What is your career goal as a manager?Managers play an essential role across all types of companies, and there are many levels for managers within an organization. But knowing which management level is right for you and how to advance your career isn't always clear. Fortunately, our guest has all the answers to your career path questions.Today's guest is Sonja "Dynamo" Price. Sonja is a Top Career Strategist, Salary Advisor, and Leadership Coach. She has authored two books on career advancement, has a Master's Degree in Leadership and Organizational Development, and is a Certified Career and Executive Coach. She trained with Al Gore to become a Climate Reality Leader and is actively engaged with the Seattle Board of Conscious Capitalism.In this week's episode, Sonja and I talk about the things you should consider when thinking about what managerial level is right for you and how to make it happen.We also get into the details on what to do if your company doesn't give you the promotion you were hoping for, how to handle a conversation with a team member who wants to advance their career, and so much more!Join the conversation now!Get FREE mini-sketchnotes with the big idea from the week’s episode delivered to your inbox when you subscribe to my weekly email.Conversation Topics (00:00) Intro (02:15) How do you know if middle management or a senior leadership position is for you (07:44) What steps should you consider when advancing your career? (15:56) How managers can handle a conversation when an underperforming team member wants to be a manager (20:38) Do you need an advanced degree when moving up the ladder? (24:55) What to do if your company doesn’t give you the promotion you requested? (28:49) A great manager Sonja has worked for (30:52) Keep up with Sonja (32:09) [Extended Episode Only] How do you evaluate whether or not a promotion or project is right for you (37:19) [Extended Episode Only] How to approach your manager when you’re ready for a promotion Additional Resources:- Get the extended episode by Joining The Modern Manager Community for just $15 per month- Read the full transcript here- Read the related blog article here- Follow me on Instagram here - Visit my website for more hereConnect with Sonja:- Follow Sonja on Instagram here - Find her on LinkedIn here- Check out her website for more information hereGiveaway: 5 Book Copies of “The Pivot Point System”Sonja is offering 5 copies of her book, “The Pivot Point System: 5 Keys To Unlock Your Career, Health and Wealth”, to members of The Modern Manager community. This book offers hacks you can use to elevate your mindset, health, image, career, and wealth to build a better life, one step at a time. In your hands, you will hold a collection of 100 years of experience and dozens of proven processes that will allow you to make necessary changes.Get a chance to win a copy of this book and many other member benefits when you join The Modern Manager Community.---------------------The Modern Manager is a leadership podcast for rockstar managers who want to create a working environment where people thrive and great work gets done.Follow The Modern Manager on your favorite podcast platform so you won’t miss an episode!

We don’t come into this world with particular biases. We pick them up from our experiences with the people and world around us over time. And these biases affect how we show up every day (and not in a good way!)So, today’s guest is here to share her wisdom on what managers can do to have a more inclusive workplace where everyone thrives.Today’s guest is Risha Grant. Risha is an award-winning diversity consultant and international corporate speaker. She is the author of Be Better Than Your BS: How Radical Acceptance Empowers Authenticity and Creates a Workplace Culture of Inclusion.In this week’s episode, Risha and I talk about what “BS” is and how to identify your own biases and work through them.We also talk about microaggressions and their opposite - micro-inclusions - and how to respond when someone has said or done something you’ve found offensive and when someone calls you out. Ready to create a more inclusive workplace for your team?Join the conversation now!Get FREE mini-sketchnotes with the big idea from the week’s episode delivered to your inbox when you subscribe to my weekly email.Conversation Topics (00:00) Intro (02:07) What does BS stand for (04:08) How Risha became more aware of her own BS  (11:21) The microaggression and micro-inclusion concepts explained (19:15) What managers can do differently in handling microaggressive behaviors (24:53) The role that radical acceptance plays in creating an inclusive workplace (29:23) How to create an organization that promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion (34:22) A great manager that Risha has worked for (35:38) Keep up with Risha (36:44) [Extended Episode Only] How to start educating yourself to undo internal biases (43:53) [Extended Episode Only] An honest answer to a tough question Additional Resources:- Get the extended episode by Joining The Modern Manager Community for just $15 per month- Read the full transcript here- Read the related blog article here- Follow me on Instagram here - Visit my website for more hereConnect with Risha:- Follow Risha on Instagram here- Follow her on Twitter here- Check her out on LinkedIn here- Visit her official website for more information hereGuest Bonus: 5 Copies of Be Better Than Your BS Book Risha is happy to offer 5 copies of “Be Better Than Your BS: How Radical Acceptance Empowers Authenticity and Creates a Workplace Culture of Inclusion” to members of The Modern Manager community. Using stories from her personal and professional journey as well as those of her clients, Grant encourages you to first examine the roots of your own BS through a process of radically accepting yourself and then to build a BS-free culture, which can only happen when you learn to radically accept others. She also shares the exercises, tools, and strategies she has taught thousands of people at all levels to make their workplaces more accepting, inclusive, and productive. Get a chance to win a copy of this book and many other member benefits when you join The Modern Manager Community.---------------------The Modern Manager is a leadership podcast for rockstar managers who want to create a working environment where people thrive, and great work gets done.Follow The Modern Manager on your favorite podcast platform so you won’t miss an episode!

Is your team safe enough at work? Just like physical safety in the workplace, we also need psychological safety if we want people to do their best at work.Psychological safety is about creating a safe space where team members feel comfortable taking risks, sharing their thoughts or ideas, and making mistakes without worrying about ridicule, punishment, or exclusion. And today’s guest is just the right person to talk about psychological safety at work.Today’s guest is Rich Fernandez. Rich is the CEO of SIY Global and a former Executive Director for People Development at Google. His Ph.D. in Psychology from Columbia University, as well as his extensive background in senior leadership for multiple Fortune 500 companies, has made him an unmatched thought leader in the industry of workplace psychology. Rich is an expert in cultivating workplace environments that foster emotional intelligence and mindfulness from the top down. In this episode, Rich and I talk about psychological safety and the interplay between trust, inclusion, belonging, and safety. He also shares why psychological safety at work matters and how you can foster more of it within your team.Join the conversation now!Get FREE mini-sketchnotes with the big idea from the week’s episode delivered to your inbox when you subscribe to my weekly email.Conversation Topics (00:00) Intro (01:41) What is psychological safety, and how is it different from trust? (05:43) How psychological safety and trust go hand-in-hand (07:26) An example of psychological safety in Rich’s team   (10:02) How do you know if you’re fostering psychological safety in your team (13:03) Two ways for managers to create psychological safety at work (17:18) How to create an atmosphere where all team members can freely share their perspectives (19:10) How to handle dissenting views without scaring off your team members (22:34) Challenges that managers need to overcome when cultivating psychological safety in the team (29:17) A great manager that Rich has worked for (32:52) Keep up with Rich (34:24) [Extended Episode Only] The role of emotional intelligence in fostering psychological safety (39:10) [Extended Episode Only] First step in developing emotional intelligence Additional Resources:- Get the extended episode by Joining The Modern Manager Community for just $15 per month- Read the full transcript here- Read the related blog article here- Follow me on Instagram here - Visit my website for more hereConnect with Rich:- Follow Rich on LinkedIn here- Visit SIY Global for more information hereFree eBook: Emotional Intelligence and Mindfulness at WorkRich Fernandez is happy to offer a free eBook to The Modern Manager membership community: Emotional Intelligence and Mindfulness at Work: Why Human-Centered Skills are Essential to Future-Proof Your Organization. In this eBook, you will find the latest research conducted by SIY Global and experts around the impact of emotional intelligence and mindfulness on 4 key organizational trends: 1. Why current levels of stress and burnout are costly and unstable; 2. How connection and belonging in a disconnected world are essential for team performance; 3. The emerging demands for human-centered leadership; 4. The need for resilience and agility to innovate and adapt.Get this free eBook and many other member benefits when you join The Modern Manager Community.---------------------The Modern Manager is a leadership podcast for rockstar managers who want to create a working environment where people thrive, and great work gets done.Follow The Modern Manager on your favorite podcast platform so you won’t miss an episode!

Do you ever wish you could accomplish more of your goals personally and professionally?Many people believe that accomplishing goals is about time management when, in fact, it’s about holding yourself accountable.But why is it hard for people to be accountable?Joining me in this week’s episode are two guests who live and breathe accountability.Today’s guests are Tasha Howland and Cheron Porter. Tasha and Cheron are passionate about helping individuals reach their highest potential both personally and professionally through accountability coaching, which they do through their business AQ partners.Today, Tasha, Cheron, and I talk about all things accountability. We discuss why it’s hard to be accountable and the strategies to increase accountability for yourself and your team members.We also dive into what a good accountability partnership looks like, how to support your team members to be accountable, and more.Join the conversation now!Get FREE mini-sketchnotes with the big idea from the week’s episode delivered to your inbox when you subscribe to my weekly email.Conversation Topics (00:00) Intro (01:45) Why is it hard to hold people accountable (03:13) #1 reason why people avoid self-accountability (06:51) Explaining the chances of reaching your goals (09:32) How to manage accountability during uncertain times (11:51) What does it look like to have an accountability partner (15:15) Factors that are essential in making a good accountability partner (18:34) Formula in setting goals (20:25) The power of specificity (21:58) Tips for doing effective weekly accountability conversations (26:41) Great managers that Tasha and Cheron have worked for (29:50) Keep up with Tasha and Cheron (31:04) [Extended Episode Only] How to find an accountability partner (37:24) [Extended Episode Only] What to do when the other person always seems to make excuses (41:02) [Extended Episode Only] How to make progress when accountability isn’t enough Additional Resources:- Get the extended episode by Joining The Modern Manager Community for just $15 per month- Read the full transcript here- Read the related blog article here- Follow me on Instagram here - Visit my website for more hereConnect with Cheron and Tasha- Follow Cheron on LinkedIn here- Follow Tasha on LinkedIn here- Check out The AQ Partners on LinkedIn here- Visit their website to learn more here50% Off One-Hour Strategy SessionThe AQ Partners will offer a one-hour strategy session designed to help you break down your big-picture goal into small, actionable steps and craft a massive plan of action tailored to your lifestyle. This dynamic roadmap will guide you and help serve as a foundation when you encounter inevitable struggles and setbacks so you can focus on success. The cost is typically $300, but you can book a strategy session for $150. Get this discount and many other member benefits when you join The Modern Manager Community.---------------------The Modern Manager is a leadership podcast for rockstar managers who want to create a working environment where people thrive, and great work gets done.Follow The Modern Manager on your favorite podcast platform so you won’t miss an episode!

Are you becoming a bad boss? What are the signs that you’re turning into one? Bad boss behaviors can range from micromanagement and poor communication to lack of appreciation and unreasonably high expectations for their employees.The good thing is that bad boss behaviors can be changed. And we’ve invited someone to help us explore today’s topic.Today’s guest is Rob Kalwarowsky. Rob is a High-Performance Leadership Coach and TEDx Speaker whose quiet realizations give his audience loud transformations. Rob shares wise insights about toxic leadership, mental health, and finding purpose in life. In this week’s episode, Rob and I talk about the six different types of bad bosses, how to avoid accidentally becoming a bad boss, and how to deal with someone with bad boss behaviors.Whether you might be unintentionally using bad boss behaviors or are currently dealing with a toxic boss, tune in now for an insightful conversation.Let’s get started!Get FREE mini-sketchnotes with the big idea from the week’s episode delivered to your inbox when you subscribe to my weekly email.Conversation Topics: (00:00) Intro (02:05) What is a bad boss? (03:27) 6 archetypes of bad bosses (10:06) The first step on how not to be a bad boss (15:52) How to determine that you’re being a bad boss (19:24) Rob’s own experience of dealing with a toxic boss (23:17) Tips on how to start changing your bad boss behaviors (27:36) A great manager Rob has worked for (28:41) Keep up with Rob (30:30) [Extended Episode Only] How to deal with a bad boss (38:01) [Extended Episode Only] What to do when your bad boss’s behaviors fit your style? Additional Resources:- Get the extended episode by Joining The Modern Manager Community for just $15 per month- Read the full transcript here- Read the related blog article here- Follow me on Instagram here - Visit my website for more hereConnect with Rob Kalwarowsky- Follow Rob on LinkedIn here- Check Rob out on Instagram here- Visit Elite High Performance for more here- FREE How to Deal with A**hole Boss eBook here- Get $50 Off promo code for the How to  Deal with A**hole Boss program here(Use the code MODERNMANAGER)*Members of The Modern Manager community get a FREE Elite High Performance’s Purpose Playbook (Usually at $99).Elite High Performance’s Purpose Playbook program supports people in becoming clear on their core values and uncovering their innate gifts so they can tap into their sweet spot and create more purpose, meaning, and fulfillment in their lives. Get this discount and many other member benefits when you join The Modern Manager Community.---------------------The Modern Manager is a leadership podcast for rockstar managers who want to create a working environment where people thrive, and great work gets done.Follow The Modern Manager on your favorite podcast platform so you won’t miss an episode!

Have you had the opportunity to use ChatGPT or other AI tools in your work yet? Have you considered harnessing these tools to improve your communication skills? This conversation might convince you to do so.Today’s guest is Helen Dayen. Helen is an executive coach with over 15 years of experience in leadership development, relationship management, business development, and executive coaching. She specializes in elevating influential leadership, honing executive presence, building teams, and fostering stronger professional relationships.In this episode, Helen and I uncover how you can effectively use AI tools like ChatGPT to help you become a better communicator and manager. We talk about how to craft better prompts for more appropriate responses, use ChatGPT to help you better prepare for actual conversations, and leverage its features to improve your strategic thinking and decision-making skills.If you want to learn more about AI and how it can improve your communications, make sure to tune in to this week’s episode to learn more!Get FREE mini-sketchnotes with the big idea from the week’s episode delivered to your inbox when you subscribe to my weekly email.Key Takeaways: (00:00) Intro (02:07) AI as a tool for becoming a better manager (03:58) How to use AI to be a better communicator (06:56) The secret to writing good AI prompts (10:09) How AI can help you communicate better in actual conversations (15:36) The disadvantages of using AI as a communication tool (20:36) How to use AI in meetings to improve the group’s decision making (22:25) How to get your team to use AI to improve their communication skills (26:33) A great manager Helen has worked for (28:12) Keep up with Helen (29:48) [Extended Episode Only] How AI can help you in decision making (33:34) [Extended Episode Only] Tips for avoiding getting bad responses from AI (36:25) [Extended Episode Only] The MOA influencing model explained Additional Resources:- Get the extended episode by Joining The Modern Manager Community for just $15 per month- Read the full transcript here- Read the related blog article here- Follow me on Instagram here - Visit my website for more hereConnect with Helen Dayen- Follow her on Instagram here- Check her out on LinkedIn here- Visit her website for more information here*Members of The Modern Manager community can schedule a complimentary coaching session with Helen. In addition, you can receive a 10% discount on all coaching packages.Get this discount and many other member benefits when you join The Modern Manager Community.---------------------The Modern Manager is a leadership podcast for rockstar managers who want to create a working environment where people thrive, and great work gets done.Follow The Modern Manager on your favorite podcast platform so you won’t miss an episode!

Throughout millions of years of evolution, our brains became formidable tools of innovation, helping us transcend from agricultural to industrial. However, as the world of work underwent radical changes, we mostly found ourselves facing new challenges that our brains were not initially designed to handle.Today’s guest is Dr. Gabriella Rosen Kellerman. Gabriella is an author, entrepreneur, executive, and startup advisor trained as an MD. She has served as Chief Innovation Officer and Chief Product Officer at BetterUp, as well as the founding CEO of Lifelink. Her expertise spans the future of work, behavior change, leadership, well-being, productivity, and behavioral health.In this episode, Gabriella and I explore the critical skills required to thrive in today’s rapidly evolving work environment. She shares how we can tap into our brain’s evolutionary insights to meet the demands of the modern workplace.From enhancing creativity to fostering trust and collaboration, Gabriella offers practical advice for cultivating these vital skills so you can become a better manager.Tune in now to learn more!Get FREE mini-sketchnotes with the big idea from the week’s episode delivered to your inbox when you subscribe to my weekly email.Key Takeaways: (00:00) Intro (02:26) The evolution of the human brain  (06:21)  Five skills that are important for success in today’s modern world  (13:33)  How to help your team feel that they and their works matter (21:11)   How to get your team in the mindset of creativity  & innovation (23:23) The four different types of creativity (26:55) Two ways to help your team tap into their strengths (29:43) A great manager Gabriella has worked for (31:18)  Keep up with Gabriella (32:49) [Extended episode only] How to become a more resilient leader (35:34) [Extended episode only] What can managers do to help their team members become resilient (41:53) [Extended episode only] The different faces of resilience Additional Resources:- Get the extended episode by Joining The Modern Manager Community for just $15 per month- Read the full transcript here- Read the related blog article here- Follow me on Instagram here - Visit my website for more hereConnect with Dr. Gabriella Rosen Kellerman- Follow Gabriella on Instagram here- Check Gabriella out on LinkedIn here- Learn more about Gabriella’s book Tomorrowmind here* Members of the Modern Manager community get a chance to own a signed copy of Dr. Kellerman’s book, “Tomorrowmind”.Get it when you join The Modern Manager Community.-------------------The Modern Manager is a leadership podcast for rockstar managers who want to create a working environment where people thrive, and great work gets done.Follow The Modern Manager on your favorite podcast platform so you won’t miss an episode!

For decades, the office served as the central hub of the business ecosystem until the pandemic. Remote work became a trend, and virtual meetings became the standard for collaboration with our teams and facilitating communication. However, along with the convenience of work-from-home setups, a new challenge arose–how can managers effectively convey their thoughts and ideas and become excellent digital communicators?Today’s guest is Ty Hoesgen. Ty is a top communication coach, #1 best-selling author, and the Founder of Advanced Growth Institute. He helps professionals from around the world communicate with confidence, charisma, and clarity — so they can get more respect, become stronger leaders, and advance their careers.In today’s episode, Ty and I discuss how you can be an excellent communicator using digital mediums - like virtual meetings and emails. We get into the small things you can do to make yourself appear more trustworthy and engaged on the camera, how to write better emails, and more.You don’t want to miss this. Tune in now! Get FREE mini-sketchnotes with the big idea from the week’s episode delivered to your inbox when you subscribe to my weekly email.Key Takeaways: (00:00) Intro (02:34) How to make proper eye contact during video calls (06:15) Getting your body position right when on Zoom (09:02) A great tip you can do at every beginning of a call (11:45) The importance of proper lighting (13:50) Natural vs. virtual backgrounds (16:50) How to get your team to follow good video setups (19:03) Email writing hacks (27:03) A great manager Ty has worked for (29:23) Keeping up with Ty (31:22) [Extended episode only] How to effectively convey your ideas or thoughts to your team (32:34)[Extended episode only] The PREP framework explained (39:14) [Extended episode only] Ty’s final tips Additional Resources:- Get the extended episode by Joining The Modern Manager Community for just $15 per month- Read the full transcript here- Read the related blog article here- Follow me on Instagram here - Visit my website for more hereConnect with Ty Hoesgen- Follow Ty on Instagram here- Check Ty out on TikTok here  - Check out his latest updates on LinkedIn here- Access Ty’s FREE course: 5 Science-Backed Video Call Secrets Every Professional Needs to Know. * Members of the Modern Manager community get a FREE digital copy of Ty’s Elite Communication Skills: How to Get More Respect, Make Your Work Life Easier, and Rapidly Advance Your Career. *PLUS 20% off coaching with Ty if you want to speak with confidence and clarity - and finally, stop being overlooked and undervalued. Get all of these when you join The Modern Manager Community.-------------------The Modern Manager is a leadership podcast for rockstar managers who want to create a working environment where people thrive, and great work gets done.Follow The Modern Manager on your favorite podcast platform so you won’t miss an episode!

Many of us fall into the perfectionist trap. Whether it’s because of strict bosses, high academic standards, or just self-motivation, perfectionism is more common than you’d think. While it’s important and healthy to strive to do our best work, at some point all managers have to acknowledge that people will make mistakes and good enough can truly be good enough.Today’s guest is Thomas Curran. Thomas is a professor of psychology at the London School of Economics and author of a landmark study that the BBC hailed as “the first to compare perfectionism across generations.” His TED Talk on perfectionism has received more than three million views. His research has been featured in media ranging from the Harvard Business Review to New Scientist to CNN and he has appeared on numerous television and radio programs.Thomas and I talk about, no surprise, perfectionism. He shares the problems that come from being a perfectionist and working in a perfectionist culture, what’s really driving perfectionist tendencies, how to identify someone struggling with perfectionism, and of course, what to do to manage perfectionist tendencies in yourself and how to help others.Members of the Modern Manager community get a chance to win 1 of 5 copies of “The Perfection Trap”. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community.Get FREE mini-sketchnotes with the big idea from the week’s episode delivered to your inbox when you subscribe to my weekly email.Read the related blog article: Stop Perfectionism From Impeding Your Team’s SuccessKEEP UP WITH THOMASBook: https://www.amazon.com/Perfection-Trap-Embracing-Power-Enough/dp/1982149531Read the Full Transcript.Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 02:53 What is perfectionism? 04:20 What are the harms of always striving for perfection? 06:57 A story of unhealthy perfectionism 09:29 How can managers give feedback to perfectionists? 11:02 How to shift out of perfectionism thinking 20:59 Creating a work environment that doesn’t set a perfectionist standard 28:31 A great manager Thomas worked for 30:45 Keeping up with Thomas 31:50 [Extended episode only] Is it true that some aspects of perfectionism lead to success? 39:12 [Extended episode only] What is the link between perfectionism and procrastination? Get the extended episode by joining The Modern Manager community for just $15 per month. mamie@mamieks.cominstagram.com/mamieks

Do you ever feel stuck in the middle? Middle managers have a unique opportunity to understand the high-level objectives of an organization and touch the day-to-day activities that accomplish those goals. However, middle managers can often feel pulled in two different directions, answering to their superiors and the employees below them. How can middle managers effectively balance their time and attention to be their best selves at work? Today's guest is Emily Field. Emily helps organizations establish a talent-first approach, instilling a high-performance culture, and adopting effective people-analytics approaches. Her new book Power to the Middle focuses on how organizations can empower their middle managers who are uniquely positioned close to the daily work AND overall business strategy.  Emily and I talk about the important role that middle managers play, what it is they are uniquely suited to do, and how they can start to shift their role to do more of what’s essential and less of what isn’t! Five members of the Modern Manager community can get a copy of Emily’s book, Power to the Middle: Why Managers Hold the Keys to the Future of Work. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community.   Get FREE mini-sketchnotes with the big idea from the week’s episode delivered to your inbox when you subscribe to my weekly email.   Read the related blog article: How to Tap the Hidden Value of Middle Managers   KEEP UP WITH EMILY LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilykfield/ Book: https://www.amazon.com/Power-Middle-Managers-Hold-Future/dp/1647824850/   Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 01:56 Why middle managers are the secret ingredient in organizations 03:24 What aspects of the managerial role make it essential? 07:58 A manager’s unique ability to reallocate work 10:31 A manager’s unique ability to connect people with roles (supermarket story) 13:00 How can managers advocate for appropriate compensation and professional development dollars? 24:46 Tools and frameworks to help managers be better in their role 27:17 A great boss Emily has worked for 29:41 Keeping up with Emily 30:50 [Extended episode only] What’s the role of a senior manager in this context? 32:40 [Extended episode only] Client story: Bank managers 36:09 [Extended episode only] What is the impact of hiring and promoting managers well? Get the extended episode by joining The Modern Manager community for just $5 per month.  mamie@mamieks.com instagram.com/mamieks

Teams are the backbone of all workplaces. When teams are functioning properly, organizations can thrive; and in order for teams to function properly, people must be good teammates. Success often comes down to the ability of individuals to work together effectively. But how do people continue to be good team members in today’s ever-changing workforce? Today’s guest is Lance Loya, best-selling author and authority on the mindset of a good teammate. His most recent book, The WE Gear, made Forbes’ list of “20 Books to Make You a Better Coach or Mentor.” He is also the founder and CEO of The Good Teammate Factory and the creator of National Be a Good Teammate Day. Lance and I talk about what it means to be a good team member. He breaks down the ALIVE model and explains the five factors that every person and manager can embody to be a superstar teammate. Members of the Modern Manager community get 50% off Lance’s professional team development course, The Good Teammate Factory. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community.   Get FREE mini-sketchnotes with the big idea from the week’s episode delivered to your inbox when you subscribe to my weekly email.   Read the related blog article: The Five Qualities of A Good Teammate Anyone Can Achieve    KEEP UP WITH LANCE Website: http://www.coachloya.com/   Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 02:07 What is the “we gear” concept? 05:49 Five components of the ALIVE model: put the “we gear” mindset into action 10:11 What did Lance discover in his research about great teammates? 11:46 How do leaders show they are truly invested in their teams? 16:23 The importance of simply waving hello 20:48 How to confront people who aren’t being good team members 26:38 A great manager Lance has worked for 28:26 Keeping up with Lance 30:00 [Extended episode only] The five teammates that each person needs 34:37 [Extended episode only] Which of the five roles should the manager be? 37:12 [Extended episode only] How can we be a good ‘buddy’ with our colleagues without crossing a boundary? Get the extended episode by joining The Modern Manager community for just $5 per month.  mamie@mamieks.com instagram.com/mamieks

EPISODE 263: NAVIGATE EMOTIONS IN THE WORKPLACE WITH JEN HOPE Whether you find yourself grappling with stress, loneliness, or irritation—or simply seeking to cultivate a more positive and productive work environment—managers must learn to navigate the intricate landscape of emotional regulation. Feelings of all sorts make their way into our daily work experience. The challenge is that when they’re negative or really strong, they can quickly throw us and our teams off track. Today’s guest is Jen Hope. Jen is an accomplished leadership coach with over a decade of experience in helping entrepreneurs and tech leaders thrive. With her unique process that utilizes data to create deeper levels of self-awareness, Jen is committed to promoting compassion and kindness while teaching highly-effective research-backed tools and frameworks to help clients achieve their goals. Jen and I talk about emotions and their impact on us, how we can process our emotions, the integration of emotional and rational thinking, strategies for staying calm and moving forward when your emotions spike and so much more. Members of the Modern Manager community get a major discount on two “Accelerate Your Growth” Strategy Sessions with Jen. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community.   Get FREE mini-sketchnotes with the big idea from the week’s episode delivered to your inbox when you subscribe to my weekly email.   Read the related blog article: 4 Steps to Manage Your Emotions at Work   KEEP UP WITH JEN Website: https://heyjenhope.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heyjenhope LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heyjenhope/   Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 02:14 Why do we experience emotions? 03:38 Why do some people seem to be less emotional? 08:23 The skill of acknowledging what you’re feeling 10:43 Strategies we can use to name our emotions 21:26 How can we support our team members through emotional experiences? 27:00 A great boss Jen has worked for 28:21 Keeping up with Jen 29:00 [Extended episode only] Tangible tips to prepare for emotional conversations Get the extended episode by joining The Modern Manager community for just $5 per month.  mamie@mamieks.com instagram.com/mamieks

