The Modern Manager

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...

We often refer to close knit or strong company cultures as families. In fact, research shows that lessons from effective family relationships can help us build healthier workplace relationships.  Today’s guest is Dave Schramm. Known as “Dr. Dave” on campus and across the country, Dave is a professor and family life extension specialist at Utah State University in the department of Human Developmen...

When most people think about gender in the workplace, they think about women. But men’s roles and expectations of behavior are quickly shifting, leaving some men confused or frustrated. Instead of focusing on the impact of gender on women, let’s consider preconceived notions about masculinity. When we open the conversation to include men, we create space for them to evolve into better leaders, man...

It can feel almost impossible to plan for the future when we’re unsure how next week will be, let alone a year from now. Yet, our organizations and teams need to continue charging ahead, making progress toward future goals. How can we create useful plans during times of uncertainty?  In this episode, I talk through various strategies to support team and individual planning during times of great un...

Many high performers have developed strategies that enable them to consistently work productively and effectively. We can all learn from these habits, tactics and approaches in order to enhance our own performance. Today’s guest is Siimon Reynolds. Siimon is a leading expert on high performance, in business and life, with more than 50 awards for excellence to his name, and a 30-year career owning...

As managers, we’d do well to remember that we succeed when our people succeed. It’s not always easy to know how we need to adjust our behavior - by stepping in or getting out of the way - but when you get it right, your people can truly flourish and accomplish great things. Today’s guest is John Eades. John is the CEO of LearnLoft, Author of Building the Best, and host of the Follow My Lead Podcas...

Inevitably you will experience moments of conflict among a team. Although most people are conflict avoidant, productive conflict enables a team to find new solutions and build stronger relationships. Learning to navigate conflict is a critical skill for every manager. In this episode, I speak with Susan Clarke, co-founder with her partner CrisMarie Campbell of thrive! Inc. and authors of The Beaut...

Every day we make thousands of decisions. Many of these are almost insignificant, but others can have major and long lasting impact on us, our teams, and our organizations. The ability to make high quality decisions as an individual and a team is an important competency for any manager. In this episode, I talk about the factors that inhibit us from making good decisions, approaches to counter thes...

Race, identity, bias...these are not easy topics for many Americans (or humans). For too long, we’ve allowed the status quo, which perpetuates inequity, to go unquestioned within our organizations - even when our hearts are in the right place. I, along with many other Americans, have only recently awakened to how racism undergirds our society and therefore has impacted us without our knowledge. It...

Discomfort is universally disliked, yet it is essential to growth. Just like a muscle can’t get stronger without the tension of lifting a weight, our skills and capabilities can’t develop without the tension and stress that come from stretching ourselves. In this episode, I speak with Bill Eckstrom. Bill is the founder and CEO of EcSell Institute, the world’s first and only organization to measure...

Politicking often gets a bad rap, prompting feelings of disgust or unease. But when done right, politicking can actually benefit everyone involved and feel good at the same time. How? Because politicking at its core is all about building good relationships.  In this episode, I speak with Chrisa Zindros Boyce. Chrisa has been a consultant, executive coach and educator with Handel Group since 2009....

Habits dictate anywhere from 40-80% of our daily actions, according to the top habit researchers. These behaviors occur with minimal conscious thought, enabling us to focus precious brain power elsewhere. The challenge is that most of our habits have developed organically and were shaped by factors other than our values, knowledge and goals.    In this episode, I share some of my favorite learning...

We’ve all heard it before. That little voice telling you that any moment now everyone is going to realize you have no idea what you’re doing. Or maybe it’s saying they’ll figure out you don’t really know what you’re talking about. Whatever your imposter syndrome says to you, it’s time to tell it to be quiet. In this episode, I speak with Todd Palmer. Todd is an executive coach, keynote speaker, re...

Asking for what you want or need is almost never easy. Whether it’s a raise, greater autonomy, more responsibility, or something else, it’s important to ask for what you want in order to do your best work. Plus,as managers,we need to enable our team members to ask us for what they need.  In this episode, I speak with AmyK Hutchens. AmyK is an international award-winning speaker, Amazon bestselling...

It’s been months of living in a COVID-restricted world. Remote work, limited public life, rising tensions, and mounting uncertainty, has taken its toll. Many managers and their team members are experiencing non-stop excess stress, overwhelm or are nearing burnout. This isn’t healthy or sustainable. In this episode, I speak with Peter Gourri. Peter is a qualified Executive & Business Mentor and...