Breadcrumbs
Managing people
The structure of this section is an adaptation of a well-known model of leadership. This is John Adair's three-circle model which identifies the following key areas of responsibility for the leader.
When thinking about managing people it is important to keep the task element firmly in mind - managing people is a means to an end, and that end is getting the task done well. But task issues, especially in relation to research, often link very closely to the project proposal, so these are dealt with mainly within the project management section. People are still really important in this - you need to make sure, for instance, that you have the right people doing the right task - so task-related matters will appear in this section and there will also be cross linkages, but the main focus in this section will be on the team and the individual.
Also, as leaders and managers can sometimes forget their own needs, there is an additional section which looks at how you, the principal investigator, can look after and develop yourself.
But before looking at these, there are some comments on key concepts in relation to managing people that apply to all of them. These are:
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Task A key aspect of managing people is about being yourself. This requires a good measure of self-awareness. It may be helpful to reflect for a moment or two on which of these three areas you feel more or less comfortable with. |