People, Not Resources ❤️ A Valentine’s Reminder for Managers

Valentine’s Day is usually about flowers 💐, chocolates 🍫, and cute little cards with hearts and puns. But if you lead a team, here’s a different kind of love language to think about this week:

Respect. Care. Recognition. Support.

That’s what your team really wants. Not ping-pong tables or swag. Not another all-hands with shoutouts. And definitely not to be called resources. 🥴

“We’re getting some new resources soon...” 🧊

A few weeks ago, I heard that exact sentence. And it wasn’t the first time.

Even years ago, in a management training session, one aspiring manager proudly talked about his future “subordinates.” 🙄

I cringed so hard I felt bad for the team he didn’t even have yet.

These kinds of words slip out so easily in corporate settings. “Resources.” “FTEs.” “Headcount.” They’re everywhere. But language isn’t harmless.

It reflects how you think.

When you reduce people to logistics—units you plug into Jira tickets or OKRs—you’re missing the whole point of leadership.

Love is not transactional 💌

You wouldn’t call your partner a resource.
You wouldn’t say “I’ve allocated my affection across 3 stakeholders.”
You wouldn’t talk about velocity in your relationship. (At least I hope not.)

And yet, we do this with our teams all the time. We talk about people like puzzle pieces in a roadmap.

But people aren’t line items. They’re not burnable. They’re not interchangeable.

They’re human.

With dreams, stress, families, ambitions, and all the same complex emotions you have.

If you want to be a good manager, start there.

Management is an act of love 🫶

Not the romantic kind. But the kind that shows up consistently. That makes people feel safe. That lifts others up without needing credit.

If you’re a manager, your role isn’t to command and control—it’s to support and serve.

• You clear blockers.
• You protect people’s time and energy.
• You mentor, challenge, and advocate.
• You build an environment where people can actually enjoy their lives.

You don’t do it for metrics. You do it because it’s the right thing to do.

Humans over headcount 💝

This Valentine’s week, don’t send your team candy hearts.
Give them something better:

✨ Clear communication
✨ Trust and autonomy
✨ Realistic planning
✨ Empathy
✨ And the commitment to never call them “resources” again.

Because when we stop treating people like tools and start treating them like teammates, everything gets better.

Culture. Retention. Delivery. Life.

So yeah—show your team some love.
Not with chocolates.
With respect. 💗