Heart of Management

Category: Organizational Culture

  • The courage to speak up… smells very different when you do it right

    Following last week’s post

    the one about how the opposite of courage isn’t fear, but avoidance

    today we’re diving into the first kind of courage.

    There are moments in management

    when the room feels filled with the distinct scent of

    “I want to say something… but maybe this isn’t the right time.”

    It’s a familiar smell.

    A subtle mix of lukewarm coffee,

    an air conditioner working a little too hard,

    and papers shuffling not because anyone needs them,

    but just to fill the silence.

    And then the classic lines appear:

    “Well… only if that’s okay…”

    “I don’t want to interrupt, but…”

    “I just have a small point… really small…”

    (And if you’re anything like me,

    you recognize those sentences in yourself too.

    Yes, I’m looking at you. And at me.)

    And here comes the truth,

    the kind that sometimes stings

    like a metal chair in a conference room:

    The courage to speak up isn’t about raising your volume.

    It’s about raising your intent.

    You don’t need to shout.

    You don’t need to demand.

    You don’t need to give a speech.

    Sometimes courage sounds like a short sentence,

    said calmly,

    at the exact moment everyone was hoping

    someone would be willing to say

    what everyone else was already feeling.

    And sometimes courage sounds like this instead:

    “Let’s talk about this one-on-one.”

    Because here’s the truth:

    the courage to speak up isn’t about

    who spoke the loudest,

    but about who chose the right arena.

    When you say the right thing,

    in the right way,

    to the right person,

    in the right room

    your message passes through layers of defense

    as if they were a thin curtain,

    not a fortified wall.

    And then something beautiful happens:

    Your team doesn’t just hear you.

    They feel you.

    In their chest. In their gut.

    In the place where real change is born.

    And this

    this is the first kind of courage

    that separates

    a manager who gets work done

    from a leader who actually moves people.

    Before you scroll on, pause for a moment and ask yourself:

    If today you removed just one

    “only if that’s okay…”

    and replaced it with one clear sentence of truth

    what would you talk about?

    (Don’t answer me.

    Answer yourself.

    That’s where the courage muscle starts to grow.)

    Next post, we’ll move on to the second kind of courage:

    the courage to trust.

    The one that decides whether you keep holding

    357 tasks by yourself,

    or finally start building a team

    that actually walks with you.

    (Hint: it takes more courage than it looks.)

  • 💊 When There’s No Meaning, Compassion Gets Stuck in the System

    A little while ago, I went through a minor medical procedure.

    Nothing dramatic until the pain showed up.

    And it didn’t just visit… it moved in.

    I asked for painkillers.

    “No problem,” they said.

    They just needed to open a file, get the doctor’s signature,

    have the nurse approve it

    and make sure all the stars in the universe lined up.

    My wife fierce as a lioness went to the reception desk.

    But the clerk wasn’t there.

    She called her name a few times.

    When she finally came, she was in the middle of a chat with a friend.

    “I’m busy for a moment,” the clerk said.

    My wife, gentle but firm, the kind of gentle that comes

    from watching someone you love twist in pain

    insisted she finish the call and open my file.

    From there, it turned into a pilgrimage of signatures,

    forms, approvals, and waiting.

    Almost an hour until I finally got something

    to take the edge off the pain.

    An hour that never should’ve happened.

    I lay there

    not angry, not complaining

    just thinking.

    If that clerk only realized

    that for her it was “just another file,”

    but for me it was another unnecessary sting of pain

    everything would have looked different.

    Not because she didn’t care,

    but because no one ever explained

    what helping really means.

    And it’s exactly the same in organizations.

    When people don’t understand the meaning behind their actions,

    they stop seeing the person and start seeing the procedure.

    Because when there’s no meaning,

    compassion gets stuck in the system.

    So tell me

    in your team,

    do they understand the procedures,

    or the people behind them?

    Because real leadership begins right there

    in that moment you realize

    that behind every “just another request,”

    there’s someone waiting to be seen.

  • “We Sat. We Talked. We Almost Threw Punches.”

    Okay, not really.

    But you know that silence in a meeting

    when everyone’s eyes are screaming?

    I was leading a brand-new management team.

    Some were seasoned veterans with tons of experience.

    Others were new, sharp, hungry.

    A winning mix?

    On paper, yes.

    In practice? More like putting peanut butter on sushi—interesting, but… it doesn’t exactly go down easy.

    There were arguments.

    Drama.

    Hallway chatter.

    Small tensions that turned into big stories.

    Every discussion felt like a fight.

    Every decision, a vote of no confidence.

    Something had to give.

    And then something simple happened:

    we opened a process.

    Not a box-checking, corporate exercise.

    A real one.

    One that taught us how to give feedback.

    How to stop shooting and start talking.

    Feedback not as a reaction, but as a tool.

    Not just to vent, but to move things forward.

    Slowly, things shifted.

    The energy balanced out.

    Fights turned into conversations.

    The cynicism cooled down.

    And those eyes stopped screaming.

    The insight?

    Conflict doesn’t disappear.

    It just changes form.

