Having them feel heard helps. Actually solving some of the issues they raise helps a lot more.
I inherited a small department from another (over-committed) manager. Productivity and satisfaction has skyrocketed and I lay most of that purely on the fact that when we do one-on-one meetings, I'm realistic with people about what we can accomplish but whatever we agree is realistic actually gets followed up on. We're not just setting goals for them, but for me too, and I hold myself just as accountable to those goals as I hold them to their goals.
Someone who listens is a manager. Someone who listens and holds themselves accountable to making their employees able to be productive is a leader.
i think you hit the nail on the head here. some weeks, devs do just need a rant. but there's very few things as patronising as 1:1s when nothing changes. because then it's basically forced smalltalk with a nice little interruption. devs will notice this sooner or later, and morale suffers.
Having them feel heard helps. Actually solving some of the issues they raise helps a lot more.
I inherited a small department from another (over-committed) manager. Productivity and satisfaction has skyrocketed and I lay most of that purely on the fact that when we do one-on-one meetings, I'm realistic with people about what we can accomplish but whatever we agree is realistic actually gets followed up on. We're not just setting goals for them, but for me too, and I hold myself just as accountable to those goals as I hold them to their goals.
Someone who listens is a manager. Someone who listens and holds themselves accountable to making their employees able to be productive is a leader.