People managers play a huge role in their employees' daily work experience. Plus, they directly impact their employees' happiness. In fact, the number one reason that employees leave their company is their manager. However, developing an effective management style is not something that people managers learn in school. Rather, managers are expected to learn how to be effective through trial and error on the job. Because of this, we believe it is paramount to share insights and experience on how to be an effective people manager.
In the 9 years that I have worked in pharmaceutical research and development, I had 16 managers. Thus, I have experienced many different management styles. On the flipside, I have managed and mentored numerous associates as well. Therefore, I have taken the experiences with my many managers and translated and refined how I treat my own employees. Follow my 7-step guide to become the great people manager that employees will want to work with in the future.
1. Set upfront expectations
In the first meeting with your employee, be clear about your expectations. Also, share what you value as a manager. You can revisit these expectations and values over time. If an employee failed to meet an expectation, then you can review and work with the employee to set a new path for improvement.
An example of an expectation might be whether you want to be informed or provided the opportunity to review documents. Some managers value giving input at an early draft stage to discuss the direction of a document. By contrast, other managers only want to see a highly polished version. In this example, your employee will appreciate knowing whether the manager values content vs. polishing, etc.
New employees are learning their roles when they start their jobs. Sometimes they are new to the department and/or company too. Therefore, managers need to communicate to their employees what tasks they are responsible for and how to complete them. These expectations may not be obvious to someone in a new position or new to industry. A 90-day plan can onboard new employees and serve as a guide that sets them on a path to success.
In addition to being clear about expectations, you can help your employees set goals. These goals should be measurable and achievable (and preferably, SMART). Managers and employees can set goals that encourage opportunities for career development. Discussions about the goals and the progress towards goals should continue throughout the year.
2. Listen- Being a people manager is a two-way relationship
In addition to setting expectations, you should also ask employees what their expectations are of you as a manager. Ask them how they want to be managed. Different employees respond to different management styles. Some want more oversight until they build confidence. Others thrive with independence. Therefore, you may find that you need to adjust your management style for some employees over time. I tend to start with providing lots of autonomy, but when I see someone struggling, then I will give oversight in the areas where improvement is needed.
Editorial note: Check out our post on the 10 questions managers should ask their employees to get to know them.
Oftentimes, new managers think there is only one way to complete a task. They may not give their employees enough information or invite their engagement to complete that task. For example, when I worked as a scientist, my manager told me to perform a specific assay without any background information. I had to ask others in the group for more context on the purpose of the assay. Once I learned why the task was needed, I even proposed a different assay (to differentiate the therapeutics), which better answered the question at hand. Therefore, the lesson here is to engage your employees and allow them to contribute to the scientific process.
Your employees may have ideas that are different from your own. Therefore, together, you can achieve more than one mind can alone. Present the problems to your employees and guide them to brainstorm solutions together. Be open to feedback. Develop a team mentality, as management is a two-way relationship rather than a one-way directive.
3. Be a coach, not a dictator
Early in my career, one manager told me that his job as a manager was to help me do my job. His role was to help remove barriers that prevented my success. I think a manager goes even beyond that and also provides career development in meaningful ways like professional networking. These may be external barriers, like bureaucracy, but sometimes, the barriers lie within the employee.
Here are ways that I coached my employees to help them achieve success:
- One employee did very high-quality work but often got distracted by details that prevented him from completing tasks on time. Given that we work in a fast-paced environment, he was falling behind. Therefore, I coached him through this challenge by encouraging him to start his work in a timely manner to keep up with demands.
- Another employee was very competent in her work, so I gave her a lot of space to create and grow. In addition, I even challenged her by expanding her responsibilities into a new field. Plus, I coached her by sharing knowledge and reading/discussing journal articles together. We worked through a new challenging environment as partners. When she left the company to pursue a new opportunity, she thanked me for challenging her and giving her confidence to pursue new endeavors.
4. Give your time freely
The large amount of time it takes to manage employee(s) can be surprising for new people managers. Often, you get headcount to manage so that you can delegate your work to them. However, being an effective manager to them also takes a substantial amount of your time.