    And when people learn how to argue,

    they also learn when to compromise.

    So here’s the question:

    Does your team know how to fight to get stronger?

    Or are they just fighting?

  • Quick change? That only works in a microwave.

    Consultants flew in from overseas.

    Slick slides.

    A big vision.

    A one-year plan and voilà! Operational excellence.

    Sounds impressive, right?

    But then I looked around.

    My people were barely keeping up with the day-to-day.

    Line breakdowns.

    Customers pushing hard on the phone.

    Marketing pushing discounts.

    Sales making promises we couldn’t deliver on.

    And in the middle of all that?

    Learn a whole new system?

    Change the entire workflow?

    Achieve excellence?

    I told myself:

    “They saw the plan.

    I see the people.”

    And I really saw them.

    Running from meeting to email,

    Exhausted. Confused. Stressed.

    Going through the motions of change just trying to survive the day.

    So I did something no management book teaches.

    I opened the contract.

    I scaled back the consulting.

    And I extended the timeline by a year and a half.

    Yes, a year and a half.

    Because real change doesn’t happen under pressure.

    There are no magic tricks.

    You can’t buy it in a deck of slides.

    Real change happens

    when the pace matches the heartbeat of your organization.

    Ever tried to push a change too fast

    and the system just spit it back out?

  • 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.

  • 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!

  • Setting Boundaries: Why Managers Must Learn to Disconnect

    📌 Post 7 in the Time Management for Managers Series

    In management, there’s a hidden trap: the expectation to always be available—respond immediately, solve every issue, and keep a constant pulse on everything 24/7.

    The result? Work seeps into every free moment—at the expense of personal time, family, and the mental clarity needed for deep thinking.

    Why is this dangerous?

    • You get pulled into work late at night—leading to burnout.

    • Your brain never truly disconnects—reducing clarity and creativity.

    • Your team learns that constant availability is the norm—and everyone ends up exhausted.

    How to set smart boundaries?

    1️⃣ Define clear working hours – No emails at 2 AM.

    2️⃣ Block time in your calendar – Reserve slots for critical tasks and personal time. What’s not in your calendar won’t happen.

    3️⃣ Lead by example – When you maintain balance, your team learns it’s okay for them too.

    Want to turn this into a habit?

    I’ve created a free guide on time management for managers, packed with practical tools and a bi-daily tip series to help you apply them.

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

    Right now the guide is in Hebrew only.

    How do you set your boundaries as a manager? Share your thoughts in the comments!

  • “I Don’t Have Time to Think” – The Biggest Risk for Managers

    📌 Post 5 in the Time Management for Managers Series

    Management feels like an endless race of tasks, emails, meetings, and urgent issues… but wait, stop for a second—does this sound familiar?

    🤯 When was the last time you had time to truly think?

    Many managers realize that they’re so busy reacting to events that they can’t find time for strategic thinking, developing new ideas, or even just stepping back to see the bigger picture.

    🔹 The Problem:

    When every day is packed with tasks, meetings, and urgent issues that never stop…

    🚨 There’s no time to pause and think.

    🚨 There’s no time to plan ahead—so you just keep reacting day by day.

    🚨 Even decision-making becomes reactive—because there’s no time to consider better alternatives.

    📌 How do you break this cycle?

    In the Time Management Guide for Managers, I explain exactly how to carve out time for thinking, how to protect it so it doesn’t get swallowed by urgent tasks, and how to turn it into a regular habit—so you can manage instead of just reacting.

    📥 Download it here:

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

    (Currently, the guide is available in Hebrew only. If enough people are interested, I’ll create an English version. If that interests you—let me know in the comments or send me a private message!)

  • Lead or Execute? Why Managers Struggle to Delegate Tasks

    📌 Post 4 in the Time Management for Managers Series

    Many managers fall into the same trap:

    “I’ll just do it myself; it’ll be faster.”

    Or:

    “If I want it done right, I should do it myself.”

    🤦‍♂️ And what happens in reality?

    Their schedule fills up with execution-level tasks, while the strategic ones—the ones that truly make an impact—get pushed aside.

    🔹 Delegating tasks is not about offloading work—it’s a managerial skill

    Delegation isn’t about “getting rid of tasks”; it’s about managing effectively:

    ✅ When you delegate correctly, you don’t just free up time—you develop your team.

    ✅ When you insist on doing everything yourself, you become a bottleneck that slows everyone down.

    ✅ When you fail to delegate, you send a message to your team: “I don’t really trust you.”

    📌 So how do you do it right?

    Many managers struggle with how to delegate tasks without things falling through the cracks.

    📘 In the Time Management Guide for Managers, I explain how to delegate tasks smartly, avoid common mistakes, and build a more independent team.

    🔵 If you’re serious about managing your time effectively and want practical tools to apply—I’ve created a free guide just for managers.

    Plus, you’ll receive a bi-daily tip series to help you turn insights into real habits.

    📥 Download here –

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

    (Currently, the guide is available in Hebrew only. If there’s enough interest, I’ll create an English version. If that’s something you’d like—let me know in the comments or via private message!)