Manager

Five tactical moves the best Managers make. 

I once worked with a manager that kept a rubber chicken under her desk.

She squeezed it whenever meetings drifted. It squawked at random. People laughed, refocused, and solved problems faster than any agile board I have seen.

The chicken looked useless, yet it worked. It’s the kind of trick managers need now.

Gallup says managers set 70 percent of the tone for team engagement. The latest figures show UK manager engagement sits at only ten percent (The Times news).

It’s no wonder emails feel heavy at 8:00am. 

If you’re not tempted to buy a rubber chicken we provide five moves that always work…

1. Start With Clarity

Ask your direct report: “Are you looking for advice, a decision, or someone to listen?”

This single line stops guesswork, you avoid the hero reflex and you both save ten minutes.

Harvard Business Review says that questions like “What did you try first?” cut rework later.

Try this:

• Open every one-to-one with the clarity question.
• Record the answer in your notes.
• Revisit it before you speak.

Why would your team trust your judgement if you skip this first step?

2. Ask, Don’t Tell

Follow up with open questions:

• “What have you tried so far?”
• “What outcome do you want?”

The brain kicks into gear when it must explain itself, their ownership rises. You do less monologue, more coaching.

Gallup links simple coaching questions to higher engagement scores.

Try this:

• Replace any statement that starts with “You should” by a question.
• Aim for a 3:1 question-to-statement ratio each week.

Then see how many answers from your people surprise you?

3. Reflect What You Hear

Say: “So what I’m hearing is…” Then mirror the key words. No edits. No polish.

Reflection shows respect and helps people spot their own logic gaps.

Try this:

Pause after reflecting, let the silence do the heavy lifting. Watch how clarity emerges without extra effort.

What happens when you stop sharpening the solution and start sharpening the thinking?

4. Don’t Rush to Rescue

The urge to fix is strong. Resist.

Instead ask: “What’s one next step you feel confident trying?”

The mental shift is immediate, they now own the plan. You keep your calendar sane.

Try this

• Hold your tongue until they name one action.
• Offer resources, not answers.
• Leave the meeting at that point.

How free would your schedule look if every issue came with its own first step?

5. Follow Up, Don’t Hover

Good managing/coaching continues after the chat.

Check in later: “How did it go?”

You track progress without micromanaging. Gallup’s Q12 survey ties consistent follow-up to higher performance metrics.

Try this

• Schedule a brief follow-up note three days after each action.
• Celebrate execution, not ideas.
• Move on.

How much momentum could you build by praising small completed steps?

Why This Matters Now

Remote, hybrid, AI: labels change, pressure stays.

Engagement falls because managers face noise. Yet these five pointers above cost nothing. They need no software.

They work for product leads, finance chiefs, or founders with two staff and a dog.

We’ve used them for two decades.

Every team that applied them cut rework and raised retention within a quarter.

You’ll find your chicken can retire…

Ready To Practise? Our next Leadership Coaching Lab opens next month.

We limit seats to keep sessions sharp.

You bring one live challenge; we coach you through it.

Drop us a line now. The worst that can happen? You might need a new desk mascot…