If you are new to managing people, Mendy Slaton shares insights to improve your approach
Some people are born to be managers, and others have management thrust upon them. In fact, a 2023 study by CMI found that a staggering 82% of workers entering management positions have not had any formal management and leadership training, adding to the stock of “accidental managers”.
Managers have a unique power to shape the environment and attitudes within the organisation
Whether “accidental” or not, managers are a critical piece of the puzzle when it comes to the success and growth of any organisation. Managers are key to supporting and guiding the performance of the people reporting to them and ensuring their teams are working towards the right goals and milestones. Of equal importance is the outsized role managers play in shaping company culture by directly influencing the employee experience. Managers are on the front lines, interacting with employees daily, which gives them a unique power to shape the environment and attitudes within the organisation.
While it’s true that the managerial skills needed to master both the professional and personal side of this role generally take time to master, they also don’t magically develop on their own —even great managers need support and structure to be successful.
If you’re a first-time manager, here’s a quick primer on people management as well as some techniques and mindset shifts you can implement immediately to help you succeed.
People management: A holistic way to support employees’ work, growth, and well-being
People management is the discipline of developing, organising and growing the employee side of the business. It emphasises relationships and the more fluid aspects of working with people, and it’s necessary in almost all leadership positions.
Good people managers rely on emotional intelligence and strategic thinking to support their team’s work and optimise their performance, professional development and wellbeing. The emotional piece is especially critical. Good management is not just understanding the work and delegating it out to the team; it’s also about checking in consistently, making sure everyone feels heard, understood, cared for, and has the resources they need to succeed — while also trying to ensure their success according to company metrics.
The top people skills you need as a manager
To build and sustain high-performance businesses, you need great managers. After all, who else is better positioned to engage and inspire employees, improve performance, develop talent, maintain wellbeing and serve as that all-important conduit with the C-suite?
Additionally, in a business context that’s constantly changing, successful people management skills (such as feedback delivery, decision-making, conflict resolution and active listening) are all the more urgent. In fact, Harvard Business Publishing’s 2023 Global Leadership Development Study stated that softer skills including social intelligence, empathy when communicating and listening. and conflict management, are ranking among the most important leadership skills for addressing business challenges.
Within this context, these tactics will help you succeed:
1. Take time to get to know your direct reports
Your employees are all unique individuals, and it’s crucial to treat them that way. Learning about your employees individually can help you humanise them and better understand their particular working styles—for example how they best receive constructive feedback or how productive they can be while multitasking.
Amber Panting, Head of People at Wolf & Badger, shared with us that the company’s managers ask direct reports to use the Manual of Me to help communicate useful information such as when they’re most productive, their communication preferences and even their preferred pizza topping – all of which helps their managers to understand what makes them tick.
Our recent State of People Strategy Report found that managers truly recognise the importance of staying connected with their teams. Most managers (78%) have daily or weekly check-ins with direct reports, and of those, 97% say they feel somewhat or very connected to direct reports. Managers who are meeting or exceeding their goals also report feeling very connected to their team.
2. Use one-on-ones for strategic problem-solving and growth
Consistent, structured and intentional one-on-ones fuel performance and engagement. While daily checking in regarding the status of projects can be done on Slack, Amber says “Our standard one-to-one is aimed at fostering trust and understanding, highlighting both pain and progress with opportunities for positive and constructive feedback.” She continues, “It’s an opportunity for managers to provide support and coaching on day-to-day work, as well as gives visibility on the bigger picture and why work is important – aiding meaning, ownership and career development.”
“During our one-to-ones, both manager and direct report write some shared notes for reference during/after the call. Shared notes confirm expectations, accountability and create a paper trail which is essential for performance reviews and other performance processes.”
The right HR tech can be a game changer by providing powerful features to facilitate seamless scheduling, documentation, and follow-up on these one-to-ones.
3. Make continuous feedback the norm
It’s a manager’s job to create a safe and consistent environment where employees feel comfortable and empowered to share feedback, whether in annual reviews or regular check-ins. Psychological safety is a huge factor in management and healthy workplaces—the ability to speak one’s mind without fear of retaliation enables employees to be themselves, take risks, own up to mistakes, ask for help, and communicate openly and honestly.
Don’t be afraid of sharing feedback with your direct reports frequently. Open communication can be conducive to employee engagement and a healthy work environment: Gallup data shows that employees are 3.6 times more likely to be motivated to do outstanding work when their manager provides daily rather than annual feedback.
4. Deliver criticism with care and empathy
Sharing critical feedback can be nerve-wracking, but waiting for a formal review can leave employees blindsided. Give feedback promptly to address issues before they escalate. You’d also be wise to treat employees as partners in problem-solving, recognising that difficult conversations are vital for individual and business success.
When doing so, prioritise respect and empathy; good managers hold teams accountable supportively and offer solutions. If you find that a team member is underperforming, give them the opportunity to explain potential causes such as mental health or workload issues.
5. Be transparent about goal-setting
Setting goals is key to keeping individual contributors focused and aligned. But if you’re responsible for setting your team’s goals (as opposed to just implementing them), you might be stuck accounting for your team’s capacity and the company’s needs simultaneously.
While not every manager is in charge of setting their team’s goals, managers play a key role in helping employees connect their contributions to the team and the broader organisation’s success. Educate your employees on how their daily work supports team goals (also known as strategic clarity) and why those goals were selected in the first place—this will help them feel connected to the business and add value to their daily work.
6. Balance clear performance expectations with supportive leadership
Performance management is ranked time and time again as an HR priority – so if you’re worried about it, you’re not alone. You must find a way to manage that stress as it could make all the difference to your direct reports. Management involves being able to regulate your emotions. If your team is struggling or underperforming, it’s critical as the manager you drive clarity around performance while finding ways to motivate and support the team. This can be a difficult but critical balance to strike.
Being low-ego is key as well, and it helps when you’re managing employees with more experience. Switching your mindset to acting as a guide and coach rather than simply instructing people what to do will go a long way.
7. Be open to learning from others
Management training in your organisation will cover company expectations, leadership skills, conflict management, and mentorship opportunities. If you’re in a newer or smaller organisation, you might want to explore external support such as former colleagues, mentors, and leadership courses. Reflecting on the leaders who have influenced you—both as inspirations and warnings—can help you create your ideal management style.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Our State of People Strategy Report found that supporting managers and meeting their needs is a critical characteristic shared by 91% of high-performing HR teams.
And remember that you’re never “just a manager”, setting deadlines and moving resources around. You’re also a leader of people, empowering them with clarity and direction.
Mendy Slaton is Senior Director, People Operations at Lattice