EPISODE 262: CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING WITH DR. SAM ADEYEMI Decision-making has been somewhat of a hot topic for leaders lately, and for good reason. Each decision we make, whether big or small, plays a role in either accomplishing our goals or straying from them. But how do we learn to make better decisions, and how do we teach our team members to do the same? Today’s guest is Dr. Sam Adeyemi. Sam is a leadership coach, global speaker, and strategic leadership expert, who is focused on shifting people’s mindsets so they can see possibilities and become those possibilities. And, he is the author of Dear Leader: Your Flagship Guide to Successful Leadership. Sam and I talk about creative problem solving and decision-making. He shares the special ingredients to bringing a group together to creatively tackle challenges and make strong decisions. Members of the Modern Manager community get a 30 Day free trial to Dr. Sam’s Reset Program for Leaders. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community.   Get FREE mini-sketchnotes with the big idea from the week’s episode delivered to your inbox when you subscribe to my weekly email.   Read the related blog article:  How to Creatively Solve Problems and Make Decisions as a Team   KEEP UP WITH DR. SAM Twitter: https://twitter.com/sam_adeyemi Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesamadeyemi/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thesamadeyemi  Website: https://samadeyemi.com/ Read the Full Transcript.   Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 01:50 Creative problem solving in a team 06:07 Harnessing ideas through brainstorming 09:46 Mind-mapping and other tools for brainstorming 15:43 Using our intuition to make decisions 16:28 A story on intuitive decision-making 21:01 Four lenses for decision-making 25:31 A great manager Sam has worked for 28:01 Keeping up with Sam 30:00 [Extended episode only] Extreme Ownership: What it is, and what does it look like in action? 34:52 [Extended episode only] How do we shift our work culture to encourage extreme ownership? Get the extended episode by joining The Modern Manager community for just $5 per month.  mamie@mamieks.com instagram.com/mamieks

Do you ever feel like you can see the end in sight, but you don’t know how to get there? Having a vision is important—having clear processes and procedures to accomplish your goals is just as important. In fact, creating and sticking to work processes can be the difference between a team that is chaotic and unorganized versus a team that works together seamlessly to get work done. Today’s guest is Racheal Allen. Racheal is a Lean Six Sigma certified consultant, coach and CEO with over 20 years of experience as an entrepreneur and C-suite executive. Racheal specializes in helping her clients operationalize their visions by leveraging systems, automation and delegation strategies. Racheal and I talk about how to establish work processes that get the ideas out of your head and onto paper in a way that doesnt feel like micromanaging. We get into the role of technology to support ways of working, the importance of setting the team up for effective information flow, and so much more! Members of the Modern Manager community get access to an exclusive “Multiplying Your Time” workshop facilitated live by Racheal. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community.   Get FREE mini-sketchnotes with the big idea from the week’s episode delivered to your inbox when you subscribe to my weekly email.   Read the related blog article: Improve Your Team’s Operations With the Right Technology   KEEP UP WITH RACHEAL Website: http://www.rachealallen.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachealallen/   Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 01:57 What does it mean to create an operational system in your team? 04:04 What’s the right amount of structure in an organization? 06:41 Setting the tone for team infrastructure. 10:43 Systems and processes that are fundamental for any team 12:43 The role of technology and automation 19:09 Best practices for documenting processes 24:17 Onboarding to a tool versus maintaining use of a tool  29:18 A great manager Racheal has worked for 32:04 Keeping up with Racheal 33:00 [Extended episode only] How do we encourage people to maintain operational systems? 37:11 [Extended episode only] Best practices for keeping to-do lists updated 40:31 [Extended episode only] Supporting our team members in what works best for them Get the extended episode by joining The Modern Manager community for just $5 per month.  mamie@mamieks.com instagram.com/mamieks

Do you ever feel like the world is against you? Many leaders have risen to the top of their industries by working hard, trying to prove themselves against all odds. But surprisingly, those who have found the greatest success have seen themselves as partners with the world. This deep, sometimes unconscious mindset colors everything from the decisions you make to the habits you form. The question is: do you believe the world will help you get what you want? Today’s guest is Dr. Stephen Barden. Stephen is an accomplished coach-mentor and author specializing in developing top-level leaders and organizational cultures. He has a decade of experience in the media, technology, and communications sectors, including ten years as a CEO. Stephen brings a unique perspective on leadership and business, and he is the author of the rigorously researched book, How Successful Leaders Do Business with Their World.  Stephen and I talk about his Navigational Stance concept that depicts how leaders see themselves in relation to the world around them. We get into the Navigational Compass, in which he shares some of the behaviors and mindsets that great managers possess.  Members of the Modern Manager community get a slide deck with the SOVOS approach to help you prepare for difficult conversations. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community.   Get FREE mini-sketchnotes with the big idea from the week’s episode delivered to your inbox when you subscribe to my weekly email.   Read the related blog article: Proven Mindsets for the Successful Leader   KEEP UP WITH STEPHEN Book: https://www.amazon.com/Successful-Leaders-Business-Their-World/dp/0367564114  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephenbarden/ Website: https://www.stephenbarden.org/   Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 01:57 What is the Navigational Stance mindset?  05:21 How do people come to believe the world is for or against them? 10:19 Compass Point: Holism – see all the linkages mindset 15:50 Compass Point: Triangular challenge - explore assumptions mindset 22:29 Compass Point: Pragmatism - Do the best possible mindset 27:42 A great manager Stephen has worked for 29:03 Keeping up with Stephen 30:45 [Extended episode only] How do we identify potential leaders within our organizations? 37:42 [Extended episode only] Holding a partnering mindset with our team members Get the extended episode by joining The Modern Manager community for just $5 per month.  mamie@mamieks.com instagram.com/mamieks

Have you ever heard the phrase, "It's not what you know, it's who you know"? The people in our circles can have a large impact on the work we do and the career decisions we make. But how do we get people in our circles in the first place, and keep them there? Networking. An essential skill for managers, networking allows you to build relationships with people in and out of your industry, learn about new opportunities, and find mentors who can help you advance your career.  Today’s guest is Megan Burke Roudebush. Megan is the Founder + CEO of keepwith, a technology that is helping the world network better. Megan speaks globally, has appeared on other well-followed podcasts, has written articles on networking topics for national publications, including Fast Company, Thrive, TLNT and Law360.com, and has been featured in global publications for her networking expertise. Megan and I talk all things networking. What it is, how to do it well, how to support your team members to network, and so much more. Members of the Modern Manager community get 50% off a 1-year subscription of keepwith. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community.   Get FREE mini-sketchnotes with the big idea from the week’s episode delivered to your inbox when you subscribe to my weekly email.   Read the related blog article: How to Network Your Way to Success   KEEP UP WITH MEGAN Website: www.keepwith.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/keepwithnetworking Twitter: www.twitter.com/keepwithnetwork LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/18768126/admin/ Instagram: www.instagram.com/keepwithnetworking/ Email: megan@keepwith.com   Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 01:45 What is networking and how do you maintain relationships? 04:17 The first step (which we often get wrong!) 07:01 Building authentic, not transactional, relationships 09:32 Client story: Meeting Taylor Swift 10:34 Networking in vs. outside your company 16:05 How to construct a networking conversation 18:31 How can managers support their peoples’ networking journeys? 21:15 When to say “no” 24:28 Develop your networking strategy 27:25 A great manager Megan has worked for 28:26 Keeping up with Megan 29:30 [Extended episode only] What to do during your strategic networking time  33:21 [Extended episode only] How do you network with strangers? 35:12 [Extended episode only] The key is humility Get the extended episode by joining The Modern Manager community for just $5 per month.  mamie@mamieks.com instagram.com/mamieks

Of all the learning resources available, sometimes the best one is another person. No matter how much we know about a certain topic or industry, there is likely someone who knows a bit more. Mentorship allows people to grow and learn directly from another person, who shares their wisdom, guidance, motivation, and knowledge. But how frequently is mentorship used in the workplace, and what can we do about it? Today’s guest is Scott Jeffrey Miller. Scott is a highly sought-after speaker, author, and podcast host. He is a Wall Street Journal bestselling author and currently serves as FranklinCovey’s senior advisor on thought leadership. Prior to his advisor role, Scott was a twenty-¬five-year FranklinCovey associate, serving as the Chief Marketing Officer and Executive Vice President. He hosts On Leadership With Scott Miller, the world’s largest weekly leadership podcast. Scott is a partner in Gray+Miller, a speaking, literary, and talent agency. We talk about mentorship, why it's important to find yourself a mentor and how to be one, as well as what to do and what not to do.  We also cover the difference between mentoring and coaching and whether managers can mentor their staff, plus a whole lot more. Members of the Modern Manager community get a digital card deck for mentoring sessions. To complement his book, Scott created a set of handy, quick reference cards to use in your mentoring sessions. The cards highlight key insights from each of the 13 roles, as well as questions, watchouts, and phrases to progress your mentoring success. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community.   Get FREE mini-sketchnotes with the big idea from the week’s episode delivered to your inbox when you subscribe to my weekly email.   Read the related blog article: How to Use Mentorship To Change Your Life   KEEP UP WITH SCOTT Great Mentorship Website: http://www.greatmentorship.com/ Gray + Miller Website: http://www.graymilleragency.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottjeffreymiller/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scottmillerj1 Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/franklincovey-on-leadership-with-scott-miller/id1391164389   Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 02:27 How is mentorship different from coaching? 05:07 Why do we need mentors? 08:32 Key roles mentors can play 11:05 Role 2: The Boundary Setter 15:32 Role 8: The Visionary 21:34 How to find the right mentor 24:22 How to ask for mentorship so the person will say yes. 27:41 A great manager Scott has worked for 29:50 Keeping up with Scott 31:07 [Extended episode only] Role 1: The Revealer 34:50 [Extended episode only] The one thing never to do as a mentor 36:01 [Extended episode only] Role 11: The Activator Get the extended episode by joining The Modern Manager community for just $5 per month.  mamie@mamieks.com instagram.com/mamieks

While we may not realize it, stories are constantly underlying our thinking. We formed stories about ourselves when we were younger, we interpret messages through our pre-existing stories, and we tell ourselves stories to help us understand the world around us. These stories have a great influence on how we relate to the people around us. So, how can we recognize the impact stories have on us and learn how to utilize them more effectively when communicating with others? Today’s guest is Chuck Wisner. Chuck is a sought-after thinker, coach, and teacher in organizational strategy, conversational dynamics, and leadership excellence. He has spent twenty-five years as a business and personal consultant and a trusted advisor to leaders in high-profile companies across industries including Google, Apple, Tesla, Ford, DTE Energy, General Motors, and others. He is author of The Art of Conscious Conversations. Chuck and I talk about the stories we tell ourselves and how they can get in the way of productive conversations with our colleagues, and also help or hinder us in general. We touch on how to unpack our own thoughts, how to better understand our team member’s perspectives, and a whole lot more. Members of the Modern Manager community get a discount on a speaking engagement if you would like Chuck to speak at your corporate or community event. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community.   Get FREE mini-sketchnotes with the big idea from the week’s episode delivered to your inbox when you subscribe to my weekly email.   Read the related blog article: Confront the Stories in Your Head that Hold Your Team Back   KEEP UP WITH CHUCK Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chuck_wisner/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chuck-wisner/Website: https://www.chuckwisner.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chuckwisnerconsulting   Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 01:52 Stories are the foundation of our thoughts 03:11 An example of how stories can serve us 04:46 How do we become more conscious of the beliefs we embody? 06:43 Exercise: “Left-hand column” 11:13 How do we help our team members shift their consciousness?  15:30 Facts vs. opinions 19:12 Example of a client who has gone through this process 27:00 A great boss Chuck has worked for 28:25 Keeping up with Chuck 29:15 [Extended episode only] The next stage of conversation: What comes after storytelling? 31:14 [Extended episode only] How can we commit to more effective conversations? 35:27 [Extended episode only] Making better commitments Get the extended episode by joining The Modern Manager community for just $5 per month.  Additional Resources: Download the PDF introduction to Chuck’s book, The Art of Conscious Conversations, on his website. Book a free, 30-minute consultation/advising session if you are interested in understanding more about Chuck’s work and how you could work together. Via his contact link, send an email, letting Chuck know you came from The Modern Manager. mamie@mamieks.com instagram.com/mamieks

Each person brings their values and perspectives to group decision-making. But what happens when those perspectives seem to be conflicting? We need to be cost conscious, and we also need high quality. We need honesty, and we also need kindness and grace. We need structure, and we also need flexibility. When we feel like we’re stuck between conflicting options or mindsets, it might be a moment for both/and thinking. Having a better understanding of polarities can help us leverage the best of both worlds. Today’s guest is Ronni Hendel. Ronni works as a coach and facilitator with individual leaders, teams, and organizations. She supports her clients in building their capacity to achieve results through others and to navigate through increased complexity. She helps them move beyond self-awareness into being able to consistently respond with grace and clarity under pressure. Ronni and I talk about what polarities are, how they show up in the workplace and create tension or conflict, and how to embrace them using a both-and mindset. We get into the polarities map and how it can be a tool to help your team find a better path forward. Members of the Modern Manager community get a guide to leveraging polarities including how to identify when a polarity is at play. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community.   Get FREE mini-sketchnotes with the big idea from the week’s episode delivered to your inbox when you subscribe to my weekly email.   Read the related blog article: The Magic of Both/And Thinking and Exploring Polarities   KEEP UP WITH RONNI Website: www.insightoutleadership.com   Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 02:01 What are polarities? 07:56 How to collaborate instead of choose sides 12:37 Introducing the idea of polarities to colleagues 14:56 Understanding the polarity map 18:46 The vulnerability of letting go 22:59 How to find a middle ground 25:12 A great manager Ronni has worked for 26:49 Keeping up with Ronni 27:30 [Extended episode only] The difference between ‘complex’ and ‘complicated’ 32:55 [Extended episode only] Common situations that managers mislabel 35:25 [Extended episode only] How polarities show up in complex versus complicated situations Get the extended episode by joining The Modern Manager community for just $5 per month.  mamie@mamieks.com instagram.com/mamieks

How can a manager help their team members grow if they aren’t aware of their skillsets, dreams, and roadblocks? Managers play a critical role in supporting their people’s growth, and in order to do this, they need a better understanding of how to help each person. The best way to make this happen is one-on-ones.  Today’s guest is Jason Wick. Jason is a Director of Product Development with nearly a decade of management experience in a variety of industries. His passion lies in managing and guiding others to reach higher levels in their professional performance, both as individuals and as teams. He is also the host of the Leadership Voyage podcast. Jason and I talk about the infamous one-on-ones: what these meetings are all about, how you can use them to strengthen your team, what everyone should be doing to prepare for a productive conversation, and so much more.  Members of the Modern Manager community get a one-pager with 1-1 reflection questions and 8 ways to ruin (or restore) your 1-1s. Members also get the extended interviews and other benefits! Get it when you join the Modern Manager community.   Get FREE mini-sketchnotes with the big idea from the week’s episode delivered to your inbox when you subscribe to my weekly email.   Read the related blog article: How To Have One-on-Ones That Center What Your Employee Needs   KEEP UP WITH JASON LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonallenwick/   Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 01:50 What are one-on-ones all about? (Your team member is your customer!) 06:45 How often should we hold one-on-ones? 11:45 Can canceling one-on-ones really be hurtful to our team members? 13:59 How should managers properly prepare for a one-on-one? 19:00 The 10/10/10 approach, and other ways to focus on employee growth 21:19 How should team members properly prepare for a one-on-one? 23:55 Receiving and encouraging employee feedback 27:06 A great manager Jason has worked for 28:19 Keeping up with Jason 29:25 [Extended Interview] How do you serve employees who don’t want to engage in one-on-ones? 34:20 [Extended Interview] Other processes for performance reviews and relationship building mamie@mamieks.com instagram.com/mamieks

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on the way we work. From hybrid work to workplace culture; from motivation to burnout; from work-life balance to communication; the pandemic changed nearly everything about the workforce. Not only did employees have to navigate these changes, but managers had to drastically adjust the expectations for their teams—and many are still adapting today. Today’s guest is Mia Russell. Mia has served in various roles across nonprofit, academic, and corporate sectors. Currently, as a lecturer in the Center for Leadership Education at Johns Hopkins University, she teaches leadership and management courses, and her research focuses on the sustainability of well-being, specifically family economic well-being and career/work-related well-being. We talk about the expectations about work that are changing. We touch on quiet quitting, what employers or bosses can reasonably ask of their people, how all of this ties to burnout and the need to create a healthy balance in life, and so much more. Five members of the Modern Manager community can get a 30-minute call with Mia to help them identify strategies to reduce organizational factors that promote burnout. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community.   Get FREE mini-sketchnotes with the big idea from the week’s episode delivered to your inbox when you subscribe to my weekly email.   Read the related blog article: It’s Not Quiet Quitting: What’s Really Going On With Your Team   KEEP UP WITH MIA LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/miabrussell   Timestamps & Topics: 00:00 Intro 01:49 Three categories of “Quiet Quitting” 06:17 How are pre-pandemic work expectations different from current expectations? 10:03 How do we meaningfully engage our team members? 15:03 The importance of healthy motivation 17:50 How can we set boundaries to avoid burnout? 23:26 Understanding your values around work and time 27:17 A fantastic boss Mia has worked for 29:09 Keeping up with Mia 30:20 [Extended episode only] How can managers identify team members on the verge of burnout? 38:47 [Extended episode only] Physical versus emotional burnout mamie@mamieks.com instagram.com/mamieks

Setting healthy productivity habits is crucial for our overall well-being. When we are productive, we feel good about ourselves and our accomplishments; we are also more likely to achieve our goals. However, if we are not careful, an excessive emphasis on productivity without boundaries can lead to burnout. We can experience overwhelm as extreme physical and mental exhaustion which keeps us from being our best. So, how do we find the balance of a productive yet fulfilling approach to work? Today’s guest is Byron Morrison, the author of "Maybe You Should Give Up - 7 ways to get out of your own way and take control of your life". He is also a mindset and performance coach, who for close to a decade has worked with CEOs, business leaders and entrepreneurs in 15 different countries to take control and become more effective in their role. Byron and I talk about managing your time and energy to be most productive and effective. He shares some counterintuitive approaches to dealing with overwhelm, stress and more. Members of the Modern Manager community get access to Byron’s “Amplify” Course for free with the purchase of his book. This course is the ultimate productivity, time, and energy management course for CEOs and business leaders. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community.   Get FREE mini-sketchnotes with the big idea from the week’s episode delivered to your inbox when you subscribe to my weekly email.   Read the related blog article: Better Manage Your Time and Energy to Reduce Overwhelm   KEEP UP WITH BYRON Website: byronmorrison.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/authorbyronmorrison/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorbyronmorrison Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorbyronmorrison   Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 01:43 “Someone who is overwhelmed is just under-planned” 03:36 Strategy to get through mental overwhelm (brain dump) 05:29 What are push days vs. pull days? 09:42 How to structure push days and pull days 11:03 Byron’s approach to reducing task-associated stress 15:31 Recommendations for daily planning 17:33 How do teams collectively become more productive? 19:52 Client story on accountability 21:52 Byron’s stress de-compounding approach 27:26 A great manager Byron has worked for 28:48 Keeping up with Byron 30:00 [Extended episode only] Setting boundaries in your planning 35:28 How do we stay involved while setting boundaries? mamie@mamieks.com instagram.com/mamieks

Collaboration is essential for success in today's workplace. No matter how much intelligence and creativity any individual possesses, collaboration between team members always leads to better results. Collaboration allows team members to pool their ideas and expertise, leading to more creative, diverse, and innovative solutions while leveraging each person’s strengths. Plus, team members who experience successful collaborations feel more engaged and satisfied at work. Today’s guest is Deb Mashek. Deb is a social psychologist who helps business leaders navigate the relationship headwinds that tank timelines, bottom lines, and well-being. An experienced business advisor, professor, and nonprofit executive, her writing appears in MIT-Sloan Management Review, Fortune, ReWorked, The Hechinger Report, and Psychology Today. Deb has been an invited speaker on collaboration and viewpoint diversity at leading organizations including the United Nations and the American Psychological Association. She is the international bestselling author of Collabor(h)ate. We talk about how to foster successful collaborations within your team and organization. What are different ways we work together that we might call collaboration, what are the factors that go into collaboration, and how do you improve each of them or deal with it when things aren’t going well. Members of the Modern Manager community get a recording of Deb’s 1-Hour Workshop on Deep Collaboration, which will equip you to identify and overcome the collaboration headwinds that are holding back your organization. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community.   Get FREE mini-sketchnotes with the big idea from the week’s episode delivered to your inbox when you subscribe to my weekly email.   Read the related blog article: How to Build Strong Collaborations (Even When Your Team Can’t Stand Each Other)   KEEP UP WITH DEB LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/debra-mashek/ Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@debmashek Twitter: https://twitter.com/DebMashek Instagram: www.instagram.com/debmashek/   Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 02:00 What counts as collaboration? 03:32 What does ‘successful’ collaboration mean? 05:07 The importance of relationships 10:08 How integrated should we be with our co-workers? 11:50 Four quadrants of collaboration, with examples 19:52 How to increase the quality of your relationships 26:51 A great manager Deb has worked for 28:47 Keeping up with Deb 30:00 [Extended episode only] How to increase interdependence 31:19 [Extended episode only] Creating a strong collaborative ecosystem 34:47 [Extended episode only] What skills and competencies can we develop to become better collaborators? 37:25 [Extended episode only] Software and tools for effective collaboration mamie@mamieks.com instagram.com/mamieks

Being productive is a skill that comes naturally to some people, but it can be more difficult for others, especially those with learning differences or other challenges. Depending on your attention span, level of motivation, executive functioning skills, and environment, you may struggle to find success with traditional productivity advice. It’s important to remember that everyone’s mind is different, and with the right tools and mindset, you and each of your team members are capable of productivity greatness! Today’s guest is Sandra Halling. Sandra is a marketing systems and technology consultant who has a passion for finding smart, efficient ways of working so you can let go of the hustle. Sandra is a systems expert on platforms like Notion and ConvertKit but her real priority is helping you develop better work habits by achieving Aligned Productivity — that is to say, aligning your work with your values so you feel calm, confident, and can prioritize what matters to you. Sandra and I talk about different approaches to planning and staying organized that work for different styles of thinking. She shares her thoughts on what productivity is all about and how to navigate differences in productivity approaches, and a whole lot more. Members of the Modern Manager community get two bonuses this week! The first is 1 Free Month of Aligned Productivity Membership, which helps highly sensitive entrepreneurs and professionals feel more productive, without the hustle or overwhelm that comes from traditional productivity. The second is a set of Free Productivity Reflection Templates. Get these when you join the Modern Manager community. Get FREE mini-sketchnotes with the big idea from the week’s episode delivered to your inbox when you subscribe to my weekly email. Get 25% off The Modern Manager Skills Accelerator through April 30, 2023. The Skills Accelerator is designed to help you gain the skills, mindset and habits needed to effectively manage your team and yourself so that everyone gets to be their best selves and do their best work.   Read the related blog article: Productivity Approaches That Reduce Stress and Increase Accomplishment   KEEP UP WITH SANDRA Website: https://sandrahalling.com/ Membership Website: https://feelmoreproductive.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandrahalling/   Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 02:12 Why do we feel pressure to be so productive? 05:46 Do we set ourselves up for failure? 07:59 How to acknowledge what we’ve accomplished 10:34 Tip for neurodivergent listeners: breaking down tasks 12:30 Why different approaches work for different people 18:30 What happens when your preferred method doesn’t match your co-workers’? 24:05 Tools for team productivity 29:43 About a great manager Sandra has worked for 31:28 Keeping up with Sandra 33:00 [Extended episode only] Getting started with “aligned productivity” 38:40 [Extended episode only] How to align your daily tasks with larger goals Additional Resources: Join the Skills Accelerator (which includes a Patron level membership) this month to get 25% off to celebrate my 250th episode. Go to themodernmanager.com/milestone250 for details and the discount. mamie@mamieks.com instagram.com/mamieks

Welcome to episode 250 of The Modern Manager! Phew! I’m so excited to reach this milestone, and I’m so grateful for everyone who has listened to and supported the podcast along the way. Thank you for being here; here’s to 250 more! For this episode, I decided to take a look back at some key ideas that I’ve learned from my amazing guests over the past year or so. While every guest shares something insightful, I chose 5 key takeaways that, for me, stood out in some way. Members of the Modern Manager community get a massive discount on a 360 process facilitated by me. This includes a survey of up to 10 of your colleagues to gather feedback on their experience working with you, your strengths and where you can improve. You’ll receive a full written report plus a 1-hour debrief session with me to review the findings and plan next steps. This special pricing of $250 (instead of upwards of $1,000) is available to 10 members. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community.    Get 25% off when you join the Modern Manager Skills Accelerator before 11:59pm Eastern April 30, 2023.   Get FREE mini-sketchnotes with the big idea from the week’s episode delivered to your inbox when you subscribe to my weekly email.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles, and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: 5 Quick Actions for Managers to Improve Their Leadership   Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 02:26 The four temperaments that shape our core values (from episode 219) 03:05 Excerpt from episode 219 05:21 Mamie’s takeaways from episode 219 06:25 Mental toughness (from episode 229) 06:45 Excerpt from episode 229 08:34 Mamie’s takeaways from episode 229 10:00 How the seeds you plant can grow (from episode 237) 10:20 Excerpt from episode 237 11:39 Mamie’s takeaways from episode 237 12:40 Acknowledging emotions during times of change (from episode 193) 13:03 Excerpt from episode 193 15:43 Mamie’s takeaways from episode 193 16:30 Addressing conflict head on (from episode 228) 16:44 Excerpt from episode 228 20:11 Mamie’s takeaways from episode 228 mamie@mamieks.com instagram.com/mamieks

Do you know your team members’ unique talents? Every member of a workplace possesses a unique set of talents and skills that can be valuable to a team. By utilizing these diverse abilities, teams can become more efficient, innovative, and successful. Even more, when team members feel valued for their contributions, it fosters a positive and collaborative work environment. Today’s guest is Scott Whiteford. As Director of Leadership Analytics, Scott is a leading authority on The Science of Talent and has coached over 1,700 leaders on how to develop talent. His primary analytical focus is on utilizing Talent Plus’ Executive Interview to help companies select and coach leaders and their teams based on their strengths. He thoughtfully uses talent solutions such as the Team Retreat, TeamView, Leadership 360s, Collaborative Coaching, and Progression & Succession Planning to develop leaders and build effective teams through a strengths-management approach. Scott and I talk about taking a strengths-based approach to management and talent development. We discuss what it means to focus on talents, how to figure out what those strengths are, how to lean into the strengths of your team members and how to do so in ways that feel fair. Members of the Modern Manager community get a free talent assessment and customized report. Take it yourself or give it to your team members as a tool to guide professional development. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community.   Get FREE mini-sketchnotes with the big idea from the week’s episode delivered to your inbox when you subscribe to my weekly email.   Read the related blog article: Focus On Developing Your Team Members’ Strengths (Instead of Their Weaknesses!)   KEEP UP WITH SCOTT: Twitter: https://twitter.com/TalentPlusInc Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/TalentPlusInc/ Scott LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottwhiteford/ Talent Plus LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/talent-plus-inc/   Timestamps & Topics: 0:00 Introductions 1:54 What is strengths-based management? (Mercedes Benz analogy) 5:46 How do leaders recognize what people’s strengths are? 7:17 Examples of strengths Scott has encountered, and how he helped develop them 10:12 How to have conversations with team members about shaping their job to better suit their strengths 14:01 What if someone wants to do a particular job, but you don’t think it fits their strengths? 17:26 Examples of a strengths-based assessment at work 19:00 What to do if you realize you don’t have particular talents that are needed (compensatory strategies) 23:04 How do we shift jobs based on strengths while staying fair and equitable? 26:36 About a great manager that Scott worked for 28:00 Keep up with Scott [Extended episode only] 29:00 Addressing strengths as an element of DEI [Extended episode only] 31:20 Shifting roles on a full-scale vs. team-wide level [Extended episode only] 35:00 Tips on reorienting our thinking to be strengths-based Get the extended episode by joining The Modern Manager community for just $5 per month.  Additional Resources: https://go.talentplus.com/makeitagreatday mamie@mamieks.com instagram.com/mamieks

