Experts suggest that human resource or human capital is the most important asset for any organisation today. While numerous experts and institutions offer their perspectives on the optimal strategies for advancement. Although there is no “one-size-fits-all” solution, there are approaches that can be implemented to ensure that nearly all aspects are addressed.
Organisations aiming to stay ahead in today’s competitive environment must prioritise people management training programs. It is important for leaders to identify what program or what kind of intervention is necessary for their teams. An appropriate people management training program that is well-structured doesn’t just focus on managing tasks but delves deep into nuances that contribute in achieving organisational goals.
It goes without saying that “people management” should be one of the cornerstones of any strategic leadership development initiative. Having said that, developing strong people management skills is not always the easiest thing to do, and one often has to rely on previous experiences, expertise, and other competencies. And as mentioned earlier, while there are numerous approaches, here is a list of 10 strategies that can always enhance people management in some shape or form:
1. Encourage Open Communication: Having a safe space or channel for communication is one of the most underrated strengths of an organisation. Team members should feel encouraged to share their, thoughts, ideas and concerns without the fear of getting judges. Having such an environment fosters a greater chance of collaboration among people in the organisation.
2. The power of Emotional Intelligence: We are human and we are bound to make mistakes, we are all built differently, but an honest effort towards the understanding of the people that you work with, identifying their triggers and yours, while being empathetic when needed, goes a long way in managing people relationship effectively.
3. What are you working towards: In large organisations, a key motivating factor for employees is to be aware of what are they working towards, not just from the perspective of their own professional development, but also the importance of how their role contributes to organisational success. Often it is assumed that it is explicitly clear but that’s not the case. So having consistency and clarity in all the communication in this regard is imperative.
4. A Culture of Learning: For employees to grow and adapt to the constant change in external and internal work environments, organisations need to support them by providing them opportunities to develop their skills, which in the larger scheme of things contribute to the goals of the organisation.
5. Leading by example: Nearly every training program in this context would suggest that leaders or managers should focus on modelling behaviours that align with their organisational goals. A leader that emphasises on responsibility, collaboration, accountability and a strong set of ethics will go a long way in gaining the trust of their team.
6. Rewards and Recognition: Possibly the oldest tip that existed in nearly every walk of life, recognition and rewards play a key role in employee motivation. Developing a system that is fair, transparent and dynamic, can often provide a key support in effective management of people.
7. A Resilient Team: For any employee, team or organisation, it is normal to be faced with a setback or some form of adversity at some point. It is how you recover from it that defines your path ahead. Managers should support their teams to face adversity and also to adapt to any changes in their ecosystem while maintaining focus on long-term objectives.
8. The Constants – Collaboration and Teamwork: More often than not when people come together to solve problems or to achieve common goals, they bring with it their own competencies skills and experiences, that can often give a new perspective that otherwise would not be possible if working in silos. Managers should foster collaboration and leverage diverse perspectives whenever possible.
9. The power of technology: From performance tracking, to project management, to agile communication, there are a plethora of tools that are available across technological platforms, that can vastly improve efficiency and provide insights into team performance and effectiveness at the granular level.
10. Don’t rest on past success: Managers should regularly seek feedback from their teams, even when some management strategies have worked effectively, it is still important to have a consistent process of measuring and improving working dynamcis and processes. And in this day of technology, managers can use data and insights to refine their process even further.
Effective people management is a key driver of long term organisational success. Investing in tailormade people management training programs can help in developing a workforce that is not just highly competent but also engaged and motivated. A combination of empowered leaders and highly motivated teams succeeds more often than not.
Learn practical strategies to improve people management and drive organizational success. Partner with Pragati Leadership to develop effective people management skills today.
