Heart of Management

Category: Motivating People

  • Turning Challenges Into Opportunities: Finding Meaning in Difficult Moments

    The fifth post in a six-part series on finding meaning in your managerial role.

    Management isn’t just about successes—it’s also about navigating tough challenges. Sometimes, the greatest opportunities for growth, change, and meaning are hidden within the hardest moments. In this post, we’ll explore how to view challenges through a new lens and find ways to create real value from them.

    Step One: Pause and Ask – What Can I Learn From This Challenge?

    When facing a difficulty, take a moment to stop and reflect. Ask yourself: What is this challenge teaching me? Is it revealing something about myself, my team, or the situation?

    Ask yourself: How can this challenge help me improve myself or the processes I manage?

    Example: If a team member is struggling to meet deadlines, this challenge might highlight the need to rethink how tasks are assigned or to introduce better tools for task management.

    Step Two: Look for the Opportunity Within the Difficulty

    Every challenge has the potential to hold an opportunity—whether it’s learning a new skill, strengthening relationships, or changing your approach.

    Simple exercise: Take your current challenge and write down the biggest opportunity it could present.

    Example: If you’re dealing with a team conflict, the opportunity might be to develop better communication and strengthen collaboration within the team.

    Step Three: Involve Your Team in Finding Solutions

    Challenges are also an opportunity to engage your team and empower them to contribute.

    Ask your team: How would you solve this challenge? What can we learn from it together?

    This collaboration not only leads to better solutions but also strengthens team commitment and involvement.

    Example: If a project is delayed, instead of solving it alone, involve the team and encourage them to brainstorm ways to improve the process.

    Step Four: Empower Yourself and Your Team Through Challenges

    Every challenge is a chance for growth—not just for you but for your team as well.

    Ask yourself: How can I help my team learn and grow from this difficulty?

    Example: If your team is struggling with low motivation, use it as an opportunity to open a discussion, identify underlying issues, and provide tools to overcome them together.

    To Summarize the Post

    Challenges are an inevitable part of management, but they are also an opportunity to create meaning and build new skills. By approaching difficulties with a mindset of learning and growth, you’re not just solving problems—you’re creating positive change that strengthens both you and your team.

    In the final post, we’ll explore how to sustain and expand your sense of meaning in your role over time.

  • The Questions That Create Change: How to Identify Where You Truly Make an Impact

    The fourth post in a six-part series on finding meaning in your managerial role.

    As managers, we juggle countless responsibilities, but not everything we do creates the same level of impact. In this post, we’ll explore how asking the right questions can help you discover where your influence is strongest—and how to focus your energy on areas that bring the most value.

    Step One: Ask Yourself – What Truly Matters to Me?

    To identify where your impact is greatest, start by asking a simple question: What’s most important to me in my role?

    Is it developing your team? Achieving results? Solving complex problems?

    Ask yourself: Which aspects of my role make me feel the most significant?

    Example: If you find that developing your team is what matters most to you, your greatest impact might come from one-on-one conversations or professional development initiatives.

    Step Two: Ask Others – How Do I Help You?

    Sometimes, the clearest view of our impact comes from the people around us. Ask your team members, peers, or even clients:

    “What do you think I do that brings the most value?”

    You might be surprised by what they say.

    Example: A team member might tell you that the guidance you gave them on a tough project made a huge difference—highlighting an area where your influence is particularly strong.

    Step Three: Evaluate How You Spend Your Time

    Reflect on your time. Where are you investing the most effort, and does it align with what truly matters to you?

    Simple exercise: Review your past week and highlight the moments when your impact felt the strongest.

    Example: You might discover that while you spent hours on emails, a single team meeting led to a significant breakthrough.

    Step Four: Focus on Where You Make the Greatest Impact

    Once you’ve identified where your influence is strongest, plan how to focus more time and energy on those areas. This doesn’t mean neglecting other responsibilities, but rather prioritizing what brings the most value.

    Example: If your greatest impact comes from mentoring your team, schedule regular one-on-one or group sessions to nurture those connections.

