performance level and their potential as an effective Team player?
• How much have these Team Members improved since you became their Supervisor? What have what have you added to their development?

Focussing on these goals is the first step in People Management. Thinking effectively is about visualising the goals, assessing your current situation of the Team Member, and planning the strategy to get the Team Member from this current position to the improved goal achieved position.

Effective People Management Processes and Practices

1. Have a clear vision of your Expectations. Think very precisely about your expectations of the Team Member’s role. You will have to explain these expectations to your Team Member and it is very difficult to do this if you have vague, woolly thinking. What is the whole range of accountabilities in this role? Think in terms of knowledge, skills, attitudes and actions to make a list of your desired qualities.

What performance level do you expect? Remember, people need some kind of measures of your expectations – quality, quantity or both.

What do you expect in terms of the Team? What is a ‘good’ Team player in your Team – what attitudes, values and behaviours do you want to foster within your Team?

1. Make your expectations clear. If you explain your objectives clearly, you will already have achieved 50% of them – you are half way there! Tease out your expectations to each Team Member in a positive ‘can do’ way. Make a habit of identifying different aspects of the role and discussing each at separate performance discussions. An effective People Manager is doing this on an ongoing basis, ensuring the Team Member is on firm ground and knows exactly where they stand.
2. Ensure Team Members know that their work has value. This involves briefing each Team Member initially on what exactly is the purpose of the Organisation, their own Team Purpose, and where we fit in relation to other departments. They need to know that they play a key part in achieving the shared output of their Organisation.
3. However, it is Supervisory best practice to continue to work on this aspect, ensuring each Team Member knows that their work is important. In terms of motivation, this is a key factor. If your Team Member thinks their work is of no value to the Customer or to the Company, they will be de-motivated. If they feel their contribution is important and valued, they are motivated to perform well.
4. Get to know each Team Member. Spend time with each in non-work chats getting to know them and letting them get to know you. Bonding is key to building mutual respect, so use your time wisely bonding with each Team Member. Manage how you do this to ensure you are spending your time equally with all Team Members.
5. Set goals for the Team and for each Team Member. Discuss long term goals and objectives with each Team Member, sharing your thoughts on their next steps in development within their current role. People need to know where they are now, and where they are going next. Make the goals very specific and set time frames on each. They need to be so clear and detailed that it is possible to do a checklist of ‘Yes, goal achieved’ or ‘No, this goal was not achieved’.
6. Have frequent Performance One-to-one discussions. An effective Supervisor will hold very regular one-to-one meetings. The objective is to show you are interested in the Team Member’s work and to stimulate performance and growth. At this meeting we review recent performance, goal achievement and team contribution. We ensure we are identifying learning points from the Team Member’s day-to-day experience and setting next step goals for the immediate future.
7. Show interest in each person’s work output. Train yourself to notice good work, extra effort or positive attitude. It is often easy to see the negative, but harder to see the good. Praise desired attitude, behaviour or achievement on the spot, openly and honestly. Be sensitive to different people, and praise each in an appropriate manner. Think about how you do this, vary your methods so that the praise does not become staid or insincere.
8. Have high expectations of each Team Member – they will not all perform equally, but each person can get better. Don’t treat someone as a loser - but give them something to achieve. Remember, success breeds success. It also fosters self confidence and job satisfaction.

Review your People Management processes and practices frequently to ensure you are working effectively and productively with each person. This will guarantee that both you and your People are continuously growing and developing.