Five Ways To Fit the Role of People Manager

Managing people for the first time, post-appraisals, ties most people in knots. Mahima Puri suggests how you can pass the test.

 
1. Learn to Delegate Most first-time managers make a few fundamental mistakes, such as of not being able to delegate the work effectively. “Being successful as a leader does not mean doing everything yourself, but how effectively you get the work done from others,” says Mohinish Sinha, leadership and talent head, Hay Group.  

2 Set Clear Roles Each member of the team should be clear about his or her role and responsibility in the team. “A first time manager could make sure the he meets the team regularly. This will help clear the confusion,” says Gagan Adlakha, partner at HR consulting firm Vyaktitva.  

3 Know your Team A good manager should always get to know his team members better. “Each team member would have different aspirations. A good people manager should work towards creating opportunities for his team, in sync with their desires,” says Sinha.  

4 Listen Well Receiving and giving feedback are both important. “Instead of showing off his knowledge and preaching, a good manager tries to blend in well with the team,” says A Sudhakar, ED — HR, Dabur India.  

5 Work on Yourself A first-time manager needs to work on his or her weaknesses, to begin with. “One has to consciously adapt to being a manager and develop their own leadership style,” says Sudhakar. “They need to address issues over a period of time,” adds Sinha.

(The Economic Times, Mumbai, 274-03-2012)