www.canadianlawyermag.com/inhouse 37
achieved an ideal state.
The point is not to inflate egos, but to provide
positive feedback and let people know that their
outstanding work is not going unnoticed.
Leaders gain the team's trust by being open
and approachable through actions, not empty
words. Give everybody equal access, offer real
feedback and show no favourites. Do that
consistently and thoughtfully and you won't have
to tell people you're accessible. No joke.
Brian de Haaff is the co-founder and CEO of Aha!
and the author of Lovability. His two previous
companies were acquired by well-known
public corporations. De Haaff writes and speaks
about product and company growth and the
adventure of living a meaningful life. For
more information, visit aha.io.
immediate attention, don't wait to start a
conversation. Be direct and specific with your
language and your recommendations. Doing so
builds trust, making it more likely for people to
come to you the next time they want an honest
and productive perspective.
Ask questions
Be curious about the actual work
your team is doing but also about
attitudes toward it, difficulties and any
surprising learnings along the way. Take
advantage of all your means of communica-
tion — collaborative workspaces, instant
messages, video chats. Be inquisitive. You
won't need an open-door policy if you go to
your team with questions instead of waiting
for them to come to you.
Stay responsive
If somebody comes to you with a
question or request, do you get back
to them quickly? Pushing concerns to the side
sends a signal that your team members need
to go somewhere else for answers — that,
essentially, your door is shut.
Yes, everyone is busy. But being accessible
and responsive lets your teammates know that
you care to help.
Recognize effort
Research shows that people are
reluctant to ask for help when they
have a problem. I would guess that even more
stay silent when they've done something
great. Call out strong efforts and perfect
moments — those instances when somebody
