Heart of Management

Category: General

  • Five Questions Great Managers Ask — Even When They’re Uncomfortable

    Management isn’t about having all the answers.

    It’s about knowing how to ask the questions that are easiest to avoid.

    The ones that open real conversations.

    That don’t go down easy.

    That don’t start with “How’s that task going?”

    So here are five questions that changed the way I talk to my team.

    And sometimes… the way I talk to myself.

    What do you need from me that I’m probably not seeing? (It feels risky. It’s also incredibly valuable.)

    If I disappeared for a week what wouldn’t happen here? (A good answer can show you your real value or where you’re over-involved.)

    What’s hardest for you to say to me? (Not a question about weakness. A question about trust.)

    When did you give your 100% and get nothing in return? (It hurts. But it tells you what really matters to your people.)

    What am I not asking that I should be? (This is the question of managers who know that real leadership starts with what’s left unsaid.)

    This isn’t a checklist.

    It’s a key.

    Ask one this week.

    Just one.

    And see what happens when you ask not to check a box

    but to truly listen.

  • “Deafening Silence”

    It started like any regular meeting:

    I walk in.

    They’re already there.

    Everyone with open laptops and looks that say, “We’re totally with you (but also looking at someone else’s report).”

    I bring up the main topic

    a recurring issue, one that should get everyone fired up.

    And… nothing.

    Silence.

    Someone coughs.

    Someone else takes a sip of water.

    Then… someone asks what time it is, as if that matters right now.

    So I try a different angle.

    “What do you think about this solution?”

    Silence.

    More silence than when someone opens a can of tuna in the office.

    And then it hits me:

    The problem isn’t that they have nothing to say.

    The problem is they have too much to say and they’re afraid to say it.

    Maybe because it’ll offend someone.

    Maybe because it’s a sensitive dynamic.

    Or maybe because they’ve learned that telling the truth doesn’t end well.

    And that’s where the lesson came in:

    When it’s too quiet don’t assume everything’s calm.

    Sometimes silence is just a symptom of fear.

    Remember this:

    Next time there’s silence in a meeting

    Don’t move on to the next topic.

    Ask:

    “What hasn’t been said yet, that needs to be said?”

    And then…

    Wait.

    Wait a moment past the discomfort.

    Because sometimes, it’s after the silence that the truth begins.

  • Got a “good” question? Ask it.

    Even if you’re the manager.

    Especially if you’re the manager.

    You know that moment in a meeting when someone drops a term…

    And your whole body signals:

    “Of course. Of course I know what CAC is. I’m the manager, after all.”

    But your mind goes:

    “If someone shouts at me right now ‘What’s CAC?’ – I’ll just head out for a coffee break and never come back.”

    So you smile, jot something down in your notebook (even though you have no idea what you wrote),

    And later that evening, you ask Google.

    Or your kid.

    Or ChatGPT.

    And that’s exactly the moment you missed the chance to be a more human manager.

    Because the gap wasn’t in knowledge it was in the courage to ask.

    A simple question like:

    “Could you explain that for a second?”

    Can change the entire dynamic of a meeting.

    It shows you’re not projecting authority based on bravado – but trust.

    And it gives others permission to ask too.

    And in an age where even a dishwasher can define “digital marketing,”

    What sets you apart isn’t what you know.

    It’s your willingness to keep learning.

    And by the way? I have no idea what CAC is either.

    But I’m going to ask the chat.

    What’s worth remembering?

    The one who asks doesn’t look less smart.

    They just look like a sane manager.

  • A management tip (that I learned the hard way):

    If you start feedback with a “but” – you’ve already lost the conversation.

    I used to jump straight into feedback.

    Direct. Sharp.

    “Not accurate enough,”

    “I expected more,”

    “There’s a gap that needs to be closed.”

    From my side, it was just being straightforward.

    From their side?

    It felt like the end of the world.

    Then it hit me:

    Wait a second.

    I hate it when people start with that tone too.

    No one likes feeling like they have to defend themselves before they’ve even had their coffee.

    So I started differently.

    Something small.

