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Managing people can be perceived as one of the least glamorous roles in an organisation. Too many outside observers, work seems dry, administrative, and maybe even a little unimportant. But as every great leader knows (or will eventually discover), you can’t have an effective organisation without first investing in people. In other words, if you want to build a great business, you need people managers. Why? Because they operate at the intersection of the most important functions in any business: strategy and execution. These individuals are not simply worker bees who keep tabs on employee benefits and insurance plans. Rather, they are masters of organizing people to achieve strategic goals by developing their capabilities and executing programs that support them personally and professionally. They are the lubricant that keep the engine of your organization going. In this article, we’ve tried to summarise five reasons why they are the most important asset in your organisation and why you should never refrain from investing in them.
One of the best analogies to illustrate the critical importance of this role comes from the world of architecture: If a business is like a building, then people managers are the glue that holds it together. They are the ones responsible for recruiting the best talent, nurture their professional development and help them thrive in the organisation. They are the ones who identify and develop the key talent who will be your company’s foundation for success. They are the ones who create a culture that enables everyone to excel and contribute. It’s critical that the importance of this work is appreciated or the risk of undermining your business can be high.
Great organisations are built on a foundation of strong relationships. That’s true whether you’re talking about business partnerships or interpersonal relationships. If people managers don’t cultivate strong relationships with employees at all levels, the risk of losing your ability to execute can be very high. Managers who don’t pay attention to this important function often forget that their role is to serve employees, not the other way around. They end up treating employees as a mere asset functional to a single goal. They fail to invest in employees’ professional development and don’t spend enough time building and maintaining relationships so that people feel supported, valued, and inspired. If you want to build an effective organisation, people managers need to understand and appreciate the importance of this work. They must be willing to be the ones who think outside the box and come up with ideas for how to improve the experience of working and achieving excellence. They must be willing to be the ones who are open and accessible, who are not afraid to show their human side and ask for help when needed. This requires putting in time, energy, and effort to both support employees and let them know they are supported.
You can’t build an effective business, if you focus only on getting people who are good enough. Sure, you need to hire people who are capable of doing their jobs, but you also need to have a plan to develop them into the best people they can be. If you want to build a business that excels, you must have a retention strategy for your best people. You must help them thrive and grow. You must help them feel valued, appreciated, and inspired. It’s not enough to say that you value your people. People managers need to demonstrate that value through their actions. This will build a culture where employees will thrive.
People managers bring people from different departments, skill sets, and perspectives together. They foster a culture that encourages people to share ideas, experiment with new ways of doing things and help each other improve. They are the ones who create an inclusive environment that welcomes diverse views and perspectives. Psychological safety in your organization is one of the best predictors for success and innovation. An inclusive environment within diverse teams enables psychological safety, but this doesn’t just magically happen. People manager have to actively create it with their every day habits.
Finally, your people managers are the ones who are most focused on protecting your most valuable asset: your people. There will be times when tough decisions need to made, such as letting people go. Here is where people managers will need to help the people who are leaving your organisation transition successfully. They are the ones who will work to help the people who are staying grow stronger, creating a culture that is supportive, inclusive, and empowers people to excel. They are the ones who will make sure that you follow best practices, figure out when to leave the beaten path and are guided by data AND empathy.
If you want to build a successful business, you need to invest in people managers. These are the individuals who are responsible for recruiting the best and brightest, nurturing their professional development, and helping them thrive in the organization.
