People don’t fail at work because the tools, or because the budget, or even because they lack skill. They fail because of how they were managed. And good managers manage people not just processes. Today, the management of your team is a management of the process and it is not only a process. It’s also a management of people; of their conduct, behavior, communication, motivation, personal growth, or lack thereof. But it is those very people who make a difference. It is not what you know, but it’s who you know that matters.
It all starts with you, the boss. Good managers, those who make their team successful, are the ones who know people better than they know the company they are running or their products/services they are creating.
It starts with understanding processes, not just the company process, and all employees process. If you as a manager want your team to follow the same process and produce the same results as what you have expected from them, you must know each of their process. You must understand that a good process and a strong workflow are only valuable if those people who execute it feel aligned and committed with it. Without the commitment of employees to the goals and objectives of their tasks, processes and workflows are worthless.
You need to understand how your employees work. Do they understand what they are supposed to do? Do they understand why it matters to them? Do they understand why what they are doing is relevant to their job and the company? A good manager is a good communicator because it creates clarity in the company process, workflow, goal/objective, and expectations of all employees to the team, the organization, the company process and their individual contribution to them. It is also a management of flexibility because not everyone works the same way. And because of that, they produce differently and they contribute differently. And good managers are the ones who recognize these unique contributions, they know how to use them, and make them work for the common goal of success.
Good management is a management of people. And this is not new. It all goes to communication. The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place. The lack of understanding, the poor communication of instructions, and the lack of feedback create frustration, failure and the loss of good employees.
Great managers know how to properly communicate with their people: effectively, respectfully, honestly. They know how to explain their instructions and communicate them in a way that is easy to understand, simple and direct. But they don’t just communicate and give instructions; they also communicate the value and purpose of what they want their team to do so it becomes clear to their team why that work is important and worth doing.
Great managers understand that communicating is not a one-way process but a two-way dynamic. They communicate so that all employees feel comfortable to ask questions, receive instructions and feedback, or communicate concerns and suggestions. In today’s dynamic world where communication happens in a variety of different ways and platforms, communication can never end, it should never end, communication is continuous.
Another important part of management of people is motivation. Many companies think that motivation is a process that works the same way for all employees. But motivation is always individual. For some employees it’s about career growth, and others it may be about job stability. Some want recognition for hard work they’ve done, and some want autonomy to do the work they want to do creatively. And good managers know that you don’t motivate everyone in the same way but you create the motivation in people. They learn the motivation that’s unique to each employee and know how to create the right motivation.
They know that you cannot motivate your employees by force or pressure, but by trust, autonomy, support and recognition for their hard work. This includes creating clear goals and a common vision and purpose that the employees understand.
Another important part in the management of people is the delivery of feedback. When feedback is not used properly, it doesn’t deliver positive results. It is an ineffective way to control and it creates stress and resistance rather than an opportunity for improvement and growth. Good feedback is specific, balanced and focused on behavior rather than on personality. It helps the employee realize that you understand the things they do well and where they still need to improve, and you help them realize they are not being discouraged or belittled.
Good managers know feedback is not about being right, or being the leader, but developing others. When teams receive good, constructive feedback on a regular basis, they improve faster and more consistently than those that don’t. This is because they have clear direction to improve themselves and the company’s output.
Another key concept about the leadership of any organization is building trust with the people you lead. Consistency is an essential component of building trust with your people, and your team will trust a manager whose actions are consistent and predictable. If your expectations are clear, your feedback is consistent, and your instructions are direct, employees can better deliver their work and perform their job tasks to expectations.
Leadership cannot be taught by a book, it takes time and consistent actions that result in the development of trust with the employees, the team and the entire organization. And trust with the team and its employees leads to trust with your management. And a team can never be successful if their employees don’t trust them.
The truth is, good management isn’t about authority, it’s about people. It’s about understanding what people are doing, how they work, their contribution to the success of their team or organization. Good managers don’t just manage tasks, they develop people. And in today’s world and workplace, where the best workers and teams are the most productive, the best managers are the best people, and the most valuable assets in your organization.