* Transparency is very important in the relationship with your team. When you communicate with authenticity and aren’t afraid to have hard conversations, your team respects that. * All too often, businesspeople treat technical teams like they won’t or can’t understand business fundamentals. While business may not be their passion, many people in technical roles understand core concepts and appreciate being included in strategy and similar conversations. * 1:1’s are one tool by which you build rapport and trust with your team. Making the team feel safe in bringing up areas where they are in need is a critical part of 1:1’s. This authentic conversation is unlikely to be able to be had in the open office environment, and the privacy of a 1:1 can elicit more candor. Team members shouldn’t be afraid to criticize their managers, and a manager’s empathy is important in recognizing and acting on these criticisms. * I believe that my direct reports should do 75% of the speaking in a 1:1. It’s important to be an active listener during these conversations. * Example: X at (FAANG company)was a very strong personality and created large conflicts. I shadowed his meetings to serve as a reminder to communicate with respect. Part of his OKRs were team sentiment and motivation.