The Modern Manager

If you’ve ever been part of a truly great team, it can feel like a bit of magic. It’s not easy for a group to find their rhythm and work seamlessly together. High performance, innovative ideas, and making an impact don’t happen by chance. But with the right approach and a bit of alchemy, your team can feel like gold. Today’s guest is Steven Cardinale. Steven is a seasoned software entrepreneur and...

So much of managing people is the same because humans have the same fundamental needs and desires. It’s important for all managers to provide appropriate levels of autonomy, foster their team’s professional growth, and support their people by providing guidance and helping to remove roadblocks. But as you move up in the hierarchy, there are a few important nuances that can help you better focus yo...

Too often we are knowers instead of learners. Yet as knowers, we close down conversations, dis-incentivize sharing information or perspectives, and risk the health of our team and organization. To be a learner requires us to accept that we don’t know everything and, just as important, that our team members often know more than we do. When we cultivate a relationship based on caring and curiosity,...

Most often, when we think about managing, we think about our direct reports. Yet, our boss plays a critical role in our success. Learning to manage up can help make your work experience easier while enabling everyone to win. In this episode I speak with Dee Ann Turner. Dee Ann is a 35-year veteran in identifying, selecting, and growing talent. She has unparalleled insight and experience in talent...

No one wants to be part of a team where they don’t feel like they fit in. But hiring for ‘culture fit’ has lots of unintended consequences. So how do we hire great people who will thrive within our team or organization without relying on ‘that good feeling you got during the interview’? Today’s guest is Bretton Putter. Brett is an expert in company culture development who is consulted by companies...

We often hear companies talk about investing in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). But what do those terms really mean? And how can we as managers support DEI regardless of how our organization is approaching it? In this episode, I share my definitions of diversity, equity and inclusion, and allyship. I explain some of the fundamentals so you can cultivate an inclusive and equitable environme...

With the end of COVID coming into sight, now is an ideal time to plan for a team retreat that can help people reconnect after a long year of physical distancing or isolation. Whether you’re able to gather in person or limited to a virtual retreat due to COVID or geography, taking time to focus on relationships and team purpose can inspire and refuel us in powerful ways.  In this episode I speak wi...

It can be hard enough to motivate yourself sometimes, let alone your team members. But great managers know how to tap into a person’s internal motivations in ways that maximize impact without the need for external carrots or sticks. Today’s guest is Matt Granados. Matt has spent his life as an entrepreneur so when he was told by a fortune 100 Company that the system he used to manage his life (per...

At this moment, we’re more than a year into the pandemic. Many of us have become accustomed to the added stress of living in isolation, not taking real vacations, not having the outlets of fun we used to have. This, combined with our intense workloads and home lives, with the promise of this all being over in just a few more months, is wearing many of us down. Burnout is nothing new, but if people...

Most people think of meetings as an event - the time we’re gathered together in a physical or virtual room. But meetings are actually a cycle that consists of three phases - before, during and after. Too often meetings are unproductive due to a lack of proper preparation by both the meeting leader and participants. Yet, by spending a few minutes designing a thoughtful agenda, developing appropriat...

Our modes of communication have grown seemingly exponentially over the past few decades. From email to texting, Slack to Zoom, we’re communicating faster than ever before. Yet, even with the combination of tools at our disposal, there are still moments when none of them are quite right.  While you might be thinking, oh no, not another communications app , consider this: We have yet to harness the...

Many people struggle to make decisions when we have competing interests. It can be hard to navigate the needs of various stakeholders along with our own emotions and desires. Instead of getting lost in confusion, we need a step by step approach that facilitates us to think through the different dimensions and discover the solution that creates a win-win-win. Today’s guest is Timothy Yen. Tim is a...

Diversity, equity and inclusion trainings are unfortunately often aimed at helping white people understand unconscious bias, microaggressions and managing white fragility. While these are important aspects of any company’s DEI journey, it’s important to also attend to the needs and experience of people of color, who have experienced the impact of these. Today’s guest Dr. Omolara Uwemedimo. Omolara...

