Katherine, You are exactly correct! One of a manager’s primary responsibilities is to bring out the best in their team members by encouraging open dialog and respecting diversity. Checking to make sure your own internal voice is appropriate is a great place to start! One way to drive consensus is to establish meeting norms so that everybody knows what to expect and understands that they will have the opportunity to have their opinions heard. You are also spot on when you talk about the importance of recognition. Especially in today’s climate, praising one’s own accomplishments is often frowned upon. Many successful companies however, realize that enabling employees to express their accomplishments is good for them, the supervisor, and the company. For example, Intel requires employees to create a monthly “brag sheet” outlining their contributions to the team’s goals. This gives the employee an incentive to complete their tasks on time and helps the supervisor remember the team member’s contributions when it comes to evaluation time. Best of luck, Dr. Jamie Morley