At some point, we’ve all been told to “Work smarter, not harder.” But what does that actually mean? Working smarter often means recognizing the importance of mindset in our work. The way we approach tasks, challenges, and even successes can have a significant impact on our team. Recognizing when your mindset isn’t serving you can help you overcome obstacles and achieve your goals. Today’s guest is Dre Baldwin. Dre is CEO and Founder of Work On Your Game Inc. He has given 4 TEDxTalks and has authored 33 books. Dre had a 9-year professional basketball career, playing in 8 countries. His framework is the "roadmap in reverse" for professional mindset, strategy, systems, and execution. Dre and I talk about one of his chapters from his book Work On Your Game where he lays out mental mistakes that good people make that can inhibit you and your team from accomplishing your goals. Members of the Modern Manager community get a chance to win one copy of Dre’s book, Work On Your Game. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community.   Get FREE mini-sketchnotes with the big idea from the week’s episode delivered to your inbox when you subscribe to my weekly email.   Read the related blog article: Four Common Mental Mistakes That Trip Managers Up   KEEP UP WITH DRE LinkedIn: http://LinkedIn.com/in/DreAllDay Facebook: http://Facebook.com/WorkOnYourGame  Twitter: http://Twitter.com/DreAllDay Instagram: http://Instagram.com/DreBaldwin YouTube: http://YouTube.com/Dreupt Website: http://DreAllDay.com   Key Takeaways: Mindset impacts success. Unhealthy ways of thinking can block us from our goals.  Replaying negative memories/worries in our head robs us of the potential energy of the present moment. Acknowledge the mistake and move on, so your brain doesn’t habitually get stuck in negativity.  Cover the basic principles and don’t assume what people know. Thinking bigger may get you off track, so return to the fundamentals often.  Remember to focus on “being” as much as “doing”. Consider who you need to be to reach your goal. Bringing new energy can bring different results.  Being important is about making an impact. It’s possible to be nice by doing the hard things that ultimately benefit everyone instead of trying to please people in the moment.  Model approaching goals with a healthy mindset and keep communication open.  Additional Resources: Dre’s Free book, The Third Day Work On Your Game University Free training to increase business without working harder Dre’s number to get his free #DailyMotivation text: 1.305.384.6894 mamie@mamieks.com instagram.com/mamieks

You’ve probably heard of meditation as a personal practice, but did you know it can have benefits to your professional life? Regular meditation practice can help reduce stress, improve focus, and increase emotional regulation. In addition, it can spark increased creativity, better decision-making, and improved relationships. Imagine how our workplaces would be if all of these benefits became reality!   Today’s guest is Shai Tubali. Shai is a happiness history expert and a PhD researcher at the University of Leeds in the UK. His numerous books published over the last two decades have won awards, become bestsellers and been published in 11 languages. His newest book, "Llewellyn’s Complete Book of Meditation,” was published in January 2023 and explores 35 meditation techniques from all over the world. Shai’s postgraduate expertise in science fiction film and pop culture enables him to share common principles that can help modern humans struggling with trauma, fear, uncertainty, depression, anxiety, and screen addiction.  Shai and I talk about why it’s helpful to meditate, the benefits you can expect to feel, how to get started with meditating and the various different techniques, and how meditation can improve how you show up as a manager and engage with your colleagues. Members of the Modern Manager community get a 50% discount on Shai’s 21-Day Challenges. These challenges are an invitation to tap into a new potential and to bring the light and clarity of consciousness to your everyday life. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community.   Get FREE mini-sketchnotes with the big idea from the week’s episode delivered to your inbox when you subscribe to my weekly email.   Read the related blog article: How a 5 Minute Meditation Routine Can Make You a Better Manager   KEEP UP WITH SHAI Website: https://shaitubali.com/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sevenawakenings https://twitter.com/STubali  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shaitubali/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ShaiTubali Book: https://www.amazon.com/Llewellyns-Complete-Book-Meditation-Comprehensive-ebook/dp/B0B1XSGF8D/    Key Takeaways: Meditation is about learning to focus our attention rather than being controlled by our emotions.  We learn to recognize our thoughts through meditation and not identify so strongly with them.  Meditation builds our brain’s ability to calm ourselves down when stressed.  Like with physical exercise, the more we build our mental muscles, the stronger they are.  Meditation helps high performers stop over-identifying with their “doing”, and learn to enjoy just “being”.  Meditation is the best preparation for action because it helps you think clearly.  There are all different ways to meditate, including standing, walking, or dance meditations. Use different techniques to achieve different results or meet your personal preference.  Start small, with only two minutes a day of meditation, and build up. It shouldn’t be a burden, but a pleasure. See what feels good.  Meditation can be done at any time of day, but most people are successful when they build it into a daily routine. Consider adding meditation first thing after waking up or last thing before going to bed.  mamie@mamieks.com instagram.com/mamieks

While everyone approaches their work with a different mindset, there’s one factor that can heavily influence the mindset you bring to work: your generation. From Gen X, to Millennials, to Gen Z, different generations can bring unique perspectives to a workplace that can lead to communication and cultural differences. To work together effectively, it’s important for individuals to recognize and respect each other’s experiences and strengths, and share their unique knowledge with each other. Today’s guest is Vivek Iyyani. Vivek is a professional speaker and author. He's written 3 books on Millennials and consults to Fortune 500 organizations to bridge the generational gap within their teams. We talk about what managers can learn from Millenials and Gen Z, and what those generations can learn from older generations, too, all in service of making the workplace healthier and stronger for all of us. Members of the Modern Manager community can win 1 giveaway copy of Vivek’s book, The Millennial Leader. In a new age of leadership, millennial leaders face the ultimate challenge of overcoming generational differences, reverse ageism, motivating an isolated, remote, gig and burnt-out workforce, while juggling all the responsibilities and expectations as a leader. This book is the ultimate guide for any Millennial who’s moving into management. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community.   Get FREE mini-sketchnotes with the big idea from the week’s episode delivered to your inbox when you subscribe to my weekly email.   Read the related blog article: What Boomers and Millennials Can Learn From Each Other at Work   KEEP UP WITH VIVEK LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/millennialexpertasia Website: https://www.vivekiyyani.com/    Key Takeaways: Millennials prefer new technology and focus on doing things more efficiently. This may be mislabeled as being “lazy”. Incorporating new technology or learning new processes (even if more efficient) can slow down Boomers, which is often why they resist new methods.  Balance new technology with helping everyone master it at their own pace. Ask with curiosity why processes or workflows are the way they are. Millennials text more than talk, which can cause communication breakdowns. They can learn from Boomers the soft skills of having difficult conversations. Ghosting at work happens when uncomfortable conversations are avoided. Conflict-avoidant behavior negatively impacts team culture because it stops constructive feedback.  Blue Tick Anxiety happens when two blue check marks show that a text message has been received and read, but there is no response. The sender may waste time worrying what they did wrong instead of being patient or just picking up the phone.  Be clear about norms and expectations for communication, including response times. Older generations may have a “Toxic Badge of Honor” where they discount workplace complaints because they felt they had it so much worse when they were younger. All problems should be heard and honored. Always strive towards better work conditions.  mamie@mamieks.com instagram.com/mamieks

Teams are the backbone of organizations. When functioning well, team members feel a sense of belonging, while maximizing their collective resources and skills to accomplish the organizations’ goals. In addition, effective teams will enable organizations to become more efficient and productive. Therefore, the leader of every team must ask: Is my team performing effectively? If not, where do they need to improve, and how can I guide them to success? Today’s guest is Dave Gloss. Dave is the Head of Team Effectiveness at AIIR Consulting, leading a global practice dedicated to building high-performing and inclusive company cultures. As an expert Team Consultant, Dave has worked with hundreds of Senior Leadership Teams to assess their companies and identify the root causes of underperformance and low engagement. As such, he is the go-to partner when you need to integrate cultures following complex mergers & acquisitions, design thriving hybrid workforces and cascade new "ways of working" across your teams.  Dave and I talk about team effectiveness - what it is, the components of what makes for strong team performance, how you can use operating principles to help your team more quickly adopt better behaviors and so much more.  Members of the Modern Manager community get access to 2 bonuses this week. The first is a free assessment: AIIR Team Effectiveness Survey. This assessment will help you get a better understanding of your team’s strengths, weaknesses, and ways of working. The second bonus is 50% off the AIIR Team Effectiveness Certification, where you will learn to quickly diagnose the root causes of any team challenge. Get these when you join the Modern Manager community.   Get FREE mini-sketchnotes with the big idea from the week’s episode delivered to your inbox when you subscribe to my weekly email.   Read the related blog article: How to Improve Your Team’s Effectiveness   KEEP UP WITH DAVE LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidkgloss/ Website: https://aiirconsulting.com/   Key Takeaways: Team Productivity + Team Culture = Team Performance.  Team productivity measures how efficiently and effectively the team gets work done. Team culture measures how team members interact and relate to one another. Team performance is a team’s ability to maximize its potential and fulfill its purpose. Strong culture + high productivity = high performing team. Strong culture + low productivity = comfortable (but not as effective) team. Weak culture + high productivity = a team with high turnover and burnout.  There are six components to team performance, three in each category of productivity and culture. Teams need shared clarity and alignment on why they specifically exist. This sets the stage for everything else.  To build a stronger culture, consider goals of trust and belonging before strategy and tactics (events).  Get collective and individual feedback via assessments to see how everyone feels about the team’s effectiveness. Often there isn’t a shared experience across the board. Include personality assessments to gain insight into why things might not be working. Boil insights  from assessments into manageable, actionable steps.  Create shared shorthand language - terms or phrases - to disrupt old, ineffective ways of working and quickly shift into more productive habits.  Clarity of purpose and culture will build a strong foundation for when team dynamics shift after losing/adding people.  mamie@mamieks.com instagram.com/mamieks

Why does your team exist? What is the deeper purpose behind the list of tasks you accomplish each day? Without a clear, defined purpose, teams will lack inspiration and focus. This can lead to team members feeling unmotivated, reducing productivity and morale. Furthermore, how can you set goals and develop strategies to achieve them when you don’t have a vision for your work?  Today’s guest is Ranjay Gulati. He is the author of the book Deep Purpose: The Heart and Soul of High-Performance Companies. As an educator and researcher, he is passionate about how to unlock organizational and individual potential. Ranjay and I talk about Purpose. What organizational purpose is and isn’t, why it's so powerful when done right, how to connect individual purpose to the organization and the magic that happens when you go from satisfied employees to truly inspired ones. Members of the Modern Manager community get a chance to win 1 of 3 free copies of Ranjay’s book, Deep Purpose: The Heart and Soul of High-Performance Companies. A revolutionary approach to business exists, one that delivers game-changing results for companies of all sizes: the serious and deep pursuit of purpose. This book shows the possibility of embedding purpose as a radically new operating system for your business. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community.    Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: What It Really Means To Have a Company Purpose   KEEP UP WITH RANJAY Website: Deeppurpose.net LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ranjay-gulati   Key Takeaways: A purpose is an intention to accomplish something meaningful to the self that has consequences for the world beyond the self. While the idea of individual purpose has been around for thousands of years, company purpose is a relatively new concept.  A company purpose is the “why” behind your mission statement: why you exist, who you’re impacting, and the strategy to accomplish it.  A deep company purpose trickles down to all areas of the office, including strategies, resource allocation, hiring and promotion, DEI, and measuring success.  Purpose is not “charity”, but a long term value that should include profitability. Make sure all your stakeholders benefit from your purpose.  By making decisions aligned with your purpose, you may have to make short term trade-offs that will lead to long term success.  Your team needs to understand how what they’re doing matters and contributes to the company purpose.  To help your team understand their own purpose and how it connects to the company’s, you first need to know them. Focus on “caring leadership” by building trust and connection over time.  mamie@mamieks.com instagram.com/mamieks

A positive workplace culture can be the difference between a thriving and barely surviving team; between people staying because they love their job and people eagerly searching to work somewhere else. When managers create an environment that is welcoming, trusting, and encourages creativity and feedback, people will find more overall satisfaction in their work. But how does a manager actually create this type of culture, especially on remote teams?  Today’s guest is Abhishek Nayak. As a co-founder and CEO of four startups, one of which was funded by Sequoia Capital, Abhishek is well-versed in the art of starting and scaling a business. But during a stint as an entrepreneur-in-residence at Accel, he discovered how much time engineers spend building internal applications, so he and two co-founders created Appsmith to put customizable app tools directly into developers’ hands. The once-small, open-source project is now used by over 10,000 teams, employs people in sixteen countries, and has raised over $51 million in capital. Abishek and I talk about how he’s built an incredible team and culture for his fully remote business. He shares the lessons he’s learned and steps he’s taken to support his people along the journey from a small co-located team, through the disruption of COVID, to a fully remote, global company with over 120 employees. Members of the Modern Manager community get a Template and Guidelines for Requesting Feedback. This internal document is used by Appsmith to guide employee feedback. Outlining feedback guidelines and questions for specific feedback outcomes, this resource can help any manager give and receive more valuable feedback. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: Do These Five Things to Effectively Manage a Remote Team   KEEP UP WITH ABHISHEK Website: Appsmith.com Twitter: twitter.com/arey_abhishek LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/abhisheknayak/ Email: abhishek@appsmith.com    Key Takeaways: Know the advantages of remote work, including more focus time, a larger talent pool, and better customer service availability. Invest in technology that provides the ability to virtually collaborate and takes advantage of the benefits of virtual work such as anonymous input and democratized participation in meetings.  If possible, help your team members set up a home office or provide a stipend for an office co-working space.  Give your team members autonomy, and hire for self-directedness.  Let your staff choose projects they enjoy and set their own deadlines. Review their plans and check in regularly to ensure accountability. Discuss post-project what could have been done differently to foster additional accountability and long-term continuous improvement.  Create an atmosphere of honesty by being receptive to your team’s dissenting or critical feedback. Share publicly when feedback has changed your mind.  Your organization is an organism that is constantly evolving. With each new team member, expect the dynamics to shift. Observe your teammates' communication and cultural style to understand ways to create a more accepting culture.  mamie@mamieks.com instagram.com/mamieks

As managers, emotional intelligence plays an important role in how you interact with your team and make decisions. Being aware of your capabilities, motivations and emotions, and knowing how to act on them, enables you to connect with your colleagues and build a trusting relationship. High emotional intelligence enables managers to more easily accomplish those goals, helping both you and your people thrive at work. Today’s guest is Robin Hill. Robin is the director of Ei4Change, a company specializing in educational training, coaching and personal development focused around emotional intelligence, positive psychology and neuroscience. He has taught over 300,000 people in more than 195 countries how to build resilience, increased self-awareness and understanding of others. Robin and I talk about emotional intelligence. He breaks down the components of EQ, including how to better understand yourself so you can develop your emotional intelligence skill set. Members of the Modern Manager community get Robin’s ‘Working with Mindfulness’ Course, typically $49, for free. The ‘Working with Mindfulness’ course supports the development of a manager’s emotional intelligence by helping them to work more effectively with mindfulness. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community. Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: How Managers Can Build Their Emotional Intelligence Skill Set   KEEP UP WITH ROBIN Website: https://ei4change.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EI4Change/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Ei4Change LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robinhills/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ei4change/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBBxGskYxL0wnRfuyz_wHZA/feed   Key Takeaways: Emotional intelligence is the ability to use your thoughts and emotions to make quality decisions and build relationships.  The five elements to emotional intelligence are self awareness, self regulation, empathy, communication, and motivation.  Self awareness is understanding your strengths and weaknesses. Use an assessment tool like Myers Briggs to learn what you bring to the table and become more aware of how others may differ from you.  New managers need to be patient with themselves as they gain the skills of EQ over time. Don’t be afraid of reaching out for support along the way.  Self regulation is working with and managing emotions, so that you can make informed choices about how to behave.  Anger and frustration are the most common emotions in the workplace. They tend to arise when one of our core values is being transgressed or when confronted with our limitations. Understand your hot button issues to address and reset situations. Become aware of your physical cues for anger so you can employ strategies in those moments to calm yourself down.  Empathy is seeing things from others’ perspectives, and communication is combining empathy with social skills to connect effectively with others.  Happiness is not the goal; we want people to feel challenged and appreciated. Communicate how pleased and grateful you are for their work.  Motivation is the most overlooked element of EQ. Motivation can come internally and externally, and may change depending on many factors, including the time of day. We need to motivate ourselves to develop and use EQ to work most effectively with others.  Additional Resources: Work with Mamie to understand your personality and preferences with the Type-Coach Myers Briggs assessment. Email mamie@mamieks.com to learn more and for pricing. mamie@mamieks.com instagram.com/mamieks

When a crisis hits someone’s life, the effects aren’t limited to home. Personal, communal, or even global crises can have a significant impact on someone’s stress levels. In situations where a crisis or tragedy has occurred, there’s likely little you can do to ‘fix’ the situation; however, there are steps every manager can take to help support their team members during these difficult and uncertain times. Today’s guest is Holly Welch Stubbing. Holly currently serves as President and CEO of E4E Relief. She has over 25 years of experience in HR, endowment investments and disaster relief. Her organization E4E Relief is an employee relief fund that works with global companies like Salesforce and Wells Fargo to relieve employees when it’s needed most. Holly also serves on the Forbes Human Resources Council and shares her philanthropic vision with fellow executives. She is a thought leader in ESG, philanthropy, and corporate social responsibility and speaks on ESG investment portfolios and strategies, CSR strategies, philanthropy, social enterprise and tax-exempt legal matters. Holly and I talk about how we as managers can best support our colleagues when a tragedy occurs - this could be a natural disaster, a death in the family, political upheaval in their city. She shares what employees care about, what we can do, and why it’s important to support people through these difficult moments.  Members of the Modern Manager community get a Free Disaster Worksheet, “Things to Consider When Responding to a Crisis.” This worksheet will lay out the stakeholders (employees, communities, etc.) to consider, partners to establish, and funding to set aside for navigating an unforeseen event impacting your people or your business. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: How to Support Your Team in Times of Crisis   KEEP UP WITH HOLLY Website: https://employeerelieffund.org/   Key Takeaways: Since the pandemic, managers are taking on more responsibility to support their teams during times of crisis. Personal, local, national, and global crises can have a significant impact on people. This includes a death in the family, political unrest, natural disasters (flooding, fires, hurricanes, etc), violence in a community, and more.  Update or create a comprehensive benefits plan that includes crisis support, mental health, and hybrid/flexibility needs.  Make sure employees in all locations receive benefits they need to navigate a crisis. One size doesn’t fit all.  Keep tabs on local crises affecting teammates, possibly as an HR role. Schedule weekly team meetings to learn about teammates’ issues.  Brainstorm with teammates how you can lean in and support each other during difficult times. Words and tokens of support help vulnerable teammates feel less alone and wanting to stay in the company. Go to HR to see what relief grants and other resources are available. When a colleague is overwhelmed dealing with a crisis, help out by filling out paperwork or doing research to ensure they get the needed assistance.  Additional Resources: Get an extended free 30-day trial of Sunsama. Learn more about Sunsama and why I love it in episode 217: Plan Your Day with Ashutosh Priyadarshy mamie@mamieks.cominstagram.com/mamieks

Of all the mindset tips and tricks, there is one aspect that is often overlooked: the questions we ask ourselves. Questions have the potential to shift conversations, open new ideas, and broaden understanding. The thoughts we have are in response to the questions we ask ourselves, often without conscious thought. Managers can learn how to use these internal questions as a tool to transform difficult relationships, spark creativity, reduce stress, and much more.  Today’s guest is Dr. Marilee Adams. Marilee is an award-winning author and pioneer in the fields of inquiry-based coaching, leadership and organizational culture. She is CEO/Founder of the Inquiry Institute, a solutions and performance-focused company providing consulting, coaching, training, keynotes and eLearning. She is the author of the best selling book Change Your Questions, Change Your Life: 12 Powerful Tools for Leadership, Coaching and Results. Marilee and I talk about the powerful questions we ask (without even realizing it) that shape our thoughts and actions. We get into what you can do to recognize these questions and start to change them, so you can truly transform your relationships and really, your life. Members of the Modern Manager community get a $10 Discount on The Choice Map Course. The Choice Map is your roadmap to creating a foundational awareness of your mindsets and questions. It will help you to live predominantly on the Learner mindset path, or ‘Learner Living’. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community or become a member of the Skills Accelerator.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: How to Ask Yourself the Right Questions   KEEP UP WITH MARILEE Website: https://inquiryinstitute.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/marileeadams Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/questionthinking Personal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marileeadams Institute LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/inquiryinstitute/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/InquiryInst   Key Takeaways: Our inner dialogue is a series of responses to questions we ask ourselves. We are either in Learner or Judger mindset. The Learner Mindset thinks win-win. It is open to possibilities. It asks “What’s my responsibility?” and “What would help my team thrive?” and “What is possible right now?” The Judger Mindset thinks win-lose. It is critical of the self and others, seeing few possibilities. It asks “Who’s to blame?” and “What’s wrong with me (them)?” We all have Learner and Judger mindsets and will flow back and forth between them all day. To switch from Judger to Learner, start with awareness of how you’re thinking. Ask ‘switching questions’ such as “Is this what I want?” and “How else might I approach this?” Fear or denial of your Judger will be counterproductive. Listen to how it shows up in you—what questions it asks and how your body responds. It helps to calm down your body before switching to Learner.  These techniques work for all aspects of our lives: at home and work, to improve relationships, creativity and problem solving, to reduce stress and more. mamie@mamieks.cominstagram.com/mamieks

Developing a remote work culture is a crucial step for businesses to take in today’s workplace landscape. However, developing a remote work culture requires different skills and practices than an in-person culture. The majority of people working remotely report struggling to maintain their work friendships and feeling distant from their work. It’s up to managers to cultivate a remote culture that is inclusive and engaging—despite the distance. Today’s guest is Kapil Kale. Kapil is the co-founder and COO of Tremendous. Kapil previously co-founded GiftRocket, an online gift card company that went through Y Combinator and became profitable. Prior to that, he worked as a Senior Associate Consultant at Bain & Company and also worked as a Portfolio Team member at Insight Venture Partners.  Kapil and I talk about building a remote-first culture. We get into ways to build trust, foster deep relationships, manage accountability, and so much more. Members of the Modern Manager community get a $100 reward for a $1,000 Tremendous purchase. Tremendous is the simplest way for businesses to send money to people. Managers can offer employees more than 800 redemption options, from gift cards to donations to cash. Get this bonus when you join the Modern Manager community or The Modern Manager Skills Accelerator.    Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: Strengthen Your Team’s Capability for Remote Work   KEEP UP WITH KAPIL Website: https://www.tremendous.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/gotremendous LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tremendous-rewards/   Key Takeaways: Explain to your team the reasons why you’re choosing a remote work setup. Think through the skillsets your team members need for remote workers including good written communication and self management. With remote work, we lose the opportunity to organically build casual relationships, like those ‘watercooler’ conversations.  Supercharge work relationships by engineering offsite events. Make sure these retreats focus only on having fun and not anything work-related. Encourage teammates who struggle with remote work to spend part of their time in a shared office setting.  Those who haven’t developed the skills needed to effectively complete a task or responsibility, such as those new to a role, might benefit from being in person early on.  Find creative ways to celebrate and recognize employees, whether through in person events or virtual channels.  mamie@mamieks.com instagram.com/mamieks

You probably know the feeling of ‘there’s an elephant in the room’ and no one wants to address it. But letting things go unspoken creates problems in the workplace. This is true of the large and small things. Are you letting the ‘mice in the room’ go unaddressed because they’re just not a big deal? By raising small issues, we are able to address potential areas of concern before they become bigger problems. Plus, by acknowledging these small things, we’re able to better understand one another. Today’s guest is David Wood. After life as a consulting actuary to Fortune 100 Companies, David built the world’s largest coaching business, becoming #1 on Google for “life coaching”. He believes the tough conversations we avoid are our doorways to confidence, success and even love - in both work and life. David coaches high performing entrepreneurs, executives and teams - and even prison inmates - to amazing results AND connection. One conversation at a time. David and I talk about the lessons in his book Mouse in the Room. He explains the concept, shares some of the common mice we experience and how to raise small issues so that we can have meaningful conversations. Members of the Modern Manager community get a free, personalized gift basket from David that includes a 15-minute Double Your Revenue Strategy call for qualifying businesses, the Online Double Your Revenue Replay, a cheat sheet, and the Mouse in the Room minibook. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: How To Have Those Conversations Everyone Prefers To Avoid   KEEP UP WITH DAVID Website: https://focus.ceo LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/focus-ceo YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ExtraordinaryFocuswithDavidWood Twitter: https://twitter.com/_focusceo Extraordinary Focus Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/extraordinaryfocus Personal Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/playforrealll   Key Takeaways: We learn to avoid honesty as we grow up.  The conversations we’re afraid to have are the ones necessary to deepen our relationships.  We need to name the more subtle “mice in the room”. Unlike elephants that both parties are aware of, mice are the little issues that get in the way, but only one person is aware of. The ‘Storytelling Mouse’ makes assumptions about how others are acting. Check if these beliefs are true before taking them personally. Acknowledge your ‘Desire Mouse’ by asking, what do I really want?  What are you tolerating that’s quietly driving you crazy? This is your ‘Toleration Mouse’. Our ‘Mirror Mouse’ gives us insights into who we are and why we react in certain ways due to past experiences. When deciding whether to share a mouse in the room, go through the 3D’s of Discover, Decide, and Disarm. Discover what you feel. Decide if you can tolerate possible negative outcomes and if the potential positives are worth it. Disarm a defensive response by getting consent first. Share your worries and hopes and ask if it’s a good time to talk. mamie@mamieks.com instagram.com/mamieks

Managers often focus on creating work environments that cultivate inclusivity, productivity, and innovation - which are all important. However, when was the last time you intentionally created an environment for… joy? Turns out, when employees are joyful at work, they are more likely to be productive and work harder to achieve their goals. In fact, joy in the workplace can lead to a more successful team and a better working experience for everyone involved - and it’s up to the manager to create the conditions to make that happen. Today’s guest is. Akaya Windwood. Akaya advises, trains, and consults on how change happens individually, organizationally, and societally. She is on the faculty for the RSF Social Finance Integrated Capital Fellowship and is the founder of the New Universal, which centers human wisdom in the wisdom of Brown women. She was the president of Rockwood Leadership Institute for many years and directed the Mycelium Fund. Akaya and I talk about the bits of wisdom she and her co-author collected over the years on what it means to foster joy in the workplace and how you can too.   Members of the Modern Manager community get a chance to win 1 free copy of Akaya’s book, Leading with Joy. Sharing vignettes about the authors’ insights and stories and discussion questions to go along, Leading with Joy promotes a courageous and compassionate approach to leadership that can sustain purposeful action and social change. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: How to Create a Joyful Work Atmosphere   KEEP UP WITH AKAYA Twitter: https://twitter.com/LeadingWithJoy Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leadingwithjoy/ Website: https://leadingwithjoybook.com/   Key Takeaways: We can’t force our team members to feel joy (nor is our responsibility to), but we can (and should) create the conditions for people to find joy.  Happiness is an emotion from an external experience while joy is a bodily sense from within.  We need to practice experiencing and discovering joy intentionally and mindfully.  Set aside time for conversations with colleagues about what joy means to them and how you might help foster joy in the workplace.  Micromanaging destroys trust and joy. Managers micromanage due to their own anxieties.  Remember to only do what is yours and trust others to do theirs. You don’t need to do it all. Approach colleagues first with what you appreciate of them. Then ask what support they need from you. This creates a culture of gratitude.  Imagine what it would feel like if people left interactions with you feeling appreciated and affirmed. Be intentional about the seeds you are sowing now. You never know what they will lead to in the future. mamie@mamieks.com instagram.com/mamieks

