Thread by @VolkerGoebbels

How to manage (people). A thread.

Rationale: there still is some misconception about people vs. project management. Despite the activities of several protagonists people management is a neglected duty in leadership.

And it couldn't harm to go over some of the principles.

Top quality as a people manager: listen. Listen a lot and listen actively. To your teammates and also to stakeholders outside your team.

When you have listened, try to understand. Understanding needs empathy. And sometimes a bit of distance to the topic. If you're involved emotionally, you don't give your mind the space it needs to comprehend.

Protect your team. But do not isolate it. When the shit hits the fan, they need to know. Let through information but filter influences.

Regarding information: be transparent and open in communication. There might be rare cases of information you can't share but don't lie to them.

When things go wrong, give feedback. As immediately as you can. Coming up with an issue five months later only signals you're unforgiving.

When giving feedback refrain from using the 'feedback sandwich' of praise, criticism, praise. Either people are aware of what you're doing or the criticism will not be understood because: hey, so much praise, that can't be bad news.

Be aware of sarcastic comments of teammates. Sarcasm in the workplace is a sign of people being unable to articulate their discontent in productive ways. Is it a matter of communication culture or of personal inability to express their thoughts?

Are some people calling in sick more often than others? Maybe there's an issue with workload, culture or workplace situation. But don't press them. Maybe it's a matter of personal affairs. Pressure then makes things even worse.

In short: listen, be empathetic, show respect and protect your team.

Thank you for coming to my TED talk.