The Modern Manager

Dealing with change is a process for everyone, but why is it that sometimes we adapt quickly while other times it's almost painful and yet other times, despite our best intentions, the change doesn’t stick? Understanding various elements of how change happens and factors that influence change can make the process easier for yourself and others.    In this episode, I walk through seven factors that...

You’re probably familiar with the old saying, “do as I say, not as I do.” Unfortunately, when it comes to building a healthy team culture, how you act as a manager is significantly more important than the mission, vision or values you espouse. We must ‘walk our talk’ to ensure our team members see and feel our values, in addition to hearing them.  In this episode, I speak with Kit Krugman. Kit is...

Mindsets are powerful because they deeply impact our view and approach to managing a team. Yet, we are often unaware of the mindsets we hold and how they may be undermining our intent. When you understand a mindset and the fears, desires, and assumptions that it is grounded in, you can better align that mindset with your values and goals.  In this episode, I speak with Ryan Gottfredson. Ryan is a...

Research from 2012 showed that people of every generation were experiencing loneliness in growing numbers. At a time when so many people are feeling isolated due to COVID19, it’s more important than ever to find ways to connect with people and build bridges across generations.  In this episode, I speak with Hayim Herring. Hayim is a rabbi and Ph. D. in Organization and Management, and is CEO of Ha...

Goals. Such a small, yet powerful word. So much of our time and energy are spent in pursuit of our goals yet rarely do we pause to consider if we’ve established the right type of goal. In this episode, I talk through three core types of goals and how to use them to help you write better goals for yourself, your team, and your organization. The full episode guide includes an overview of each type o...

So much of what a manager does relies on good communication skills. Yet effective communication practices are not always obvious or intuitive. When managers become intentional about their communications, they can turbo-boost the effectiveness of their team members while strengthening relationships and trust.  In this episode, I speak with Alisa Cohn. Alisa is the world's top startup coach. She has...

I love solving people’s problems to make their lives easier, but as a manager, that may be counter-productive. Coaching a team member is more powerful when you help understand their thoughts and find their own solutions. This helps them solve their future challenges in addition to the current struggle. Today’s guest is Dr. Marcia Reynolds. Marcia is a world-renowned expert on inspiring change thro...

Disrespect in the workplace rarely begins with full blown harassment. Before it escalates, teams often see signs of demeaning behavior such as ignoring someone’s contributions, off-colored jokes, and intentional undermining. As a manager, and good human, it’s your responsibility to end these minor offenses before they become normalized, leading to much worse. Today’s guest is Emily May. Emily is a...

The brain works in mysterious ways, many of which were designed to help us survive in the wild thousands of years ago. Those same functions, though, can also get in the way of us being our best as managers. Logistically, the most obvious way to make email more manageable is to just have fewer emails coming in. But in reality, this might actually be the hardest thing to make happen because we’re no...

Almost everything is easier when we understand what really matters. That is true of ourselves and aligning how we show up with our values, and it’s true of others, so we can engage with them in ways that meet their needs. But knowing what actually is important (to us and them) is often easier said than done. Today’s guest is Sue Salvemini. Sue is the Founder & President Focal Pointe Consulting...

Being productive often sounds easier than it actually is. It’s hard to make progress on the important things when you’re busy balancing various priorities, checking things off the endless to-do list, and responding to team members’ urgent needs.  Today’s guest is Tonya Dalton. Tonya is a productivity expert, author, speaker and founder of inkWELL Press Productivity Co, a company centered around pr...

Who doesn’t want more kindness in their life? Yet it’s not always easy to be kind, especially at work where tensions run high or we risk kindness being interpreted as weakness. Throw a pandemic on top of that and you’ve got an unbelievably stressful environment -- which is when kindness can matter most.  Today’s guest is Jaclyn Lindsey, co-founder and CEO of kindness.org . Jaclyn believes that kin...