We've all heard it a million times, especially as kids: "Be nice!" Most people have been taught that if you don't have something kind to say, don't say anything at all. However, what do you do when you have necessary feedback to give, but it's not positive? This is where radical candor comes into play. The goal is to always speak with both love AND truth - at the same time. Today’s guest is Kim Scott. Kim is the author of Just Work and Radical Candor. Kim was a CEO coach at Dropbox, Qualtrics, Twitter, and other tech companies. She was a member of the faculty at Apple University and before that led AdSense, YouTube, and DoubleClick teams at Google. Kim and I talk about how to give productive feedback using her famous Radical Candor model. We talk about why giving feedback is so important even if it's uncomfortable, and how to solicit feedback most effectively. Members of the Modern Manager community get 10% Off The Feedback Loop Course. Starring David Alan Grier, Kim Scott, and a cast of eccentric characters, The Feedback Loop workplace comedy series and e-course teach Radical Candor’s proven feedback framework in a way that's fresh, fun, and effective to improve your communication skills at work and in life. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: Give Your Team Members the Gift of Feedback   KEEP UP WITH KIM Radical Candor Website: www.radicalcandor.com Just Work Website: www.justworktogether.com Radical Candor Twitter: https://twitter.com/candor  Just Work Twitter: https://twitter.com/JustWorkBook Personal Twitter: https://twitter.com/KimballScott    Key Takeaways: The idea of radical candor is that you care personally and challenge directly at the same time. This means saying what needs to be said in a way that demonstrates caring while ensuring the other person clearly gets the message. Obnoxious aggression (being direct without caring), manipulative insincerity (being indirect without caring), and ruinous empathy (being indirect with caring) each fail to help someone receive the feedback they need to be successful in their role.  If you avoid giving feedback when things are small, they often snowball and then it’s much harder to give the feedback because it’s become huge. When you don’t give feedback, you are doing the other person a disservice. You are inhibiting them from the opportunity to grow, improve or change. If someone doesnt get the message, keep saying it in new ways that become more direct until they get it. You don't have to build this deep relationship with someone before you can offer radical candor. Caring personally just looks like noticing someone's humanity in the moment.  Ask for feedback by coming up with one specific question that you can regularly ask your people. Then pause long enough for them to answer. Then listen with the intent to understand, not respond. mamie@mamieks.com instagram.com/mamieks

Each person on the planet has a way of being and thinking that when tapped into feels both natural and fulfilling. This is called your inner genius. The goal for each person is to find their inner genius; the goal for each manager is to help people leverage this knowledge, to help them bring forth the genius that lies within each of us. Today’s guest is Catherine Mattiske. Catherine is a leading global business educator and author with 30 years of experience across industries, including banking, insurance, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and retail. She is the founder of TPC — The Performance Company, an international training and consulting organization that has worked with Fortune 100 companies worldwide. Catherine has authored more than 30 books, her latest being “Unlock Inner Genius: Power Your Path to Extraordinary Success”. Catherine and I talk about the inner genius concept. We get into how to find your inner genius, how to connect what you love to do outside of work and get the same state of flow while at work, the different genius archetypes, building a team that optimizes for inner genius, and much more.   Members of the Modern Manager community get 50% Off the Inner Genius Profile. Take the Inner Genius Profile to discover how you learn and communicate. The profile takes 10 minutes and will make the way you work, study, and communicate more efficient and effective. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community. Or, check out The Modern Manager Skills Accelerator. Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: Unlock the Power of the Inner Genius   KEEP UP WITH CATHERINE Inner Genius LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/discover-your-inner-genius- Inner Genius Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/geniusquotient/ Inner Genius Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/innergeniusnow Inner Genius Insta: https://www.instagram.com/innergeniusnow/ Catherine Linkedin: https://au.linkedin.com/in/catherinemattiske The Performance Company Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThePerformanceCompany/ Catherine Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/public/Catherine-Mattiske Catherine Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/catherinemattiske/?hl=en   Key Takeaways: When doing activities that align with our inner genius, we light up and get into a state of flow.  There are 12 different archetypes that fall into four categories of inner genius; the Big Whys, The Detailers, The Constructors, and the Inventors.  The Big Whys love working with people and asking inquisitive questions.  The Detailers are practical and efficient.  The Constructors take ideas and start building. The Inventors love dreaming up new ideas. They are cheerleaders pushing their team along.  Discover what your inner genius archetype is by reflecting on the activities that bring you to life. Deconstruct these activities and look for themes. Map out what different archetypes you have on your team. Consider how you might bring on advisors or new team members with different archetypes so that your team can benefit from the full range of genius types. Ask your team members what or how they want to contribute to a project rather than them assigning tasks.  We use language that mirrors how we process the world. Use language that corresponds to the archetype you are communicating with to better connect with them..  mamie@mamieks.com instagram.com/mamieks

Many studies have shown that the best and most innovative companies are those who embrace diversity and make an effort to recruit people with different personalities and different strengths. While some areas of diversity are visible, one in particular is not: neurodiversity. People who are neurodivergent have brain differences that affect how their brains work. As managers, it's up to us to be knowledgeable about neurodiversity and create work environments where neurodivergent people can be their truest and best selves.  Today’s guest is Genie Love. Genie has been trying to figure out how to stay focused and attentive, how to decrease procrastination, how to manage “to do” lists, and generally how to get things done her entire adult life. As an executive functioning coach, she brings her personal trial and error experience as well as 20 years of experience teaching high school students with ADD and Autism to help adults take control of their time and attention. Genie and I talk about what neurodiversity means and how our work environments help or hinder different ways people’s brains work. We get into strategies to help yourself and your team members to create workplaces that work for all different brains. One member of the Modern Manager community can get a 1.5-hour consulting session focused on simple strategies to support underutilized human assets in your organization. She will provide tips on the use of physical space, training in executive functioning, and strategies in recruiting, interviewing, onboarding, and retention in order to increase productivity and job satisfaction. Get this bonus and more when you join the Modern Manager community. Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: How to Support Neurodivergent Team Members   KEEP UP WITH GENIE: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/genie-love-4b13451b8/ Website: https://genielove.coach/    Key Takeaways: Neuordivergent thinking is a spectrum of different ways of processing, communicating, and thinking. It includes ADHD, autism, and dyslexia among others.  Neurodivergent teammates may have trouble creating a work plan, getting ideas across verbally or in writing, or sitting still for long periods of time.  Consider how space impacts a person's ability to focus. Some people are sensitive to noise, lighting, visual distractions and furniture. Invest in seating options. When possible, provide options of a rigid chair, reclining chair, ball chair, or standing desk, each of which may be a good fit for an individual or can help at different energy levels or with types of work.  Create a time for colleagues to share what their needs are or what might help them engage more fully.  mamie@mamieks.com instagram.com/mamieks

Work and home life are not two distinct worlds. Despite the concept of work-life balance, they are inextricably intertwined. What’s happening at home often affects us at work, and vice versa. While we can’t close off those two worlds from each other, there are practices we can put in place to help us process personal situations and still show up to work as our best selves. Today’s guest is Andrea Liebross. Andrea is a coach, speaker, podcast host, and soon to be published author who is known for helping bold, ambitious women make clear, confident decisions, so that they get exactly what they want, every time, and not just add another thing to their to-do list. Over the last few decades, Andrea has started three successful businesses and ultimately became a certified business and life coach. Andrea and I talk about how to leave the stress of home at home. We get into strategies for helping yourself and your team better manage through stressful times, collaborate and support each other, and show up as your best selves. Members of the Modern Manager community get $100 off Full Focus coaching AND free access to the 5 Days to Clear Thinking challenge. In 30 days, Full Focus coaching will give you the tools and thinking you need to become fully focused and stop procrastinating. The 5 Days to Clear Thinking Challenge will help you clean up your mind so you can be truly ready and able to plan and organize. Get them when you join the Modern Manager community.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: How to Manage Stress From Home While at Work   KEEP UP WITH ANDREA Website: www.andreaslinks.com Podcast: https://pod.link/timetolevelup   Key Takeaways: Just as work stress comes home with us, the stress of home life impacts our work life.  To shift from ‘Stuck Stress’ to ‘Productive Stress’, become solution focused. Stop worrying about what might happen that you don’t have control over and instead focus on what you can do. Share the facts and frame your experience by including the negative and positive parts of the stressful situation.  Sharing what’s going on for us takes out the drama of coworkers guessing what’s going on. We tend to make up stories or assumptions to explain behavior which often is incorrect and has negative consequences. Coworkers will feel more compassionate and generous towards you if they know what’s happening.  We all have manuals for how we expect work life to be. When our individual expectations conflict, problems arise. Sharing how you respond to stress gives colleagues insight into how you work so they can best support you.  mamie@mamieks.com instagram.com/mamieks

Goals are the backbone of our teams. Around this time of year, businesses and individuals often set goals for themselves, but not all goals are created equally. Truly effective goals are strategic plans for the entire year that guide us in the direction of our dreams; they help managers focus a team’s efforts and achieve maximum success.  Today’s guest is Hilary DeCesare. Hilary is an award-winning business expert, esteemed author, and pioneer of female powerhouses in Silicon Valley. As a sought-after speaker, founder of The Relaunch Co., and one of the first women to create a quarter of a billion dollars in revenue for the tech giant Oracle, Hilary brings fresh energy to industry leaders, CEOs, and solopreneurs. She is widely recognized for her work in neuropsychology as it relates to business and life, and holds several certifications from top practitioners in the field.  Hilary and I talk about her ROCK-IT goal setting process. She shares how to work backwards to make goals manageable, the mindset needed to accomplish big goals, and basically all things goals related. Members of the Modern Manager community get access to Hilary’s free webinar, Rock-it Your Way to Success in 2023. In this 60-minute workshop, you'll get the goal setting framework that has been proven to work for over 25+ years, without adding more to your already overflowing plate. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: How to Set Goals That You Actually Achieve   KEEP UP WITH HILARY Website: https://therelaunchco.com/ Business Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheReLaunchCo/ Personal Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hilary.howarddecesare Business Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therelaunchco/?hl=en Personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hilarydecesare/?hl=en LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/hilarydecesare Twitter https://twitter.com/hilarydecesare?lang=en   Key Takeaways: Know your endpoint. Consider scary and crazy (scazy) dreams and make goals for them.  Think ahead to your goal in 12 months. Then work backwards to first quarter goals based on your year goal. Break this down further into monthly, weekly, and daily goals.  Empowering beliefs help us reach goals. What we believe about ourselves impacts what we believe we can accomplish and therefore what we actually accomplish. Those with an empowered identity operate at a higher energy that others resonate with. For each goal, brainstorm actions you could take to accomplish it and focus on implementing what pops out at you. You don’t have to do everything! Consider the answer (where you want to go) before the question (what you need to get there, including self beliefs).  To avoid burnout, don’t take on too much too soon. Prioritize no more than three goals at a time. mamie@mamieks.com instagram.com/mamieks

It's that time of year again. Holidays are coming up, and while some messages and practices will be perfect for your team members' individual needs, others won't match up with their values, beliefs, or lifestyles. Despite the busyness of this season, it's crucial for managers to consider how all people may be experiencing the upcoming holidays. With intentionality, managers can create an environment where people of all beliefs and practices can feel seen and included. Today’s guest is Dr. Jen O’Ryan. Jen is a consulting editor specializing in Inclusion, Diversity, and Representation. She works with organizations to design content, culture, and processes that are welcoming and inclusive. Jen has a PhD in Human Behavior and her background in tech includes designing new experiences for customers, launching global initiatives, and leading organizational change. Jen and I talk about the hidden places that bias shows up and how we may be unintentionally setting up barriers or making things challenging for our colleagues, and of course, what to do about it. We also go deep on how to be thoughtful about the end of year holidays which can have religious undertones and bring up lots of feelings for folks.  Members of the Modern Manager community can get 1 of 3 copies of Jen’s book, Inclusive AF: A Field Guide for “Accidental” Diversity Experts. Designed for anyone thinking about Inclusion and Diversity, AF outlines a roadmap to safely introduce meaningful and lasting change. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: Design an Inclusive Holiday Party (or Anything, Really!)   KEEP UP WITH JEN LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenoryan/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pagingdrjen/ Website: https://www.pagingdrjen.com/    Key Takeaways: Create an atmosphere of psychological safety so that your team willingly gives honest feedback. Be vulnerable and admit mistakes. Keep your door open for questions or input. Ask if things work for them. When designing a party (or product, marketing materials, etc), consider how different people would experience it. Imagine different ways of being in the world and what people would need.  Invite your team to share what holidays they celebrate and what they need to feel supported, either with time off, language used, or anything else.  Educate yourself on the different holidays. Bring in experts for objective knowledge and don’t make assumptions about how people practice or observe various holidays. The holiday season may bring up grief or difficult emotions for those estranged from loved ones. Some people may be less celebratory and need extra support during this time. Ask your team what accomplishments they are celebrating at the end of the year. Make this the focus, imagery, and language associated with your party rather than a religious lens. mamie@mamieks.cominstagram.com/mamieks

Human beings are creatures of habit. Just watch a child or animal go through their daily routines and you can see that habits are deeply ingrained in our biology. While we’re often aware of some habits, others happen regularly without us ever realizing them. Maintaining good habits, identifying bad habits, and building new ones all take determination and perseverance. Today’s guest is Dr. Jon Finn. Dr. Jon founded the award-winning Tougher Minds consultancy and has three psychology-related degrees, including a PhD. He has worked in performance psychology, resilience, and leadership science for over 20 years. Dr. Finn wrote his best-selling book ‘The Habit Mechanic’ (which took him over 20 years to compose) because his life’s mission is to help people to be their best in the challenging modern world. Dr. Finn and I speak about what it is to be a habit mechanic, why habits are so important, the role of social acceptance in driving our habits, how to manage your super habits and destructive habits, and a lot more.   Members of the Modern Manager community can win a free 12 month ‘At Your Best’ premium subscription membership. You will quickly learn how to feel better, do better and lead better. To learn more access the free version of the app here: https://www.tougherminds.co.uk/habit-mechanic-app/. Get this bonus and many more when you join the Modern Manager community.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: Understand Your Brain to be Successful at Work   KEEP UP WITH DR. FINN Website: https://www.tougherminds.co.uk/ LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/dr-jon-finn Get 'The Habit Mechanic' book here: https://geni.us/TheHabitMechanic   Key Takeaways: A manager’s most important resource is their team’s habits. Habits account for 98% of our thoughts and actions. Neuroplasticity teaches that our brains are always changing based on what we think and do. We need at least a 3:1 ratio of positive to negative feedback for psychological safety, or even more positive if the negative feels extra heavy.  We procrastinate with big tasks because we’re hardwired to conserve energy, and thinking takes energy.  The part of our brain related to thirst and hunger also relates to social status. Social acceptance is a primary need.  Super habits are habits that have a disproportionately positive impact while destructive habits lead to disproportionately negative impact. Self monitor behavior to determine what action to build up individually. Monitor your progress by creating a SWAP, Self Watching Action Plan. mamie@mamieks.com instagram.com/mamieks

Obstacles come in many forms. They can be physical (withholding us from being somewhere or doing something we want to do), mental (making us believe we're not capable of achieving), or emotional (adding undue stress, fatigue, or other burdens to our minds). No matter what obstacles you're facing, moving through them is possible with dedication, determination, and the right mindset. You’d be amazed by what you can achieve! Today’s guest is Joel Green. Joel is CEO of Pro Level Training, the National Director of Nike Sports Camps, a former professional basketball player, and a renowned motivational speaker. A thought leader in the motivational category, Joel Green has developed a reputation for personal excellence and motivational talks that contribute tangible advice for attaining desired goals. Many of the messages he has delivered are conveyed in his first book, Filtering: The Way to Extract Strength from the Struggle, which was released on September 6th. Joel and I talk about how to overcome obstacles or difficult moments. We get into the importance of perspective, how to get yourself to do what it takes, and a lot more insights from Joel’s experience as an athlete and successful businessman. Members of the Modern Manager community get a special set of graphics with mindset messages that you can use as the background for your computer, your phone, or print out as mini-posters in your workspace. Get this bonus and more when you join the Modern Manager community.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: How to Get Your Team From Ordinary to Extraordinary   KEEP UP WITH JOEL Website: https://www.joelbgreen.com/ Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/jaygreenplt/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joel-green-95340417/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joel.green.35   Key Takeaways: To deal with overwhelming emotions, practice “filtering” by breaking things down in order to help you manage your feelings. Breathe for 30 seconds to gain control rather than feel reactive. Then lean into the emotions by trying to learn from this challenge. Focus on yourself rather than your competition or what the world throws at you. “Prune” by reassessing what and who needs to be cut off/set aside to make space for new opportunities. Cut out unhelpful things/people in order to allow space for growth.  Fatigue is part of the process of growth. Embrace it by seeing fatigue as a sign that you’re on the path to accomplishing your goals.  Fulfillment comes from fighting through fatigue, knowing that many other people would have already given up. To be extraordinary, don’t settle for the bare minimum. Keep pushing yourself to do “just one more”. Small increments help us get past the hump.  Offer your team personal stories and inspirational quotes to encourage them to prune, filter, embrace the fatigue, and do just one more.  mamie@mamieks.com instagram.com/mamieks

In my years of working with managers, one of most frequent questions I get is this: How do I deal with conflict in my team? This dilemma can be approached from two perspectives. First, there are practices a team can adopt to help limit the number of conflicts that arise. Second, there are approaches a team can use to dissolve conflict quickly and effectively. Used together, these techniques can help any team become more cohesive and productive. Today’s guest is Hesha Abrams. With over 30 years of experience solving conflict and difficult problems, Hesha comes to the table as a world-renowned meditator, negotiator, and author. As an expert in conflict and pragmatic solutions, Hesha implements innovative approaches and thought-provoking solutions that obtain favorable outcomes for even the most complex conflicts, including mediating the case over the secret recipe for Pepsi. Hesha's popular new book, Holding The Calm shares her secrets on how to read a situation to solve problems, eliminate conflict, and restore harmony.  Hesha and I talk about what we do wrong that makes it harder to resolve conflicts and she shares some of her practical approaches to addressing conflict more effectively. We also get into how to help your team members resolve conflicts so you can foster stronger teamwork. Members of the Modern Manager community can get a free, 1-hour Zoom if The Modern Manager community together purchases 100 copies of Hesha’s book, Holding the Calm. This book shares key strategies and inspirational treasures to resolve disputes, settle cases, and re-channel arguments; buy it for yourself and your team! Get this bonus when you join the Modern Manager community.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: How to Hold the Calm when Dealing with Conflict   KEEP UP WITH HESHA Website: holdingthecalm.com   Key Takeaways: Conflict is like spilled spaghetti sauce; the sooner you deal with it, the easier it is.  When we don’t understand others, we label them negatively. Confirmation bias then looks for evidence for these negative beliefs of others which further cements our belief.  Try to find redeeming qualities of others or consider how they operate (introvert/extrovert, a kinesthetic/visual/auditory learner) to give yourself a more expansive view of their humanity. Think like a doctor when someone emotionally erupts on you. Instead of looking away, look closer to find clues about their pain.  Create a moat around yourself so that others’ emotions don’t overwhelm you. Repeat “Hold the calm” to remind your amygdala you’re safe.  VUCS others when they are upset by Validating their emotions, Understanding their perspective, Clarifying the situation, and Summarizing what you heard. This takes the wind out of the conflict. If colleagues are warring, meet with them privately. Help them find redeeming qualities of the other and share that positive information with them.  mamie@mamieks.com instagram.com/mamieks

Look in any organization and you'll see a variety of leadership styles. One crucial aspect of leadership is staying true to yourself and what feels most natural to you as a leader, which means not trying to be all things to all people. Research has found that most leadership styles fit into one of four categories. Understanding these categories can help leaders stay true to themselves while enhancing their skills, building their careers, and achieving their organization’s goals. Today’s guest is Robert Jordan. Robert is the CEO of InterimExecs, which matches top executives with companies around the world. Based on research with thousands of leaders and companies, he and Olivia Wagner wrote "Right Leader Right Time: Discover Your Leadership Style for a Winning Career and Company," and have launched the FABS Leadership Assessment, a free assessment at RightLeader.com designed to help leaders and organizations perform better. Jordan also authored "How They Did It: Billion Dollar Insights from the Heart of America," and helped publish "Start With No," Jim Camp’s bestseller on negotiation. Robert and I talk about the four leadership styles, their strengths and optimal conditions in which each leadership style thrives, and how to think about your career to optimize your leadership potential. Members of the Modern Manager community can participate in a free, town-hall style webinar. In this webinar, Robert will give direct, real-time feedback on peoples’ leadership styles to help them grow personally and professionally. Get access when you join the Modern Manager community.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: Use the Four Leadership Styles to Advance Your Work   KEEP UP WITH ROBERT Right Leader website: https://www.rightleader.com/ Interim Executives website: https://interimexecs.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/interim_execs LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertjjordan/   Key Takeaways: There are four types of leadership approaches; Fixers, Artists, Builders, and Strategists. Each archetype has skills, contexts, and motivators that enable it to thrive. The Fixer is drawn to broken organizations and crises. The Artist sees a project as a blank canvas. They will say or do what others won’t.  The Builder thrives in growing small teams/projects into something much larger. They get bored when scale is achieved. The Strategist loves working with large, complex teams. They have strong company loyalty and love mentorship opportunities.  Most leadership styles (except The Artist) are realized through experience as you go about your career. Pay attention to what excites you. Managers fail when they try to do everything. Secure leaders concentrate on strengths and let others take charge. Be careful not to overdo your strengths. A Fixer might create problems that don’t exist. Have your team take a FABS leadership assessment and share their findings for better collaboration. mamie@mamieks.com instagram.com/mamieks

Focus: It’s an important skill for the success of any organization or individual. While it's natural for anyone to get distracted by new ideas, potential projects, overwhelming to-do lists, and ongoing problems, learning how to focus can save us time and energy in the long-run. Today’s guest is Erik Qualman. Erik is five-time #1 Bestselling Author and Keynote Speaker who has performed in over 55 countries and reached over 50 million people. He was voted the 2nd Most Likeable Author in the World behind Harry Potter's J.K. Rowling. He is the host of the popular Super U Podcast and his work has been used by the National Guard to NBC Universal to NASA.  Erik and I talk about what it means to really be focused. He shares his lessons learned and best tips and tricks for how you and your team can accomplish great things simply by staying focused. Members of the Modern Manager community get a Buy One Get One Free deal on two of his products. The first is his Kittycorn card game, designed for any group to learn easily and have a great time. The second is his book, The Focus Project, designed to provide solutions to the challenge of focusing in an unfocused world. Get them both when you join the Modern Manager community.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: How To Focus So The Big Things Get Done   KEEP UP WITH ERIK Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/equalman/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/equalman TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@equalman.official Super U Podcast contact: eq@equalman.com   Key Takeaways: Fear of failure disrupts focus. Remember that evaluated failure makes us better. Learn from mistakes. When you fix clients’ problems, they are 3 times more likely to be repeat customers.  People don’t love us because we’re perfect, but because we’re perfectly flawed. Aim to be “flawsome.” Trying to do too many things is almost always the wrong approach. Focus on crushing one thing, even if it requires you to cannibalize your own product line. When you add more tasks, subtract others so that you don’t overstuff your To Do list.  The Army Ant tries to do too much at once. Put one project on hold or label one “major” and focus on it first. The Squirrel loves shiny objects and has trouble completing tasks. Make a commitment not to move on to other work until you’ve completed your priority at hand. The Chameleon is a people pleaser who has difficulty saying no. Find little wins for saying no, ask yourself if this is what you want to be doing, and don’t guess what others want.  The Hedgehog is cautious about taking risks. Let go of perfectionism before moving forward. Do the Superhero pose to reduce cortisol and empower yourself. Be firm in your destination but flexible in your path. Let go of sunken costs, even if it’s hard to move on. Ask why you do things a certain way and if you can change. Go where the market and future opportunities are. mamie@mamieks.com instagram.com/mamieks

Whether you want to develop new products, update internal processes, or make sure that every client is satisfied with your service, one thing is true: you need to be clear about your goals. Without direction, you will lose your way. Direction comes from having a bold vision of what you want your life, team, and organization to look like. Then, you must create actionable steps to move forward. Today’s guest is Lisa McCarthy. Lisa is the CEO and co-founder of the Fast Forward Group, a training and executive coaching company based on the philosophy that when people are living their best lives, they do their best work. Clients include innovative companies of all sizes, including Amazon, Facebook, Google and JPMorgan Chase. Prior to launching Fast Forward, Lisa spent 25 years leading sales organizations at prominent media companies, including ViacomCBS and Univision. Lisa and I talk about goals and establishing a bold vision. She shares why goals like these are important and she walks us through her process that has helped over 100,000 people achieve their big dreams. Members of the Modern Manager community get two FREE months of Lisa’s Fast Forward membership program, which has helped thousands of professionals play big, manage stress, and achieve extraordinary success. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: Set Big Goals With Your Team   KEEP UP WITH LISA Membership Website: https://fastforwardgroup.net/ Personal Website: https://lisamccarthy.co/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisamccarthyffg/   Key Takeaways: We resist goal setting because we’re risk averse; we’d rather underpromise and overdeliver. To encourage thinking big, managers must assure their team that there won’t be any negative consequences if expectations aren’t reached. Challenge self-limiting beliefs (I’m not X enough, I don’t have the right background, etc) that stop you from dreaming of your future.  Create a vision of where you want to be in a year. What does “extraordinary success” look like?  Reflect on your qualities. What are you known for in your professional and personal life? What are your most important relationships like? Are these what you want them to be? Make goals bold, specific, and measurable. Avoid vague terms like “better” and “more”.  Be as detailed as possible. What would be accomplished? How would you feel? Write out 2 pages for your vision. Have each team member individually create a vision and goals. Then share at a team meeting to build accountability and support.  Consider a team vision. What would success look like? What kind of language would you use? Additional Resources: Fast Forward’s monthly free intro workshops: https://fastforwardgroup.net/free-leadership-workshops/ Fast Foward’s Bold Vision Exercise download: https://fastforwardgroup.net/bold-vision-exercise-download/ Fast Foward’s Design my Program tool: https://fastforwardgroup.net/design-my-program/ mamie@mamieks.com instagram.com/mamieks

Management is about helping other people achieve greatness - in the results they produce and the career path they take. However, if you've had any experience as a manager, you know how difficult it can be to help a variety of people develop their skill sets and get work done, all while fostering healthy team dynamics and driving towards goals. It helps to know the specific areas you should focus on to help your team grow most efficiently with the limited time you have. Today’s guest is Russ Laraway. Russ has had a diverse 28 year operational management career. He was a Company Commander in the Marine Corps before starting his first company, Pathfinders. From there, Russ went to the Wharton School, and then onto management roles at Google and Twitter. He then co-founded Candor, Inc., along with best selling author Kim Scott. Russ and I talk about what he’s discovered through research are the most important areas of focus for a manager. We get into why it's so hard to be a great manager, and what you can do to immediately put Russ’s finding to work for your team. One member of the Modern Manager community can get a copy of Russ’s book: When They Win, You Win. Russ provides a handbook for managers on how to implement The Big 3 - a surprisingly simple, coherent leadership approach that measurably and predictably delivers more engaged employees and better business results. To be eligible, join the Modern Manager community as a Patron or sign up for The Modern Manager Skills Accelerator.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and transcripts delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: Simplify Management by Focusing on These Three Areas   KEEP UP WITH RUSS Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/whentheywin  Twitter: https://twitter.com/theywinyouwin  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theywinyouwin/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/russlaraway/    Key Takeaways: Research has proven that more engaged employees deliver 2.5 times more revenue.  Managers may feel overwhelmed by deciding what advice to follow. Simplify management by focusing on direction, coaching, and career. Develop direction by clarifying your long-term purpose and vision, and short-term quarterly goals.  Reduce workload by prioritizing daily and weekly tasks.  Hold Stand Up Meetings where everyone shares their weekly goals and use a Slack bot to prompt employees to enter daily goals.  Serve as a coach to your team members to help them deliver stronger results and better behaviors. Desired behaviors are those aligned with your organizational or team core values. Encourage your team to either repeat successful behaviors or understand what they need to change.  Avoid vague feedback. Use the phrase “Do you know what I love about your…” to encourage positive behaviors. We are here to assist our teammates realize their wildest dreams, not just do well in their current role. Help your people develop their long term vision of where they ultimately want to end up.  Look for opportunities to help them grow and advance in alignment with that vision. mamie@mamieks.com instagram.com/mamieks