    A sentence like:

    “I want to start with what worked well.”

    And that changed the whole tone.

    Not because I gave up on the feedback –

    But because I started with an open heart, not a pointing finger.

    It sounds simple,

    But it completely shifts the energy of the conversation.

    What’s worth remembering?

    The sharpest feedback is the kind that doesn’t feel like a knife.

    A good start leads to an ending someone can actually take with them.

    Good feedback is the kind the other person can truly absorb.

  • A visit to the production lines

    Once, during a routine visit to one of the production lines, I saw that the workers were struggling with a simple measurement.

    I stood on the side, noticed the confusion – and then stepped in.

    I showed them exactly how to measure.

    We solved it in two minutes.

    At the end of the day, I asked the consultant who was accompanying me:

    “So, how was I?”

    He looked at me and said:

    “Terrible.”

    I was shocked.

    “What do you mean? I solved the problem!”

    Then he said a sentence that changed everything I thought I knew about management:

    “You’re not supposed to solve problems.

    You’re supposed to teach others how to solve them.”

    And from that day on – I stopped being the hero who saves everyone.

    And started being the one who asks:

    “What do you think?” “How would you handle this?” “What did you learn from it?”

    At first, it took restraint.

    But later – it freed me.

    And it lifted them.

    A good manager isn’t measured by how much they know –

    But by how much they help others believe that they do.

  • Once upon a time, there was a manager.

    Let’s call him… say, Itai (just a made-up name, of course).

    This Itai got a team.

    A bit tired, a bit disengaged, kind of in a “just don’t bother me” mode.

    And what did he do?

    He went all in:

    Command style.

    Over-the-top assertiveness.

    Zero sentiment.

    “I’ll lift them off the ground!”

    (What actually happened: they crawled under the ground and didn’t want to come out.)

    Task board? Check.

    Rules? Plenty.

    Inspiration?

    About as effective as trying to light a campfire with dry ice.

    And the worst part?

    Itai thought he was doing exactly what he was taught.

    But the truth?

    What he didn’t realize was — they didn’t need strictness.

    They needed connection.

    Someone to see them.

    Meaning.

    And then it hit him:

    Management isn’t running the same software on every machine.

    It’s more like cooking —

    Every ingredient needs a different heat, a different spice, and a different time on the flame.

    And even more than that:

    That ability?

    He wasn’t born with it.

    He simply learned it.

    Through a mistake.

    And another.

    And another (with sauce).

    So the next time you hear someone say:

    “You either have it, or you don’t…”

    Think of Itai.

    And the first pot he burned.

    And the dish everyone ended up asking the recipe for.

    You’re not born a manager…

    You simmer into one.

  • I didn’t put my photo here…

    Sometimes what looks good… means nothing.

    And sometimes what’s messy, raw, even clumsy – holds real depth.

    I’ve seen beautiful slides with zero substance.

    And ugly slides that changed everything.

    I’ve seen managers who spent days polishing a report –

    and forgot to call their employee who’s falling apart.

    I’ve seen strategies that looked perfect on paper –

    and exploded in real life.

    ⸻

    The truth?

    Polish takes time.

    Time is energy.

    And energy is limited.

    Not everything should be perfect.

    Some things should just be good enough to move forward.

    That’s not laziness.

    It’s strategic sanity.

    That’s why smart managers are satisfizers – not optimizers.

    They don’t obsess over every detail.

    They push for momentum.

    They choose “Minimum Viable Product” over “Maximum Vanity Presentation.”

    They know the difference between progress…

    and performance for show.

    ⸻

    If you read all this –

    you’re exactly who I wanted to talk to.

    Now it’s your turn:

    What do you not obsess over anymore – and what did it free you to do?

    I’ll read every comment.

  • What’s My Real Contribution, Anyway?

    When I was a young engineer, I managed projects.

    I saw things happen.

    Concrete moved, structures rose, plans became reality.

    Every progress?

    I knew exactly where I made it happen.

    Then I got promoted.

    I started managing people.

    And suddenly…

    Everyone was doing the work.

    And me?

    I was just… talking about it.

