Month: January 2020

Great managers look out for pay equity on their team. Not only is it the fair thing to do, but comp inequities can undermine your credibility as a manager. If your company is engaged in unfair pay practices, there will come a time when you, as a leader, will have to answer for that. It’s tough to do if you don’t have a track record of advocating for fair comp. 

Where to begin: If you don’t already know your company’s compensation philosophy, ask someone in HR to share it with you. Feel free to ask questions about it so you really understand what’s behind the decisions about compensation. Also remember that “compensation” includes salary, benefits, bonuses, equity, and other perks. So even if things look clear and fair in terms of salary, your company may have work to do on the philosophy behind equity distribution. 

I’m always surprised to learn that there are managers who do not know how much their direct reports make, or how that was decided. It is one of your responsibilities as a supervisor to get a working understanding of comp and begin advocating for a system that ensures equity.

Click here to learn more about why pay equity is important to your company.

~Nicole

Do you have a question about management, or a success story you’d like to share? Let us know via support@digamo.app. Your message may be featured in a future entry (anonymously, of course).

Feedback isn’t always a huge conversation about a major mistake, conflict, or interpersonal issue. It’s also not unidirectional, from manager to direct report. As important as it is to give good feedback, managers have to be deft at soliciting feedback as well. This can be tricky at first, because many of us are understandably reluctant to criticize our bosses. The first step then is to build trust among the team in your ability to receive feedback. Asking questions of your direct reports like “How do you think I could have handled that better?” or “What would you change about our [all-hands/ daily stand up/ regular team] meetings?” will signal that you are seeking to improve as a manager and teammate.

On teams with cultures where respectful, productive feedback is the norm, teammates are seeking to make workflow smoother, as well as support the professional development of colleagues. Presumably you’re here because you want to be a stronger manager. Find out how to improve from those who know best, your own team.

Manager action: Begin to incorporate receiving feedback into your one-on-ones. As a normal course of conversation (about once a month), ask “What feedback do you have for me?” The way you model listening, considering, and acting on the feedback will open up conversations for everyone on the team to level up.

Self-reflection: When was the last time you modeled courage for your team? 

~Nicole

Do you have a question about management, or a success story you’d like to share? Let us know via support@digamo.app. Your message may be featured in a future entry (anonymously, of course).

You have to rest. No, really. This “rise and grind” thing isn’t sustainable for anyone.

Acknowledging the fact that proper rest has become a luxury for too many working people, this is your reminder to think about how you can plan for some non-work time in the near future. Use it to catch up on sleep, sit quietly for a while, unplug from social media, and just let your body and mind repair themselves. 

If you need to be convinced of the importance of rest, I refer you to what the good researchers at Johns Hopkins have to say about sleep. In short, it heals the body and keeps our minds sharp. The health benefits of resting and being away from work are well-documented as well, including reducing the risk of heart disease and boosting your immune system.

Manager action: Plan at least two consecutive days off, not just a regularly-scheduled weekend. Make the commitment to unplug from work, and follow through. You’ll be modeling good self-care practice for your team. 

Self-reflection: If you are in a work loop of long days and few breaks, what in your life is being deprioritized as a result? Thinking about the answer, are you ok with that trade off?

~Nicole

Do you have a question about management, or a success story you’d like to share? Let us know via support@digamo.app. Your message may be featured in a future entry (anonymously, of course).

Thanks for finding us, whatever your reason for being here. 

Healthy workplace culture starts with our roles as managers. In addition to keeping tasks on track, we must also work to engender trust on our teams, invest in professional development for our direct reports, resolve conflicts with minimal damage, give and receive actionable feedback… the list gets quite long.

This series of micro lessons are based on my 25 years of management experience, including 15 years of training other people to be good managers, especially of diverse teams that seek equitable outcomes. I hope they’re helpful on your journey.

~Nicole

Do you have a question about management, or a success story you’d like to share? Let us know via support@digamo.app. Your message may be featured in a future entry (anonymously, of course).