Anyone who's worked on a team knows that communication can be a challenge. Sometimes, common problems require creative solutions. Improv is a powerful tool that brings out the best in any group or team. It’s not just for comedians; it can be used to create new ideas, solve problems, explore feelings, and connect with each other. Today’s guest is Brian Rolnick-Fox, the Founder, CEO, and Chief Evangelist of Nimble Learning Strategies. Brian has been using improvisation as a channel for individual growth, group development, and organizational success since 1999. He has delivered communication and leadership programs for a diverse set of organizations from Fortune 100 companies to educational institutions some of which include Citibank, Goodyear, Dartmouth College, and Harvard Business School.   Brian and I talk about what we can learn from the field of comedic improv to help us be better communicators. We get into specific behaviors, mindsets, principles and tactics that can help us connect and collaborate better, plus we have a whole lot of fun. Members of the Modern Manager community get a free Communication and Collaboration document from Nimble Learning Strategies. This document describes the three As of communication and how you can implement them to communicate more effectively in your daily life. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: How Managers Can Use Improv Strategies to Improve Communications   KEEP UP WITH BRIAN Website: https://www.nimblelearningstrategies.com Company LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/nimblelearningstrategies Personal LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/brianrolnickfox   Key Takeaways: We are always naturally improvising; we take in stimuli and respond to them in the moment.  Improv strategies can help us collaborate better by providing an opportunity to explicitly talk about how we communicate and collaborate. We often forget that people or departments have different perspectives and assume we’re all seeing the situation the same. Being specific in our language is essential to ensuring everyone is on the same page.  Participating in an improv game or activity can feel uncomfortable, but that’s an opportunity to acknowledge vulnerability and stretch yourself. Working in sync requires us to listen, watch, and adapt ourselves to others. Improv is successful because it’s grounded in the idea that “I’ve got your back” - whatever you do on stage, I’ll receive and take forward. We can cultivate the same atmosphere in our teams. Improv also creates opportunities to form inside jokes, strengthening a team’s sense of connection.  For specific improv activities to do with your team, check out the related blog article. mamie@mamieks.com instagram.com/mamieks

Authentic leadership is unique to each of us. It's about understanding and being comfortable with who you are so that you can leverage your strengths. We can then use that information to guide our choices and lift up those around us. When you understand your strengths and values, they can create a personal roadmap to success. Today’s guest is Lance Tanaka. Lance is an Executive Leadership Expert. He and his team elevate leaders and their teams to increase business production, performance and profits. Lance and I talk about lessons from his latest book Dream and Achieve: 90 Days to a life of purpose. We walk through the process that Lance and hundreds of others have used to help clarify their goals and take steps towards their desired future. Members of the Modern Manager community get 25% off Lance’s course, Dream & Achieve. This course has helped thousands of successful executives identify their purpose and move down the path to realizing it. Get this generous discount if you register before September 30, 2022. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Check out the new Modern Manager Skills Accelerator!   Read the related blog article: Carve a Path at Work That is Authentically You   KEEP UP WITH LANCE Website: lancetanaka360.com   Key Takeaways: Focus more time on honing your strengths rather than fixing your weaknesses. The DNA “Dream N’ Achieve” process is a 90 day journey of self discovery and charting a path forward. First, reflect on your strengths and passions. Then look for common themes, ideally no more than 9. Drill into those elements with who/what/where/when/why questions to further clarify what matters most to you. Do this DNA process as a team activity. Others often see our strengths better than we do. Trying to Find your “True North” may slow you down. Instead, create a balance between all your needs by going in the right direction and adjusting over time accordingly. There are three outcomes that result from following your DNA: (1) a big shift to a new company/career/city, (2) a sideways shift to a different team or role in the same company, or (3) minor shifts that lead to a major tipping point down the road. Employees need purpose. When you help them find their DNA, they may leave, but they may also have greater loyalty to a workplace that enables them to shine. mamie@mamieks.com instagram.com/mamieks

Microaggressions are harmful words and actions that stem from biases and stereotypes. They’re subconscious, meaning we may not even realize we’re being offensive or biased. The damage they inflict can be long-lasting and impact how individuals relate to us and the entire company. As managers, it's our responsibility to create a professional work environment that fosters understanding and listening, so all people can feel safe and supported at work. Today’s guest is Martine Kalaw. Martine is an Elevation Strategist - she shifts mindsets, builds bridges & delivers results. She is the author of Illegal Among Us, experienced being an undocumented immigrant, and is a DEI Consultant. Martine and I talk about how to confront, respond to and learn from uncomfortable DEI situations in the workplace. Maybe it’s something you said that landed the wrong way with a team member or maybe it’s something a colleague did that was insensitive or exclusionary. We talk about microaggressions and how to get smarter about your own behavior since so often we don’t even realize we’re creating harm. Members of the Modern Manager community can get a free 60-Minute Masterclass: Advancing DEI. Scheduled for September 22, this 60-minute class will give you the top five keys to advancing DEI in your workplace over the course of 90 days. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: What To Do About Microaggressions In The Workplace   KEEP UP WITH MARTINE Website: https://martinekalaw.com/ Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/MartineKalawEnterprisesLLC Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/martinekalaw/?hl=en LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/martinekalawconsulting/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/martinekalaw  Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQTb6zI5m4jehE-czyT8SvQ/featured   Key Takeaways: Microaggressions are actions or words that are unintentionally offensive, stemming from biases and stereotypes. 40% of people leave their jobs due to microaggressions. Microaggressions come from biases rather than personal encounters. The more diversity on the team, the fewer microaggressions.  Microaggressions are diminished when there’s more than one person from that background on a team. Set aside 10 minutes during 1-on-1 meetings to ask for feedback to learn if you said anything harmful or if the preson has experienced any harm.  When informed of a microaggression, don’t react defensively. You don’t need to agree to be an ally. Listen to understand rather than defending your honor. Engage in solutions together. Consider what could be said/done differently. Ask your employee’s permission to ask follow up questions so it doesn’t feel like an interrogation. If it’s not the right time, address it at a future date. Show vulnerability that you are on this DEI journey and admit your mistakes. Employees will respect you for your growth mindset.  mamie@mamieks.com instagram.com/mamieks

Brainstorming is a method of developing ideas in a group setting. It's used to solve problems, come up with new ideas, and generally explore possibilities. While it may seem like a simple task, there’s often much more than meets the eye when it comes to effective brainstorming. Working through various exercises helps you not only generate ideas but also deeply understand the situation you are looking at.  Today's episode is about brainstorming. Almost every team, at some point, has a brainstorming session. While brainstorming can be as straightforward as “okay, what ideas do you have?” There are also different methods to help you make the most of your brainstorming time together, and that’s what I cover here. The full episode guide includes lists of prompts and suggested approaches for boosting your brainstorming sessions. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community or purchase the full guide at www.themodernmanager.com/shop.     Get the free mini-guide at themodernmanager.com/miniguides.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles, and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: 3 Brainstorming Strategies for Every Situation   Key Takeaways: Separate the idea generation from idea evaluation in order to facilitate creative thinking. Use the phrase “If I had a magic wand…” to help people avoid censoring their ideas based on what they think is feasible or will be viewed as “good” by their colleagues. Prepare specific prompts ahead of time to help get people thinking more broadly. For example, “How might we use our space differently?” or “What 1-time changes could we make?” or “What global trends might impact us?” Ask people to “wear specific hats” to get them to think from other people’s perspectives. For example, “how would Steve Jobs solve this problem?" Try iterating on a single idea to see if there is a version of that idea that is more feasible or more impactful. Give people time to brainstorm quietly on their own before sharing all ideas out loud.  mamie@mamieks.com instagram.com/mamieks

Identifying the core values and potential motivators of your team members isn't always the easiest task. There are a lot of factors to consider when it comes to each individual personality, which makes for a delicate interpretation process. But optimizing your relationships with others comes down to understanding one thing: what on earth makes them tick? Today’s guest is Rob Toomey. As President of TypeCoach, Rob lives at the intersection of his two passions: personality type and entrepreneurship. Working with 800 global client organizations, he has delivered live sessions to more than 50,000 participants and the TypeCoach online tools have reached more than 185,000 people. Rob is also Managing Director of The Idea Factory which is focused on early stage app and website projects. Rob and I talk about the four temperaments - he’ll explain these better than I can in one sentence, but in essence we’re talking about the four different personality type core values and motivators. By identifying which of the four temperaments each of your team members identifies with, you’ll be able to use more effective strategies to motivate, appreciate and engage each person.  Members of the Modern Manager community get a free Motivation and Feedback document. This will help you gain new insight into what makes people tick and how to tailor your feedback differently to each of the four temperaments for maximum impact. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: How To Motivate Your Employees Based on the 4 Temperaments   KEEP UP WITH ROB Website: Typecoach.com   Key Takeaways: Our temperament is our source of motivational energy.  There are 4 Temperaments based on categories of introversion/extroversion, judgers/perceivers, thinkers/feelers, sensory/intuitive.  Introversion/extroversion is whether we get energy from being alone or with others. Judging/Perceiving is how we prefer structure, whether playful or decisive planning. Sensory/Intuitive is how we take in and process information. Thinking/Feeling is whether we approach a situation through objective analysis or considering our feelings/values. The 4 Temperaments break down into Sensory Judgers, Sensory Perceivers, Intuitive Thinkers, and Intuitive Feelers. SJ (Sensory Judgers) are also known as Traditionalists. Their core values are reliability and responsibility. Don’t tell them to relax. If stressed, offer to take things off their plate.  SP (Sensory Perceivers) are more relaxed and playful about getting work done. Their core value is to take action and get results. Don’t micromanage SPs; they respond best to a free-spirited environment.  NTs (Intuitive Thinkers) are conceptual problem solvers who love long term strategic thinking. Their core value is leaving a positive impact. Give them context for why their work matters and benefits them. Don’t question their competency.  NFs ( Intuitive Feeler) are also known as The Idealists. They are future focused on new ideas, but are people and value-centered rather than analytical. NFs’ core values are helping others reach their full potential, and self actualizing in the process. Concentrate on building a strong environment of connection and belonging in the office for them to thrive. To figure out your team’s temperament, ask them what their motivational force is at work.  Experiment with giving teammates various feedback to see what most motivates them.  Be careful to remember individual temperament needs when stressed because that’s when we revert to personal preferences.  mamie@mamieks.com instagram.com/mamieks

Managers all over the world facilitate meetings every day, but how many managers facilitate meetings well? The goal of facilitating a meeting is to create a space so that everyone can participate effectively. This may not come naturally to some managers, but it’s a skill that anyone can master with the right tools. Today’s guest is Rae Ringel. Rae is an executive coach, facilitator, author and founding President of The Ringel Group. She is a faculty member at the Georgetown University Institute for Transformational Leadership and founding director of their certificate program in the Art of Facilitation and Design. She is also a frequent columnist for Harvard Business Review. Rae and I talk about meeting facilitation. What facilitation really is, how to do it well when meeting in person or virtually, and Rae shares a bunch of facilitation tricks and activities you can immediately use with your team to improve your meetings. Members of the Modern Manager community get two articles Rae has authored and published in Harvard Business Review. “Please Stop Using These Phrases in Meetings” helps readers take control of their speech patterns by learning phrases that aren’t as helpful as you think. “When Do We Actually Need to Meet in Person?” helps leaders determine which factors of work can be kept virtual and which require being in-person. Get them when you join the Modern Manager community.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: How to Facilitate an Effective Meeting   KEEP UP WITH RAE Twitter: @ringelgroup LinkedIn: @rae-ringel Instagram: @julieraeringel   Key Takeaways: Facilitation is creating the space in a meeting where everyone can participate. It’s important to start with a planned agenda and then be flexible enough to pivot when needed. Plan the activities ahead so you can prepare any materials, e.g. polls, Miro boards, etc. Virtual meetings have the potential to be more inclusive and comfortable for people. Leverage the strengths of technology to create a more inclusive meeting by using different modalities of participation. Consider how you can arrange the room, or ask people to arrange their physical space, to support effective engagement. Overemphasize the importance of the remote participants in a hybrid meeting. By focusing on them, you’ll boost engagement for everyone. Use collaborative online tools to support more equitable engagement, even if you’re fully meeting in person. Use the HIIT approach of alternating between passive and activity activities in a meeting. As a facilitator, your energy is contagious. People will remember how they feel when they leave more than your specific facilitation abilities. mamie@mamieks.com instagram.com/mamieks

Ever feel like you don't have enough time because you're too busy working on tasks, attending meetings, and checking email? If so, you're not alone. Who has time for planning when there is so much to do?! In reality, a daily planning habit puts you in control of your schedule, workload, and productivity.  Today’s guest is Ashutosh Priyadarshy. Ashutosh is the Co-founder and CEO of Sunsama, a daily planning assistant that helps knowledge workers stay focused and productive throughout their workdays. Ashutosh has spent most of the last decade building and launching productivity software. His goal is to build products that help us navigate our work and life mindfully and intentionally. Ashutosh and I  talk about why daily planning is an important process, how we can use daily planning to boost productivity and feel a sense of accomplishment, and more. Members of the Modern Manager community get an exclusive 30-day free trial of Sunsama. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: Boost Productivity with Daily Planning   KEEP UP WITH ASHUTOSH Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sunsamahq/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/sunsamaHQ Website: https://get.sunsama.com/   Key Takeaways: Create a daily planning habit at a time that works best for you. It doesn’t need to be at the start of your day. Starting your day with a plan helps you focus on your most important tasks. Bring your calendar and tasks together to get an accurate picture of how you’ll spend your time. In addition to meetings and tasks, we have plenty of ‘work chores’ that need to be done every day. Share your daily plan with your team to keep people informed, create accountability, and encourage yourself to plan accurately. End your day with a reflection on what you accomplished to help feel fulfilled and build momentum. mamie@mamieks.com instagram.com/mamieks

No matter how big or small your team is, there are always things to discuss. Most managers respond by holding weekly meetings. At their best, team meetings are a forum for open and productive communication between team members. At their worst, they waste everyone’s time and energy. If your weekly meetings aren't moving your work forward and leaving people in a positive mood, it’s probably time you redesign them. In this episode, I share practical advice that you can implement to make your weekly meetings more productive and enjoyable for everyone. The full episode guide includes an overview of the factors to consider when designing a team meeting, along with examples of team meeting structures, formats, and prework to consider using as a model for your team. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community or purchase the full guide at www.themodernmanager.com/shop.    Get the free mini-guide at themodernmanager.com/miniguides.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles, and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: Make Weekly Team Meetings Work for Your Team   Key Takeaways: There is no right way to have a team meeting. The key is to identify your meeting objectives so that you can design the meeting to meet those needs. Consider the flow of the agenda. How will you structure your time together to achieve the meeting objectives?  Team meetings can be as short as 15 minutes or as long as multiple hours, as long as the time is well spent. Determine what people can do to best prepare for the meeting. This could include completing a dashboard, contributing topics to discuss, or nothing at all. Don’t assume a weekly meeting is necessary. Sometimes daily or monthly cadences are more appropriate. Explore the format that will best meet the team’s needs. It could be in person, virtually, via Slack, or something else. Regularly revisit the design of your team meetings to assess if they are still meeting the team’s needs. It’s okay to experiment with different choices in order to optimize how your team meets. mamie@mamieks.com

Understanding identity is vital for managers. We all want to respect and better understand our colleagues, but in order to do that we must first understand ourselves. Identity informs how we relate to people, how we make decisions, and how we lead.  Today’s guest is Victoria Shiroma Wilson. Victoria is a leadership development coach and consultant who partners with world-class organizations and professionals to discover their purpose, develop a powerful vision, and design a strategy toward transformation. Victoria is valued as a big-picture visionary who empowers her clients to think boldly and holistically about their future by examining cultural and systemic influences within a greater ecosystem. Victoria and I talk about identity - what it is, which is so much more than DNA, how it informs how we show up as a leader and interpret the world, how understanding identity can help us better engage our colleagues and make decisions, and a whole lot more.   Members of the Modern Manager community get a free handout that offers a set of eight reflective questions around the 4 Cs of exceptional management: Confidence, Collaboration, Communication, and Culture. In addition, the first member to email mamie@mamieks.com will receive a free copy of Victoria’s upcoming book, which will be published in September. Get these bonuses when you join the Modern Manager community.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: Understand Identity to Lead More Powerfully   KEEP UP WITH VICTORIA LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoriashiromawilson/ Website: https://www.exceptionalfutures.com/ Email: hello@exceptionalfutures.com    Key Takeaways: Identity is formed through the outside in and inside out. It’s how we experience the world that informs how we perceive it and ourselves. We all make assumptions about identity and what the experience of a given identity entails, but often those aren’t true because identity is intersectional and complex. We can use our differences in identity if we switch from “I am” to “I see”. Instead of “I am a woman, therefore…” to “From my perspective, I see…” We all develop professional identities that are developed through internalizing the company culture and how people respond to us. Reflect on your own experiences to better understand their influence on your identity. Identity impacts how you lead, including how you make decisions because the information and perspective we bring to a decision is based on our experiences and identity. Misunderstandings can come from approaching a situation differently or with different past experiences or identities that we take for granted. mamie@mamieks.com instagram.com/mamieks

Both verbal and nonverbal communication are critical interpersonal skills. Listening to others, observing their reactions, speaking in a way that promotes understanding and connection, using body language—these are all essential to our leadership development. Effective leaders must know that communicating is a combination of what you say, how you say it, and how you respond to what has been said back to you. Today’s guest is Richard Newman. Richard is the Founder of Body Talk. Over the past 22 years his team have trained over 120,000 business leaders around the world, to improve their communication and impact, including one client who gained over $1 Billion in new business in just one year, using the strategies that Richard teaches. Richard and I talk about the unspoken parts of communication, communicating effectively remotely, keeping people engaged in a meeting or presentation, and so much more.  Members of the Modern Manager community get a free audiobook version of Richard’s book, You Were Born to Speak. This work discusses everything he has learned in his 23-year journey, filled with practical strategies that you can apply immediately to transform your success. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: Revolutionize Your Team’s Communication With These Simple Skills   KEEP UP WITH RICHARD Personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/richardnewmanspeaks/Business Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ukbodytalk/Personal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardnewmanspeaks/Business LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/communicationskillstraining/ Book: You Were Born To Speak Website: https://ukbodytalk.com/   Key Takeaways: Communication is how we connect and build relationships. It’s a two way street of sending messages out and responding to others.  Use audio/video tools for any information with an emotional or nuanced context. Too much gets lost when using text only. Consider the direction and intention of your message and how you want others to feel and act afterwards.  Set up your Zoom screen so that your hands are visible. Hands are underrated as communication tools. The real problem isn’t Zoom Fatigue but Death By Powerpoint. Our survival brain doesn’t think the information is relevant to our lives and turns off. To combat this, use storytelling tools.  Get your team involved in the drama by providing context for why you are meeting. Ask what their personal challenges are and try to resolve them through the meeting. This activates their brain to feel invested. The people in the meeting - not the manager- are the heroes in the story.  Build up your team’s confidence in their communication skills by giving them opportunities to practice and providing positive feedback. mamie@mamieks.com instagram.com/mamieks

Be honest with yourself for a moment: Are you managing your time and tasks well? Do you have a weekly planning routine that helps ensure you’re focused on your most important work? Sometimes, just a few simple changes to your planning can help you find more freedom and fulfillment in your work. Today’s guest is Demir Bentley. Demir teaches hard-hitting efficiency techniques and proven accountability strategies that have helped clients generate millions in revenue while saving thousands of hours. In the past eight years, he’s helped more than 50,000 professionals, including executives from Facebook, Google, Uber and PepsiCo – helping them prevent burnout and create more freedom in their lives. And, Demir’s advice has been highlighted in Forbes, Bloomberg, Entrepreneur and more. Demir and I talk about the #1 routine you should do every week to exponentially improve your productivity…the weekly planning session. We get into how to do it, when to do it, and what makes it so powerful. Members of the Modern Manager community have a chance to get 1 of 20 free Kindle versions of Demir’s book, “Winning the Week”. In this book, Demir and Carey Bentley reveal their five-step method that radically reimagines how you plan and execute your week. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: 5 Steps to a Productive Week   KEEP UP WITH DEMIR Website: lifehackmethod.com Book: winningtheweek.com Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/lifehackbootcamp Instagram: http://instagram.com/demirandcarey Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/demirandcarey   Key Takeaways: There are hundreds of productivity tips, tools, practices, habits, routines. Instead of trying to do them all or sift through to find the best one for yourself, start with the fundamentals of planning your week. Everyone knows about weekly planning but few people do it correctly, and most people don’t do it at all. To plan your week, start by removing the frictions or increasing your motivation to spend 30 minutes on the planning process. Follow these five steps: learn from how you worked last week, find one leveraged priority to include this next week, interrogate your calendar to surface issues, prioritize your to do list, add tasks to your calendar to ensure you’ve scheduled time to complete the important work. It is essential to know what you want to accomplish in order to be productive.  You can improve your personal productivity habits and routines, as well as increase productivity through automation, technology, and delegation. All of your productivity approaches should support your desired lifestyle, helping you live the life you desire.   mamie@mamieks.com instagram.com/mamieks

Vacation time is so important. We know there are a myriad of health benefits that come from taking time away from work. I also know how anxiety producing it can be to worry about your team or projects while you're away or stress over returning to an overflowing inbox and build-up of tasks, which can negate some of the health benefits and enjoyment of your time off. So what can you do to make your vacation time as rejuvenating as possible? Today's episode is about preparing to be out for vacation. I walk through 5 approaches to consider to help you prepare to be out of the office and make your time away and re-entry as smooth as possible. The full episode guide includes an overview of these principles plus tips for communicating tasks and responsibilities effectively to your team members so that there's no confusion. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community or purchase the full guide at www.themodernmanager.com/shop.     Get the free mini-guide at themodernmanager.com/miniguides.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles, and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: How to Effectively Prepare Yourself and Your Team for Vacation Time    Key Takeaways: Taking vacations provides essential health benefits. Prepare well to minimize worrying about your team/work while away.  Create a shared vacation calendar to coordinate time off, except for holiday times, to ensure multiple people aren’t out at the same time.  Prep at least two weeks ahead of time so you can get organized and ensure everyone knows their responsibilities. Consult prior to-do lists to keep track of expected tasks.  Document processes for tasks while doing them rather than by memory. Record the screen while narrating to ensure you’ve included all essential and accurate information.   Consider what you’ll do ahead of time, what you’ll delay, what you’ll hand off, and what you’ll do while out. Determine how much you want staff to be able to contact you while out of the office and via what tools.  Consider which tasks might be a growth opportunity for certain colleagues. Make sure people are on board and confident with their new temporary roles.  When returning to work, don’t try to do everything on Day 1. Schedule follow-up meetings and block time on your to ease back in. Ask staff to prepare a document recapping key activities, decisions, and takeaways from while you were gone.  mamie@mamieks.com

Does it ever seem like your tasks just keep piling no matter how busy you are? As managers, it’s crucial that we’re able to follow through on our tasks and responsibilities so we can take care of our businesses and people. But in order to do that, we must have the right tools and mindset to organize and prioritize our daily work.    Today’s guest is Mark J. Silverman. Mark is an executive coach, author, and podcast host. He works with leaders and their teams around the world, to address the underlying behaviors and mindsets that sabotage all “time management” and “productivity tools”. Mark and I talk about prioritization through the lens of getting the right things done at the right time. We explore the concepts from his book Only 10s: Confront Your To-Do List, Transform Your Life and how to stay focused on what matters most even when you’ve got external pressures that make it feel impossible. Members of the Modern Manager community get access to a specialized web page for the Modern Manager Community. This page includes nine video modules on topics including difficult conversations, dealing with distractions, and energy mastery. Many of the modules include a “Taking Action Worksheet.” This page also includes a link you can use to schedule a follow-up meeting with Mark. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles, transcripts and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: Be The Master Of Your To Do List Every Day   KEEP UP WITH MARK Website: https://www.markjsilverman.com Instagram: @markjsilverman Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mark.silverman.54 Twitter: @mjaysilverman LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark22102/   Key Takeaways: 10s are the things that have to be done, today, only by you. The only thing we own in life is our time and attention. Our 10s reflect our deepest values and priorities.  When we are afraid to upset others by saying no, we end up overloaded and unable to prioritize our most important tasks.  When delegating work, we need to teach others to meet our standards. Set up agreements for how the work will get done and what success looks like.  Give feedback for subpar work instead of doing it yourself.  A boss may assign too much work to the point where you’re unable to meet their goals. Say no through affirmative statements like “I want to help get things done but I need more resources.” The 3 stages of setting a boundary are through (1) anger, when you’ve reached a breaking point, (2) explaining, or making excuses for why you can’t do it, and (3) strength and love, when you own your choices. While some who relied on you as a crutch may leave your life, others will shift and appreciate your change.  The first things to delegate are tasks that are administrative or require your greatest weaknesses to get done. Have a plan for who you will hire when you reach a certain level.  Make an Only 10s to-do list each day. If you discover you’ve got a task that rolls over to the next day, consider why it didn’t get done and what systems you need in place to keep this from happening in the future. mamie@mamieks.com instagram.com/mamieks

Authenticity at work requires being true to yourself. However, this can be a difficult feat for managers. We often step into the management position believing there is a certain way we must speak and act, or certain knowledge we should now possess simply because we’re leading others, but research shows people respond more favorably to managers who are their true selves. How can managers fulfill their role while being true to their personalities, capabilities, and limitations? Today’s guest is Sabrina Horn. Sabrina is an award-winning CEO, author, communications expert, and advisor. Her career is highlighted by 25 years as Founder, CEO, and President of Horn Group, the iconic U.S. tech communications agency she founded in Silicon Valley at age 29. She is currently CEO of HORN Strategy, focused on helping entrepreneurs navigate the early stages of their companies. She is here today to talk with us about her new book, Make It, Don’t Fake It: Leading with Authenticity for Real Business Success. Sabrina and I talk about imposter syndrome, how to be appropriately authentic, how to overcome your inner critic's fears by acting ‘as if’ and more strategies for being real and amazing at work. Members of the Modern Manager community can get one of five signed copies of Sabrina’s book, Make It, Don’t Fake It. This book offers executives concrete advice on what to do when faced with everyday challenges and big dilemmas, so leaders can make the right decisions and build durable businesses. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: Overcome Imposter Syndrome and Lead with Authenticity   KEEP UP WITH SABRINA Website: https://www.sabrinahorn.com Book: Make It, Don’t Fake It LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sabrinahorn/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/sabrinahorn Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sabrinahorn/   Key Takeaways: Being inauthentic is unsustainable. Even though it’s hard to face the truth, it's harder in the long-run to hide from it. There are multiple levels of “faking it” that range from innocent white lies, to exaggerating the truth, to lies of omission, to full on fakery. Even small lies often lead to more, bigger lies because we become afraid to let the truth come out.  Imposter syndrome is when you underestimate yourself given your prior accomplishments. While you may feel like you’re faking it, you’re not. The majority of overachievers feel imposter syndrome, but women and minorities experience it more frequently. Acting “as if” you had the confidence (not experience or knowledge) needed for the situation can be a great way to overcome imposter syndrome. Write down a list of all your accomplishments to help you objectively see your own greatness. Imagine what behaviors someone who was successful would do. Then do these behaviors or invest in developing the skills to do them. Managers may have to behave in ways that feel unnatural in order to be a good manager. The key is to be fully invested in these behaviors even if they don’t feel authentic. mamie@mamieks.com instagram.com/mamieks

