How to take the Stress out of Managing People in Business

One of the toughest parts of being a Manager is Managing People.

Managers have the demanding responsibility of getting the job done while also motivating people and helping them to succeed.

It requires leading and encouragement, but it also involves assessing and sometimes even disciplining or firing employees.

In either case, finding a management approach that works is helpful in managing people effectively and avoiding unnecessary stress.

When managing people, it is necessary to develop a management style that works in the specific business environment in which the manager operates, as well as an approach that works for them, personally.

Some managers adopt an autocratic style, telling people what to do rather than having people think for themselves.

Others may turn to micro-management as an approach which:

a) takes up too much of a Manager’s time, and

b) does not empower people to take action and gain a sense of achievement from having completed a task.

Neither of these management styles is particularly healthy or appropriate for managing people effectively.

Having a domineering approach will also promote fear among employees, rather than productivity.

Studies have shown that a working environment that is empowering, trusting and operates transparently is more likely to promote high levels of performance.

Managing people relies on understanding what motivates them.

People are motivated by different things.

The initial answer to the question of what motivates your people might be money, but many research studies have shown that money is not as much of a Motivator of Performance as they might think.

Rather, people are more genuinely motivated by achievement, recognition, advancement, responsibility, development and learning, among others.

Some people are highly motivated by helping others.

Whatever the motivator is, managing people effectively relies on determining what motivates each individual and leveraging that to drive them to achieve, or even better, to exceed the desired results.

Delegation has a vital role to play in managing and supervising people.

Often managers have too much to do, and delegating workload can ease this, as well as provide an opportunity for employees to gain new skills and advance themselves.

Delegating tasks does not mean dumping them on employees.

It means providing the information and training needed to perform effectively and setting clear expectations on what success looks like.

Delegation is also not the same as micro-management. With delegation, support and guidance are the operative words, rather than telling and controlling.

One area of great importance in managing people effectively is being consistent.

In other words, taking a consistent approach to certain situations when they arise. Of course, circumstances can change, but in these cases, it is important to be transparent with employees about why the course of action has changed.

While consistency is essential, adaptability is also required.

Treating employees consistently in all circumstances is important. For example, if two people are always late to work and only one of them is reprimanded and not the other, then a sense will arise among the employees that the manager is not fair in their approach to different people.

Many people will find themselves managing or supervising others at some point during their career. Regardless of whether they have the skills required to get the best from their team.

Managing people can be extremely rewarding, but it is not without its challenges.

Overall, good people managers tend to be those that are good listeners, interested in people and foster a collaborative approach in the workplace. However, there are specific skills and strategies that you can learn to make yourself better at Managing People. Join the Great Managers® Academy to learn how.