Psychological Safety 101 — Part 2
Getting to know what safety means for them
In part 1 of this series we talked about why safety is different from trust, why this can be difficult in technology teams, and how to start building it.
In part 2, we will focus on how to build the profile of your team member(s) so that you can respond to them. The benefits of this are numerous, but mostly it’s about knowing what kind of manager will suit them best so you can rise to the occasion.
We will go over leveraging existing relationships, positive and adjustment feedback, and finding the areas of sensitivity that you should be aware of.
Leverage past relationships with their previous manager if you can.
“_____ is joining my team, what should I know about things they are excelling at and areas where they can grow?”
- If it’s an internal move, get lunch with the former manager to understand how the person likes to be managed, and where land mines lurk under the surface.
- Don’t miss the opportunity to ask them about one or two positive things so you can mention it to the new joiner, and something they may need to work on which can be confirmed.
Know how to recognize their talent to keep them motivated.
“I’d like to get to know you better. Tell me about a time you felt really appreciated at work so that I can repeat that positive experience for you.”
Ask questions about how they like to be recognized. Here are some areas to look at closely:
- Visibility: Was the feedback in “all teams”, just in your department, in your group, or in a 1–1? Not everyone likes a public shout out for their hard work.
- Messaging: What feels better: “great job on project X” comments, or “the way you did Y really improved”? Usually it’s the latter, but let them guide you.
- Benefits: Are there any benefits that make you feel appreciated? (more responsibility, equity, spot bonus, days off, team building, conference attendance, trainings, more mentoring time with you, etc.)
- Quantity/Frequency: How much feedback and how often do you need this input?
Managing up helps you both.
“I will keep notes on your performance and progress, here’s what I’d like to know…”
- Know that this conversation is powerful. When your direct reports do well, it makes you look good, so lean into this conversation for your own good, avoid it at your own peril.
- You might have expectations for how to get visibility that will enable you to deliver this feedback; don’t hide this information! Tell them exactly how they can impress you so they can do it well.
- You might have expectations for how you want to manage up for your own hierarchy; don’t hide that either! I *WISH* I knew what would make my manager look good going into new roles, but so few tell me.
- Tell them what you want to know to be able to keep notes, and how you’d like to get that data, when, and in what format. I keep shared notes on this — no secrets between me and my directs. They know at all times how I will review them, and what I will say.
Press pause, senior leaders I have a bone to pick.
Too many of you believe your managers should “just know how to manage up” at a certain level. This. Is. UTTER BS. There is no secret recipe for this, no one way to do it. Environments and people are all different, and the stakes and politics get more complicated as you move up the latter. Managers who do not outline their managing up and across expectations are setting up their people to fail. More on politics later.
Adjusting performance takes two to tango.
“At some point I’ll probably have feedback to help you grow. Tell me about a time you got helpful, constructive input.”
Here are some spaces to explore together:
- Visibility: Most adjustment feedback is done in private, but you might want to outline spaces where you will make public comments because it concerns team culture. This can more often than not avoid a team-slack-sh*t-storm.
- Quantity: do they get easily overwhelmed by feedback? Average is 1–2 things per quarter to focus on, is that OK for them?
- Frequency: How often do they like to get input from you? Some people are frustrated if they hear about their performance improvements every 6 mos — I’ve managed people who require weekly inputs! Others are totally fine with a yearly review. Ask to find out.
Spring the demotivation traps before they activate.
“Is there anything I should avoid, that demotivates you or makes you feel untrusted?”
“The first step in avoiding a trap, is knowing of its existence.”
— Thufir Hawat (Dune)
- Baggage: People have probably had bad experiences, it’s good to understand what behaviors made them feel bad, and why.
- Demotivation: Demotivation points are good to know and often tell you how then to motivate the person.
- Trust: Trust is hard to earn and easy to lose. Knowing what makes your employee mistrust their management is a great way to avoid the mistakes that will cost you a relationship.
- Bonus trust: You could score extra points by sharing what makes you lose trust.