It's cliche, but true: Your people are your biggest asset. There's nothing more important than hiring people who are a strong fit for the job responsibilities and also align with your organization's values and mission. But recruiting the right people for your team can pose a challenge, and the hiring process can leave managers feeling exhausted. Today’s guest is Tatiyana Cure. Tatiyana brings her extensive background as an executive recruiter and talent acquisition leader to her work of coaching managers. She has partnered with thousands of hiring managers in a wide variety of industries. She is passionate about helping managers achieve their business goals through effective talent strategies. Tatiyana wrote her first book: "Hire to Win: Manager's Practical Guide for Attracting and Interviewing Top Talent" to share a blueprint for those looking for a step-by-step guide in hiring. We talk about the ins and outs of hiring: how to write a good job description, how to distinguish who to invite to an interview and who to pass on, how to handle reference checks, and so much more, so that you can hire the right people for your team. 10 members of the Modern Manager community get a free copy of Tatiyana’s book, Hire to Win. This step-by-step playbook accompanies managers looking to achieve better results, higher profits, and more success through the employees they hire. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: The Step by Step Guide to Hiring the Perfect Person   KEEP UP WITH TATIYANA Website: https://howtowintalent.com/ Book: Hire to Win LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tatiyanacure/   Key Takeaways: Build a recruiting intake process as a blueprint. Consider what goal you are trying to accomplish, why your organization is unique, and what success in the job looks like.  Get to the point quickly when writing a job description. Spell out specifically what you’re looking for and what the role entails. Include the compensation range.  There are four types of applicants; Blanket Folks who apply to every position, Role Players who have the skill set in place already, Stretchers who are looking to advance their career, and Head Scratchers who have taken a leave and are returning or trying a new career path.  Ignore Blanket Folk resumes. Know how to pitch the job to Role Players on why you’re unique and benefit them. Interview some Stretchers and Head Scratchers as they often have hidden talents.  Align with your staff on what you’re assessing in the interview process, what questions you’ll each be asking, and how you’ll be evaluating candidates' responses. Involve other stakeholders in the interview process to assess technical, communication, and other skills.  Set up a peer interview for the applicant to learn what a day in the life of the role is like. Show the culture in action. This minimizes the chance of any surprises once the applicant starts the job.  Give time for a reverse interview, for the candidate to get all their questions answered.  Discuss work styles to avoid future friction.  Ask for references from people who directly reported to the person and/or managed them. Give them space to share their initial thoughts before prompting with your specific questions.  mamie@mamieks.com instagram.com/mamieks

Most people have a general idea about how their colleagues or team members work best. You may occasionally pick up a random fact about a person's personality or work style, but it's rare to have the full picture. The result: we are frustrated by our coworkers because we don’t understand them and they don’t understand us.  Today I talk about creating a Personal Instruction Manual, or PIM for short. A PIM is a resource that describes a person’s personality and working preferences, and its purpose is to help that person’s coworkers and manager better understand and work with them. Similar to an instruction manual that comes with a new piece of hardware or software, a PIM helps people understand how to engage with someone most effectively. The full episode guide includes a template for creating a Personal Instruction Manual. You’ll find questions for each section to help the creator capture relevant insights about themselves. In addition, I’m offering an extra bonus this week. If you are interested in having me support your team to develop Personal Instruction Manuals, I will facilitate a team coaching program centered on PIMs at a 20% discount. Get these offers when you join the Modern Manager community or purchase the full guide at www.themodernmanager.com/shop.     Get the free mini-guide at themodernnmanager.com/miniguides.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: Optimize Your Working Relationships with the Personal Instruction Manual   Key Takeaways: Don’t waste time guessing what your teammates need. Craft and share Personal Instruction Manuals to explain how each person works most effectively.  Each person learns and shares their Myer Briggs profile so everyone can better understand different thinking styles and behaviors.  Explain what work environment you work best in: remote/office, quiet/noisy, deep work/meeting times, and most productive times of days.  Share what types of things stress you at work and what behaviors indicate that you're feeling stressed. Explain how people can best support you at these times.  Describe your communication preferences: How do you like feedback? How do you deal with conflict and what makes you feel appreciated?  Include a “Surprise Section” for people to share any miscellaneous things others might need to know in order to work together effectively.  Before holding a PIM sharing meeting, collect and share everyone’s PIMs so people can review them beforehand. When sharing, ask people to give real life examples where their personality/preference showed up in ways that worked or didn’t.  Update and share new PIMs annually to adjust to people/work situations changing and professional/personal growth.  Sharing PIMs is an excellent tool for onboarding new employees.  Additional Resources: Episode 99: Show Authentic and Meaningful Appreciation with Dr. Paul White Episode 14: Personality and Preferences with Rob Toomey mamie@mamieks.com

We’ve all been there. We thought we knew what was best, only to find out later that what we thought we knew was wrong. Even the best manager can get lost in all the leadership advice, trying to do what’s right and still somehow failing. This is because sometimes that leadership advice is wrong. Today’s guest is Sumit Gupta. Sumit spent 20 years in software, started 2 for-profit and 1 non-profit organizations, and is a photographer. He combines his experiences as a techie, engineer, 3x entrepreneur, and leader in companies like Yahoo and Booking.com, and as a poet and photographer – to help leaders merge the science of doing business with the art of leadership. Sumit and I talk about the seven paradoxes of leadership. These paradoxes are concepts that shift the way we think about leadership and what it takes to be a great manager. They take the typical leadership advice and flip it on its head. Members of the Modern Manager community get a 20% discount on Deploy Yourself, a 6-month group coaching program for leaders starting July 15 and September 15, 2022. This program will help you create better results in less time, build strong relationships, and find meaning and joy. You can get an additional 20% off the program if you register by June 20. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: What You Thought About Leading a Team is Wrong   KEEP UP WITH SUMIT Podcast: https://www.deployyourself.com/podcast/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sumit4all/ Newsletter: https://www.deployyourself.com/newsletter/ Seven Paradoxes Report: https://www.deployyourself.com/7-leadership-paradoxes/   Key Takeaways: What we believe about effective management is often the opposite. We call these paradoxes of effective leadership. To build psychological safety, trust your team’s intentions and abilities from the start, rather than waiting for them to prove themselves.  Don’t blindly trust. Set up the right structure of clear expectations, values and direction. Be transparent about any concerns you have so they can be addressed right away.  Fear is your friend. It tells you what is at the edge of your abilities and what’s important to you. Don’t cover it with guilt for feeling that way.  Leadership is power through the ability to get results, not superiority. People want to follow leaders who know how to win together. We can’t force people to change. The best we can do is create the right conditions and inspire others by our own actions.  mamie@mamieks.com instagram.com/mamieks

When working with a team, delegation is one of the most important skills to develop. One of our main goals as managers is to unlock the potential of our people, and effective delegation enables that to happen. However, ineffective delegation can lead to frustration and inefficiencies for everyone.  Today’s guest is Yuri Elkaim. Yuri is a former pro athlete, leading health expert, New York Times bestselling author, and the founder of Healthpreneur® where he helps health entrepreneurs, coaches, and practitioners start and scale online practices that create more income and freedom...and better results for their clients. Yuri and I talk about creating the parameters for people to take on additional responsibility and autonomy while meeting the standards and expectations that you’ve set. We talk about creating principles, the importance of effective onboarding, and finding the balance between micromanaging and being totally hands off. Members of the Modern Manager community get the worksheet Communication is Key, which is one lesson from Mamie’s course, The Modern Manager’s Guide to Effective Delegation. In addition, members get 90% off the full course which includes 5 modules of brief mini-lessons that help you take manageable actions to apply the learnings to your situation. It’s designed for busy managers who are ready to free their time and eliminate friction through effective delegation. Get these bonuses when you join the Modern Manager community.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: Guide Your Team Using Organization Principles   KEEP UP WITH YURI Website: https://healthpreneurgroup.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/healthpreneur/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@yurielkaim   Key Takeaways: To document your management approach, imagine a scene of yourself working. Consider what you say and how you interact. If you can articulate your process, you can delegate it to others.  Elevate your time by delegating low level tasks below your paygrade. Maintain oversight as you delegate new tasks to ensure they are completed to your standards.  Use an ‘early alignment phase’ for the first two weeks during which you closely monitor the work to make sure your team member learns the new expectations properly. Small, early misses could lead to big mistakes farther down. Be available for support if needed later on when you take a step back.  Use your organization’s principles as guardrails so your team knows where they have autonomy and how to make decisions in alignment with your values.  To decide on principles, consider what situations/practices bother you and create principles that are the opposite of that.  Involve your team in co-creating principles. Small teams may want to consider everyone’s perspective while larger teams may focus on getting the right people involved.  Additional Resources: Episode 80: Shift Your Mindset and Start Delegating Book: Mindfloss Sweetprocess special offer for listeners of The Modern Manager: Get an extended 28 day trial and reduced pricing for small teams of $390/year for 8 seats Episode 136: Easily Document Processes and Procedures with Owen McGab Enaohwo mamie@mamieks.com instagram.com/mamieks

A modern manager is an employee’s partner. You support them, teach them, and guide them through the ups and downs of doing their work. While many new managers, and entrepreneurs are thrown into the position without training, they don’t need to flounder. With a bit of intention and determination, anyone can become a rockstar manager.  Today’s guest is Joie Jager-Hyman. Joie is the Founder of College Prep 360, a boutique educational advisory group. She is also the author of two books on college admissions: "B+ Grades A+ College Applications" and "Fat Envelope Frenzy". Joie and I talk about her experience of transforming into a “modern manager” and how that has impacted her personally, her team, and her business. Members of the Modern Manager community get 10% off educational advising or college essay editing from College Prep 360. Get this bonus when you join the Modern Manager community.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: People Management Should Be Your Top Priority   KEEP UP WITH JOIE: Website: https://www.collegeprep360.com/   Key Takeaways: Most managers and entrepreneurs never got trained to be people managers, so we have to proactively educate ourselves. Strong people management is your foundation. The better you take care of your team, the better work they can do. Develop team and/or company values. Together, decide what you care about and how you want to treat each other. Reference these values as often as possible in meetings, when giving feedback, etc. Don’t let stress overtake your values. Being stressed is not an excuse for treating team members poorly. It’s just as important to support your team as it is to please clients. Invest in a coach for yourself and give your team members opportunities for professional coaching.  Good people management is a learning journey. Your team members will need different things from you as they develop. Additional Resources: Episode 72: Align Your Team By Creating Shared Values Episode 76: Bring Team Values to Life  mamie@mamieks.com

We live in an age of distraction. No matter what we have to do – whether it's writing an essay, working in an office, or just going about our daily lives – we are constantly at the mercy of internal and external distractions. These attention-breakers have serious consequences on our quality of work. The good news is that with our growing knowledge of the brain and improved technology, there are specific steps we can take to increase attention and improve focus. This week’s episode covers the difference between internal and external distractions and practical steps you can take to increase your focus. While our internal distractions are actually much more numerous than external, both can prevent people from focused work. I talk about the things you may be doing that prevent deep focus, then I give you steps you can take to mitigate distractions using short-term and long-term approaches. The full episode guide includes the matrix of focus along with tips and suggestions for how to focus from each of the various perspectives of the matrix. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community or purchase the full guide at www.themodernmanager.com/shop.   Get the free mini-guide at themodernnmanager.com/miniguides.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.   Read the related blog article: How to Stop Getting so Distracted and Focus   Key Takeaways: External distractions are physical interruptions in our environment that break our focus. Internal distractions come from within us, whether it’s a desire to check social media or feeling hungry. 80% of all distractions we encounter are internal. Focusing better is about controlling your mind. If you have too much on your mind (cognitive overload), you depress your ability to concentrate on the task at hand. Humans can’t multitask (do two things at once). Instead, we task switch, which takes time to refocus. Clear your physical and digital spaces from visual distractions. Block out time on your calendar to get deep work done. Develop ways for your team to signal when they don’t want to be interrupted (like a closed door or headphones on). Build your ability to focus with meditation or breath work. Use both short-term and long-term techniques to set yourself up for better focus and getting yourself back on track after an interruption. Additional Resources: Book: Free to Focus Book: Peak Mind Book: Getting Things Done Netflix episode: The Mind, Explained: season 2 episode 1, How to Focus Episode 158: Discover Your Optimal Work Episode 179: Free Your Time For What Matters Most with Dorie Clark mamie@mamieks.com

People that don't feel safe in their work can't reach their full potential. Psychological safety can make the difference between a productive and innovative workplace, and one where employees feel the need to keep their heads down. As managers, it's our responsibility to create a culture of psychological safety so our team members can communicate well, produce better results, and be their authentic selves. Today’s guest is Teresa Mitrovic. Teresa is the founder of ORO Collective, as well as a consultant, coach, course creator, and author specializing in performance, psychological safety, and trust. In her past life as a corporate leader, when the increasing demands of senior leadership clashed with single parenthood, Teresa pivoted her career to coaching leaders.  Teresa and I talk about psychological safety and how to foster an environment in which people speak up, give feedback, show up authentically, and act without fear.  Members of the Modern Manager community get Teresa’s Coaching as a Manager guide. This video walk-through will help you refine the relationship you have with your team and begin the process of converting emotional tension into creative tension, while helping your team to learn, fail and continually develop with greater psychological safety. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles, and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: Foster Psychological Safety Within Your Team   KEEP UP WITH TERESA Website: https://www.orocollective.space/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teresamitrovic/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/orocollectiveteam LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/the-psych-safety-project-6892397826123423744/   Key Takeaways: Psychological safety is the feeling that you can speak up and be vulnerable in front of your boss and colleagues without fear of judgment or repercussions. When we feel safe, we go into “Connect Mode” which activates the prefrontal cortex. We think creatively, expansively, and feel confident sharing our thoughts.  When stressed, we go into “Protect Mode” which activates the limbic brain. We go into flight/fright/freeze and feel afraid to speak up.  Have individual conversations with employees about why they are hesitating to speak. Tell them you value their opinions and ask what they would contribute to the conversation.  People from different cultures build trust differently. Also, trauma experiences impact one’s ability to build trust.  Pay attention to signs that employees feel unsafe. What perceived risks might they see?  Deep internal conditioning of how managers and employees would act (all-knowing or obedient) may affect one’s mindset about what’s appropriate to share.  Celebrate when your team speaks up, even if it’s hard to hear. Acknowledge the truth of their lived experiences. Give yourself time to digest and get back to them if you disagree.  A psychologically safe environment means that all team members show respect for one another’s contributions. If someone speaks in a disrespectful manner, thank them for sharing while asking them to express themselves differently. When damaging behavior is caught and corrected, people will feel safer being vulnerable.  Additional Resources: Episode 56: It all Boils Down to Psychological Safety mamie@mamieks.com instagram.com/mamieks

For many people, the pandemic blurred the lines between personal and professional spaces. While this had many benefits such as bringing people closer together, it also created ambiguity that is challenging for managers to navigate. How can managers best create and maintain boundaries while supporting their team members’ whole selves? Today’s guest is Deborah Grayson Riegel. Deborah is a keynote speaker, executive coach, and consultant who has taught leadership communication for Wharton Business School, Duke Corporate Education, Columbia Business School’s Women in Leadership Program, and the Beijing International MBA Program at Peking University. She is the co-author of “Go to Help: 31 Ways to Offer, Ask for, and Accept Help” and "Overcoming Overthinking: 36 Ways to Tame Anxiety for Work, School, and Life” — both written with her daughter Sophie, who is Junior at Duke. Deborah and I talk about how to navigate the tricky situation of personal life bleeding into work life. We discuss setting boundaries and building relationships as well as how to support someone who is struggling in their personal life and what to do when it starts impacting their performance at work.   Get Deborah’s guide How To Have A C.A.L.M.E.R. Conversation About Mental Health At Work. This guide includes an overview of the C.A.L.M.E.R. approach that makes these difficult conversations easier for both parties. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community. Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: How to Take Care of Stressed Out Employees   KEEP UP WITH DEBORAH: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deborahgraysonriegel/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/deborahgraysonriegel Book: Go To Help  Book: Overcoming Anything    Key Takeaways: Be intentional and explicit about setting personal boundaries at work. Connect with each person about what feels right for them. If you’re shifting from a peer to a manager role, talk abou what will change and what will stay the same about your relationship. Follow the APGAR acronym to notice early warning signs of stress in colleagues.  A= Appearance. Notice signs of stress and ask how they’re sleeping.  P= Performance. Ask how they feel about their workload.  G= Growth. Is there anything exciting for them at work to do?  A= Affect Control. What is stressing them at work?  R= Relationships. Who do they have at work/home to support them?  When someone comes to you for support or to unload personal issues, switch your mindset from “What Can I Do” to “Who Do I Want To Be” in this moment.  You don’t need to solve your employee’s personal problems. You are a bridge to other resources.  Give your stressed employee flexibility and then ask your manager for advice on picking up the slack. Speak with your team to decide together how to handle the shift in workload. Offer the extra work as a growth opportunity to someone who might benefit from the added or expanded responsibility.  Establish a timeframe about when work pace will go back to normal. Check in frequently about progress and how they’re doing.  mamie@mamieks.com www.instagram.com/mamieks

Organizations across the globe are reconsidering how, when, and where work gets done. As offices reopen and employees desire more flexibility, now is the time for teams and organizations to design a work ecosystem that meets today's needs while setting people up for the future.  Today’s guest is Emily Esterly. Emily has nearly 15 years of experience in roles spanning HROD, corporate strategy, economic development, workforce development, and corporate sustainability. At GOJO, her HROD and Enterprise Strategy roles have focused on advancing innovative ways of working across its highly collaborative networked organization to ensure the company stays adaptive as it grows in a highly complex and ever-changing world. Her aim is to ensure both teams and individuals at GOJO reach their full potential, thriving personally and professionally, and delivering on the company’s Purpose of Saving Lives and Making Life Better out in the world. Emily and I talk about the new Work Ecosystem that GOJO is rolling out to address new ways of collaborating, flexible work, and bringing the organization into the future.  Members of the Modern Manager community get a detailed diagram that explains GOJO’s work ecosystem. Get it, along with dozens of other guest bonuses and episode guides, when you join the Modern Manager community.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: A New Work Ecosystem for the Future   KEEP UP WITH EMILY LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/gojo-industries/ Website: www.gojo.com   Key Takeaways: Organizations need to design a work ecosystem that combines remote and onsite workers so that people thrive and work is done effectively. The four role types to consider are: mostly onsite, mostly virtual, blended weekly, and blended monthly. These roles are based on what an employee needs in order to complete their work. Mostly onsite workers need access to special equipment or facilities, and spend 80% of their time in the office. Mostly virtual workers spend 80% of their time working remotely. Blended weekly workers need to be in the office 40-60% of their time to partake in important relationships building activities and work that needs in person collaboration or oversight.  Blended monthly workers go to the office a few times a month for ‘moments that matter’ such as project kick offs and relationship building activities.  Assume that meetings will always include at least one remote participant. Design meetings as hybrid from the start even if you are hoping it will be entirely in person, just to be prepared. Think about what types of equipment and interactions will make the hybrid meeting a success. Consider using screens, videos, audio, and activities that will create an inclusive experience for both in person and remote participants.  An effective work ecosystem begins with improving daily digital collaboration tools. Use live shared documents, chat, and survey tools rather than defaulting to meetings all the time.  As you collaborate more asynchronously, you build a case for hybrid work schedules and effective remote teaming.    Additional Resources: GOJO Work Ecosystem Blog Post GOJO Work Ecosystem Video mamie@mamieks.com instagram.com/mamieks

Today I’m celebrating 200 episodes. This feels like a major accomplishment. When I launched the show in May 2018, just getting to 10 episodes felt a little overwhelming. Now, looking back, I’m so proud of what I was able to do and how many managers like yourself I’ve been able to help. It’s because of you that I create this show week after week. For this special 200th episode, I looked back over the guest episodes and thought about what ideas really stood out for me. While every episode has golden nuggets, I chose 5 key takeaways that have impacted or stayed with me in some way. I hope you find these ideas useful, but more importantly, I hope you’ll scroll back into the feed and check out older episodes even if you have already listened to them. There are some truly great conversations and solo episodes in the archive. And listening to a show for a second time helps us hear new things because we’ve grown and evolved since we first listened.   Get 20% off all levels of The Modern Manager annual membership. Use code CELEBRATE200 at www.themodernmanager.com/join. Offer expires on May 1, 2022.   The full episode guide includes details on how to take action on each learning’s next step. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community or purchase the full guide at www.themodernmanager.com/shop.    Get the free mini-guide at themodernnmanager.com/miniguides.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.   Read the related blog article: 5 Management Takeaways From 200 Episodes   Key Takeaways: A heartfelt thank you to my listeners, members of The Modern Manager community and all my guests! Reflection is thinking about what you could have done better. Introspection is asking yourself why you had that reaction. Use introspection to get to the root of your challenges. When driving a car, an intersection dictates rules the driver obeys. A stoplight has strong control rules that reduce driver autonomy. A roundabout puts more trust and responsibility on the driver to make his own decisions. Roundabouts are more effective, safer, and cheaper. Apply the stoplight / roundabout metaphor at work. Create more roundabout processes at work for an increase in motivation, critical thinking, and ownership. If your reaction to an opportunity isn’t a Hell Yeah (super excited response), you’re likely best off turning it down. We can easily rationalize all the things we should do, but it’s these activities that  eat up our valuable time, often with little return. Exercising new DEIB muscles is uncomfortable because of fear of doing the wrong thing. It’s okay to feel awkward or make mistakes. Model taking risks and learning from missteps. Put together a board of advisors or a single trusted individual who can give you honest feedback when you misstep. Balancing on a bike is only good if you want to keep going in the same direction. To change course, you need to lean to one side and then counterbalance. Do the same with all of your responsibilities. Don’t try to do everything all at once. Choose what to focus on and go for it. Then, lean into the next when appropriate. Additional Resources:     Episode 52: Looking Back, Looking Forward     Episode 167: Cultivate A Culture Of Love With Mohammad Anwar and Frank Danna     Episode 53: Moving Beyond Modern Management with Aaron Dignan     Episode 179: Free Your Time For What Matters Most with Dorie Clark     Episode 89: Growing into an Inclusive Leader with Jennifer Brown     Episode 106: Living Your Most Productive Life with Tonya Dalton   mamie@mamieks.com Instagram: mamieks

Athletes train their bodies with intention. They practice their chosen activity but also take time to develop the skills needed for high performance. If our bodies benefit from both “playing the game” and “training in the gym”, why wouldn’t that same approach be true for our brains?   Today’s guest is Darcy Luoma. Darcy is the author of Thoughtfully Fit® and a highly sought-after coach and consultant who has worked with more than five hundred organizations in forty-eight industries to create high-performing people and teams. She balances her thriving business with raising her two energetic teenage daughters and competing in triathlons.   Darcy and I talk about lessons from her book Thoughtfully Fit: Your Training Plan for Life and Business Success. As you’ll hear, she uses the metaphor of being physically fit and applies it to how we think about our mental and emotional fitness so that we can be effective managers and effective humans in general.   Members of the Modern Manager community can win one of two available signed copies of Darcy’s book, Thoughtfully Fit: Your Training Plan for Life and Business Success. To be eligible, you must be a member. Join by visiting the Modern Manager community.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: Train Your Brain to Succeed at Work   KEEP UP WITH DARCY Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/darcyluoma/Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfullyfitTwitter: @DarcyLuomaInstagram: @darcyluomacoachingLinkedIn Personal - https://www.linkedin.com/in/darcyluoma/LinkedIn Company - https://www.linkedin.com/company/darcy-luoma-coaching-&-consulting-llcYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaMLTzKl2YO5olR6V23aaXAPinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/darcyluoma/Book: Thoughtfully Fit on Amazon   Key Takeaways: Just as athletes train to succeed, managers and employees can train to succeed at work. There are six main skills to develop in order to achieve high performance in the workplace; stillness, strength, endurance, flexibility, balance, and agility.  For rest, create scheduled breaks in your day to recharge and think more clearly.  For strength, develop self-management techniques to shake off stress and interact positively with colleagues.  For endurance, learn how to get unstuck by sticking with problems and looking for creative solutions.  For flexibility, stretch yourself  to accept others how they are and work with what you have.  For balance, try to align what you need with what your teammates need to reach a common goal.  For agility, respond thoughtfully instead of defensively or chaotically when faced with upset colleagues or a surprising situation.  Build your “core” by learning to (1) pause, (2) reflect, and (3) respond thoughtfully as issues come up. Set scheduled times during the day to do this which will help tap into this practice when you need it during a tough moment. Teach your team to create boundaries and respect them. Creating times of stillness is essential so they don’t get overwhelmed and quit.  mamie@mamieks.com instagram.com/mamieks

Whether you're a leader or a manager, the chances are that you occasionally (or regularly) find yourself dealing with difficult situations. Coaching is an increasingly popular way of helping people develop the skills, habits, and mindsets needed to reach their full potential by better understanding themselves, their goals, and the situations they encounter.   Today’s guest is Dr. Richard Levin. Richard is widely recognized as one of the first executive coaches. He is one of a half-dozen global leaders who have created and shaped the coaching profession since its inception in the 1980’s.   As the founder and principal of Richard Levin & Associates (the first executive coaching firm, and the first network of independent executive coaches); as co-author of the popular and powerful book Shared Purpose: Working Together to Build Strong Families and High Performance Companies; and as a founder of Boston University’s Center on Work and Family, Richard has stretched the boundaries of creativity, inclusiveness, and collaboration to build extraordinary organizations.   Richard and I talk about coaching - what coaching is, how it's different from therapy or advising, who should get coaching, the future of coaching, and what to do if you or a team member want coaching but your organizanization doesn't have the budget for it.   Members of the Modern Manager community get a resource packet that consists of CFAR’s boldest thinking on executive coaching, strategy, culture, and organizational behavior. This valuable resource includes learnings and writings of CFAR’s top leaders and has never before been available to the public. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: Executive Coaching Isn’t Just for Executives   KEEP UP WITH RICHARD Website: www.cfar.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardjlevin/  Website Bio: https://www.cfar.com/Levin/   Key Takeaways: Dr. Richard Levin, a psychologist by training, founded the world’s first “executive coaching firm” in the 1980’s. Since then, the field has grown exponentially. Coaching helps leaders become their best selves. It can include everything from avoiding burnout to communication skills.  Coaches act as thought partners to figure out solutions togethers. Experienced coaches can offer advice but the best solutions tend to come from within the client. Coaches can observe managers and their teams in real time in order to get first-hand information. Nowadays they can do it virtually via Zoom. Professional coaches are not just for C-Suite executives but for any employee who wants to develop.  Large organizations are starting to hire coaches for each manager. This allows managers to keep confidences with their client while also working with other coaches to identify systemic issues and trends within the organization. Consultants and coaches are starting to work together to make large-scale changes that uplift the entire organization. Ask your manager about the possibility of working with a coach to support your growth. Be specific about what you want to develop and how coaching could enable you to better deliver results. Suggest a team member work with a coach only if they can identify their areas for growth, have a desire to change, and believe in coaching as an approach. Additional Resources: Explore coaching with Mamie  mamie@mamieks.com instagram.com/mamieks

