WEW 25 - People Focused Management

In NYC on June 15th? Join me at the Coalition for the Homeless's Summer Soiree. Early bird Tix are available until June 2nd and it will be an evening of cocktails and networking to remember all for a good cause.

Can't make it? Still, consider donating whatever you can.

In this week’s Email:

This week's issue continues on the previous one on the subject of cultural change. This time through the lens of People Focused Management.

✧ What it means
✧ How to apply it to your team/organization
✧ How it affects you as an individual today

What It Means

What is People-Focused Management?

I wish I could take credit for the idea of people-focused management but it's a concept that largely predates me. Let's abbreviate it to PFM for the rest of this newsletter though.

PFM is looking at the individuals you work with as the people who are where they are. People Focused Leadership (PFL) is creating a culture that prioritizes building relationships between employees to drive engagement, camaraderie, and ultimately revenue.

Isn't this just management? Not quite. A lot of managers focus on the work and view people as resources to achieve it. This is true at some level but neglects the strengths, passion, and drives of the people on the team.

With PFL and PFM you strive to meet people where they are to have them excel, not meet them where at their job description.

How To Apply It At Work

Building Your Employees Into Their Best Selves

When implementing PFM it's best to keep in mind that it's more of a philosophy than a framework. You could outline specific tasks but the key is connecting with people helping them be successful in ways that help them feel fulfilled and generally being empathetic.

However, empathy can sometimes turn into ruinous empathy that needs to be avoided. Ruinous empathy is when your concern for others starts to do harm to yourself or the business. There is a difference between allowing someone a flexible schedule because they are taking a Thursday night class and not holding someone accountable who shows up late to work every morning.

Find a way to connect with people where they are today that helps build them into better employees vs viewing them as simply a role on within an organization.

Outside The Office

PFM Values At Home

Lessons in management can ALWAYS be applied to our home lives. Just as the people with worn with have their own pressures around delivery, skills, and performance so too do our friends and family.

To relate PFM to your friends and family think about how you can better relate to them empathically for their challenges and what you can do to help them achieve what they are striving for.

With the example of a spouse, this may mean helping them reach their career or extracurricular ambitions. The opposite would be performing your expectations well and being frustrated if they don't meet the expectations you have of them.
PFM and PFL are a shift in perspective to help others fit into their best role and achieve.