This is the fifth article in a series based on data about skills shortages in the banking and finance sector, collected in the Kelly Skills at Work 2010 study. See our blog for previous articles in this series.
The ability to lead, motivate and inspire others is another skill that was identified as being critical to success, yet in short supply among local mid to senior level managers.
In the previous article, we looked at the importance and definition of strategic thinking. A related basic people management skill is to ensure your staff have the right skills and personal attitudes to deliver on your business strategy.
To be successful as a leader, managers need to be willing to explore and use different ways to:
Plenty of information exists on how to manage people by applying active listening, coaching and delegation techniques, as you will find if you do an internet search on any of these terms.
What is harder to find out is how to negotiate the more subtle aspects of keeping people engaged and committed.
This is not ‘book learning’ but instead comes down to being self-aware and sensitive to the preferences and needs of others. The real skill is in knowing when you need to get help and learn more, both about yourself and about others.
‘Employee loyalty, motivation and trust in the organisation all suffer if leaders and managers are careless about the way they treat people.’
Where do you think you stand? Could the way you treat people be affecting your bottom line?
Hint: The answer is always ‘Yes’ – but the impact may be positive or negative in your organisation!
We provide our clients with specialised tools and coaching for both the practical aspects of people management and f0r developing the self-awareness required to be able to manage people well.
Which part of people management could you use some help with right now?
Susan Rochester has been managing director of Balance at Work since 2006. Susan has a natural tendency to balance analytical thinking with an optimistic outlook to set direction and solve problems. She is an effective facilitator and constantly creates new and more effective ways of doing things, motivated by helping others to achieve their goals.