A key part of any business, organization or institution with more than one employee is people management. It's about leading and motivating employees to perform at their best and contribute to the company's goals. A good people manager needs to have a variety of skills and be able to adapt their management style to the individual employee and situation. The HR manager is often a middle manager with both management and personnel responsibilities and is also part of a team of other HR managers who - optimally - collaborate and spar on both projects and good people management.
In this article, we'll dive into the concept of people management and look at some of the key theories and leadership styles that can help managers get the best out of their employees. We'll also look at some of the challenges that people managers can face and how to tackle them.
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What is people management?
People management means that as a manager, you have responsibility for staff. The requirements for a people manager are completely different from those of a professional manager or a project manager. As a professional manager, you focus on the task at hand, while as a people manager, you also have to take care of people and their well-being and development.
"It's complex because it's a dual responsibility. If you're a project manager, of course there are some employees you have to try to hold accountable for the completion of tasks. But when you become a people manager, you also have what I call an 'ethical interpersonal responsibility'."
Claus Elmholt, founder and partner in LEAD, in the interview "From professional manager to personnel manager? Get prepared here" on lederstof.dk.
People management focuses on leading and developing employees in a company or organization. It involves a number of tasks, such as motivating and inspiring employees to perform their work to the best of their ability, developing employee skills and competencies, as well as ensuring employee wellbeing and job satisfaction and preventing stress. A good people manager is able to create a positive work environment and a culture where employees feel valued and recognized for their work. As a human resources manager, you have a responsibility for a large part of your employees' lives - a completely different type of responsibility than that of a professional manager.
The importance of good people management
Good people management is essential for every business and organization. Employees are a company's most valuable resource and are essential to achieving business goals. Good people management creates a healthy work environment, increases employee wellbeing and motivation, and ensures that employees perform at their best.
A manager who is able to lead their staff in an effective and positive way will find that employees work more efficiently and achieve goals faster. This will also have a positive impact on employee satisfaction, job satisfaction and retention. Therefore, good people management is essential for any business that wants to achieve long-term success.
Use situational leadership to practice good people management
Situational leadership is about adapting your leadership style to the individual situation and employee. It's about finding the right balance between giving employees the freedom to do their job while providing the support and direction needed to achieve the desired results. This results in more motivated and better performing employees and is therefore rewarding for the individual employee, manager and organization.
Situational management is a management theory developed by behavioral scientist Paul Hersey and author, business consultant and speaker Ken Blanchard for their 1969 book Management of Organizational Behavior - Utilizing Human Resources.
When you adapt your management style to the individual employee and the situation you're in, you create a bridge between the employee's skills and commitment and the management style you choose to use.
Situational leadership is often referred to as a management tool, but in reality, the employee should be involved in the process to create a common ground for the best collaboration between manager and employee. Situational leadership sees leadership as a partnership where employees naturally take responsibility for being led.
The situational leadership model
Hersey and Blanchard have defined four development levels and four leadership styles. The manager chooses their leadership style; instructing, coaching, supporting or delegating, based on the employee's development level; i.e. competencies and engagement.
Below is the model for the 4 leadership styles in situational leadership. The top of the model illustrates the four leadership styles: Instructing (style 1), Coaching (style 2), Supporting (style 3) and Delegating (style 4). The leadership styles correspond to the four development levels: U1, U2, U3 and U4 shown at the bottom of the model.
The 4 leadership styles of situational human resource management
Within situational leadership, there are four basic leadership styles, each of which is suitable for different situations.
Leadership style 1: Instructional leadership
This style is typically used in situations where the employee is new to the job or task and needs clear instructions and close supervision to do the job correctly.
Leadership style 2: Coaching leadership
This management style is used when the employee needs help to develop and learn new skills. The manager provides feedback, guidance and support to the employee to help them achieve their goals.
Leadership style 3: Supportive leadership
This style is typically used in situations where the employee already has a certain level of knowledge and skills, but may lack confidence or motivation. The manager provides praise, recognition and support to the employee to build their confidence and motivation.
Leadership style 4: Delegative leadership
This style is typically used in situations where the employee has a high level of knowledge and skills and is able to take responsibility for their own work. The manager gives the employee the freedom to make decisions and act on their own.
The 4 levels of development in situational human resource management
As a manager, you need to adapt your management style to the individual employee's development level, ensuring that they receive the necessary support and motivation to perform their job in the best possible way.
An employee's development level is defined by combining their skills and commitment to the task at hand.
The four levels of development are:
U1: Low competence - high engagement
An employee with little or no experience in the task or function will often be engaged and ready to learn.
U2: Low to no competence - low engagement
An employee with slightly more experience and skills, but who finds the task harder than expected, needs feedback and guidance from their manager because engagement drops.
U3: Moderate to high competence - variable engagement
An employee with a certain level of experience and competence to do the job, but who is unsure of their own abilities and therefore needs support from their manager.
U4: High competence - high commitment
An employee with a high level of expertise and experience and a belief in their own abilities, which means that the manager provides very little instruction and support and leaves room for the employee to solve the task on their own.
Do you want to find a better balance in your leadership style to ensure the right kind of leadership in the right place and at the right level? With our free webinar on situational and versatile leadership, you'll be able to assess your own leadership style and preferences, so you'll have a better sense of what kind of leader you are and how you can improve your situational and versatile leadership.
You can find our free webinar on situational people management and versatile leadership here.
How do you use situational leadership in practice?
Once you as a leader understand the four development levels and the four leadership styles, you have the basic tools to put situational leadership into practice.
When applying situational leadership in practice, you need to be aware of three main factors:
The task: The complexity of the task plays an important role as it affects the employee's level of development.
The employee: Know the employee's development level so you can choose the right management style. Ideally, involve the employee and find the right development level together. However, in some cases, it will be up to you as a manager to interpret the employee's development level.
Management style: Once you've identified the employee's development level, choose the management style that fits best.
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Versatile leadership is a more agile, situational and effective leadership style. A versatile leader is able to balance both the directive and supportive leadership style as well as the strategic and operational leadership style. Therefore, it is also proven that versatile leaders are more effective leaders. We develop leaders' versatility so they can act more balanced and effective in their leadership role.
Sources:
Situational leadership: Hersey, P. and Blanchard, K. H. H. (1969). Management of
Organizational Behavior - Utilizing Human Resources. New Jersey/Prentice Hall
