27 small keys to your employees' hearts and minds

As the global slowdown reality intensifies, its impact on the labor market is troubling. When we’re surrounded by uncertainty, solid and human management is more important than ever.?

There are tons of management disciplines and thousands of books about it.?

This post touches on a different angle of management - the small details.??

Let’s face it, changing your management style is hard and isn’t necessary in most cases. But, we all want to become better managers. This post includes a long list of actions you can implement in a few minutes or a maximum of a few hours. Small actions that have a huge impact.?

So here’s to the small (large) details of good management.

1. Find out what really makes your employees happy (and a tip to help you ace it). Here’s a common scenario: You’re walking around the office feeling proud after granting a hard-working team member a bonus. But all she wanted was to develop her expertise and learn a different area... In many cases, what you perceive as good for your employees is not necessarily what they’re looking for.?A few years ago, I developed the habit of asking my employees to send me, at the end of each week, a short list of the 3 best things that happened to them this week. You’d be surprised by some of the answers. For example, for one team member, it was a compliment he received at a meeting, another will celebrate a project that helped her grow her skillset, and another will highlight the moment she solved a complex problem. Not only does it send off the team to their weekends feeling joy, but it also gives you a fuller grasp of each one’s unique psychological structure and what motivates them.
2. Make sure everything is on point for the employee’s first day. My managerial experience is mainly from early-stage startups, where constant chaos is the norm. Yet, I always insist on ensuring new employees enjoy a perfect and smooth transition into the company: a well-organized working station,? all the required equipment, and even the small stuff, like office keys. Everything. I genuinely believe that demonstrating our care on the first day establishes a healthy employer-employee relationship.
3. Loop in everyone about what’s happening, even if it doesn’t directly impact them. One of the worst motivation killers is that feeling you’re not in the knows. Like accidentally discovering that someone was laid off, that there’s a reshuffle in the seating order, or that management is considering moving to a new office. Keeping everyone looped in is quite a challenge. As a CEO, I didn’t always have the time or energy to update everyone about everything. However, I tried my best. As the silos grow higher, the bitterness spreads wider. Solve it with quick updates via Slack or heads-ups on all-hands meetings.
4. Invite employees to management or client meetings, the kind they’re typically not invited to. In my second year as an architecture student, I started working for an architecture firm. A few weeks after I joined, my manager invited me to a top-priority meeting with key decision-makers in their flagship project. It was far from necessary for me to attend, and I certainly didn’t contribute anything. Nonetheless, I was on cloud nine. I felt acknowledged. Try occasionally including employees in interesting meetings, even if you don’t need them there. Feeling important is always a great boost in motivation.
5. Invite your employees home. Not in a creepy way, of course. Once every few months, I invite my team or members of another team for a meeting over breakfast or dinner. And I’m not the only management team member who does it. Showing your true self builds stronger relationships. There’s no better way than leading by example by opening your figurative and literal door. Meeting your family members and visiting your natural habitat (messy parts and all) creates the right kind of connection.
6. Scheduling a no-agenda meeting? Drop a hint about the topic. “Sam, I’m setting a meeting for us at 10 am tomorrow. There’s something I’d like us to discuss, okay?”. From that moment on, Sam is most likely trapped inside an ‘am I being fired?’ loop. Yes. Even if he’s been Employee of the Month for 15 months in a row. Always add context to avoid pointless drama. You can keep it high-level by saying something like, “I’d like to get your view on something related to one of the teams.” Of course, this also applies to employees scheduling meetings with managers. I can’t count the near heart attacks I had when employees asked to schedule an in-person meeting just to find out they wanted to request a vacation…?
7. It’s not enough to trust your employees, make sure they know it. In many cases, I keep zero involvement in specific projects. For me, being hands-off doesn't mean I’m not interested or don’t see this project as a high priority. I simply have the highest level of trust in my team to do the work without my help. This management style can sometimes be interpreted as indifference. I always try to stress that if I’m not around - it’s a good sign and they should take it as a compliment.
8. Don’t gossip. Just don't. Not about former employees, not about people from other teams. Not even about competitors. Yes, gossip is fun, but it will lead your employees to think twice before sharing sensitive information.
9. Apologize when needed. You made a mistake. It’s okay. It happens. There’s no growth without failure. The problem starts when you ignore it No matter where you went wrong, whether it’s a colossal failure or a tiny glitch like talking over someone, apologize! It’s highly significant for your employees.
10. Ask your employee who was their best manager and why. The answers they give are a cheat sheet on how they should be managed - what drives their best performance and what destroys their motivation. Also ask about their worst manager, no need to include names, just the behavior. When asked these 2 questions, one of my employees shared a story about a manager who constantly changed KPIs and deadlines. She hated it. I immediately made a mental note to always communicate in a clear and reasoned manner any changes I make (and I make quite a few…) and help her adapt.
11. Are you burned out? Is your focus elsewhere? Communicate it. Another lesson I learned the hard way. Throughout my career, managing my team was not always my top priority. For example, when I was fundraising it was pretty much the only thing I’ve done. For me, it was obvious: something super important was happening, and I was indisposed. Also, I blindly trusted them. However, in their experienced, I suddenly vanished. I wasn’t as attentive and couldn’t be around as much. With time, I learned the importance of communicating it to the team. Simply explain that your bandwidth is temporarily limited. Also, to highlight this is a golden opportunity for them to take more ownership and grow.
12. Send a get-well-soon gift. When one of your employees doesn’t feel well, more than their gratitude for the soup you delivered to their doorstep - they’ll be grateful for being in someone’s thoughts.?