    To Summarize the Post

    Asking the right questions is the key to discovering where your influence as a manager is strongest. By focusing on what truly matters, you’ll not only become more effective but also find deeper meaning in your role.

    In the next post, we’ll explore how to turn challenges into opportunities and create meaning even in the most difficult moments.

  • From Thoughts to Actions: How to Turn Your Insights Into Daily Habits

    The third post in a six-part series on finding meaning in your managerial role.

    After identifying what drives you and the moments when you feel most significant, it’s time to turn those insights into actions. By doing so, you can integrate meaning into your daily routine and make it a natural part of your managerial role.

    Step One: Reflect on Your Insights

    Pause and revisit what you’ve learned so far. What are the key elements that connect you to a sense of meaning? Is it helping your team grow, solving complex problems, or creating significant value?

    Ask yourself: How can I incorporate these elements into my daily work?

    Example: If you feel most fulfilled when supporting your team’s growth, set up regular one-on-one coaching sessions to guide and empower them.

    Step Two: Set Small, Clear Goals

    Start with manageable steps. Identify one or two actions you can incorporate into your routine today that align with what drives you.

    Simple exercise: Write down one specific action you can take today to align your work with your values.

    Example: If solving problems gives you meaning, dedicate 30 minutes daily to address the challenges your team is facing.

    Step Three: Integrate Actions Into Your Schedule

    To make these actions a habit, embed them into your schedule. Allocate specific times for tasks that align with your strengths and motivators, whether it’s brainstorming, team development, or tackling challenges.

    Example: Schedule a fixed hour each week to focus on initiatives that reflect your core values, such as mentoring employees or creating innovative solutions.

    Step Four: Reflect and Adjust

    At the end of each week, take a moment to evaluate. Did your actions bring you closer to a sense of meaning? If not, tweak and try again. This is a learning process, so feel free to experiment.

    Example: If team meetings didn’t feel impactful, shift to one-on-one conversations to build stronger personal connections.

    To Summarize the Post

    Turning insights into actions is the key to bringing meaning into your daily managerial routine. Start small, stay consistent, and adjust as needed to find what works best for you.

    In the next post, we’ll explore how to ask the right questions to uncover where your impact as a manager can be most significant.

  • Identifying Your Bright Spots: When Do You Feel Most Significant?

    The second post in a six-part series on finding meaning in your managerial role.

    Management isn’t just about tasks and challenges – it’s also about those small, powerful moments that remind you why you do what you do. These moments aren’t random; they reveal what truly matters to you. In this post, we’ll explore how to identify those moments and connect them to your daily work.

    Step One: Spot the Meaningful Moments

    Pause and reflect on the past month. When did you feel most significant?

    Maybe it was when you helped a team member overcome a challenge, led your team to success on a complex project, or solved a problem requiring creative thinking.

    Ask yourself: What exactly happened, and what made that moment feel so special?

    Example: Think of a meeting where you shared an original idea, and it was enthusiastically received and led to meaningful change. That’s a moment of real impact.

    Step Two: Find the Common Thread

    Look at several moments like these. Try to identify if there’s a pattern. Are your meaningful moments tied to leadership? Supporting others? Achieving results?

    Simple exercise: Write down three moments, and next to each, add a word that describes why it mattered to you.

    Example: If all your moments involve mentoring and empowering others, your sense of meaning might come from your ability to develop the people around you.

    Step Three: Learn About Yourself From These Moments

    These moments don’t just tell you what you do – they reveal who you are as a manager.

    They show you what truly drives you and gives you a sense of purpose in your role.

    Example: If you realize your most meaningful moments involve solving complex problems, it’s a sign to focus on challenges that require creativity and innovative solutions.

    Step Four: Plan for More of These Moments

    Now that you understand the kinds of moments that make you feel significant, start creating more of them.

    This could mean planning projects that align with your strengths, initiating conversations with your team, or focusing on challenges where you know you make the biggest difference.

    Example: If your meaning comes from personal connections with your team, set aside time weekly for one-on-one conversations that strengthen relationships and mutual support.

