People Management-Soft Skills-Have You?
People Management
- You can succeed when your team believes in you/your goals.
- Respect can be earned and not demanded or imposed.
- Empathy, please do not fake it!
- Your team may know more than you, which is A-OK.
- Trust is easily lost
- Be positive, can you?
- Accountability, will you?
- Approachable, are you?
- Respected for being you, are you?
- Patience, have you?
Way back in 1993, in my first job, I learned a few lessons/skills which I have continuously used, applied, and found to be foolproof in people management. These soft skills are evergreen in nature. It will never go out of fashion!
You can succeed when your team believes in you & your goals.
When your team believes in you, you can complete your targets and goals. If your team can resonate with you and your ideas, then half the work is done. They should know that the vision is clear and, they can achieve it. Good and healthy communication will help you convey your goals clearly to your team. The goals should always be achievable. You should believe in yourself first, be realistic and then see them soar high!
Respect can be earned and not demanded or imposed.
Respect cannot be imposed or demanded. You have to earn it. If someone says, “I am the Manager and [hence] you should respect me.” Do you feel she or he will get respect? One cannot demand respect. Human is a selfish creature everyone knows it. It would be great if you have managed to get admiration from people who are not directly gaining something from you. For example, your report is not responsible for their appraisals. It is a good sign. [And] if your team, to whom you are a hard taskmaster, talks behind your back but all good things then, looks like you have earned it.
Empathy, please do not fake it!
When you feel how the other person feels and try to help him overcome any difficult situation is Empathy. [Thankfully] I have seen so many people trying to show fake concern or care that now, I know when it is real or not. Believe me, if you are faking it, in the long run, people will know. Having Empathy is a great virtue to imbibe in yourself for bonding with people, be it your team, family, friends, or generally any person you come across.
Your team members may know more than you, which is A-OK.
If your team members have more knowledge than you on some subject matter, feel good about it. Since you are weak in that particular area, you can use her/his strength and grow together. You do not have to feel shy or ashamed to ask for help and even learn from them. Many feel it will show their weakness or that the other person might feel superior to you. Well, he certainly is superior to you on that particular subject matter. Remember, you all are playing your role in an organization. You have individual characteristics. As long as you are doing your job flawlessly, you do not have to worry about anything else. Learn, Unlearn and Relearn. Life is short.
Trust is easily lost
Trust is gained with genuine efforts and takes time, and at the same time, you can lose it in a blink of an eye. It is very tough to decide what to share and when to keep silent. I have found myself in this situation many a time. Then, I had to think hard like - "What is Right?" I know! It is hard. One Tip: Do not involve yourself in lame gossips. Stop & think before speaking. Respect someone's personal life and do not share his/her information with others, which he or she has shared with you in their weak moment.
Be positive, can you?
Nothing can be better than a positive mind. It has unlimited powers. If you are in a positive frame of mind, you can rub it off on your team. They will not lose hope. My team always looks up to me for positivity. When they are down, and nothing seems to be going well, I tell them, “Wait, it will happen.” And Believe me, it somehow happens in the end. I have tried and tested this several times. Why don’t you try it and then see for yourself? I think I should write another post about positivity!
Respected for being you, are you?
There would be very few managers who are recognized and respected for who they are. One cannot be a 100 percent perfect human being without an imperfection. So, if you are that Manager, pat yourself on the back since one cannot fake it for long. Don't even try (being fake), I would sincerely suggest. If your team loves you despite your shortcomings and supports you, then you are doing something right. If they accept who you are and still respect you, then perhaps you may add another person to the list. Me! I also admire you!
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I would love to hear from you. Would you like to add a few sentences on these subheadings below:
- Accountability
- Patience
- Approachable
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