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Lead people, manage processes. The role of the manager often encompasses a dual focus between empowering employees and navigating the policies, practices, and procedures of the organization.
But is HR clear on what each managerial role entails?
Most individual contributors, per Visier, aren’t interested in becoming a manager within their organization. Greater expectations for increased stress and pressure (40%), a lack of interest in leadership responsibilities (30%), and the prospect of administrative aspects of a managerial role (20%) are all popular reasons for this mindset.
These fears are well founded. According to Gallup, compared to individual contributors managers are 67% more likely to strongly agree they have a lot of interruptions, 27% more likely to strongly agree that they felt a lot of stress on their most recent workday, and 11% less likely to strongly agree that they can do what they do best at work.
Behind this stress, concern, and frustration is a lack of clarity. Whilst only 27% of individual contributors strongly agree they have multiple competing priorities, the number jumps to 42% for managers.
Managers are being lumped with people and process management and are unclear on what to prioritize and when. “If you are too much of a coach or focus too much on the work process you miss opportunities to make everyone as effective as possible in each situation,” says Patrick Zvara, Executive Director, Talent Management & Organization Development, Cedars-Sinai.
HR, talent management, and work allocation leaders must stop grouping these responsibilities under one roof and instead create a clear understanding of the balance of process and people management each role contains, so the right individual is selected for the position.
Differentiating people management, process management, and the balance of both
People and processes, alongside technology, are the lifeblood of any business. A company’s people cannot do their best work, particularly in large-scale organizations, without careful guidelines and structures in place. And without people, even the best-designed and most heavily automated processes will have their breaking point. “Most managerial roles need some level of people leadership skills, even heavily process-focused roles like in engineering or finance,” argues Hazel Quiatchon, Senior Director, Leadership Development, ZoomInfo.
Zvara agrees, arguing that when the situation allows a leader should merge all aspects of people and process for the best outcomes. But, there is always a balance that is right for the individual. “We should all have a flexible leadership approach that allows us to both manage the work and coach, mentor, or teach our teams. The trick is finding that balance as a leader,” he says.
Whilst it is important to acknowledge a managerial role nearly always involves both elements, identifying which jobs are process-heavy and which are people-heavy – and making sure managers can find the balance that is right for them - makes sure the right type of manager is placed in each role.
Process management can range from automating recurring processes to using data on past and present processes to identify efficiencies and inefficiencies.
“Managers have to be competent navigating interpersonal and team dynamics; however, if their temperament and skills are more attuned to process-related activities, they’ll likely be more productive (and fulfilled) by their energies there,” argues Adrienne Alesandro, Senior Director, Colleague Engagement & Leadership Development, Conga.
People management can range from working directly with individual problems and complaints to facilitating teamwork and building an appropriate team-based culture. “Similarly, if someone is particularly animated by working with others—enjoys cultivating talent, helping team members discover their unique talents and passions—finding a role that prioritizes those activities is going to allow them to contribute in ways that feel most meaningful,” continues Alesandro.
Of course, there can and will be overlap between the skills that can make or break each type of manager, and between the responsibilities of each. Often process managers must empathize and motivate people to understand and execute the necessary changes to processes, and people managers must iron out processes that are frustrating, disengaging, or demotivating their people. These blurred lines are what cause so many companies to avoid differentiating between the two roles. “The trick is identifying and communicating the competencies that help candidates clarify what the role truly calls for,” adds Alesandro.
Behavioral questions, past performance: How to select the right manager
To avoid this confusion and blurred lines, which alienates and frustrates all stakeholders involved when a manager is not equipped for their job, workforce planning and HR teams must work together to identify the priorities for each vacancy. Do the responsibilities of the role require a people manager, a process manager, or someone comfortable straddling the two? This can then feed into the interview process.
Quiatchon argues that interviewers should ask questions that prompt candidates to provide specific behavioral examples, and to walk through their thinking process and approach to process documentation or process improvement. “A candidate that shows a logical and deliberate approach to their thinking and attention to detail in their work shows strengths in managing process,” she explains. For roles that require strong people management skills, she suggests asking past colleagues, peers, or reports how much they would recommend the individual and if they would be willing to work with them again.
Zvara agrees that selection is difficult and that the best indicators are behavioral questions and past performance. “Review their history on collaboration and relationships, ask behavioral-based questions, and ask for specific examples of how they lead people in challenging situations,” he explains. “For process management skills focus on projects they have led, again ask behavioral questions, and focus on how they managed situations where processes weren’t followed or didn't exist.”
But, he adds, make sure that managers know they do not have to be perfectly suited to the balance of people and process management the role requires. “The best way to improve willingness (to be a manager) is to demonstrate that leaders are developed. You will miss a lot of great candidates when there are no clear development paths in the role.”
The power of ‘finding that balance’ between people and process
Individual contributors, managers, and by extension the business all benefit when we better understand the balance between process and people management.
Differentiating the remit of managerial roles in this way solves many of the frustrations identified in managerial surveys conducted by the likes of Gallup and Visier. It provides a clear understanding of what the role entails and alleviates cases where managers are essentially juggling two roles in one. This prevents conflicting priorities from arising and lowers the weight of stress and expectations on each manager. Individual contributors, managers, and by extension the business all benefit when we better understand the balance between process and people management.
It allows people managers to do their best work and focus on managing the engagement of their team. “Understanding an employee’s strengths and interests is key to discerning whether their talents incline them toward more people- or process-focused roles,” explains Alesandro. “They’re all hybrid to some degree and require flexing and developing capacity in both areas. But the manager can deploy those talents more effectively by developing a relationship with that employee, learning how they best contribute, and assessing and coaching for growth.”
Given their huge impact on the world’s trillion-dollar disengagement problem, this is hugely beneficial to employees who have a more dedicated resource, and the company in turn.
It also frees up process managers to focus on their project and procedure-oriented work, rather than being shackled with checking in on employees or re-organizing their team of direct reports. In turn, this specialization allows them to better tackle inefficiencies, work more closely with other stakeholders involved in process improvement, and focus on creating an organization where people can thrive. “If we have clarity on what inspires them to do their best work, we’re halfway there,” concludes Alesandro.