It seems like every day there is a new communications app or an advance in communications technology capabilities. These tools are intended to help us collaborate more effectively with our team, but they can also lead to a tangled web of information and a messy communication system. Plus, teams are exploring new ways of working as hybrid work slowly replaces fully remote teaming. Given the foundational nature of communications, intentionally designing your communication practices can elevate and streamline your effectiveness.   Today's episode is about synchronous and asynchronous communication. In short, synchronous means we’re all physically present at the same time. Asynchronous means each person is communicating independently of others’ timing. Communication is at the heart of how people work together, so getting the right tools, processes, and norms in place for your team to facilitate effective synchronous and asynchronous communication is essential. I’ll share 3 key principles to consider when designing how your team will use its various communication modes, and then I’ll walk through the approach to create a communication guide so your team can get aligned on how you’ll communicate and document it for future reference.    The full episode guide includes more details on the process and principles along with my thoughts on which synchronous and asynchronous practices are most effective for what types of activities and why. I also include some of my favorite tools in case you’re looking to add some to your toolbox and want a short list to start with. Get the episode guide when you join the Modern Manager community or purchase the full guide at www.themodernmanager.com/shop.     Get the free mini-guide at themodernnmanager.com/miniguides.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: Harmonize Synchronous and Asynchronous Communications    Key Takeaways: Synchronous communication is being present at the same time together (i.e. a meeting). Asynchronous communication is independent of others' timing. The fewer the tools your team uses to communicate, the better. The goal is to identify the right communication method and use the simplest tools with minimal overlap.  Create templates to streamline everything from meetings and agendas to email subject lines.  Experiment with trying asynchronous communications first until it’s no longer working. Think of meetings as a last resort rather than a starting point, except for relationship building and discussing sensitive topics.  When making a Communications Guide, start by discussing with your team why it’s important and what you hope to achieve by clarifying the communication norms. Explore what’s working and what’s breaking down in terms of communication in order to identify what practices and tools to keep and what new to try.  Make preliminary decisions for new communication approaches and follow through on them. Check in weekly as a team to see how it’s working and adjust as needed.  Additional Resources: Episode 63: Creating a Team Playbook with Millie Blackwell mamie@mamieks.com instagram.com/mamieks

How we go about our work can make or break our productivity and effectiveness. The ability to meet deadlines, stay calm under pressure, develop a project plan and focus on a task without checking email every five minutes are all part of the skillset known as executive functioning. While this part of our brain develops throughout childhood, many of us still struggle with executive functioning as adults. Luckily, like any skill, we can develop them.   Today’s guest is Michael Delman. Michael is the CEO of Beyond BookSmart and WorkSmart Coaching. Author, Executive Function Coach, and School Founder, his career has been centered for three decades on helping people become more effective.   Michael and I talk about the four groups of executive functioning skills, how these show up in the workplace, what you can do to better perform in your role and how to better engage with your team using executive functioning strategies.   Members of the Modern Manager community get $100 off their executive functioning coaching membership or a staff training engagement. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community at the Sprout level or above.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: Learn The Art Of Self-Management   KEEP UP WITH MICHAEL Website for kids: https://www.beyondbooksmart.com/ Website for adults: https://www.worksmartcoaching.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beyondbooksmart Book: You're Kid's Gonna Be Okay: Building the Executive Function Skills Your Child Needs in the Age of Attention   Key Takeaways: Executive functioning skills are habits for self-management. They can be broken down into four categories, known as COPS. Calm, Organize, Plan and Prioritize, Start and Stay focused. The prefrontal cortex doesn’t function well under stress. Prepare adequately to reduce stress buildup. Use breathing techniques to calm down your emotions. Use cognitive thinking tricks like having perspective to see the big picture, to take the pressure off.  Organization includes the elements of STOP; Space, Time, Objects, and People.  Consider how to set up your environment to help you be most effective. Allot yourself enough time to accomplish projects. Have all objects you need at your disposal and put away distracting objects. Know who you can go to when stuck; whether a colleague or a website.  Prioritize by deciding on the most important thing you need to get done that day. Consider what is blocking your organization or team’s success. Communicate all decisions, expectations, and roles clearly to all team members. Put it in writing in a central location so everyone can refer to it. When overwhelmed or procrastinating, break down large tasks into smaller ones. Set a timer for 5 minutes and start a task.  When talking with a colleague about improving their executive functioning skills, normalize their difficulties by expressing that it’s common.  Additional Resources: Episode 178: What Are Executive Functioning Skills Episode 182: Improve Your Executive Functioning Skills mamie@mamieks.com   Follow me on instagram.com/mamieks  

Managers know the value of team building, but not all activities are effective or right for your people. Traditional team-building activities like ropes courses, paintball games, or scavenger hunts often don’t speak to millennials or employees in other generations. They can also be competitive instead of collaborative, or require physical abilities that not everyone is capable of. Instead, managers can look for activities that are fun, accessible, and translate into productive relationships in the workplace, like floral design. Today’s guest is Elise Bernhardt. Elise served as CEO or Executive Director of multiple non-profit cultural organizations during her 30 year career. She then reinvented herself as a floral designer and facilitator which combined her passion for flowers and bringing people together through her flower design workshops. Elise and I talk about the lessons she’s learned from years of leading people and organizations of different sizes, as well as her unusual approach to team building that includes flowers, and what we can learn from that process. Three members of the Modern Manager community get a discount on Elise’s floral design workshops. Get one of these when you join the Modern Manager community.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles, and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: How Floral Design Can Strengthen Your Team’s Relationships.   KEEP UP WITH ELISE Website: www.fleurelisebkln.com Instagram: @fleur_elise_bkln   Key Takeaways: Many common team-building exercises can be stressful and competitive, making the experience feel less inclusive. Ikebana is the Japanese art of floral design. It is considered a spiritual practice and a life skill. Flowers have also been shown to reduce blood pressure.  Floral design team building workshops are non judgemental and relaxing. They create opportunities for bonding, creativity, and self-expression because there is no right answer. After completion, everyone shares observations about each others’ work such as color and placement. This is different from sharing feedback on what you like or dislike, or what you think would make the arrangement better. Observational dialogue shifts how people reflect and share. It is a useful tool to carry over into workplace feedback. It focuses on what you notice and conveying that in a neutral tone. The best team building exercises help us see our colleagues in a new light and realize unknown qualities about them.  Floral design can be done remotely. It can also be done separately and then collectively shared afterwards.  You can DIY a floral design team-building workshop by getting supplies from a local grocer and looking up online videos for inspiration, if needed. The only rule is that no stems can be the same length! Consider who can facilitate during the presentation portion so that it engages everyone and follows the observation (not criticism) approach. mamie@mamieks.com instagram.com/mamieks

Accountability, when done right, isn't about exerting power or authority. It’s not about enforcing punishments or negative consequences. Instead, it’s about making sure that everyone does what they commit to doing through shared responsibility for success. Managers who do this develop strong teams with strong performance. Those who don’t do this end up with extra pressure on themselves and disengaged employees who are underperforming or unhappy in their jobs - both of which are downright unhealthy for everyone.    Today's episode is about how to create a culture of accountability. Accountability often feels hard, in part because it's the thing we do when something goes wrong. Instead, you can make accountability ever-present on your team so that everyone holds themselves and each other accountable.   The full episode guide contains more detailed actions, questions for reflection, and worksheets to help you foster a culture of accountability with your team. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community or purchase the full guide at www.themodernmanager.com/shop.     Get the free mini-guide at themodernmanager.com/miniguides.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles, and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: 5 Steps to Creating a Culture of Accountability    Key Takeaways: Accountability at work is not an individual burden on the manager but about creating a culture of accountability that is shared by the team.  Without a culture of accountability, the best workers leave and performance suffers.  Articulate and model your team’s values and expected behaviors. Own your mistakes when you misstep to foster trust.  People take seriously what they feel responsible for. It’s essential to connect accountability to celebrating successes and to give credit when it’s due. Teammates who care about each other and feel valued by their manager don’t want to let each other down. Shared accountability means they will push each other even when the boss isn’t around.  Explain why the expectations matter and how it impacts them, you, the team, and/or the organization’s success. Create a safe space for your team to admit their mistakes. Encourage questions, provide support, and don’t blame when things go off track.  Have organic, real-time conversations and scheduled 1-on-1s to provide positive feedback and address concerns.   Additional Resources: Episode 76: Bring Team Values to Life Episode 72: Align Your Team By Creating Shared Values Episode 138: Managing Four Types of Accountability mamie@mamieks.com

As managers, we have a responsibility to help our employees find stability in a time of chaos. To do this most effectively, we need to understand how the brain functions best—and most importantly, how it can go wrong. Understanding the neuroscience of change will give us unparalleled insight into managing moments of uncertainty and times of change so that our team members remain productive, engaged, and loving their work.   Today’s guest is Russ Linden. Russ is a management consultant, leadership instructor, and author who's worked with public and nonprofit organizations for 36 years. He specializes in change management, collaboration, and the use of influence (when formal authority won't cut it).   Russ and I talk about the experience of navigating change, how to better deal with ambiguity, the phenomenon called loss aversion, the relationship between change and learning, and so much more.   Members of the Modern Manager community at the Sprout level and above get 30% off all of Russ’s books, including his latest, Loss and Discovery: What the Torah Can Teach Us about Leading Change. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.   Read the related blog article: How Managers Can Create Stability In Unpredictable Times   KEEP UP WITH RUSS: Website: www.loss-discovery.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/russ.linden.9/    Key Takeaways: Our brains are wired to perceive a lack of control, predictability, and certainty as threats. Create stability for your team by building steady, predictable relationships.  Be an honest, trustworthy leader they can depend on.  Define and implement your company’s core values so your team knows what to expect and how the organization operates.  Loss aversion is the brain’s way of avoiding the pain of loss which is stronger than the desire for winning. Honestly address the potential losses that arise with any change. Give your employees space to mourn these losses. Our brains continue growing new cells and neural pathways throughout our life, called neuroplasticity. Shrink the overwhelm of change by reminding your team what’s not changing. Assure them that the changes are not their fault and compliment them on their past work. People value what they make themselves, the IKEA Effect. Give them choices so they feel more a sense of control over the changes. Build on your team’s strength while minimizing weaknesses, so they don’t lose their sense of competency. Additional Resources: Book: Leadership On The Line Book: In Search Of Excellence Episode 149: Planning a (Virtual) Retreat with Seth Linden mamie@mamieks.com

The brain is an amazing thing. Its capacity to learn is almost endless. But too often the process of learning can feel boring, difficult, stressful, and even painful. In order for the brain to retain what we’ve learned, we need to deploy the right strategies. These simple approaches make learning efficient and enjoyable.  Today’s guest is Collin Jewett. Collin is an industrial engineer, author, coach, and adventurer. He loves helping others rediscover the joy of learning and partnering with their brains to unlock limitless memory, boundless creativity, and unshakeable focus. Collin and I  talk about the process of learning, how to remember better, the relationship between learning and creativity, and so much more. Members of the Modern Manager community get access to Collin’s 7-part video series titled “Unlock your 3 Brain States” to help you discover the 3 critical brain states and unlock hyperfocus and endless creative potential. Get this guest bonus and dozens more when you join the Modern Manager community. Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: Unlock Your Brain’s Ability To Learn   KEEP UP WITH COLLIN Website: https://curiosityjump.com/ Course: maven.com/curiosityjump/superlearner     Key Takeaways: We are born with the desire to learn about the world and ourselves.  Curiosity is the innate desire to ask questions. Creativity is the innate desire to answer questions and solve problems. Creativity isn’t a “have it or you don’t” thing. Creativity is the process of combining existing ideas in new ways. Memory works by associating and comparing old knowledge with new information.  Analogies and metaphors are powerful because they take new ideas and put them in a familiar context.  Learning that is relevant to our lives is more enjoyable and stickier. Clarify how and why this information or skill is relevant. Use the observation and visualization to get brain neurons to fire as if you were going through the motions.  Use as many kinds of VARK learning methods (visual, auditory, reading/writing, kinesthetic) as possible for ultimate knowledge retention. Reward and punishment don’t motivate real learning or creativity. In fact, they often result in the opposite.    Additional Resources: Video on motivation [Quiz] What’s your delegation downfall? mamieKS on Instagram   mamie@mamieks.com

It’s easy to get caught in the whirlwind of work. We can get carried along by the hundreds of things that need to get done, never stepping back to consider if it’s actually working or whether the path is even the right one. Taking time to prioritize, reflect, or set boundaries that actually get followed can feel like a luxury we just can’t afford given the fires that keep popping up, the ever-growing to-do list, and wanting to be there for our team members when they need us. But imagine what work and life could be, if we did.   Today’s guest is Lisa Marie Platske. Lisa Marie is an award-winning leadership expert in human behavior and recognized as one of the top 100 women making a difference in the world. She left her Federal law enforcement career after 9/11 to build Upside Thinking, Inc. She is also a member of the Forbes Coaches Council, and Lisa has trained or coached over 100,000 leaders around the globe.   Lisa and I talk about the Leadership Blueprint. She shared the three principles of the Leadership Blueprint which can help you up your management game and unleash your full potential as a people leader.    Members of the Modern Manager community get the Influential Leadership Blueprint, a simple, step-by-step workbook that allows you to create clear next steps for your journey.   Get it when you join the Modern Manager community.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: How To Become A Leader Worth Following   KEEP UP WITH LISA MARIE LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisamarieplatske/ Facebook business: https://www.facebook.com/UpsideThinking Facebook personal: https://www.facebook.com/lisa.marie.platske   Key Takeaways: Courage is more important than expertise. Courageous leadership comes from making and acting on difficult decisions. Consider the knowledge and experience you have from all aspects of your life, not only professional ones.  Prioritize the goals that will make the greatest impact. Decide these based on personal and/or organizational values.  It’s more important to move one important thing a mile than 10 things only three steps. Set your priority goals and then reassess during the day by using SNAP at random intervals; Stop, Notice, Ask, Pause, Pray, and Pivot.  Focusing on priorities leaves wiggle room for when unexpected issues arise and prevents overload. Be present by focusing on less.  Discuss with your team how they can focus and prioritize. Learn what times of day are best for each person to both collaborate and work alone.  We are filled with unconscious beliefs of what we “should” be doing. Examine what you really want and why it matters. Do what is right for you, not what you “should” according to other people’s ideas. Be honest about what roles, responsibilities, and requirements you don’t want. Create nonnegotiables and set boundaries for what you can’t and won’t do.  Discuss with your team what they do and don’t want. Be aware these may change.  mamie@mamieks.com

Influencing others is a key part of most managerial positions. Too often we conflate authority with influence. Authority is an exercise in power while influence is about encouraging people to join you in a shared mission.  Whether it's getting a team member to change their behavior, generating buy-in from your supervisor, or getting a colleague in a different department to help out, we are often in positions where we don’t have (or don’t want to use) positional power to get what we need. This is where we rely on our ability to influence. In this episode, I walk through 5 approaches to influencing without authority so that you can gain support in ways that both deliver results and feel good along the way. The full episode guide includes tips and suggestions for each of the five approaches. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community or purchase the full guide at www.themodernmanager.com/shop.     Get the free mini-guide at themodernnmanager.com/miniguides.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: 5 Approaches to Influencing Without Authority   Key Takeaways: Influencing without authority happens by building relationships not through exercising power. Start with curiosity. Learn who they are and what they care about. When you ask for their involvement, align your project or request with their values. Figure out what barriers are stopping people from saying yes. Address concerns and find ways to help remove obstacles. Being willing to help will make a strong positive impression.  Cultivate an authentic relationship before making any asks. Use the “3 Touches Before An Ask” strategy to reduce the likelihood that the person will feel they’re being used..  If you struggle with building authentic relationships, think about what someone skilled in this would do in such a situation. Then take those steps.  Include others in the decision making process. People support what they help create. Listen to ideas and be open to reshaping your vision.  Craft compelling personal narratives to increase interest in your cause. People give when their emotions are aroused.  mamie@mamieks.com

It’s easy to get caught up in the “us versus them” mentality. Our brains naturally like to categorize people and then bond with those who are “on our team” while alienating those who are not. This can happen within an organization “marketing vs sales” or by identity “men vs other gender identities” or geography “London HQ vs remote team members” and many other factors. When cultural divides separate colleagues, it inhibits effective communication and collaboration. Instead, we need to find ways to bring people together that honors our cultural differences while building bridges.   Laura Kriska is the author of The Business of WE and a leading cross-cultural consultant with more than thirty years of experience bridging gaps in diverse workplaces. She has worked with Fortune 500 companies on four continents helping thousands of professionals build trust across Us versus Them differences based on nationality, ethnicity, race, religion, age or any factor of identity. Her WE-building framework provides practical and actionable insights for creating a more inclusive and productive world.   Laura and I talk about how to understand cultural differences from norms and behaviors, to mindsets, and how to bring people together across the ‘us vs them’ divide.   Be one of the first two members to request a free audiobook copy of The Business of We: The Proven Three-Step Process for Closing the Gap Between Us and Them in Your Workplace. This offer is available only to members of The Modern Manager. Join at themodernmanager.com/join.  Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: Go From “Us Vs Them” To “WE” At Work   KEEP UP WITH LAURA Book: The Business of We Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurakriska_author/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LauraKriskaauthor Twitter: https://twitter.com/LauraKriska LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-kriska-0a93902a/   Key Takeaways: When teams separate because of diverse identities, it can create divisive “insider/outsider” dynamics that break down trust and communication. “Us vs Them” dynamics can show up between departments, hierarchies, and geographic locations, in addition to various individual identities. Visible culture norms are things like dress or language. Invisible cultural norms are unspoken rules about how people are expected to act. These are learned through involvement in the culture.  Invisible cultural norms that aren’t working for your team need to be addressed.  Look at missed outcomes or HR complaints. They may point to breakdowns in cohesion amongst your team.  Have open conversations with your team about what’s not working. Model self-reflection and commitment to change to encourage others to open up.  Measure your level of integration with diverse groups and commit to increasing your knowledge of various cultures/backgrounds.  Have everyone share a personal experience of feeling like an outsider to highlight the importance of a feeling of belonging.  Those with a scarcity mindset might worry they will lose power if they bring others up. Explain how everyone benefits from greater inclusion and a “WE” culture.  Additional Resources: Book: The Sum Of Us Free Assessment mamie@mamieks.com

Some managers worry that hiring a freelancer means you will have to take a leap of faith. You won’t know that person’s work ethic or professional personality. But in reality, hiring and managing a freelancer doesn’t need to be scary. Instead, it can transform your team’s work.   Today’s guest is Matthew Mottola. Matthew is a leader in ethically creating the remote freelance economy. He is CEO of Venture L, Author of The Human Cloud and a Forbes Contributor.   Matthew and I talk about working with freelancers - how the Pandemic has changed things, how to overcome common challenges of working with freelancers, and how to optimize the entire lifecycle of hiring, onboarding, collaborating and more.   Members of the Modern Manager community get Matthew’s Leadership Deck To Hire Freelancers and his Worksheets To Identify The Work And Hire Your First Freelancer. Get these bonuses when you join the Modern Manager community.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: 6 Essential Things To Know About Managing Freelancers   KEEP UP WITH MATTHEW LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewmottola/ Resources: https://humancloud.substack.com/ Book:https://www.amazon.com/Human-Cloud-Changemakers-Artificial-Intelligence/dp/1400219736 Twitter:https://twitter.com/matthewrmottola   Key Takeaways: Freelancers are a good alternative to an expensive agency or hiring a full-time employee. They specialize in a specific skill set for a set amount of time.  Freelancers don’t have to be temporary. If you like them, you can take them on to future projects for years to come. Because they don’t feel as fearful of losing their job, freelancers may be more forthright with critical, helpful feedback about your work culture.  Give freelancers feedback; everyone enjoys growth opportunities. Involve them in your team; everyone benefits from a sense of belonging. The number one mistake managers make with freelancers is micromanaging. They are the experts. Be honest about what you don’t know and give them space to do what they do best. Begin with small projects first instead of everything at once, so you can check in early and ensure you’re on the same page.  Don’t spend as much time onboarding. Build trust and teach them the culture by working together.  Don’t worry if they don’t fit into the team culture. Innovation comes from the outside. Cherish their outside perspective.  Let them pitch ideas. Freelancers can bypass HR red tape that often slows down salaried employees and try out new roles and ideas.  mamie@mamieks.com

Like any field, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion continues to evolve. As managers, we need to continue to grow and develop our skills. While it may seem hard to keep up with the newest concepts, it may very well be one of the most important components to being a rockstar manager now and in the future.    Today’s guest is Perrine Farque. Perrine is an author, entrepreneur, keynote speaker and diversity and inclusion expert who empowers leaders to leverage diversity and inclusion as their competitive advantage. Nominated in the Top 50 Most Influential UK Tech Women, Perrine continues to be recognized for her contributions. Perrine drove the strategy at companies such as Facebook and is on a mission to make the workplace more inclusive and diverse.   Perrine and I talk about the experiences of feeling depreciated and rejected and what we can do to continue to develop our people management skills as the world of DEI continues to evolve. We get into the use of language, anti-bias training, and how to engage your team in the process of creating an inclusive culture so that all team members feel included and appreciated.   Members of the Modern Manager community get my 5 easy actions to become a more inclusive leader. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: Top Diversity Skills For A Rockstar Manager in 2022   KEEP UP WITH PERRINE Personal   Twitter: https://twitter.com/PerrineFarqueUK Personal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/perrinefarque/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PerrineFarque Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/perrinefarqueofficial/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmYKgD9mNq80PJshb8PZjsg   Business    Twitter: https://twitter.com/Iminspiredhuman LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/inspired-human/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/inspiredhumanconsulting     Key Takeaways: Employees who feel devalued/depreciated are less productive/engaged. Unconscious bias training can work when it’s part of a larger diversity, equity and inclusion program. Begin explaining why D&I is important. Set goals for diversity and inclusions, and track progress. Be cognizant of how you and your team use language. Use more inclusive gender terms and avoid ableist language that is insensitive to those with mental/physical disabilities.  Create a greater understanding of the cultures your colleagues come from. What communication and gender dynamics are they used to? How do they like to be addressed? Small efforts make a big impact. Talk with your team about why D&I matters to you personally. Create a slack channel or email chain for your team to share relevant articles/podcasts/books.  Address those skeptical of the benefits of increasing diversity and inclusion. Share research on how diversity leads to more innovation and success. Explore their personal story of being excluded to understand their resistance.  Additional Resources: Harvard Business Review: Why Diverse Teams Are Smarter McKinsey: Diversity Wins: How Inclusion Matters             Episode 150: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Allyship mamie@mamieks.com

Great managers invest in growing their team members. But who is actually responsible for professional development? Surprise: it’s the individual, not the manager. Organizations take a wide variety of approaches to professional development ranging from none at all to reserving Individual Development Plans (IDPs) for only high potentials or those struggling the most. So where does that leave everyone else?   This episode is all about taking control over your individual development plan. I walk through the process of crafting an IDP for yourself and how to work with your team members so they can own their professional growth.   The full episode guide includes a detailed process for developing an IDP as well as how to work with your team members to create and manage their IDP. It also includes the template I use with my clients for documenting and tracking goals, measures of success and actions. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community or purchase the full guide at www.themodernmanager.com/shop.     Get the free mini-guide at themodernnmanager.com/miniguides.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: Own Your Professional Development   Key Takeaways: Individual Development Plans work for short and long term goals.  Make goals based on where you want to be in the future or what you need to feel more satisfied at work.  Figure out what knowledge, behavioral skills, or real life experience will help you achieve your goals. Get feedback from colleagues about what could help you succeed.  Consider what measures of success would mean you’ve achieved your dreams. These are either externally-based from a colleague or through passing a test or internally-based on your sense of achievement.  Keep between 1-3 goals at a time. One goal often feels too slow and more than 3 goals can be distracting. IDPs are living documents that should be revised and updated. Check in monthly to update actions taken, measure goals, and add new ones. Your teammates need to take ownership of their success and make their own IDPs. Brainstorm with your team about their goals and offer them feedback, accountability, and securing funds for these goals.  mamie@mamieks.com

The summer of 2021 saw a staggering increase in resignations and the trend has remained. Management professor Anthony Klotz called this phenomenon the "Great Resignation." In response to the pandemic, people are rethinking their job, career, and lifestyle. What can we do, as managers, to keep our best people from leaving us?   Today’s guest is Christine Comaford. Christine is a Leadership and Culture Coach, Serial Entrepreneur, and New York Times bestselling author. For over 30 years Christine has helped leaders navigate growth and change. She specializes in applied neuroscience, which helps her clients achieve tremendous results in record time. As an entrepreneur she built and sold five companies with an average ROI of 700%, and she was a software engineer in the early days of Microsoft and Apple. Christine is a human behavior expert, a leadership columnist for Forbes.com, and the New York Times bestselling author of Power Your Tribe, SmartTribes, and Rules for Renegades.   Christine and I talk about this great migration that is happening and how to get your people to stay, how to help them know how to succeed and developing them in meaningful ways, how to conduct a “stay interview”, and more.   Christine is offering Members of the Modern Manager community her Leadership Tools Infographic and a discount for Coaching. Get both of these guest bonuses when you join the Modern Manager community.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: How to Conduct “Stay Interviews”   KEEP UP WITH CHRISTINE:   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Comaford/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/comaford?lang=en LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/comaford/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/christinecomaford Spotify Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/0cyyjQbIf4vK8tu8tLJuvB?si=-YuYbF7xQJSa1hJom8s88w&nd=1     Key Takeaways: In response to the pandemic, many people are questioning what they want out of their job, career and life in general.We’re at a moment where you should assume everyone is looking for better job offers. Don’t wait until the exit interview to find out what you could have done differently. Instead, conduct Stay Interviews to keep your staff and learn what they want.  Do Stay Interviews on a quarterly basis to find out what employees love/dread about their work and what they want changed.  Employees want opportunities to grow at work. Work with each person on their Individual Development Plan to guide their professional growth and track progress.  Chart how an employee shows up at work by using a system like Leadership Levels. Use this system to develop a common language of expectations and goals.  Have employees self-assess themselves, and discuss any inconsistencies with how you view them. If an employee has another offer with better pay, discuss with them the pros and cons of the offer. Provide all the ways you offer benefits beyond compensation so the employee has a clear idea of everything you offer. This way, they can make a fully informed decision.   The decision to leave is not solely for better pay. Help guide them through a decision that will best benefit their life. Sometimes this means helping them move on from this role.  Additional Resources: Book: Love 'Em or Lose 'Em: Getting Good People to Stay Episode 186: Individual Development Plans (airing January 11, 2022) mamie@mamieks.com

