6.3Best practices & pitfalls
The essentials in 30 seconds
- Golden rule: the manager is not the best expert who does everything, but the one who makes others succeed.
- Do: clear direction, suited delegation, recognition, adjusted style, continuous feedback, data-based decisions.
- Never do: vague goals, micro-management, saving everything for the annual review, fleeing conflict.
Salim thread — wrap-up: 1 year later
One year later, Salim takes stock: what mattered most was not a technique, but three habits — feedback given on the spot instead of waiting, real delegation with suited follow-up, and conflicts handled early instead of avoided. And his biggest pitfall narrowly avoided: keeping everything during the peak instead of delegating.
✓ Do
- Give clear direction: SMART/OKR goals, explained and shared.
- Delegate with follow-up suited to each person's autonomy.
- Motivate through recognition, autonomy and meaning, not salary alone.
- Adjust your style (direct, train, support, delegate) to maturity.
- Give continuous feedback (DESC); the annual review never surprises.
- Build trust and psychological safety in the team.
- Decide lucidly (diagnosis, data, dashboard).
- Support change through meaning and emotions, not logistics only.
✗ Never do
- Leave vague goals or impose without explaining.
- Keep everything and burn out (or micro-manage what you delegate).
- Believe only money motivates.
- Apply the same style to everyone.
- Save everything for the annual review instead of continuous feedback.
- Deny or flee conflict until it festers.
- Steer blind or drown in too many indicators.
- Manage remote staff by presence (proximity bias).
The classic trap (seen everywhere)
Lesson: if you say this sentence twice for the same task, it is a delegation to write, not a task to keep.
Ready-to-say script — giving on-the-spot DESC feedback (1 min)
"Lina, when you called the customer back in under 2h yesterday (Describe), it defused the complaint (Express the effect). Keep it up on urgent cases (Specify), it pulls our lead time toward the goal (Consequence). Thank you."
Copy-paste template — monthly self-check (8 questions)
THIS MONTH (yes / to improve):
1. Direction: are my goals clear, shared, explained?
2. Delegation: did I delegate at least 1 case with suited follow-up?
3. Recognition: did I specifically recognize each person?
4. Style: did I adapt my follow-up to each person's autonomy?
5. Feedback: did I give on-the-spot feedback each week?
6. Conflicts: did I handle the slightest sign of tension early?
7. Steering: is my dashboard up to date and used?
8. Remote staff: did I include them like on-site staff?
MY PRIORITY NEXT MONTH (only one): ...Micro-business (2-3 people)
On-the-spot feedback happens live, with no formal process: one precise sentence beats a form.
Remote / hybrid
Recognition and psychological safety need more explicit writing remotely: name, thank, include.
Algerian SME
Adapt recognition to realities (peaks, constraints): a precise thank-you after a peak counts double.
Intercultural
Direct feedback does not carry the same weight everywhere: stay factual (DESC) and check reception.
Key takeaways
- Make others succeed: direction, delegation, recognition, style, feedback.
- Build habits one by one, anchored in rituals.
- Pitfalls are costly: vagueness, micro-management, avoided conflicts, blind steering.
48h challenge — apply tomorrow
Fill in the monthly self-check above and pick one single priority to anchor in an existing ritual.
- I know the 8 do reflexes and the 8 pitfalls to avoid.
- I have filled in the self-check and picked a priority.
- I have done the 48h challenge or scheduled its date.
Frequently asked questions
Which best practice should I start with?
Start with on-the-spot feedback (DESC): fast effect, zero cost, and it feeds everything else (autonomy, recognition, early-handled conflicts).
What if I already combine several pitfalls?
Normal: nobody ticks everything. Fix one at a time with the monthly self-check, starting with the costliest (often vague direction or avoided conflicts).
Is recognition enough to motivate?
No: it is necessary but not enough. You must also remove irritants (hygiene), give autonomy and meaning (N1.3).
Mehdi keeps every case "to go faster" and his team waits. Which pitfall, and which reflex?