Abstract:

Educational managers deal with a variety of people with diverse backgrounds and interests. The list includes learners, parents, instructors, publishers, course designers, material developers, etc. This is why educational management extends far beyond 'task' management to incorporate 'people' management. In education, effective 'people' management is the key to success. It is very important to put the right people in the right place and to manage them well in order to achieve the desired results. Educational managers should be able to perceive others' needs and views, to build team leadership skills, to possess people-oriented planning skills, and to demonstrate effective communication skills.

The present paper provides a thorough overview of important 'people' management skills. First, the paper discusses how educational managers can improve their perception of others' needs using Maslow's hierarchy of needs and enhance their understanding of others' views by considering important principles such as putting themselves in others' shoes, understanding others' emotions and involving others in decision making. Second, the paper surveys key aspects of effective team leadership with respect to basic team elements including tasks, people and relationships. The paper sheds the light on relevant strategies, like empowering team members, establishing open communication channels, setting clear performance standards and providing team performance review and feedback. Third, the paper examines important elements for successful people-oriented planning (e.g., goals, priorities, alternatives and procedures) and delegation (e.g., specifications of job/task, project timelines/deadlines and necessary resources). Finally, the paper presents an in-depth overview of relevant communication and conflict resolution skills for the betterment of educational management. Some pertinent themes are active listening, showing empathy, setting an example, handling conflict properly, keeping problems and people separate and involving others in exploring options.

References:
Fisher, R. & Ury, W. (1991). Getting to yes: Negotiating agreement without giving in (2nd edition). New York: Penguin Books.
Fullan, M. (2007). Educational leadership (2nd edition). San Francisco: John Wiley & Sons.
Pearson, J., Nelson, P., Titsworth, S. & Harter, L. (2008). Human communication (3rd edition). New York: McGraw Hill.

Keywords:

Educational management, people management, leadership.