5 Steps To Becoming a More Inspirational People Manager With Workplace
If you are someone who aligns value with actions to create a collaborative environment for people, motivating them to work with passion and enthusiasm, you are already a pretty good People Manager but here are a few tips and insights on how you can become an even more inspirational People Manager.
Before that, let's have a glimpse of Workplace
Inspire team collaboration
Inspiring People Managers to run their teams with Workplace will help keep everyone connected and informed. This blog will share tips and tricks to help support your teams move onto Workplace.
How to encourage team collaboration on Workplace?
Learn from your own team first
If you want to convince managers to move their team communication onto Workplace, you'll need some experience with it yourself. Make sure your team is a shining example of how to work together in Workplace so you not only have Workplace credibility but also real-world tips to share on how teams can collaborate in Workplace based on your personal experience.
Start working with a few (strategically chosen) managers
The managers you work with are going to need individual attention to help them figure out how to move their team's work into Workplace. Since you can't be everywhere at once, the trick is prioritizing teams big enough to make a difference and familiar enough with Workplace to get you some early wins.
Be ready to answer "What's in it for me?"
If a manager hasn't moved their team into Workplace at this point, it means they don't see the benefit for them and their team. Your job is to run the teams you choose through the same process you practiced with your own team earlier until you can answer the "What's in it for me?" question to their satisfaction.
Insider advice: Every team has different needs, and it's your job to help uncover them. But there are a few classic pain points you should be on the lookout for and some simple ways that Workplace can address them.
Create inspiring team culture
You can't create team culture overnight, but these clever tips and tricks will help you create an inspirational team culture that keeps everyone motivated and happy.
Building their new home
The first step is to create your group and set up a people set to make sure all of your people managers are members of it.
Start with a Pinned Post
A pinned post is the first thing people will see when they visit your group. Use one to let people know what this group is for and to share links to resources managers need. If you want to get really fancy, you can include a short recorded video from an executive welcoming everyone to the group.
Inspire your virtual team
Learning to run your team virtually can seem daunting at first, but how to you make people fall in love with your virtual meetings?
Treat it like a meeting, not a lecture
It's easy to fall into habit of talking at people instead of with them during a meeting. And most of us don't even realize we're doing it. This is a meeting - people are supposed to talk to each other, not sit in silence.
Maybe they're not shy, they're uncomfortable
If people aren't talking, don't assume it means they have nothing to say. Odds are they just don't feel comfortable saying it. That's not their problem - it's yours. Use the tips below, and you'll suddenly find a lot more people are speaking up. Make people conformable; be proactive with names, pronouns, and pronunciations, make them raise their hands, give people time to process, and give yourself time to process.
Make your meetings about them
It's easy to do things that make people feel excluded in your meetings without realizing it. The good news is that it's also pretty easy to avoid making people feel excluded. You just have to make it a priority.
- Schedule with people, not for them
- Don't forget people who can't attend
- Be an accessibility rockstar
Motivate and mentor your team
Successful managers inspire their teams as mentors and tireless advocates. Great managers inspire their team with praise, create safe spaces for their people to share opinions, and help them exceed their goals. They also know how to promote the great work their people are doing so leaders and decision makers invest in the team.
If this doesn't come naturally to you, don't worry. We've got your back.
Below are 5 important things you should do (and not do) to make you the kind of manager your team never forgets:
Do give praise in front of the "powers that be"
Public praise in front of decision makers helps you get your team promotions, raises and new opportunities to do exciting work. You also make it easier to get more budget, people, and support. Build the case for these things all year long, and people are far more likely to say yes when you make your ask.
Don't discourage disagreement
Your team is far more likely to take your feedback seriously as you mentor them if they feel like you take what they have to say seriously in return. It sounds simple, but it's very easy to unintentionally send the wrong message without realizing it.
Do find growth opportunities for your team
Taking the time to match your team up with projects that help their careers or give them new skills is how you keep your team motivated and make them stick around. It's also a sure fire way to turn middling performers into top performers. You'll be the manager they never forget.
Do be a great coach
Being a great coach to your team is one of the most important parts of your job: it's how you can help them learn and grow in their careers. Showing them you're invested in their careers and growth is also how you keep your best people around.
Don't gloss over your experiences and past mistakes
This is a great way to show empathy for your team when they need it most, and it sends the message that it's okay to make mistakes as long as we learn from them. It can also make your feedback a lot more effective.
Deliver inspiring social posts
When you're writing posts you need them to be both inspiring and savvy. How to make them eye-catching, easy to read and unforgettable?
Here is 'The Savvy Manager's Guide to Posting like a Pro'
You already know what makes you stop and read a post, it's just a matter of teaching yourself to do those things with your Workplace posts.
Embrace your inner influencer
As any good influencer will tell you, the first step to getting people to read your post is making sure they don't scroll past it. That means having something really eye-catching in it: a video, a great looking image or an animated gif. The good news is that making these short videos, high quality visuals, and fancy animated gifs is much easier than most people realize. You just got to be real & authentic.
Get your reader involved
Posts with a lot of likes, reactions, and comments are more likely to show up in people's News Feeds. The best way to get people to do those things is to use your post to have a conversation with them; say thanks, ask people to share your posts, and ask your readers a question.
Know what to post about
If you're not sure what you should be posting about as a manager, then look no further. 5 things you should always be posting about in your team group: New team members, things to celebrate, top-of-mind posts, meeting agendas and notes, and your team's amazing work.
Source/Reference: https://www.workplace.com/people-manager