The Minimum Viable Manager framework starts with three practices: build trust, set clear expectations, and give feedback. In episode 61 of L&D Must Change, host Jess Almlie and guest Matt Gjertsen discuss how those fundamentals can guide new managers and the people who develop them—without treating leadership as a collection of complicated models to master first.
What the episode covers
“Simplifying Leadership Development,” episode 61 of L&D Must Change, centers on the Minimum Viable Manager mindset: start with the management practices that matter in everyday work, then improve them over time. The episode page describes a conversation about first-principles thinking, iteration rather than perfection, the shift into management, and the role of learning and development. Read the episode page and transcript excerpt.
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The episode is listed as released August 19, 2026, and running 58 minutes in the Libsyn directory.
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsThe three practices work as a loop
Build trust through connection
Trust is not a separate team-building exercise in this framework. It grows from strong connections with team members and from the way a manager works with them. That relationship makes it easier to discuss expectations and respond constructively when work needs to change.
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Make expectations explicit
Managers need to clarify both priorities—what matters now—and expectations for how the team will work together. If people have to guess what success looks like or which task takes precedence, feedback later may feel arbitrary. Clear expectations give the team a shared reference point.
Use feedback to adjust the work
Feedback connects day-to-day performance to those expectations. The episode description emphasizes making feedback a daily habit and asking for feedback before giving it. That makes feedback part of ongoing work rather than an event reserved for formal reviews, and it gives managers a chance to learn how their own actions are landing.
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Gjertsen describes the connection among these practices in a transcript excerpt on the episode page: “If you are building strong connections with your team members, if you are making it clear what the priorities are and what your expectations are for how you’re going to work together, and if you’re giving them feedback on those expectations, on the work that they’re doing, you are almost, one, I think you’re probably honestly going to be a better manager than most people have ever had.” The passage is presented there as an excerpt attributed to Gjertsen.
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Why the approach matters for new managers
Becoming a manager is a career change, not simply a promotion: the work shifts from delivering individual contributions to helping a team succeed. The episode’s focus on the transition makes the framework a practical starting point for people entering management, especially those who need to build new habits around communication and team development.
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It is also relevant to learning and development professionals responsible for manager development. The episode raises the question of how to teach fundamentals without burying new managers in complexity. Its answer is not that three practices amount to a complete theory of leadership, but that they provide a base to practice, observe, and refine.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Applying the ideas at work
- Build connection deliberately. Make time to understand team members and create regular opportunities for conversation.
- State priorities and working expectations. Explain what the team is focusing on and how you expect people to coordinate, communicate, and raise concerns.
- Give feedback close to the work. Relate it to the stated expectation or observed work, so the person can see what to continue or adjust.
- Ask for feedback on your management. Invite team members to tell you what is helping or hindering their work, then consider what to change.
- Iterate instead of waiting for perfection. Treat management as a practice: learn from what happens and make the next interaction clearer or more useful.
The episode also discusses combining in-person experiences with digital learning. It presents this as a topic in leadership development, not as evidence that one delivery format produces better outcomes. For a related practical guide, Page Two describes Gjertsen’s Minimum Viable Manager as covering trust, clear expectations, and effective feedback: view the publisher’s book page.
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- Author: Bungay Stanier, Michael.
- Publisher: Page Two
- Pages: 244
- Publication Date: 2016-02-29
- Edition: 1
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