Evolving from Human Resources Management to Personnel Management and now to People Management, there has been a paradigm shift in the organizational management. People Management has become one of the most vital aspect for any successful business house/ventures. The entire world is facing challenges to deal with human psychology and managing the mindset as its involvement is imperative in each and every part of the tasks/assignments.

Having spent almost two decades in this domain, it makes me feel more challenging and interesting to manage people to optimize the potential to the extent of becoming the strategic partner of any business organization. 

In a country like Nepal where the multiparty democracy has been established in its own way and people feel free to do anything and act whatever they feel good, the workforce is somehow politically influence/guided leading to unionism forgetting its positive roles and responsibilities towards the organizational productivity. A multidimensional understanding approach is very essential to develop people, organizational culture, attitude and behaviors for professional/sustainable growth in-line with the organizational one. A concept always triggers my mind that I came across in the beginning of my career with the multinational firm Colgate- Palmolive;

Give and seek feedback: here the approach is accepted in such a way that individuals would feel happy when receiving any feedback/suggestion from others and express their gratitude for the same. It is because you are given a chance to understand and scope to improve upon your weakness. In the contrary, a person can feel awful and may have questions as they might think/say “who you are to comment on me?” and “why shall I listen to you?” It’s completely a call of individual’s mindset and the human values you carry.

People management: is a linear process of acquisition, training / development, motivating and directing employees to optimize workplace productivity and promote professional growth. Workplace leaders, managers and department heads need to compulsorily use the people management skill to oversee workflow and boost employee performance regularly towards individuals and organizational growths. Aligning people with the organizational objective is the key that HR function need to play an instrumental role so as to connect its resources towards achieving the business goals. 

People management is useful in many workplace situations, such as for:

1.    Handling interpersonal conflicts
2.    Leading employee skill development
3.    Managing deadlines
4.    Building culture and best work practices

Here are eight essential people management skills to incorporate into your workplace:
 
1.    Empowering employees
2.    Active listening
3.    Conflict-resolution
4.    Flexibility
5.    Patience
6.    Clear communication
7.    Trust
8.    Organization

Let’s see from the eyes of any leadership position and not as a core HR professional. Have all leaders not to lead with their respective team members for any functions? Whether they have to play a HR manager’s role or not? Of course, yes. It is indeed such important role/skill set that every leader has to play as a front-line HR Manager if he/she wants to be a successful leader and that is only possible with right set of skills to manage people.