Last updated 10 November 2026
Set clear and realistic expectations, check in regularly, respond calmly when something goes wrong and deal with behaviour that affects the team. Staff tend to follow what their manager does more than what they are told.
Staff deal with their manager more than with any other part of the organisation. Managers decide how work is shared out, how mistakes are handled and whether people feel able to raise concerns.
What to do
- Set clear and realistic expectations Agree priorities and deadlines, and say what can wait when new work comes in.
- Check in regularly, not only when performance drops One question in a weekly one-to-one, such as “What is making your work harder this week?”, is enough.
- Respond calmly when something goes wrong Ask what happened and what would help next time before deciding who is at fault.
- Show the habits you want the team to follow Leave at a reasonable time, take your leave and avoid sending non-urgent messages late at night.
- Deal with behaviour that affects the team If someone is dismissive or keeps interrupting in meetings and nothing is said, the team will see it as acceptable.
- Make sure staff know where to get help Know what your organisation offers, such as your EAP, and mention it often enough that people feel able to use it.
Watch out for
- A manager who talks about balance but stays until 9pm every night is setting 9pm as the standard.
- Managers do not need to act as counsellors (see Our managers are afraid of saying the wrong thing. How far should they go?).
Good to know
We suggest starting with one habit and keeping to it for a few months, such as crediting a junior colleague’s idea by name or admitting a mistake in front of the team.
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Kaleidoscope Labs manages the Network and provides some of these courses and workshops for a fee.
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