5 Essential People Management Tips For Leaders

Navigating the dynamic landscape of leadership demands more than just a title—it calls for a mastery of people management. Companies and teams are made up of different people, each playing an important role.

Handling them is like a music performance where each instrument plays different notes to make a beautiful song - and you are the conductor! 

Hopefully, you have inherited a team who are not clones of the leader - but people with varied backgrounds, who think differently, and bring different styles, experiences and perspectives.

Differences which can be used to bring your company overall success.

Are you ready to blend your members? Here are the tips you need to tune your people management skills:

#1. Leadership is a Dialogue

Imagine your company is dealing with a crisis and the office is charged with tension. You want to address the concerns of both employees and customers urgently. Hopefully, you have done crisis management planning and have had time to think about how you could handle the situation and what the audience’s core inquiries might be.

But, if you are not an effective communicator, your well-intentioned communication efforts may result in increased confusion rather than the desired clarity.

Day-to-day business may not be a crisis, but a crisis does help us focus on what is important. 

In this hybrid world, clear communication is even more important. Employees need clarity on the  what, how, and why, as a leader you can establish this clarity by following the 7 Cs of communication:

1. Clear.

2. Concise.

3. Concrete.

4. Correct.

5. Coherent.

6. Complete.

7. Courteous.

When managing people, be clear about your purpose and goals. When giving instructions to your team, stick to your purpose. By avoiding excessive information and keeping messages concrete,  employees will build a clear picture of what you aim to achieve.

Moreover, messages must be correct and complete, providing information without ambiguity. It is easy to get frustrated by people not understanding and asking many questions, making it even more essential to maintain your posture of being courteous and professional. 

With the increase of home and hybrid working, it is evermore important for the leader to model what this looks like, especially for new people straight from University to see.  I remember a boss of mine had a mantra ‘The only response to rudeness is politeness’. Being consistent and always courteous will foster positive interactions and promote a respectful exchange of ideas. 

#2. Setting Clear Expectations

Being a good leader means communicating what you want to your team. Seek first to understand them. All great leaders try to understand what success looks like to their team members. Then they communicate effectively to sketch the blueprint for their employees.

You should too align their vision with their responsibility and job expectations. 

Share achievable expectations with your team. It also helps to tell them the “what” and “whys” of your expectations. This extra information will motivate them to keep going. Your employees will appreciate your expectations if they know the reasoning behind them and how it helps you be a good leader for them. 

People management is teamwork too. Thus, include your team members while setting expectations and goals for your work. Ask them for their ideas and how they will approach the project. It will also make them feel valued instead of just bossed around. 

#3. Provide Constructive Feedback

Just as no one likes to be held accountable without being told where they went wrong, most people crave constructive feedback for their growth.

Therefore, if you want your team to continuously improve, it is important to provide them with regular feedback sessions. By giving your team members insightful, compassionate feedback on their performance, you empower them to develop their skills and make positive changes. 

People want to know where they can improve and appreciate leaders who guide them in that journey. Making feedback a regular practice fosters an environment where people can openly discuss both wins and areas of opportunity.

As Bill Gates said, ‘We all need people who will give us feedback. That’s how we improve’

People today prefer organisations with a growth ambition. Your employees don’t want to merely clock in and out; they seek a workplace that nurtures their professional development and personal growth.

It is possible with feedback. 

Tell them what's going well you want to see more of - people like to please. Then give them areas to stretch themselves so they can improve. 

It's tempting to shy away from giving what can be seen as negative feedback. But frame feedback constructively instead. Every star athlete relies on coaches to pinpoint areas of strength and improvement. View feedback as necessary for growth.

Clear career paths and goal-setting discussions provide employees with a roadmap for advancement, while regular feedback and recognition cultivate a culture of constructive communication. 

Feedback shouldn't be one-sided. Truly enlightened leaders actively seek input from all levels. They transcend the traditional top-down approach and embrace a two-way communication channel. By encouraging this, it helps to develop the team by using the diversity of viewpoints and demonstrating how to accept and act on feedback. 

A good way to think of feedback is as a constructive dialogue. This nurtures transparency and trust, fostering healthy professional development.

#4. Recognise and Reward

While you are managing your team, show your employees that you believe in them. 

Ensure they feel supported and that they are not navigating this journey alone. One way to demonstrate your appreciation is by recognising their efforts and rewarding them in the moment. 

Reward and recognition are tools that are powerful motivators.

Although financial incentives are fundamental, public acknowledgement and celebration of employee efforts and achievements create a positive work environment and boost job satisfaction.

Mechanics can be many and varied. Use your team to develop different and creative ways of rewards unique to your organisation.

Studies show that when individuals feel valued and recognised, their commitment and engagement levels rise. This results in increased productivity and a sense of pride in their work. 

Moreover, a well-structured recognition system positively reinforces desired behaviours and continuous improvement. Ultimately, these practices not only enhance employee retention and loyalty but also contribute to the overall success and vibrancy of the organisation.

#5. Create a Positive Work Environment 

The points mentioned above comprise the checklist for cultivating positivity and effective people leadership. By integrating each recommendation around communication, expectations, feedback and recognition, you create an optimal environment that enables teams to thrive.

Positive cultures prioritise employee health, well-being and the mitigation of workplace stressors. Supporting people holistically lays the foundation upon which high performance is sustainably built. You cannot expect employees subjected to chronic stress or burnout to sustainably deliver their best work. Protecting wellness reduces these risks while also attracting talent and future-proofing through increased resilience.

Additionally, employees operating in healthy and supportive workspaces demonstrate an increased capacity to embrace change. Well-cared-for teams reinforced by resilience-building practices are better equipped to roll with the punches. This agility and flexibility compound over time, further strengthening organisational resilience to meet unfolding challenges.

Cultivating a positive working environment is not only important for the existing employees but also to attract new talent. 

Active job seekers are drawn to organisations with reputations for an inclusive workplace, and promoting holistic well-being and career development becomes a recruitment edge.

Furthermore, a culture of positivity encourages continuous learning and development. Team members are more likely to engage in skill-building activities when they feel supported and encouraged. This commitment to nurturing talent elevates both individual and collective capabilities over time.

Conclusion

From effective communication to recognition & award, a healthy workspace is the tool you need for effective people management. Effective communication acts as the compass, ensuring everyone is on the same path.

But don’t stop there, set clear expectations and always look for constructive feedback. It will act as the GPS, recalibrating the route for continual improvement. Then to recharge your team members recognise their efforts and reward them for their good performance. It will make every member feel valued and create a supportive workplace. Make your organisation a place where each professional thrives and contributes to the collective success!