"Small gestures create big shifts"

It started with a simple question.

“Do you think it’s a good idea?”

A software developer I worked with used to check everything with the Tech Lead before taking action. Every change, every small improvement, every spark of initiative, they’d ask if it was worth doing as they didn't want to waste anyone's time.

One day, instead of giving an opinion, I asked them that question.
They paused for a moment and said, “Yes, I think it’s a good idea.”
“Then it’s a good idea worth doing,” I replied.

Something changed after that.
They started making decisions on their own, thoughtful, confident ones. They took on more responsibility, and handled it well.
It wasn’t about giving them authority they didn’t have before. It was about helping them see the authority they already did.

That’s the human factor.

The book The Art of Happiness at Work speaks of how small gestures of trust and encouragement can transform how people feel at work, not by changing their role or salary, but by affirming their worth. When we show someone that we believe in their judgment, we help them believe in it too.

I think this is what leadership at its best looks like.
Not control, not reassurance, but belief.

It’s a small thing that's easy to overlook.
But for that developer, it changed everything.
And for me, it was a reminder that happiness at work often starts with being seen as capable, not managed into compliance.

Until next time,
Dermot
​The Messy Middle.

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