    Reviewing. Coordinating. Calming. Pushing. Holding things together.

    And in the middle of all that –

    one small, stubborn question kept whispering:

    “What am I actually contributing?”

    “Is anything happening because of me?”

    Because let’s be honest –

    Managers don’t really do anything, right?

    We just… make things happen.

    And that hurt.

    For a while.

    I carried that question inside, quietly.

    Outside, I looked like a leader.

    Inside, I felt… replaceable.

    But over time, something shifted.

    Not because reality changed – but because my perspective did.

    I began to notice:

    The goals I had set – were the ones moving forward.

    The tone I brought – echoed through the team.

    The effort I invested – enabled everyone else’s effort.

    I didn’t do the work.

    But it happened – because of me.

    ⸻

    Management isn’t about ticking off tasks.

    It’s about setting direction, holding the space, and moving things forward.

    If you’ve ever asked yourself “What am I even worth here?” –

    just know: it means you’re a manager who feels.

    And not just performs.

  • About a decade ago – life pressed “Pause” on me.

    And not a small click.

    A long pause.

    I got sick.

    Badly.

    It was clear I’d need surgery.

    Complex. Long.

    Thirteen hours.

    When I woke up —

    I was hooked up to tubes.

    Machines.

    Getting treatments.

    I didn’t wake up like a fairy tale prince…

    More like a rough version of RoboCop on a bad day.

    But in the middle of all that?

    I felt in control.

    From the first moment I was awake —

    I felt I was in charge.

    Even though I wasn’t.

    Even though I had no strength.

    But something in me radiated presence.

    The atmosphere around me felt respectful.

    I felt authoritative — without effort.

    And then, on the fifth day,

    the head nurse came to me with an unusual request:

    “There’s a patient here.

    He’s afraid to go through the same surgery you had.

    Would you talk to him?

    Explain?”

    Imagine the scene:

    I can barely move.

    Tubes coming out of me in every direction…

    And she wants me

    to give someone else strength.

    So I talked to him.

    Explained.

    He went into surgery.

    And he made it.

    —

    But the truth?

    I wasn’t always like that.

    That sense of authority —

    so natural in that hospital room —

    didn’t come out of nowhere.

    It’s not some inborn trait.

    It’s not a “gift” you’re born with.

    It came from years of managing.

    Mistakes.

    Listening.

    Growth.

    Moments where I learned

    not just to manage —

    but to be present.

    —

    So if you’re thinking:

    “I’m not the authoritative type. That’s just not me…”

    Pause for a second.

    Authority isn’t about muscles.

    Or rank.

    It’s about the quiet you bring with you.

    And yes —

    it can be learned.

    Even when you’re hooked up

    to every monitor in the ward.

  • Leading by Example: Why Your Time Management Affects Everyone

    Post 8 and final in the series on Time Management for Managers

    Over the past few weeks, we’ve explored how to manage time—not to simply get more done, but to focus on what truly matters.

    We covered seven key principles:

    1. Distinguishing between important and urgent tasks.

    2. Delegating tasks effectively.

    3. Avoiding the trap of constantly reacting.

    4. Blocking time in your calendar.

    5. Understanding that time management is self-management.

    6. Setting smart boundaries.

    7. Leading by example—our final principle.

    My story:

    As a manager, I set a rule—once a week, everyone left early.

    And I made sure to follow it myself. Why? Because I knew that if I stayed late, my team would feel pressured to do the same.

    What difference did it make?

    • It freed them from the unspoken pressure to always stay late.

    • It legitimized work-life balance.

    • It created a culture of accountability for time.

    Years later, a manager who worked with me said:

    “Your example gave me the strength to be a leader who protects both my own well-being and my team’s.”

    The message is simple: Managing your time isn’t just for you—it influences everyone around you.

    How do you lead by example? Share your thoughts in the comments!

    Want practical tools to implement this? Download my free time management guide for managers + a series of bi-daily tips:

    📥 https://heartofmanagement.ravpage.co.il/free-guide

    Right now the guide is in Hebrew only.

    Thank you for being part of this series—now it’s your turn to lead the change!