5 mins read//
Like most seniors in digital, I've navigated my way into and subsequently through the world of people management through circumstance. When you get to a certain level in a career, it tends to just come hand in hand with the next step. Sure some places provide support but in my experience, it just kinda happens.
People leadership comes with a whole new plethora of skillset requirements that haven't necessarily come with managing products or processes. In short, people are infinitely more complex than things...and although this is what makes humans simply amazing, it throws up unpredictability to a level that we're just not used to until it's upon us. And this unpredictability normally requires immediate action, usually without any tangible frameworks.
I'm the first to hold my hands up and admit I've navigated to where I am now along a sometimes bumpy road. I look back and cringe at how I dealt with some situations in the early stages of my people support. But I've made sure I've learned and tried to grow with each year that passes.
Here are five tips that I'd give past-Rob as he started that journey into the unknown. Some of you reading this may be just dipping your toe in the water, or be well on your own journey and finding something useful to take forward.
LESSON 1: Humans are ALWAYS more important than things
Sounds pretty obvious right? But when you're lost in the fog of crazy deadlines, roadmap pressures and update requests it's far easier to lose sight of what matters. As a manager, your people are the key to delivering your things. Emotional intelligence is one of the most important skills a people manager can develop.
Learn what makes the individuals on your team happy, and what gets them down, I promise that differs wildly between each person. If you can hone your skills to spot where support is needed early, not only will you keep things moving, you'll develop working relationships that your team and you will remember forever.
I would also highly recommend approaching your employer and asking for mental health first aid training. This has helped me further evolve my ability to spot where support is needed early.
LESSON 2: Receiving is as important as transmitting
I always tended to speak when I should have listened. I can only assume it has sometimes been perceived as rude or dismissive. I've worked hard in this area for the past few years and it has paid dividends.
As humans, we tend to live in our thoughts and even when someone is speaking it is so easy to wander off and try to fix a problem in the back of our minds. But humans subconsciously pick up on micro signs from our faces and body language and the response you'll get from someone knowing you're giving them 100% of your attention rather than 50% is so valuable. And let's be honest, you'll take in what they're saying and be able to respond far more proactively with the relevant support and guidance.
LESSON 3: Be transparent about your weaknesses
Everyone is learning all the time but we tend to hide this when we're younger through various facets of imposter syndrome and manager anxiety. But how can you possibly know everything as you progress? Learning from each other is the best way to mainline into invaluable knowledge and your team will honestly appreciate you creating an open and supportive environment for them and you to learn in.
You don't have to be better than everyone at all the things, in fact, heck, hire people who are better than you at their specialism! As you go up, you inevitably go wide, so lean on the experts you look after and in turn, they'll love working with you and feel empowered and valued.
LESSON 4: Create a culture of kudos
This is a no brainer but so often gets lost in the chaos. It takes such little effort and makes your team and you feel amazing. It comes back to emotional intelligence too. Your ability to identify situations no matter how seemingly trivial to say thank you or well done.
But even more effective is creating a culture where these kudos are shared across the team, department or even business. Something as simple as starting a kudos channel in the company chat, to implementing tools that lift your peers and teams when they're smashing it.
LESSON 5: Having difficult conversations always result in positive change
This final point is one of the toughest and can take years of trial and error but it's worth the stress. If you leave an issue to simmer, it ALWAYS gets closer to the boil even if you ignore it. Human instinct is to avoid conflict but becoming a people manager inevitably means you'll be faced with discussions that take you out of your comfort zone.
If you see a situation arise more than once it's likely the person causing the conflict doesn't know the impact they're having on other people or progress. To break habits or advise on alternative options you have to step up and start that conversation.
Remember what we said in lesson 1, everyone is different. So use your observation skills carefully here to approach different personalities with the appropriate method of feedback. Sarah may respond better to direct feedback in an email, whereas Keith might prefer you to bring it up in your 1-2-1 as an AOB.
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