    To Summarize the Post

    The moments when you feel most significant are a mirror reflecting what truly matters to you in your role. By identifying and creating more of them, you’ll feel more connected to your daily work.

    In the next post, we’ll talk about turning these insights into clear, actionable daily habits that align with your values and goals.

  • What Drives You? Discovering Your Inner Motivation as a Manager

    The first post in a six-part series on finding meaning in your managerial role.

    Management is one of the most challenging roles. There’s so much responsibility, daily pressure, and constant problems to solve. Amid all this, it’s easy to forget why you chose this role in the first place.

    This post will help you reconnect with your personal “why” – to understand what truly drives you and find meaning in what you do.

    Step One: Reflect on Moments That Felt Right

    Pause for a moment and think about the times in your role when you felt truly meaningful and fulfilled.

    Perhaps it was when you successfully led a major project, supported a team member through a challenge, or tackled a complex problem and found a solution.

    Ask yourself: What exactly about that moment made you feel significant?

    Example: Think back to a time when a team member came to you with a personal issue, and you helped them find a solution. Seeing them return to work with renewed energy was a moment of real impact.

    Step Two: Identify the Common Thread

    Think about several similar moments and try to figure out what they have in common. Are they about helping others? Leading change? Or maybe it’s about your ability to handle challenges?

    Simple exercise: Write down three significant moments and add a word next to each that explains why it was meaningful to you.

    Example: If all the moments involve teamwork, your sense of meaning might come from connecting with people and supporting them.

    Step Three: Understand Your Inner Motivation

    These moments reveal what’s truly important to you in your role. Your motivation might be the desire to make an impact, a sense of purpose, or the determination to achieve big goals.

    This motivation is your personal “why” – the reason you keep going.

    Example: If your motivation is leading change, it might mean focusing on initiatives that allow you to drive meaningful projects forward.

    Step Four: Integrate Your Motivation Into Your Routine

    The most important step is turning your motivation into part of your daily work.

    This might mean planning time for projects that align with your values, having meaningful conversations with your team, or prioritizing challenges that need your attention.

    Example: If your motivation is solving problems, you could dedicate time each day to addressing the most pressing challenges and bringing them to resolution.

    To Summarize the Post

    Finding meaning in your role begins with identifying what truly drives you. Once you understand this, the path to building a deeper connection to your work becomes much clearer.

    In the next post, we’ll discuss how to identify the moments when you feel most significant and how to use them as a roadmap for purpose-driven management.

  • Your Employees and Colleagues – The Force That Drives You

    Post 3 of 6 in the Series About My Stakeholders:

    The next stakeholders are the people you work with daily – your employees and colleagues. They may not be your direct managers, but they can greatly influence your success as a manager. Often, these are the people you depend on most to execute your plans.

    Why are my employees and colleagues so important?

    Think about it: Your employees are the ones who carry out the most important tasks. How they feel about their role, the instructions they receive, and the treatment they get from you – all of these directly impact their performance, and ultimately, your performance as a manager. Your colleagues, on the other hand, are those working alongside you who can either be partners in your success or make things difficult for you.

    How to build a good relationship with employees and colleagues?

    A good relationship with employees and colleagues is based on listening, support, and collaboration. If you take the time to understand what motivates each of them, you can create an environment where they feel involved and committed to success. This doesn’t mean compromising on requirements or expectations – but you need to know how to communicate them in a way that keeps everyone focused on shared goals.

    A Field Example: How One Conversation Can Change an Employee’s Behavior

    I once had an employee whose problem wasn’t motivation, but behavior – there was a gap between what I expected and how he actually performed. After an open conversation where I explained what I expected and where he wasn’t meeting those expectations, he completely changed his ways. It was amazing to see how improving communication could change the entire team dynamics.

    In the next post, we’ll deal with external stakeholders – regulatory bodies, suppliers, and customers, who also influence the way you work day to day.

