Management is an inexact science. You have a team meeting to announce a change you think is good news, and end up doing a week of damage control. You think you give a team a strong talking to, and they are thrilled to be have “pressure put on them”. Employees, bosses, colleagues and clients state their needs and wants, then change their minds. It’s trial, error, retrial, success, returning to error and back to success. It’s not dull.

But today I learned a simple yet valuable management lesson. Buying ice cream for the whole team just when they’re getting the 4 PM munchies is a good idea. I never would have thought that was all it would take to make 35 adults shout with glee, but there you have it.