Hey all –
First-time poster, long-time lurker.
I’m a middle manager at a tech company (not FAANG). I am trying to do my best so I can to treat my team well, look after their mental health, and respect their boundaries.
I know a lot of MMs get hate on here, and perhaps for good reason. I figured I’d ask this group what their best managers have done to/for them so that any MMs like myself here can learn from your experiences and adopt some ideas that have had positive effects of your lives. As long as we’re in this capitalist hell machine together, I might as well leverage the microscopic bit of authority I have for the better, right?
And if this isn’t the best/right sub for that please let me know!
I personally find that hearing what has made someone feel valued and appreciated in the workplace is far better than any management podcast or training offered by my workplace.
I’ll list a few of my ideas that I’ve implemented below and am open to any feedback! Please note I’m not listing these to pat myself on the back – just to get the conversation going:
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our company has unlimited PTO, so every month we alternate in choosing a team holiday where everyone takes the day off. We often have team holidays around silly things but sometimes they can be symbolic events, like someone’s birthday or the anniversary of a day someone moved to a new city . This is in addition to any pre-scheduled PTO.
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I ask my direct reports to fill out a worksheet to advocate for promotions for themselves, but I usually put in promotions for them before they submit this to me. I figure it is good practice for them to have a brag sheet of all of the things that they’ve accomplished and a way to keep track of so now they have a running list of accomplishments for any future résumé updates. Plus, it’s a pleasant surprise when they get the promotion they didn’t even know I’d submitted on their behalf.
Would love to hear some ideas. Thanks in advance!