Red lines: what are your “non-negotiables” as a manager?

Much is made (quite rightly) of managers needing to be flexible and to accommodate team members’ reasonable requests for alternative working arrangements. For employees, these might be “red lines” that make the difference between them accepting (or staying in) a job or looking elsewhere.

But managers, too, need to have red lines – non-negotiables that all team members (including the manager themselves) are expected to comply with at all times. What are some of these? Are they different for different managers?

Behaviour and a sense of community

“Red lines are about being proactive and taking responsibility,” says Kirstie Loft CMgr FCMI, who works as the head of facilities and property for Kent Fire and Rescue Service. “If you are a help desk officer and a call comes in, I want you to find out as much information about the issue as possible before simply passing it on for someone else to deal with.”