Successful business leaders implement a basic people management process …

It’s easy to make mistakes when leading and managing people.

What mistakes do all good managers avoid? James K. Van Fleet, a consultant on managerial motivation techniques, suggests the most common mistakes are:

1. Trying to be liked rather than respected.

2. Not asking subordinates for their advice and help.

3. Not developing a sense of responsibility in your subordinates, and not expecting it from your peers.

4. Emphasizing rules rather than skills among employees, and thwarting personal talent.

5. Not keeping criticism constructive.

6. Ignoring employee complaints.

7. Keeping people uninformed; not respecting their right to know.

I would suggest a key mistake too many managers make is the failure to implement an effective, basic process for leading and managing people. People management doesn’t begin by simply loading your employees with expectations. Here’s a basic process that will make your management of people both fair and effective:

1. Make sure every employee understands what their job is, and what is expected of them. Without this seemingly obvious first step, your employees are set up to fail.

2. Ensure your employees are properly and fully trained in how to do their jobs right, and well. It is unfair to place any expectations on an employee before this step is accomplished.

3. Now you can, and should, positively hold your employees accountable for doing their jobs right and well.

4. Along the way, provide encouragement and support. Encourage your employees as they do their jobs right and well, and provide any support needed to accomplish that. Support also includes helping them make corrections when mistakes are made; this might include additional training.

5. Enable your employees with the means for ongoing development in their positions. Becoming the best they can be at their jobs doesn’t start on day one for most employees. Developing skills and talent is a process that unfolds and improves as employees apply themselves to their work. Additional training and education can broaden and deepen their skills, abilities, and talents.

6. Recognize and reward success achieved, and remove (possibly re-train or reassign) employees who are unable or unwilling to do their jobs right and well.

Having a people management process provides employees with a reasonable starting place and a journey that enables them to make a positive contribution to the organization.

What people management process do you have in place for the people you manage?

Scotty