Erin Miller
Chief People Officer
Terra Dotta
Episode 232
Beyond Micromanagement: How Trust and Autonomy Drive High-Performing Teams
Current chapter: Covering monthly expenses is the number one concern for employees in 2024
Built By PeopleApril 15, 2025 · 7:49
Thesis
“Empowering employees through trust and autonomy, framed by clear goals and guardrails, is crucial for fostering performance and reducing stress for managers. HR professionals must prioritize self-awareness and self-care to effectively lead and mediate.”
Show notes
Navigating HR Leadership: Insights from Erin Miller's Career Journey
In this episode of the Built by People podcast sponsored by Previ, the host welcomes Erin, an HR executive, who shares her career journey from sales to becoming an HR professional at the Motley Fool.
Erin discusses the importance of trust and autonomy for first-time managers, recognizing and managing biases, and self-awareness for HR professionals.
She also highlights stress management differences between seasoned and first-time managers, and the significance of self-reflection practices.
Erin emphasizes the balance between giving team autonomy while maintaining oversight and concludes with parting advice on self-care and enjoying work.
00:00 Introduction to the Built by People Podcast
00:16 Sponsor Message: Financial Well-being with Previ
00:44 Guest Introduction: Erin's Career Journey
01:53 The Power of Trust in Management
03:12 Recognizing and Managing Biases in HR
04:11 Differences Between Seasoned and First-Time Managers
05:10 Self-Reflection Techniques for HR Professionals
06:21 Balancing Trust and Accountability in Teams
06:54 Parting Advice for HR Professionals
07:38 Conclusion and Farewell
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What you'll take away
- 1First-time managers often resort to micromanagement under stress; seasoned managers demonstrate self-regulation and empower their teams through trust.
- 2Effective leadership involves setting clear goals and guardrails, then granting autonomy to allow individuals to achieve those goals in their own ways.
- 3HR professionals must 'start with self' by understanding their biases, blind spots, and triggers through practices like journaling, therapy, and assessments.
- 4Balance trust with accountability: 'trust but verify' in high-stakes situations, but allow for full experimentation and runway when stakes are low.
- 5Self-care, including good sleep, nutrition, and exercise, is essential for HR professionals to show up holistically and steadily in challenging situations.
What most organizations get wrong
- •Instead of 'doubling down' and micromanaging when teams aren't performing, leaders should give people time and get out of their way, trusting them with autonomy.
In Erin's words
“your name has come up as a trusted confidant for our employees and we wanna test having you join our people team. That was my accidental falling into HR and work with people.”
Illustrates how an innate ability to build trust can organically lead into an HR career.
“Encouraging first-time managers and even long-term managers to set goals, set the guardrails, but then give people time and get out of their way and see what they can do when you give that give some of that trust and autonomy to them.”
This quote encapsulates her core philosophy on effective management and empowerment.
“And so I always encourage HR professionals or people managers to really start with self, understand what are their strengths, what are areas where they might feel triggered, and be able to work through those before you go into situations where you might have to mediate.”
Highlights the critical importance of self-awareness for HR leaders in their mediation roles.
“In my experience, a lot of first-time managers, when they start to feel stressed or maybe their team isn't performing in a way that they want them to, their response typically is micromanagement, doubling down, trying to gain control. And I think with more seasoned managers, they self-regulate.”
Clearly contrasts the reactive approach of new managers with the calm, empowered style of experienced leaders.
“I think everyone needs therapy. If you don't have a therapist, get one. The other thing, all kidding aside, I do a lot of journaling.”
A candid and direct recommendation for personal well-being and self-reflection tools.
“trust but verify in the high-stakes moments. And for some of the lower stakes, maybe where there's a couple areas where if something gets messed up, it's not the end of the world, it can be fixed, cart launch, give people that full runway and just see what happens. Experiment when the stakes are low.”
Offers practical, nuanced advice on how to judiciously apply trust and accountability.
The problems this episode addresses
- •Employees' number one concern is covering monthly expenses (addressed by sponsor Previ).
- •First-time managers struggle with stress, leading to ineffective micromanagement tactics.
- •HR professionals need to manage personal biases and blind spots when mediating workplace conflicts.
- •Leaders seek the right balance between team autonomy and necessary oversight/accountability.
- •HR leaders often neglect self-care, impacting their ability to show up holistically and steadily for their organizations.
In this episode
Covering monthly expenses is the number one concern for employees in 2024
Built by People
And as a starting question, I always love to ask about your career journey
How My Career Journey Changed
Trust is particularly important for first-time managers
The Power of Praise and Trust for First-Time Managers
How can HR professionals better recognize and manage biases when acting as mediators
Bradley and Erin: Managing Conflict and Bias
When starting with self as an HR professional, what specific practices have you found most valuable
In the Elevator With Self-Reflection
Erin, how do you recommend HR leaders find the right balance between trust and accountability
How to Trust and Verify Your Team's Process
Topics covered
Organizations and entities mentioned
Full transcript
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