My advice is that you have to make the time to manage people, even if it means pushing your own work to other times. The priority is to be available when your employee is available and requires attention. It is also important to be respectful of your employees' time and not make a habit of canceling meetings with them right at the last minute. Do not keep an employee waiting for you.
If your employees need urgent help, make the time for them- whether through a quick text, instant message, or phone call. Set aside a reasonable time each week to be available to meet with your employees. For new employees, you may need to meet with them twice a week. By contrast, established employees may only need to meet once per week or even every other week. Check in with your employee to see if they feel you are giving them the right amount of time.
One responsibility of a people manager is to review and approve your employees’ requests, such as expense reports or presentations, in a timely manner. Let's say that your employee will be doing a presentation at a meeting. You might not find that particular meeting to be of high priority or much importance, but your employee may still need your help to prepare.
5. Be an authentic and vulnerable people manager
At a recent departmental meeting, the Sr. VP had a spelling mistake on her slide. She pointed out this mistake and said that it was an example of showing vulnerability. This incident struck me deeply. It was her way of saying that it is okay to make mistakes. Her example helps to cultivate an environment in which we can freely admit our mistakes and work together to learn and improve.
Managers should always admit when they are wrong. They do not need to put on an invincible front for their employees. When a manager admits that they were wrong, employees will feel more at ease about admitting their own mistakes too. It is far better to work in an environment in which mistakes are admitted than to develop an environment in which no one makes mistakes.
A great manager can also encourage vulnerability by asking people how they feel about an uncomfortable situation. I previously worked with a global clinical trial manager who would place on his last presentation slide a photo of an elephant. This encouraged us to talk freely about whatever is the “elephant in the room” regarding a project rather than having to tiptoe around or dismiss imperfections. Addressing concerns leads to better projects and more productive teams.
Sometimes, there are issues that have no resolution. These might include the uncertainty of a project moving forward or the consequences of a department reorganization. It is okay for managers to address concerns by listening and acknowledging the feelings of their employees. People managers may even acknowledge their own concerns.
6. Plan for the future
Professional development is a big part of an employee's happiness. Employees usually want to feel like they are growing professionally. Of course, some employees are happy to stay in a comfortable role for awhile, perhaps while balancing other commitments outside of work. However, in general, most employees want to feel that they have opportunities for growth and career success.
Keep in mind that growth is not the equivalent of a promotion! Growth can include learning a new skill, presenting at an internal meeting or at a conference, learning a new role, taking the lead on a project, or developing project management skills. One of the biggest misunderstandings that I have seen is managers thinking that giving someone a promotion without changes in responsibility is going to make the employee feel happy. I think happiness is about engagement and feeling like you have a voice that is heard and valued.
Personal development plans are one way by which employees can make their voice heard. With a personal development plan, employees guide their own professional growth while incorporating feedback and advocacy from their managers. Because each employee has different needs, he or she needs to be listened to individually. The majority of growth should come from on-the-job learning and new tasks. Supplemental growth can include opportunities like attending classes or seminars/webinars and job shadowing, etc. Because the most growth occurs on the job, managers need to advocate for their employees and provide those growth opportunities.
7. Hire for success
I make hiring decisions based on the candidates’ potential and personality, not only because they check all the boxes of desired experience. Someone with the right fit for the team, who also has potential to grow into the role and beyond, is oftentimes a better choice than someone who is not the right fit but has all the desired experience.
In my experience as a hiring manager, I typically value qualities like hard-working, open to feedback and learning, adaptable, good communication skills, and a positive can-do attitude. Willingness to learn and openness to trying new things is so important in a fast-paced pharmaceutical environment where our work can change directions overnight. I try to discern these qualities in candidates during the interview process, including the seminar, one-on-one interviews, and from talking with their references. It’s not always easy for me to find people with these qualities.
Summary on being an effective people manager
We know that having a poor manager is often the primary reason why people leave their jobs. For sure, effective people managers increase employee retention and wellbeing. Yet, how to be an effective people manager is not something that is usually taught in school and is unfortunately often only learned on the job. Therefore, I am intending for this list of tips on how to be a great people manager to be part of a series of in-depth posts on effective management in pharma.
What qualities do you value in your managers? If you’re a people manager, how do you manage effectively? What kind of manager do you aspire to become?