13. Don’t be afraid to micromanage - but be clear about why. As opposed to the common belief, I’m an avid practitioner of focusing on small details. Copy tweaks and changing presentation slide order are as necessary as budget planning. Having an involved manager is the best way to reach professional excellence. However, you must communicate this well. When being mentored on the small details, for many, the first instinct is to become defensive. Make it clear that you’re in the details because it helps you see the big picture, not because they’re doing a lousy job.
14. Wait a bit before sharing new/ crazy ideas. This is one of the tips I find the hardest to implement, but try to ??. My team used to make fun of me at the office, saying that at the end of each weekend we completely change our road map. I used to spend my weekends imagining various tactics and new features. Then, I would storm in on Monday morning, gather the troops, and lay my brilliant new plan. It was part of my perception that working at a startup means being super agile. But the reality was that while my half-baked ideas excited me, they weren’t always received well by the team. Most people don’t take changes well - that’s a fact. So I've learned to wait before excitedly sharing a new idea. If it's a solid one it will still be relevant in a few days.
15. Do not take lightly work that goes to waste. Effective management often means you have to cut some of the assets your team produces. Scrapping projects is a common occupational hazard and in most cases, a brave and good decision. But for those who worked hard on it - it’s a painful process. Make sure you recognize and appreciate the work that went to waste. Be respectful and shed light on the valuable lesson learned. Do not sweep ‘work-goes-to-waste’ incidents under the rug.
16. Ask your employees if they studied for exams alone or in study groups. Yes, I know, this one’s a bit odd, but it’s super insightful. Some people flourish in group brainstorming sessions; some just find it too crowded. I am in group B. I find it impossible to come up with solutions when there’s a live discussion happening around me. I need to put my thoughts in order by myself. Others find it hard to make progress without bouncing ideas with team members. Asking this question will allow you to provide them with the ideal environment to thrive.
17. Make company events optional. As a die-hard karaoke/paintball hater, I know that no matter what ‘fun’ activity is planned, there’s always gonna be someone who will suffer. Out-of-the-box activities are great for team building, and in most cases beat yet another dinner. But, give the employees the honest option to opt-out. Don't try to please everyone. It doesn't work.
18. Have your employees rate their level of workload. "How busy are you from 1-10?" If the answer is 10, take 30 minutes to break down all the tasks together and sort them by urgency. Most of us suffer from productivity shame, and a fresh pair of eyes can help us normalize and put things in proportion.
19. The golden child syndrome and how to communicate it. One of the traps a manager faces is the tendency to neglect top performers. Yes, just like a typical family where the golden child gets less attention. It makes sense; your guidance is needed for those who are ramping up or underperforming. And though it seems like a given, your team’s rockstars may misinterpret it. Make sure they fully understand your rationale.
20. Experiment with ‘new employee decision-making week.’ Decision-making is perhaps the most complex component of a manager’s role. You want your employees to be independent but they’re not always ready for it. One of the things I tried with employees during their first couple of months is to set a week or 2 in which they take all the decisions independently and only sign off with me at the final stage. Since it was framed as a time-limited experiment, it was easier for them to take the driver's seat. In the vast majority of cases, almost all their decisions proved correct. This was the best kind of confidence boost. In the instances where decisions proved wrong, it was easier to go back to the default mode.?
21. Pay high importance to office seating and ergonomics. Sharing a room with team members who crank up the AC in August, working in windowless spaces, sitting next to the company’s loud talker… These issues are often considered insignificant. Take me, for example. Open spaces affect my ability to concentrate and hurt my efficiency. Granted, you won’t always be able to solve these issues. But you can help improve the conditions. Sometimes the simplest things like table height, chair adjustment, and seating order reshuffle can make a huge difference. Raise the workspace issue with your employees and address them when they arise.
22. Different personas, different types of credit. One of the first lessons any new manager learns is to give proper credit to their employees. What is less talked about is that the favored credit type differs from person to person. For example, some would relish public praise during an all-hands meeting, and some would feel super embarrassed; some need to hear they’re doing a great job 10 times a day, and some will stop paying attention after 2-3 pats on the back. Asking your employees what sort of accolade speaks mostly to them might not yield a definitive answer. So, instead, ask them to tell you in detail about a time when they felt most praised by their manager.
23. Make sure your employees understand your ‘credit language’. I’m not the kind of manager who’ll tell her employees they’re doing a great job dozens of times a day. My way of giving credit is, first and foremost, through trust; I give them complete control and freedom to initiate. However, some people may misinterpret this approach. I always explain my philosophy and make sure it aligns with their needs. Your employees must understand the ‘language’ you use to express your trust in them.
24. When you’re truly needed - find the time. As a manager, high availability is not my forte. But—and that’s a big but—when my employees really need me (especially emotionally), I always find the time. The same day. Leaving an employee high and dry for a few days is brutal.
25. Mark special milestones with a personal note. There’s ongoing feedback, cross-sectional conversations and other processes. But at no point do we pause and simply say "thank you, you rock. Here’s why". We all understand its importance, but it rarely happens. Two years ago, we reached a very significant milestone. I sat down and wrote personal notes to every employee at the company, thanking them for their contribution to our success. It was all about their good qualities.?
26. Avoid classification. Don't tell your employees that they are one way or another because they are generation Y or generation Z. Or any other classification, even if it’s politically correct. It's annoying. Instead, respect them enough to treat them as individuals, not as part of a cohort.?
27. Avoid “He said, she said”. Information being randomly passed around always leads to trouble. "Josh told me Arya told him that Maddox is officially fed up and is days away from quitting." What on earth can one do with this information? You can't go and ask Maddox directly. She’ll only deny it, and your informant will be revealed. I try to treat this data very carefully, almost as if I didn’t hear it. When things pass around, they lose context and become rumors.