Practical reading guides

Managing a small team: priorities, support and recognition

Start with the problem in front of you: competing requests, missing context or work that goes unnoticed. These guides give you a task to complete with your team and a record you can keep.

For employment terms, pay and safety questions, check the relevant rules and get advice about your situation before making changes.

Agree what happens next

Make competing demands visible and leave the next person enough context to act.

  1. Resolve conflicting priorities between employees

    Resolve competing requests with one visible priority list and a clear decision owner. Use a worked example to explain what goes first and what must wait.

    3 min read

  2. Create a useful handover when an employee is leaving

    Create an employee handover that preserves live jobs, deadlines and decision context. Use a simple board and test whether the replacement can find what matters.

    3 min read

Understand and acknowledge the work

Ask about support, notice contributions and give specific thanks.

  1. Recognise good work fairly in a small team

    Recognise employee contributions with specific, timely thanks. Use three worked examples and a visibility check for quiet, part-time and behind-the-scenes work.

    4 min read

  2. Use early check-ins to find onboarding gaps

    Use week-one and month-one onboarding questions to find missing support. Includes two check-in cards, a worked example and a simple record of agreed actions.

    3 min read

Make learning and instructions usable

Provide practice, a support person and instructions that make sense during the working day.

  1. Build a 30-day learning plan for a new employee

    Build a practical 30-day employee learning plan with a four-week matrix, observed tasks and named support. Adjust the pace without turning it into probation.

    3 min read

  2. Choose and brief an onboarding buddy

    Set up an onboarding buddy in a small team with a clear brief, time allowance and backup. Separate everyday help from supervision and management decisions.

    3 min read

  3. Explain workplace policies so new employees can use them

    Introduce workplace policies through everyday situations and short finding exercises. Check understanding, keep versions clear and avoid treating a signature as proof.

    3 min read