My Circus, My Monkeys

Well it's August. Sigh. If you have a huge to-do list but not enough time or energy, check out this episode. Taking time out of the chaos to be mindful and replenish your energy is a must if you want to get ready for the fall without sacrificing your well being. In this episode, we'll go through a short, 9 minute, guided meditation that you can easily fit into your schedule to help keep...

We often get career advice that encourages us to become indispensable. This is both exhausting and keeps us from working on the big picture things we need to do as leaders. Instead, train your team well and empower them to solve problems and make decisions without you. Your role becomes focused on training, setting expectations, coaching when necessary, but allowing your team members to grow, deve...

It's almost August, so I'm sure you've got a huge to-do list to make sure the students have a smooth transition and are set up for a successful semester. But have you done the same for your team? In this episode, we're going to go through a checklist to make sure you're setting your team up for a successful semester.  The more engaged and productive your team is, the more...

We're taught to believe that we should be independent and do everything by ourselves. But the opposite is true. One of the five guiding principles of the CliftonStrengths framework is, "We need other people." As supervisors, we often forget this and feel like it's all on our shoulders. In this episode, we go into depth about why asking for help and delegating are actually bette...

Every year around this time, HR emails us reminding us it's time for the old annual reviews. Unfortunately, those reviews seem to just add stress without much benefit for us our our team members. Instead of rushing to get them done - trying to remember everything that happened over the course of a busy year, let's reimagine how we approach the annual review process. In this episode, we&a...

We're busy. We're stressed. Taking time to celebrate usually doesn't factor in to our priorities. But it should. In this episode, we begin a month of celebration for the birthday of this podcast! We also talk about why celebrating is so important. Celebrating isn't about having a party, it's about being grateful for what we have and how far we've come. It's about...

We all have talents. When we use them productively, they show up as Strengths. But when we don't use them so productively, they show up as weaknesses. When that happens, it generally means more stress for us. Sometimes we create more work for ourselves. Sometimes we get overly involved in our stories, which causes more stress. Either way, knowing more about how your talents are showing up, al...

If you're a supervisor, you've probably encountered your fair share of problems. Maybe problems are all you've recently been spending your energy on. In this episode, we're going to focus on the biggest problem all supervisors face. Once you've identified it, we'll talk about how you can treat that problem like an opportunity, and become an even more effective supervi...

If you use CliftonStrengths - or if you've been wondering what all the fuss is about - definitely listen to this episode. The Strengths framework can be an immensely powerful if you use it the intended way. In this episode, we talk about the five guiding principles of using CliftonStrengths so you get the maximum benefit. It will help you and your team be even more productive, positive, and c...

For most of us working in Higher Ed, the summer months are typically less crazy...at least less so than the academic year. Let's take advantage of this "down time" - lol - to invest in our wellbeing and start a new self care habit! In this episode, we'll talk about how to break down your new, desired behavior in a way that works with your brain and turn it into one of your auto...

What's really going on in our brains, as we try to sort out how to be a more effective supervisor? It's probably not what you think. We're in a field that focuses on growth and development, but most of us don't even understand how our brain learns and operates. In this short episode, we'll go deep to find out how our conscious and subconscious brain work together to keep u...

Are you overwhelmed at work? What about your team? From what I've seen, many folks in higher education are - especially supervisors. In this week's episode, I reflect about a period of overwhelm I recently had from two perspectives. When we're overwhelmed, we need to focus on both perspectives in order to move out of overwhelm into productivity and health.  If you’re listening to th...

Well-Being is another buzz word at work. It's important to be well across different areas of your life, like career, social, physical, etc. But how well are we right now - both collectively and as individuals? If you're not well, it impacts how well you supervise. If your team isn't well, it impacts how well they do their job. In this episode, we'll discuss how important it is...

The idea of coaching is fairly new in many fields. In this episode, we talk about how being a boss or even a supervisor isn't enough. Employees want coaching. We'll explore what coaching is vs. managing or supervising. We'll talk about the benefits of supervisors getting coach, as well as, coaching their own team.  If you’re listening to this podcast, you take your role as a leader...

We talk about burnout in our profession, but what exactly is it? How does it impact us? And what do we do to prevent it - or come back from it? In this episode, we talk about what burnout actually is, look more closely at whether you're close to burnout - if not already there, and what to do to protect yourself from the effects of burnout. We also talk about how important it is for supervisor...

Supervisors are pulled in so many directions it's hard to know where to focus. The most effective leaders invest in their talents. When you understand how your talents show up for you, you'll uncover who you are when you're at your best. In this episode, we’ll talk about how to discover what your Authentic Leadership Style is and how using one to stay focused as a supervisor can ben...

We all have goals. Goals can be helpful. They show us which direction to head. But lots of people have goals they never meet. In order to reach your goals, you need to have effective systems. In this episode, we talk about how your systems impact what you do on a daily basis. We also talk about how to assess your current systems, so you can make the adjustments you need to be more successful.  If...

In the last episode of our series on the four basic needs of followers, we'll look at hope's role in you and your team's wellbeing. We'll discuss how hope is connected to engagement and ways you can increase your teams sense of hope.  If you’re listening to this podcast, you take your role as a leader seriously. You want to be more effective. You want to lead your team to great...

The third basic need of followers, is stability. Without a sense of stability, people start to worry about what's going to happen and their brains go to fight or flight. When that happens, productivity and engagement go down. In this episode, we go deeper into the third of the four basic needs of followers. We talk about why it's so important, and ways you can create more stability for y...

In the third episode in our series on the four basic needs of followers, we discuss Compassion. We go into more depth about why compassion is so important, how it's connected to engagement, and ways to bring more compassion to your role as a supervisor.  If you’re listening to this podcast, you take your role as a leader seriously. You want to be more effective. You want to lead your team to...

Last week, we talked about the four basic needs of followers - trust, compassion, stability, and hope. This week, we're going into more depth on how important trust is and how you can better develop trust between you and your team members.  If you’re listening to this podcast, you take your role as a leader seriously. You want to be more effective. You want to lead your team to greater succes...

In these chaotic times, it's easy for us as supervisors to focus on what we need from our team so we can get all the things we need to do done. But as leaders, we need to make sure we're meeting the needs of our followers. When we don't, productivity, employee engagement, and employee retention suffer. In this episode, we'll talk about the four basic needs of followers and why...

It's interview season in Student Affairs! If you're job hunting, listen to this episode! If you're not job hunting, share this episode with folks you know who are. We'll talk about my top three tips to stand out in an interview by focusing on your talents. We'll also talk about the flip side for each of these tips - the biggest mistakes people make during an interview. If...

Performance management - making sure our team is meeting their objectives - is a crucial part of being a supervisor. Unfortunately, it often seems overwhelming when we think about setting expectations, coaching them, and holding folks accountable. The good news is it doesn't have to be so stressful! In this episode, we'll discuss how you can systemize the performance management piece so...

Happy Valentine's Week! When we think of Valentine's Day, we usually think of what we can give to others. In this week's episode, I have a gift for you and your team. I created a guided meditation designed to help you recharge and focus on how important it is for you to nurture yourself and your unique gifts, so you can bring your light to the world. There is a brief intro and and w...