Questions are one of the most useful tools that managers can use. Questions can unlock new thinking, show support, strengthen relationships, and much more. Learning to ask the right questions can enhance any manager’s leadership capability.  In this episode, I walk through different types of questions to ask and how to ask them so you cultivate trust and solicit answers that move work forward prod...

Like most things in life, moderation is key. This is particularly true of urgency. When everything is urgent, either we can’t distinguish what’s really urgent or we burn out trying to do it all.  Today’s guest is Brandon Smith. Brandon is a leading expert in leadership communication and curer of workplace dysfunction. Known as “The Workplace Therapist,” Brandon is a sought-after executive coach, T...

There are many forms of intelligence, but EQ, emotional intelligence, may be one of the most important for managers. Our ability to accurately “read” and interpret the emotional state of our colleagues gives us an advantage when it comes to motivating, supporting, and engaging with our team members. Additionally, our ability to recognize our own emotions and respond intentionally instead of automa...

If you’re listening to this podcast, you likely are or aspire to be a great manager. But what if those around you don’t have the same appreciation for being a positive influence on the team? Sometimes, we find ourselves in the unlucky position of working with a toxic boss or employee. In these cases, it’s important to do what you can to manage the unhealthy dynamic, protect yourself, and know when...

For far too long accountability was measured by time in the office or goals met. As we’ve shifted to virtual work, “face-time” in the office has all but disappeared as a proxy for accountability. Focusing on goals is critical, but only part of the picture. As managers, we must consider the fuller scope of a person’s performance. Holding people accountable and supporting them to be successful is an...

Most of us are terrible at estimating how long work will take. For any given task, that may not matter. But if you’re trying to plan your week or create a project plan with your team, the lack of accurate forecasting can become a major point of frustration and stress. In this episode I talk with Jessica Katz. Jessica’s organization, Liberated Elephant, provides Agile coaching and change management...

Process documentation often feels like a burden. Who has time to write down all the steps, detailed instructions, with screenshots, no less. In reality, we often spend more time communicating and fixing process issues because of a lack of documentation. Sharing information verbally makes it hard to remember and leaves no path for future reference. When you document your processes, you open the doo...

Daily routines are a powerful way to increase productivity and improve overall well-being. When designed well, a routine will help us quickly get into the right mindset and achieve our goals, whether those be physical, mental, emotional or spiritual.  In this episode, I share my four daily routines as examples of my goals and activities that help me start and end my day effectively. I also review...

In Genesis 12:2 God says, “You are blessed and you shall be a blessing.” This particular interpretation is a modern read, but one that is quite interesting to consider in the context of contemporary life regardless of your faith orientation, or lack thereof. What does it mean to be a blessing to your team members? How can we approach being a manager as if it’s our chance to elevate and honor our c...

You might say that a manager’s central job is to help their team members become their best selves. When we help our colleagues live up to their potential and optimize their strengths, we can achieve the magic combination of high performance and satisfaction.   Today’s guest is David Hassell. David is a serial entrepreneur, business columnist, and speaker, who believes that when leaders support the...

Emotions are useful information if only we know how to understand and navigate them. When we take the time to become ‘emotion scientists’ and explore what it really is that we, or our colleagues, are feeling, we open doors to stronger relationships, better decisions, and healthier lives.    This week, I share what I learned from the book Permission to Feel by Marc Brackett. I cover the RULER proce...

Working with family or close friends might seem like a recipe for disaster. But, when approached with clarity and open communications, it can be a highly rewarding experience for everyone. Today’s guest is Chris Prefontaine. Chris is the founder of Smart Real Estate Coach, host of the Smart Real Estate Coach Podcast and best selling author of 2017’s Real Estate on Your Terms and this year’s The Ne...