What is great management and how to reset your relationship with your line-reports

By Vanessa Belleau

When most people think of management, they imagine control: chasing deadlines, tracking KPIs, being ‘on top’ of tasks and people. But here’s the truth: management isn’t about control. It’s about care, clarity and development.

The best managers deliver results and develop people who can thrive well beyond them. That is the real legacy of leadership - creating an environment where individuals and teams can perform at their best today, while also growing into tomorrow’s opportunities.

Management as an art

Management is not a checklist. It’s an art. The art of unlocking potential - your own and others’ - to deliver impact today and growth tomorrow.

Great management is:

Inclusive: every voice is heard, respected and valued.

• Empowering: people are trusted to own their work and make decisions.

• Development-focused: growth is baked into the everyday, not reserved for an annual review.

Where managers can do better

Even the strongest managers sometimes fall into old habits of control. The pace, the millions of things to do or think about, etc will often get in your way to wanting to show up as a great manager. It’s important to not kick yourself for a bad habit, because there ate ways to improve.

Below are three areas where most managers can immediately improve:

📌 Feedback

Move beyond ‘good job’ or ‘needs improvement’. Use feedback as a tool to coach, inspire and stretch your people. Make it specific, actionable and motivating.

Follow these 3 steps:

📌 Motivation

Understand what energises each individual - not everyone is driven by the same rewards. Recognition, autonomy, challenge and support all matter.

There are a few motivators to consider, below are four powerful ones to consider:

• Recognition
  Some people thrive when their contributions are noticed and celebrated. This doesn’t always mean grand gestures - often, a specific, genuine ‘thank you’ or highlighting their impact in a team meeting can go far . There is a ratio of 5:1 positive to negative pieces of feedback.

• Autonomy
  For others, energy comes from trust. They perform best when they are given space to decide how to approach their work rather than being micromanaged. Delegating ownership of a project or allowing flexibility in how tasks are completed can unlock their creativity and commitment.

• Challenge
  Some individuals feel most alive when they are stretched. Giving them opportunities that push them outside their comfort zone - a high-profile project, presenting to senior leaders or testing a new idea - fuels their growth and keeps them engaged.

• Support
  And for many, motivation comes from feeling guided and backed up. Regular coaching conversations, knowing they can ask questions without judgement or simply having a manager who checks in on their wellbeing can make all the difference.

The key is: ask, don’t assume. Use your 1:1s to explore what lights people up.

Try asking:

• When was the last time you felt really energised at work? What made that moment motivating?

• What kind of recognition feels meaningful to you?

• Would you prefer more independence, more feedback or more opportunities to grow right now?

When managers take the time to discover and respond to individual drivers, performance isn’t just higher, it’s more sustainable. Motivation stops being about external pressure and becomes about inner fuel.

📌 Delegation

Delegating isn’t just about offloading tasks. It’s about creating ownership and building confidence. The question is not ‘What can I give away?’ but ‘What can I entrust this person with that will grow them and free me up to focus on impact?’ or an even simpler one ‘who else can shine’.

Resetting your relationships as a manager

If you feel your relationship with your line reports could be stronger, know that it’s never too late to reset.

Below is a simple 1–2–3 approach with practical steps to put into action:

1. Listen first

Schedule a dedicated reset conversation - not in a corridor, not squeezed between meetings. Block 30–45 minutes and make it clear this is about them, not tasks.

Ask open questions like:

• What is working well for you in our current ways of working?

• What is frustrating or slowing you down?

• What support from me would make the biggest difference to your success/progress?

• When do you feel most motivated at work? When do you feel least motivated?

Your role here: listen without interrupting, explaining or defending. Resist the urge to fix everything straight away. Take notes and thank them for their honesty.

2. Share your commitment

Once they have spoken, be transparent about your side. This isn’t about making promises you can’t keep - it’s about showing that you are invested in their growth and performance.

Examples of commitments you might share:

• ‘I have realised I often give feedback too late. From now on, I will share it in the moment so you can act on it quickly.’

• ‘I want to protect your focus time. I will cut back on unnecessary check-ins and make our 1:1s more structured.’

• ‘I haven’t given you enough stretch opportunities. Let’s identify one project this quarter that can push your skills and visibility.’

Being specific builds credibility. It shows you are not just talking about being a ‘better manager’, you are being a better manager.

3. Co-create the way forward

This is where partnership comes in. Don’t dictate, design together.

Ways to co-create:

• Check-in rhythm: agree how often and in what format you will meet. For example, a 20-minute weekly tactical check-in + a deeper monthly or quarterly development conversation.

• Feedback flow: decide how feedback should be given - in writing, in real-time or at a weekly wrap-up.

• Priority alignment: create a shared list of top 3 priorities. This avoids mismatched expectations and helps both of you stay focused.

• Support agreement: ask, ‘when you hit a roadblock, how would you like me to step in? As a sounding board? To remove obstacles? To give direction?’

Then, summarise the new way forward together:

• ‘Here is what I will do.’

• ‘Here is what you will do.’

• ‘Here’s how we will check in on whether this is working.

This makes the reset concrete and sets a new foundation of trust.

Final thoughts

Resets don’t have to be dramatic. They are about realigning expectations, refreshing trust and creating clarity. Done well, a reset can transform a ‘OK’ working relationship into one where both manager and team member feel energised, supported and set up to thrive.

Remember, in the end, management isn’t about control. It’s about unlocking potential.

While I have you here, sign up to my brand new bi-monthly newsletter ‘Unfiltering’ for some more of these spicy insights: https://lnkd.in/emSXWUP2. This is a bi-monthly newsletter that gives you positive psychology, leadership & workplace culture insights, creativity, mindset reframes and more.

And in case you are wondering, ‘unfiltering’ is the process of letting go of the filters we put on ourselves to fit in. It is a space for honest reflection, creative expression and coaching insight - without the ‘shoulds’.

Thank you for reading! Check the next article if you want more tips to better yourself and your mindset 👇.