When you become a manager for the first time, you often want to do well by being attentive, and creating a good atmosphere in the team. But this is where the most common mistake among new managers lies: wanting to be “nice” rather than being clear.
Trying to please at the expense of clarity
A manager who seeks to be liked quickly risks complacency. They avoid setting boundaries, hesitate to give demanding feedback, or remain vague about their expectations.
At the same time, a team without a clear management framework ends up drifting away from goals due to lack of direction.
If roles and responsibilities are not clearly defined, everyone works in their own way without coordination. And the result is decreased performance, internal tensions, and a manager that constantly has to pick up the pieces.
How does setting a managerial tone transform a team?
Adopting a clear, consistent, and aligned managerial tone creates a secure environment for people to work in:
- The team becomes more autonomous because everyone knows what is expected of them.
- Problems surface faster, without fear.
- Exchanges are direct and fluid, without hidden meanings.
- The manager has a real lever on collective dynamics, instead of playing firefighter or confidant.
Being overly sympathetic to your team without setting boundaries will only bring you immediate satisfaction. But when you’re forced to tighten the screws, your management approach will fail.
In short, clarity liberates: it gives the space your team needs, whilst also setting expectations, boundaries, and objectives.
How do you define a clear management framework?
An effective management framework is not improvised. It is based on an explicit and thoughtful process.
Here are two essential pillars to establish:
Choosing the right forms of communication
It’s not just about “communicating more” but about communicating better. Depending on what is best for you and your team. This means choosing the right form of communication channels:
- Individual or team meetings
- Formal or informal check-ins
- In-person or remote exchanges
Setting a clear objective for each interaction
Each interaction must address a specific need, whether it is about strategic alignment, operation follow-up or performance feedback. It is vital that you remain consistent in the way you build up your exchanges over the long term.
Example: If you’re used to giving negative feedback face-to-face, never do it in a videoconference. Similarly, if your employees are used to receiving their operation follow-up as part of a group meeting, don’t start doing it individually.
Without a clear purpose, meetings become a waste of time. With a well-thought structure, they become a powerful management tool.
My method: putting facts back at the centre of management
I always start from a simple principle:
“The team’s performance reflects the managerial framework.“
This framework is the tone you, as a manager, choose to set via your actions. It must be:
- Aligned with your true personality
- Consistent with the company’s goals
Our method rests on three pillars: ORGANIZE, COMMUNICATE, EVALUATE.
Often, managers struggle with the last pillar: EVALUATE. Because negative feedback is avoided out of fear of confrontation. It’s by having these “difficult” conversations that you become a true leader. Not by being harsh, but by putting facts at the centre of the discussion.
This allows you to:
- Clarify unmet expectations
- Name blocking behaviours
- Give everyone a chance to improve
All this without excessive emotion or unnecessary stress, but with a clear objective: to help the team grow.
Being a good manager isn’t about being “cool” or “nice” at all costs. It’s about being fair, clear, and providing structure.
To go further and develop your management skills at the highest level, discover my management tone program for C-Level Executives.
