People management (as its name suggests) is about managing people in the workplace: making sure they are provided for and have everything they need to get their jobs done.
But people management is about much more than this. At its heart, it’s about paying attention to and caring for employees. This could mean looking after their wellbeing, compassionately helping them overcome stumbling blocks, or inspiring them to do their best work and strive to meet their personal and professional development goals.
IMPORTANCE:
Business leaders should care about people management skills in their organizations because they can make or break a company.
Bad people management can decrease productivity, disengage employees, and stifle innovation in an organization. The potential effects of subpar people management skills include:
- Low productivity due to disorganization or poor optimization of resources
- Workflow errors because of poor communication
- Employees and teams being ill-equipped to deal with challenges
- Unresolved or ongoing conflict between employees
- High employee turnover rates
- Lack of professional development among employees
- Lack of knowledge and idea-sharing within the organization.
Good people management, on the other hand, can optimize productivity, engage employees, and develop a culture of innovation which can carry an organization to the top of its field. Potential effects of great people management skills include:
- High productivity
- Great communication
- Employees taking challenges in their stride
- Strong collaboration and cooperation between team members
- Low employee turnover rates
- Ongoing professional development among employees
- A culture of free thinking and idea sharing that helps the organization innovate.
To achieve these outcomes, a good people manager must:
- Make sure each employee understands their role and responsibilities
- Ensure that the company’s expectations of each employee are aligned with the resources (including time) they have to fulfil this expectation
- Communicate clearly with their employees, listen to their feedback, and encourage their people to do the same with their fellow team members
- Help their employees problem-solve and overcome challenges (this includes making sure people aren’t scared to admit when they have made a mistake)
- Forestall and manage conflict between team members
- Oversee employees' professional development in the workplace
- Facilitate knowledge-sharing and brainstorming within a team by making sure people feel free to share their ideas.