  • Your Manager – The Central Figure Who Dictates What You Do

    Post 2 of 6 in the Series About My Stakeholders:

    After understanding who our stakeholders are, it’s time to dive deeper. Let’s start with the central figure who probably influences every decision or action you make as a manager – your direct manager. Whether your manager is a source of inspiration or a challenge for you, they influence your professional direction, decision-making, and your career in general.

    Why is my manager so important?

    Your manager can influence a variety of areas: the goals you need to achieve, your working conditions, career development, and even the balance between work and personal life. Therefore, it’s crucial to understand the relationship with your manager thoroughly – are they acting as a mentor who guides and accompanies you? Or do they prefer to dictate instructions without allowing room for dialogue? Every manager is different, and this has a direct impact on how you work together.

    So how can you improve the relationship with your manager?

    The way to improve this relationship is to understand what your manager truly wants to achieve, and how you can help them with that. Yes, even if you don’t always agree with every decision or approach, identifying your manager’s interests and goals will give you an advantage. A good relationship can open opportunities for you, help you advance, and influence your success in the role.

    A Story from the Field: How I Understood the Difference Between Types of Managers

    In the past, I had an interesting experience with two different managers. One was my partner in every decision, gave space to raise ideas and think together, while the other preferred to dictate instructions and leave me only to execute. This required me to learn to adapt, recognize each of their working styles, and find ways to bridge the gaps. Over time, the manager who was used to giving precise instructions began to trust me more and more, and stopped dictating instructions when he recognized that I knew how to lead independently. Once trust developed, our relationship became a true partnership.

    In the next post, we’ll talk about additional important stakeholders – your employees and colleagues, the people you work alongside daily, who influence your success no less.

  • Post 4 out of 5: The Impact of Organizational Culture on Performance – When Does Organizational Culture Actually Harm?

    In previous posts, we discussed how strong organizational culture can lead to success. However, there are cases where culture can actually hinder the organization and even damage it.

    What does a “negative” organizational culture look like?

    1. Poor Communication and Information Hiding

    Communication is key to a healthy culture. But when there’s a lack of transparency, or when things go through organizational politics “filters” – that’s a bad sign. A McKinsey study showed that poor communication hurts the ability to handle changes and improve performance.

    2. Culture of Blame and Fear of Failure

    In places where failure is seen as “dangerous,” there’s less room for creativity and experimentation. A “blame-finding” culture stifles initiatives. An example of this is Kodak, which was a market leader but feared the transition to digital – something that led to its collapse.

    3. Work Overload and Poor Balance

    An “always working” culture leads to burnout. A WHO study showed that long working hours are harmful to employee health. Organizations that foster healthy balance gain more satisfied and productive employees.

    4. Lack of Transparency and Absence of Engagement

    When employees feel they have no idea what’s happening in the organization, alienation develops.

    5. Inflexibility and Resistance to Change

    A culture that’s not open to changes leads to a stagnant organization. When managers make change difficult, the organization might fall behind and fail to progress.

    6. Over-involvement in Decision Making

    Team involvement in decision-making sounds good on paper, but sometimes it leads to slowness and delays. When every team member needs to voice their opinion on every decision, processes can take too long and the organization loses its ability to respond quickly. The key is finding balance – knowing when to involve others, and when to make decisions and act fast.

    Summary

    Not every good intention creates a good outcome. In the next post, we’ll discuss how to build a healthy organizational culture that leads to real success.

  • Post 3 out of 5: The Impact of Organizational Culture on Performance – Strong Culture = High Performance? How Does It Really Work?

    In previous posts, we discussed what organizational culture is and the hidden factors that shape it. Now, let’s dive a bit deeper – how can a strong and healthy organizational culture improve your organization’s actual performance?

    1. Employee Motivation and Engagement

    A positive organizational culture not only makes employees feel good at work, but it also increases their motivation. Why? When employees feel part of something bigger, when their work has real meaning – they give their maximum. A Gallup study shows that highly engaged employees tend to be more productive, and their engagement improves their sense of belonging and commitment to the organization. This means they’re also less likely to look for another job.