Process can be a loaded word. For some, it elicits bureaucracy and micromanagement. For others it implies structure and organization. Regardless of how you feel about process, getting clear about what happens, by whom and in what order, can create clarity that instantly reduces friction and minimizes the need to re-do work.   In this episode, I walk through my simplified version of process mapping...

Most of us will never face a major crisis or tragedy, thank goodness. But for the few people who do, they often come out transformed, finding a greater sense of purpose, happiness and capability than they had before. Is it possible for the rest of us to experience such a transformation without the accompanying crisis? Today’s guest is Michael O’Brien. Michael is the Chief Shift Officer at Peloton...

You don’t need to be a brain scientist to leverage brain science. The question for managers is: How can we create the optimal cocktail of chemicals, neuron firings and natural responses to enable people to do their best work? And, by the way, how do we avoid triggering the unhelpful systems that can send someone down an unproductive path?  Today’s guest is Noelle Cordeaux. Noelle is CEO and co-fou...

Building a cohesive team is hard. Period. Yet it's also the core of a high performing team. Unfortunately traditional team building activities, while fun, can cost a lot of time and money. And they don’t always produce the promised benefits. Plus, if you’re a remote team (now or under normal circumstances) team building is even more challenging. But what if you could spend just an hour or two, eve...

The expectations for managers have changed over the past century. So what is needed in today’s workplace to be a great manager? To celebrate the 100th episode, I’m sharing my reflections on the differences between a traditional manager and a modern manager.   Get the free miniguide for this episode at www.themodernmanager.co/miniguides .    Get the full episode guide with questions for reflection...

Do you ever feel like you’ve shown so much appreciation to someone and yet the recipient doesn’t seem to recognize it? This may be due to a mismatch in languages of appreciation. As managers, it’s critical that we show appreciation that is meaningful to our team members, but figuring out how to do this isn’t always obvious. Dr. Paul White is a psychologist, speaker, and international leadership tr...

We’re all in search of the perfect balance of our responsibilities as a manager and getting our own work done. But is this elusive balance even possible or will we forever be pulled in too many directions?  Bekka Prideaux is a Leadership Development Coach and Consultant. Over the past 25 years, she has worked with some of the most recognizable brands in the world to develop great leaders, deliver...

A moment of crisis can shatter a team or make it stronger than ever. It’s all about how you respond as the team leader. Right now, surrounded by the uncertainties and tragedies of COVID-19, it’s your turn to step up and manage through this difficult moment. Dyan Dolfi-Offutt founded Soda Pop Public Relations in 2011 with the goal of doing great work for great people as well as creating a healthy &...

We’re in the middle of a pandemic. Almost overnight, thousands of teams needed to figure out how to do their work virtually, while also navigating the stress of social distancing. Being a manager is hard enough during regular times, but right now is a time when your team members need you most.  In this episode, I talk through three tips to help you adjust to managing a remote team during social di...

Companies often talk about culture, but rarely talk about cultural differences. When team members from different countries come together, they must navigate their cultural differences and create a shared team culture that enables the team to do great work.  Jonah Fisher is the Director of Seeds of Peace’s international innovation arm, GATHER. His passion for social innovation has led him to the bu...

Coronavirus has drastically impacted our daily lives and how we collaborate with colleagues. Check out these three webinars to help you transition to a high performing virtual team.  www.mamieks.com/webinars Webinar Bundle includes webinars 1 & 2 $15 for up to 10 team members (free for members of The Modern Manager community) Webinar 1: Work Productively From Home Monday March 23, 1-2pm Easter...

Do you ever feel like you are sandwiched between upper management and your team members? Being a middle manager is tough, especially when you’re feeling the pressures from all sides. Learning to manage up as well as down will make your job much easier, and make you a rockstar middle manager. Donald Meador has survived mergers, promotions, re-organizations, and downsizing. He is an author, award-wi...

Behavioral psychology has typically been used to help therapists provide effective counseling and designers build better products. But we all can benefit from insights about how our brains work. When we apply these lessons to our own work, we can positively impact our teams and our organizations.  Matt Wallaert is a behavioral scientist working at the intersection of technology and human behavior....