The Manager Track

In this episode, we have a very special guest joining us, Dr. Paul White. Dr. White is a renowned psychologist, speaker, and leadership expert, and he's here to shed light on a topic that often gets overlooked but is crucial for a productive and thriving work environment - appreciation. Join us as we dive into the 5 Languages of Appreciation at Work, based on Dr. White's bestselling book co-author...

This is your sign that you've been putting off that difficult conversation long enough. This is a re-release of one of the most popular episodes of The Manager Track podcast. Now's your chance to prepare for it, then power through it. Trust me, this is one you don't want to miss! ___________________________________ Most of us dread the difficult conversations we know we should have but would reall...

Warren Buffett once famously said, 'If you can't communicate, it's like winking at a girl in the dark - nothing happens.' This humorous analogy holds a valuable lesson, especially when it comes to numbers. No matter what industry you are in, chances are high that at some point in your career you will have to convey complex information through numbers. While not everyone is naturally adept at this,...

If you're feeling frustrated and overwhelmed by the lack of team engagement in your remote and hybrid work environments, then you are not alone! Despite your efforts to encourage collaboration, you may be encountering disengaged or siloed team members. It's time to address these challenges head-on by intentionally implementing effective strategies to boost team engagement in your remote and hybrid...

Traditional models of leadership are often presented as cookie-cutter frameworks, but the reality is that true leadership isn't so clear-cut. In fact, the best way to lead lies within the gray zone, the middle ground along the spectrum of two different leadership models. The key realization for leaders is that there is no single "right" way to lead. It's about finding a give-and-take, striking a b...

Have you ever wondered questions like, "Should I leave or should I stay?" "Would it be better if I had a different job?" "When can I finally get promoted?" Well, you are not alone. With the great reshuffle in full force, it seems like those questions are common for many, and even if you haven't thought about it, one of your directs might have. So in this episode I want to dig deeper into the theme...

In this episode of The Manager Track Podcast, host Ramona Shaw talks about the importance of creating 'Calendar White Space' and its impact on leadership effectiveness. She explains why it's crucial for leaders to carve out this space for strategic thinking and cross-departmental projects, offers concrete strategies for doing so, and shares the benefits this practice brings. Check it out here: htt...

"Toxic" isn't just a buzzword, it's a very real way to describe behaviors and situations that are detrimental, both in and out of the workplace. This has been one of the most popular episodes of The Manager Track podcast. Since so many people have found it helpful, I thought I should share it again as a re-release. As more and more people begin to return to the office, this may even be a good one...

In this episode of The Manager Track Podcast, host Ramona Shaw discusses the concept of 'Overdone Strengths' and how it impacts leadership effectiveness. She offers insights on why it's critical to understand this concept for self-awareness and leadership development, provides concrete examples, and shares some strategies for recognizing and managing those overdone strengths. Check it out on the w...

Imagine this... Emma, a leader of a product team, was known for her exceptional leadership skills and her unwavering commitment to her team's success. She possessed a unique quality that set her apart from other leaders—assertiveness. In team meetings, Emma always made it a point to actively listen to her colleagues' ideas and opinions. However, she didn't shy away from expressing her own thoughts...

This is a re-release of one of the most popular episodes of The Manager Track podcast. If you've ever struggled with things analysis paralysis, overthinking, or just plain 'ol stinkin' thinkin' then this episode is for you. ____________________________________________ When we think something over and over again, our thoughts quickly become patterns and those patterns then turn into beliefs. Now be...

If you've been leading people for a while then you've been through some ups and downs as a manager. And you know that to expand your scope of impact and influence in your career, you need to continuously and consistently strengthen your ability to lead yourself and others. This includes… having clear processes to hire, develop, and retain top talent, practicing behaviors that foster high-trust rel...

We all have those tasks on our to-do lists that we dread and often find ourselves procrastinating on. Whether it's making difficult phone calls, organizing messy files, or tackling challenging projects, these tasks can be a source of frustration and hinder our progress. Waiting for motivation to strike is an unreliable approach, but by implementing consistent strategies, you can conquer procrastin...

Today, we're tackling a common dilemma: what should you do when you're expected to assume a leadership role, but deep down, you're not sure you're ready for the role, or you're just not interested? Earlier last week, I came across a post on Reddit by someone seeking advice on their situation at work. Her boss was soon retiring, but she was having a difficult time getting others to believe that she...

Inevitably at some point we will fail, but that is part of pursuing new opportunities. The important part is that we take the time to learn from our failures so that we can grow as leaders. As a first-time manager back in 2011 and now as a coach, trainer, and podcast host, I have experienced my fair share of failures. But I try to look for and use the challenges to learn and improve. I never would...

Many of the issues, inefficiencies, and interpersonal conflicts we experience in the workplace can be traced back to a lack of trust between people. But how do we build trust in our teams? In this episode of The Manager Track podcast, I am joined by Doug Thorpe to discuss some common barriers to building trust, the importance of psychological safety, and how you as a leader can begin influencing t...

As a manager, delivering disappointing news to an employee who was expecting a promotion but didn't receive one can be difficult. Retaining and supporting employees in this situation is crucial, especially if you want to prevent them from considering other job opportunities as recruiting messages start landing in their inbox on LinkedIn. In my coaching conversations with clients, the topic of empl...

Struggles with time management are not rooted in a lack of knowledge, information, or any kind of perfect secret strategy. You have already taken the courses, listened to podcasts, read books, and with all of this newfound knowledge you can still struggle with time management if you don't first uncover and address the underlying causes. It is the lack of implementation that causes this frustrating...

Over the last 4 years, we've built and evolved our new manager training program called the Leadership Accelerator and I took some time to reflect on the key insights learned during that time. In this episode, we'll discuss: Peer support vs. individual learning Mindset vs. skill training Good leadership vs. right leadership Isolated training vs. integrated training — RESOURCES MENTIONED — Take the...

You might be surprised by this title. I don't think I talk much about feminine leadership traits or women in leadership and so forth, although I do coach a lot of women on specific topics such as being the only woman or working in a male-dominated environment. One of the things that prompted me to record this episode is that there are a lot of older books around the topic of leadership that were w...

How do you balance control and trust? This is the dilemma of micromanagement. While micromanaging is not a good leadership style it can be used as an effective time-limited and targeted management tool when a situation calls for it. In this episode of The Manager Track Podcast, I will be sharing when you should micromanage, and how to do it well so that it is not being perceived negatively by dire...

We've all been there: feeling like we're just repeating the same mistakes or not retaining the things we have heard. But what if you took a lesson from those experiences, rather than letting them slip away? On this episode of The Manager Track podcast, I'll show how creating and using your very own leadership playbook is the key to advancing in your career! Discover when and why it's useful as wel...

In this episode of the Manager Track Podcast, I'm joined by Atlas Aultman. Atlas is not only one of the top 150 speakers in the nation but a recent #1 best-selling author with his leadership books for kids. He has also received several bronze star metals in the military and is a former White House Military Officer of the Year. Listen in as he shares a lot of thoughts, controversial ideas, and sugg...

All managers will sooner or later end up in situation where they have to manage an underperformer. And these situations can be tricky. Many of my clients have asked me how to best navigate these situations but before we can talk about the "action plan" we have to understand the reasons why the underperformance occurs. In this episode of the Manager Track podcast, I will share the 4 reasons for und...

In this episode of the Manager Track podcast, we're going to talk about how you plan for and use your time, and how some decisions that you make about your time may actually slow down people on your team. Reflection Questions for you and your team: How do I spend my time and is it in alignment with my key priorities? What do I do that slows me down that I might not be aware of? Am I following thro...