    2. Collaboration and Strengthening Community Feeling

    When there’s a culture that promotes collaboration, employees feel there’s room for real dialogue. In such organizations, there’s more openness to ask questions, share ideas, and receive feedback – leading to better performance. A good example is Spotify – one of the most successful companies in the digital music world. Their culture is based on “squads” – small teams composed of diverse individuals who support each other to achieve quick successes.

    3. Creativity and Innovation

    In an organization with a culture that values creativity and openness, employees feel comfortable raising innovative and unconventional ideas. This culture creates a space where new things can be tried, even if they don’t always succeed. Steve Jobs often said that Apple’s success stems from employees’ ability to feel free to initiate, think outside the box, and be creative.

    4. Ability to Cope with Changes and Challenges

    A strong organizational culture contributes to the organization’s ability to deal with challenges and changes. When there are clear values and good communication, it’s easier to mobilize teams to work together to handle unexpected situations. Especially in an era like ours, where changes happen faster than ever, such a culture can be the organization’s competitive advantage.

    5. Increasing Employee Loyalty

    A healthy organizational culture encourages loyalty and satisfaction. The more employees feel valued, understand the organization’s goals, and belong to a strong community – the more likely they are to stay with the company long-term. And it pays off: according to a LinkedIn study, companies with a strong organizational culture experience lower employee turnover, leading to significant savings in recruitment and training costs for new employees.

    Examples from the World

    An excellent example is HubSpot. This company emphasizes values like “being change makers” and “collaboration”. The result? Employees are more engaged, satisfied, and loyal, and the company enjoys excellent performance and amazing business results.

    In the next post, we’ll talk about the less positive side of organizational culture – when organizational culture can actually be harmful, and how to identify the early signs of this.

    Sources:

    1. Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace report – https://www.gallup.com/workplace/349484/state-of-the-global-workplace-2021-report.aspx

    2. HubSpot Culture Code – https://www.hubspot.com/culture

  • Post 2 of 5: The Impact of Organizational Culture on Performance – The Hidden Factors that Shape Organizational Culture

    In the previous post, we discussed what organizational culture is and why it’s so important. But wait, have you ever stopped to think about what really influences organizational culture? Sometimes there are hidden factors, ones that we might not consciously notice, that significantly shape the culture in an organization.

    What are the hidden factors in organizational culture?

    There are several factors that we sometimes forget about, but they are an integral part of how our organization operates:

    1. Management’s perceptions and beliefs

    The way senior managers view the organization directly affects the culture. If managers believe in promoting innovation and giving freedom to employees, it’s likely that employees will feel more comfortable coming up with new ideas and acting independently. On the other hand, if management focuses only on results and the bottom line – this will affect the pressure and cause employees to work in a more tense manner.

    2. Communication patterns

    How do people talk to each other in the organization? Is communication open and flowing or does it go through many “filters” and bureaucratic processes? Research from the Journal of Business Communication shows that open and directed communication allows employees to be more involved, and ultimately improves organizational performance.

    3. Daily behavior

    It can be easy to miss the impact of daily actions on organizational culture, but they are an integral part of it. From how we deal with failure to how we praise successes – all of these affect employees’ feelings and values. An interesting example is Amazon, which maintains a culture of constant striving for improvement, bringing employees to always think about how processes can be improved.

    4. Hidden assumptions

    Hidden assumptions are those ideas and perceptions that have become so deeply ingrained that they’ve become almost invisible. This can be anything from a perception of “how a good employee should behave” to certain ideas about “what success is”. Once these assumptions are understood, it’s possible to start implementing changes that affect the entire culture.

    Why does it matter?

    Understanding these hidden factors is critical. Since organizational culture is more than just nice words or slogans, these are the factors that actually shape it and influence how everything operates in the organization – and ultimately business performance as well.

    In the next post, we’ll delve deeper into how a positive organizational culture can improve performance, and how you can identify and influence these hidden factors in your organization.

    Sources:

    1. Journal of Business Communication – Articles on the impact of communication on employee engagement.

    2. Amazon Leadership Principles – Amazon’s organizational culture and values: Amazon’s Leadership Principles