What do you think of when you hear the word velocity? Speed? Direction? While we’re busy running quickly from one thing to another, it's important that we always have a clear vision for where we’re headed. Working effectively isn’t just about getting to the future quickly. It’s knowing where you’re going so that your speed is meaningful.    Today’s guest is Ron Karr. Ron has worked with leaders on six continents to eliminate risk, gain buy-in and achieve better results faster with the Velocity Mindset®. His presentations and advisory services have generated over a billion dollars in incremental revenues for his clients. Ron is the author of five books including his latest, The Velocity Mindset® and the bestselling Lead, Sell or Get Out of the Way. Ron facilitates the Chief Revenue Officer Mastermind Group made up of CEO's and VP's building high-performance sales cultures.   Ron and I talk about lessons from his book Velocity Mindset. We talk about getting clarity, asking questions, engaging your team in the process, the importance of pausing and a whole lot more.   Members of the Modern Manager community can get one of three available audiobooks of The Velocity Mindset - How Leaders Eliminate Risk, Gain Buy-In, and Achieve Better Results-Faster!. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: Embrace a Velocity Mindset with Your Team   KEEP UP WITH RON Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rokarr/ Youtube: Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/ronkarr1 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronkarr/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ronkarr Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ronkarr1   Key Takeaways: Velocity, in physics, is multiplying speed with direction. In business, that means we need to have a purpose and a destination or else moving at high speeds will lead to burn out.  Instead of being tethered to old ideas, think about where you really want to go and envision a bold future.  You don’t need to be able to map out how you’re going to get there. Ruminate on ideas, ask questions, collect information, and experiment as you go.  Involve your team in co-creating the plan. Ask them to brainstorm ideas, strategies, and for getting to the goal as well as question-storm to identify questions that need to be answered in order to move forward. Get buy-in by learning what each person on your team values. State the goal in context with what’s important to them.  Learn the ‘art of the pause’ by making time to stop and consider what’s not working. Set personal meetings with yourself and team meetings to reflect and recommit to future actions.  Starting with what’s not working in team meetings will lead to blaming and negativity. Instead, begin with what you want, where you are, what’s working and what you could do differently to reach your goal.   Additional Resources: Book: The Science of Getting Rich Book: Enlightened Leadership mamie@mamieks.com

Your voice is the most powerful tool you own! When you are confident in who you are and grounded in what you’re saying, the words flow with ease. But sometimes, without noticing, our voice betrays us. If we ignore how we speak, we may be undermining the message we’re trying so to hard to convey.   Now, today’s guest is Judith Weinman. Judy is a speech, voice, and communications trainer who helps individuals and corporations cultivate personal and professional communication skills so that they function most optimally.   She has provided individual and group programs to companies including Bloomberg, IBM, Ernst & Young, NYU Business School, Mt. Sinai Hospital, Bank of China, the U.N., and others. She has a background in speech/language pathology and also offers workshops that focus on empowering women's voices, non-native English speakers, and neurolinguistically diverse communicators.   Judy and I talk about how to use your voice to more effectively communicate, including how to be more conscious of your voice, bring greater authenticity into your voice, and demonstrate greater executive presence through voice.    Members of the Modern Manager community can get one of three available voice coaching sessions with Judy.  Become a member by joining the Modern Manager community.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: Why Your Speaking Style Might Be Limiting You At Work   KEEP UP WITH JUDY Website: https://www.accentjweinman.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/judith-weinman-2625ab5b/   Key Takeaways: The voice should be grounded in the body for it to sound authentic and trustworthy.  Breathing opens up constrictions in the body, making the person sound more relaxed.  Keep your throat open when you speak. People often speak from the throat instead of the chest, making their voice sound strained or weak. Tone is primal and powerful; we hear tone before understanding words and therefore instinctually pick up meaning from it.  To become aware of your tone, listen to feedback and notice how people respond to you.  Develop a flexibility of voice to use in different circumstances. Explore how your voice can sound supportive vs directive. Humans think in phrases and clauses not perfect sentences. Pace yourself and breathe as you speak giving you time to craft your thoughts into words.  When we’re nervous, we make ourselves smaller. Open up your chest rather than caving in.  Be supportive by telling your team you believe in their potential while trying to build their communication skills.  mamie@mamieks.com

Executive functioning is a set of cognitive skills that help us manage time, plan, prioritize, initiate and complete tasks, regulate emotions, and resist distractions. These skills impact how we perform at work and in life – it’s the foundation of self-management.    This is the second of two episodes on executive functioning skills. This episode reviews strategies to improve  executive functioning skills so you can help yourself or support that colleague. The first episode (#178) explains what executive functioning skills are and how they show up in the workplace, as well as how you can assess yourself and your colleagues in each area.    The full episode guide includes an overview of the process and tips from today as well as specific suggested approaches for some of the most common executive functioning challenges people struggle with at work. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community or purchase the full guide at www.themodernmanager.com/shop.     Get the free mini-guide at themodernnmanager.com/miniguides.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: Improve Performance by Improving Executive Functioning Skills    Key Takeaways: There are eleven executive functioning skills our brains use to process and decide on an action.  Notice when the struggle is a combination of executive functioning skills that work together to compound a weakness. Changing behavior is hard. Before trying to develop a skill, look for ways to reduce your reliance on that skill. Try altering the environment in ways that minimize usage of a weaker skill. Try adding motivation, both incentives or penalties, that could give you the extra push. If neither of those are enough, look for ways to improve the weaker skill like finding a coach or practicing the skill. Create a development plan to help you or a team member work more effectively. Clarify the real problem, envision what success looks like, brainstorm solutions, decide on a plan, and track progress.  Additional Resources: Book: Smart but Scattered mamie@mamieks.com

From a young age, much of our lives have been directed by others. Our parents, teachers, and other adults tell us what to do and how to do it. In many cultures, it’s not until adulthood that we are truly able to be self-directed, and by that point, it can be difficult for some of us to know how to show up most effectively without the constant direction from others. Yet self-direction is an important, and often underutilized, skill in today’s workplace.     Today’s guest is Dr. Tom Tonkin. Tom is an award-winning researcher, author, and CEO and Founder of The Conservatory Group with 25 years of experience in corporate America under his belt. Tom’s organization provides high-touch services to business executives that want to improve themselves, their team, and their environment. Tom is also involved at an executive level in two organizations with DE&I at the forefront, SAMI and Diversity Equity Inclusion.   Tom and I talk about variations in how our brains work and different styles, how that impacts how we collaborate with our team members, how our brains like to learn, and a lot more.   Members of the Modern Manager community get the Self-Directed Learner Assessment. Updated with the latest research, this resource will help you improve your self-direction. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: How Managers Can Support More Effective Learning   KEEP UP WITH TOM:   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drtomtonkin/ Twitter: @DrTomTonkin The Conservatory Group: https://www.theconservatory.group     Key Takeaways: There is a spectrum of preference from completely self-directed (independent) to completely directed (dependent) when it comes to learning and managing ourselves. Managers who like to command, tend to work well with people who prefer to be directed. Managers who like to be hands-off, tend to work well with people who are highly independent.  Managers need to learn to work with all types of people regardless of style or preference. We learn soft skills and hard skills differently because they live in different parts of the brain.  When we teach soft skills of dealing with people, we need to teach through roleplaying. When roleplaying, it’s important the conditions be as real as possible e.g. no psychological safety, similar context, so people can learn through real practice.  Hard skills can be taught through more traditional learning methods and practice modes.  If we increase our desire, initiative, persistence, and resourcefulness, we can strengthen our conative brain and  learn new skills.  mamie@mamieks.com

For a first time manager, it can feel like a bait-and-switch: You were told you’re now a manager but what they should have said is you now have to lead meetings, give feedback, make hard decisions, manage conflict, set deadlines and hold people accountable, and about a million other things. Even for experienced managers, it can feel like we’ve never really developed all the skills needed to succeed at this part of our job.  Today’s guest is Rachel Pacheco. Rahel is the author of Bringing Up the Boss, a faculty member at the Wharton School in the Management Department and a Start-up advisor. Rachel and I talk about what management actually is and then we get into some of the most common areas that managers - both new and seasoned - struggle with like setting clear expectations, giving constructive feedback, and motivating team members, and what you can do to develop these skills. Members of the Modern Manager community get 35% off Rachel’s book Bringing Up The Boss. Get the discount code when you join the Modern Manager community.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: Management Fundamentals Every Manager Should Excel In   KEEP UP WITH RACHEL: Website: www.rachelpacheco.com Book: https://www.amazon.com/Bringing-Up-Boss-Practical-Managers/dp/1953295010   Key Takeaways: Management is the broad term for dozens of activities managers are responsible for. These activities can be categorized as (1) managing individuals, (2) managing a team collectively, and (3) managing yourself. Managers who fear micromanaging end up not giving their team enough structure.  Keep goals simple and few so your team can prioritize. Don’t be too goal-focused that your team forgets other important tasks.  Give clear expectations for what “good” looks like.  Explain the impact of what you’re doing to increase motivation and big picture thinking.  Frequent feedback is one of a manager's most important jobs but we avoid it because it doesn't feel “nice”. Yet, withholding feedback harms our employees’ ability to get better, hurting their future success.  Employees feel anxious without feedback because they want to know how they’re doing.  We need to understand what motivates each employee, what gives them a sense of satisfaction at work.  We can learn individual motivations by asking what they enjoyed in their present/past job or doing a motivation survey.  mamie@mamieks.com

It's easy to get caught up in the game of doing. There are so many opportunities in life. Saying no can be one of the most difficult things managers need to do to protect their time. We want to do it all, but at the end of the day, being so busy doesn’t make us happy or help us achieve our goals. Saying no forces you to figure out what's important, gives you more time to focus on the long term, makes you more deliberate with your decisions, and reminds you of what life is all about.   Today’s guest is Dorie Clark. Dorie has been named one of the Top 50 business thinkers in the world by Thinkers50. She is a keynote speaker and teaches for Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business. She is also the author of Entrepreneurial You, Reinventing You, and Stand Out, which was named the #1 Leadership Book of the year by Inc. magazine. A former presidential campaign spokeswoman, she writes frequently for the Harvard Business Review.   Dorie and I talk about lessons from her new book, The Long Game, about how to become a long-term thinker in a short-term world! Which, hint, is all about how we prioritize and spend our precious time   Members of the Modern Manager community get my Saying No cheat sheet to help you remember when to say no and how to say no in ways that still feel good. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: How To Stop Being So Busy   KEEP UP WITH DORIE Twitter: https://twitter.com/dorieclarkLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/doriec/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dorieclarkauthor/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dorieclark/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/DorieClarkThe Long Game Free Self-Assessment: https://dorieclark.com/longgame/   Key Takeaways: There are many reasons we continue to be “too busy” even when we say we don’t like it, including that we feel important when we’re busy and it’s uncomfortable to stop and rethink our strategy. Take advantage of unexpected free time by having a plan. Identify your goals and know what your next step is for each.  Set aside time to strategize in order to be proactive not reactive.  Ask “Is this the best use of my time” when an opportunity arises, instead of “Can I do this?” When an opportunity arises, it’s either a “Hell yes” or “no”. If it’s not a 9 or 10 for what you want to do, turn it down.  People usually only get offended when you delay responding to an offer or invitation. Say no quickly. It can be helpful to create scripts for turning down opportunities.  Stop overbooking your future self with unimportant things by asking, “Would I do that this week?” Teach your team how to prioritize and say no.  Additional Resources: Episode 8: Optimize Your Time with Dorie Clark mamie@mamieks.com

Executive functioning is a common topic amongst parents and educators of teens, but rarely discussed in the workplace. Yet, it’s the set of capabilities that we use daily to regulate our emotions, thinking, and behavior which collectively allow us to deliver results. This skill set, like any other, needs to be understood by managers so that we can improve ourselves and support our colleagues.   This is the first of two episodes on executive functioning skills. This episode is focused on what executive functioning skills are and how they show up in the workplace, as well as how you can assess yourself and your colleagues in each area. The second episode (#182) will be strategies to improve each area, so if you discover your own weakness or that a colleague struggles with a particular skill, you’ll have some ideas for how to help yourself or support that colleague.   The full episode guide includes an overview of the eleven executive functioning skills, how they interact and natural groupings that compound, and questions for reflection to help you assess yourself and your colleagues. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community or purchase the full guide at www.themodernmanager.com/shop.     Get the free mini-guide at themodernnmanager.com/miniguides.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: 11 Executive Functioning Skills Needed In The Workplace   Key Takeaways: There are eleven executive functioning skills our brains use to process and decide on an action.  Motivation and context matter to our ability to perform these skills. We may have strengths or struggle under different conditions. Response inhibition is being able to thoughtfully control our response rather than reacting to stimuli.  Working memory holds onto relevant information for a short period of time. Emotional control navigates feelings in a healthy way.  Sustained attention is the capability of sticking to a task, especially when tiring, challenging or boring. Task initiation is the ability to jump in on a project without procrastinating.  Planning and prioritizing means creating plans, identifying key steps, and sticking to it.  Organization involves keeping information, things (physical and digital) and activities orderly.  Time management is about using time wisely and accurately predicting time needed.  Goal Directed Persistence is the ability to set goals and work towards them.  Flexibility is the ability to shift and pivot as needed.  Metacognition is seeing the bigger picture and reflecting on your own thoughts and behavior objectively.  We can have friction with our colleagues, when these skill sets clash.   Additional Resources: Book: Smart but Scattered mamie@mamieks.com

Organizations are prioritizing DEI, but what is guiding their decisions? It’s important to gather data that can inform strategies, programmatic investments, and help track progress. But what data is captured, as well as how that data is gathered, is critical. Today’s guest is Erica Lee. Erica is the co-founder and COO of Pluto, a startup advancing DEI through analytics and communication tools. Her background is in law, international development and policy. Erica and I talk about how to measure diversity, equity, and inclusion within your team or organization. We talk about the process of gathering data, protecting privacy, turning responses into insight and more.    Members of the Modern Manager community get a complimentary 30-minute consult with me to help you strategize rolling out a DEI survey. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: What Most DEI Surveys Get Wrong—And How to do it Right   KEEP UP WITH ERICA Website: https://pluto.life/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erica-lee-2013/   Key Takeaways: We can approach DEI just like any other business goals: using data driven strategy and tracking progress. DEI surveys need to go deeper than HR data to help us understand diversity.. They should provide an opportunity for people to see themselves in the responses.  DEI surveys should address equity and inclusion such as a person’s sense of belonging, if they are getting the promotions and pay they desire, and more.  Pluto creates an evolving story from the survey responses rather than just a checklist. “Other” is never an option. The best surveys are ones where people can reflect and learn about themselves. When people don’t trust surveys, they disengage. They need to feel their information and privacy are protected.  Managers were surprised to learn from Pluto about their team’s mental health issues. If Pluto isn’t the right tool for your team, find pre-built DEI surveys that ensure privacy. Don’t use an excel spreadsheet where you can see individual responses!  DEI shouldn’t be siloed to an individual or team; it affects all aspects of business and is therefore everyone’s responsibility.  After you gather information and prioritize your strategy, remember to track your progress. Repeat the  survey to measure the impact of your DEI initiatives over time. mamie@mamieks.com

Between technology, globalization, and a pandemic, it’s no wonder that businesses are experiencing disruption faster than ever. Regardless of industry or location, teams and organizations need to develop the skills to navigate regularly changing environments and increasing ambiguity.  Today’s guest is Brant Cooper. Brant is the CEO of Moves the Needle and New York Times bestselling author of The Lean Entrepreneur and his new book Disruption Proof: Empower People. Create Value. Drive Change. Brant has a unique take on disrupting our current way of thinking in order to be closer to customers, move faster, and act bolder. With over two decades of expertise helping companies bring innovative products to market, he blends agile, design thinking, and lean methodologies to ignite entrepreneurial action within large organizations. Brant and I talk about the 5 E’s of becoming disruption proof and what you and your team can do to make better decisions and be prepared for whatever the future brings. Get a downloadable reference of the 5-E’s which you can print and display in your office to help you remember to embrace Empathy, Exploration, Evidence, Equilibrium and Ethics in your work. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community.     Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: How To Prepare Your Team To Weather Any Storm   KEEP UP WITH BRANT LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brantcooper/Twitter: @brantcooperWebsite: https://brantcooper.com/Book: https://brantcooper.com/disruption-proof/   Key Takeaways: Disruption-proof teams learn to navigate the uncertainty and changes of business life. They are able to thrive within unstable conditions. You can’t execute through a crisis. It requires innovation and experimentation. The five E’s to disruption-proof teams are Empathy, Exploration, Evidence, Equilibrium, and Ethics. Teams need to listen to what their clients want. This is best done by observing real life, with the person interacting with the tool or experience rather than from surveys or interviews. People are terrible at predicting their future behaviors. Teams and managers must shift from being knowers/experts to learning/exploring. Challenge assumptions and explore possibilities.  Cut through biases and opinions by relying on evidence gathered from data. Create equilibrium by shifting between execution mode and innovation mode. While it may seem efficient to separate teams that focus oninnovation from those that focus on execution, all teams need both. Carve out time for your team to innovate every week or month.Toencourage more exploration time, show your boss the results of these creative ideas and experiments.  Staying grounded in your corporate and personal ethics is critical, especially with new technology and data. Make ethics front and center for your team.  mamie@mamieks.com

The rise of social media has allowed employers and managers to gain access to their people’s private lives in ways never before possible. While it may seem like a gift to be able to instantly gain insight into who someone “really” is, the question every manager must answer is, “is it worth it?”    Today's guest is Bianca Lager. Bianca is a business manager, consultant and public speaker whose specialties include organizational development, career growth, and online reputation management. Bianca is also the President of Social Intelligence, a consumer reporting agency focused on online risk for human resources.   Bianca and I talk about social media and work - what’s appropriate behavior and what’s not, social media and hiring, and more.   Get a sample social media policy provided by Bianca when you join the Modern Manager community. Check out membership levels at www.themodernmanager.com/join - and get 20% off any level if you work for a government or nonprofit agency.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: Is It OK To Check My Employees’ Social Media?    KEEP UP WITH BIANCA: LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/biancacalhounlager/   Key Takeaways: Checking on our team members’ social media accounts hampers our productivity and may result in a false narrative about the person.  Ethically and legally, checking can be a violation of the person’s protected class info. Checking for hate group affiliation is often too complicated, as these groups use benign names. Seeing political affiliations may not be constructive for building relationships.  Assess the level of threat of possibly problematic posts, acknowledge the narrative you created, and decide on a course of action with your HR partner. If an employee is using social media during the work day, don’t react in the moment. It may just be a quick break. Don’t over police people’s behavior. Address it later as part of your regular feedback process if the behavior becomes problematic.  Create a Social Media Policy. Outline expected behaviors, rules, legal standards, documentation procedures, and any punitive actions.  Give everyone the same policy. The more universal and consistent, the better.   mamie@mamieks.com

While much of leading a team is the same regardless of whether you’re co-located or geographically disbursed, leading from a distance can feel significantly harder. Even after 18+ months of working remotely, we still haven’t figured out how to optimize our virtual teamwork.   This episode tackles the critical elements that managers need to focus on when managing remotely.    The full episode guide to building trust and culture in a remote environment when you join the Modern Manager community. Or purchase the full guide at www.themodernmanager.com/shop.     Get the free mini-guide at themodernnmanager.com/miniguides   Read the related blog article: The Four Essential Elements To Managing Virtually   Key Takeaways: The secret ingredient to successful remote teams is trust.  Trust is made up of familiarity, reliability, and communication.  Because we can’t connect easily in organic ways, we need to actively pursue ways to connect virtually on a casual, personal level.  Remote work means less physical oversight and collaboration. Set clear expectations, deadlines, check ins, and goals.  Because all of your team’s communication happens through technology, it’s even more important to make communication clear and simple. Discuss how and when to use each communication tool. Meetings are an essential communication tool to both build relationships and get work done. If you don’t build a virtual culture, a default culture will happen.  Culture is what we celebrate. Give credit to teammates who are reinforcing the team’s norms and expectations. Consider how to celebrate and include the diverse values and ideas that each team member brings to the table.    Additional Resources: Episode 49: Engaging and Productive Virtual Meetings   mamie@mamieks.com

Hard work, timing, talent, intuition...there are many ingredients that are often cited as critical to success. One often overlooked strategy is finding what works and replicating a winning process. When teams are able to use effective processes, they are able to succeed again and again, whether that be in how they lead meetings, develop new products, gain new clients, or anything else.   Today’s guest is Dr. Ron Friedman. Ron is an award-winning psychologist who has served on the faculty of the University of Rochester, and has consulted for political leaders, nonprofits, and many of the world’s most recognized brands. Popular accounts of his research have appeared in major newspapers, including the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Boston Globe, the Globe and Mail, the Guardian, as well as magazines such as Harvard Business Review and Psychology Today. Ron is the author of Decoding Greatness: How the Best in the World Reverse Engineer Success   Ron and I talk about the principles from his book and how we can apply them to all kinds of activities, and how managers can incorporate the lessons into their teamwork.    Members of the Modern Manager community can get 1 of 5 copies of Ron’s book Decoding Greatness: How the Best in the World Reverse Engineer Success as a guest bonus. To get your copy, join the Modern Manager community at www.themodernmanager.com/join. If you work for a government or nonprofit agency, get 20% off any membership level.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: Teach Your Team To Reverse Engineer Success   Key Takeaways: Reverse engineering is the third crucial element along with talent and practice to achieve success.  Reverse engineering is observing and analyzing what other successful people do and using that information to create your own product.  The steps to reverse engineering are Curate, Analyze, Templatize. Curating is finding the best examples of success, such as great emails or meetings. Create digital “collections” to organize your findings.  Analyzing or “reverse outlining” is working backwards to figure out what ingredients made the product, experience or accomplishment a success.  Turn the information into a template to use as a structure for building your own product or experience.  Make sure that your final product is authentic to you. It’s inspired by others' success, not copying their success.  Keep in mind that audience expectations shift over time, and once successful products may lose their charm.  mamie@mamieks.com

So often we *know* we should change and even *commit* to changing, yet when the time comes to follow through, we fall back into old habits. We all have behaviors we’d like to change, but as managers, we’re also responsible for supporting our team members to develop the behaviors that will help them be most successful. If changing ourselves is so hard, how are we ever going to succeed in helping others change?   Today’s guest is Parneet Pal. Parneet is a Harvard- and Columbia-trained physician working at the intersection of lifestyle medicine, technology and behavior change. An educator and science communicator, she applies her subject matter expertise to optimize human health and its impact on business leadership and planetary wellbeing. As Chief Science Officer at Wisdom Labs, she focuses on solving for stress, burnout and loneliness in the workplace.   Parneet and I talk about behavior change. We get into the brain science, motivation, and lots of tips for how to follow through on new behaviors or habits even when it feels so hard. And of course we talk about what you can do as a manager to help your team members change their behavior.   Members of The Modern Manager get my “lessons learned” document on behavior change and habit formation. These are my personal notes that I capture as I’m reading articles or books and listening to podcasts. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community at www.themodernmanager.com/join.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: The Secret To Making Changes That Stick   KEEP UP WITH PARNEETLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/parneetpal/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/parneet_pal   Key Takeaways: We are creatures of habit. Only 10% of our daily actions are conscious decisions.  To encourage change, we need to align our subconscious and conscious thoughts, teach necessary skills, and create a supportive environment.   Incentives of safety, connection, reward, and/or self-identity will motivate our brains to try new behaviors. We need to remind ourselves of the deeper motivations.  Consider what incentives you have for your team changing and ask what motivates your team to change. Mindfulness is another tool to align subconscious and conscious thoughts. In a stressful moment, become aware of your breath, body, emotions, and thoughts. Then consider how to react in a way that will benefit everyone.  Burnout is mostly an organizational, not an individual issue.  The six factors that lead to burnout are unreasonable workload, insufficient rewards and appreciation, inadequate autonomy, lack of fairness, lack of community, and misalignment of personal values and team culture.  mamie@mamieks.com

Do you ever wonder why some people love a complex challenge while others find it exhausting? Or maybe you’ve discovered that certain activities put you into a state of flow in which you’re completely immersed and lose track of time. When we understand the motivations and activities that we are innately wired for, we are able to use that information to design our lives in ways that make us more fulfilled and productive. This “DNA-level wiring” is called your Sparketype.   Today’s guest is Jonathan Fields. Jonathan hosts one of the top-ranked podcasts in the world, Good Life Project®, where he shares powerful stories, conversations, and resources, on a mission to help listeners live more meaningful and inspired lives. The podcast has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, O Magazine, Apple’s iconic annual product event and more. Jonathan is also the founder and CEO of Spark Endeavors, a research initiative focused on helping individuals and organizations reclaim work as a source of purpose, energy, meaning, and possibility. His book, SPARKED: Discover Your Unique Imprint for Work That Makes You Come Alive was just released and the book delivers an important message in a time when many people are emerging from the pandemic and seeking out new work that will both challenge and fulfill them.   Jonathan and I talk about what the various Sparketypes are and how knowing yours, or your team members, can help make work, and life, more fulfilling.    Members of the Modern Manager get my guide to talking about Sparketypes with your team. Get it when you join at www.themodernmanager.com/join.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: The 10 Sparketypes That Every Manager Needs to Support   KEEP UP WITH JONATHAN Website: https://sparketype.com/ and https://www.jonathanfields.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/jonathanfields LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanfields1/ Book: https://sparketype.com/book/#order   Key Takeaways: “Sparketypes” are the “DNA-level drivers” of action that set us on fire by most deeply fulfilling and energizing us. There are ten different Sparkatypes. A Maven gets super excited to learn just for learning’s sake.  A Maker loves manifesting ideas physically, digitally, or experientially. A Scientist is thrilled to puzzle over a difficult, burning problem. An Essentialist strives to create elegant order from chaos.  A Performer wants to animate and energize every opportunity.  A Warrior thrives on gathering people and leading them from Point A to Point B. A Sage loves to awaken insights in other people. An Advisor gets pumped by mentoring others and helping them grow. An Advocate is animated by standing up for ideas, individuals, or communities. A Nurturer lives to elevate and take care of others. When we are doing activities in alignment with our Sparketype, we experience meaning, purpose, flow, energy, and actualization.  Your Sparketype does not determine what job you should have. Instead, it can help you identify tasks or activities within any role that tap into your innate drivers. We can use hobbies or side hustles as a way to energize us from our Sparkatypes. This is often refueling and will help us get our other work done. When we work from our Sparkatype, we act differently and people respond to us differently.  Anyone can succeed in their roles more by capitalizing on their specific strengths.  Successful leaders can have any of the Sparkatypes, not just Warrior or Advisor.  Additional Resources: Take the free Sparketype Assessment: https://sparketype.com/sparketest/ mamie@mamieks.com

One of a manager’s most important jobs is to build their team. But hiring is often difficult and exhausting. And, it can feel like taking a shot in the dark because even with resume screens, interviews and reference checks, it’s impossible to really know how a person will be as a colleague. Today’s episode is about hiring great people. In addition to looking for the right fit for the role, there are a few competencies that I always look for when hiring because if the person has these, it makes everything else so much easier. The full episode guide includes interview guides for the three critical skills to help you better assess a candidate. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community or purchase the full guide at www.themodernmanager.com/shop.     Get the free mini-guide at themodernnmanager.com/miniguides   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: The Top Three Things To Look For When Hiring.   Key Takeaways: In addition to hiring for values fit and skill fit, the top three behaviors to look for are (1) knowledge of self, (2) learning orientation, and (3) a “how might we” attitude.  Knowledge of self involves knowing your strengths, weaknesses and under what conditions you succeed; awareness of how you show up to others; and regular reflection on your behavior in order to improve.  Managing someone with high self-awareness allows you to partner with them by providing the context, support and assignments that will set them up to excel.  Growth-oriented employees seek feedback and appreciate the opportunity to improve, making it easier to give them feedback. It is easier to manage someone who wants to grow and develop because you can trust them to take on new tasks knowing they will ask for help if they need it. Employees who know their preferred learning style are able to more quickly integrate new knowledge or skills.  Proactive problem solvers have a “how might we” attitude and are able to figure out solutions  without relying on you to solve all their problems. It’s easier to partner with someone who sees setbacks as opportunities to be creative and find new solutions rather than getting stuck in what won't work. Additional Resources: Episode 20: Lessons From A Real Life Manager With Rick Kiley Good to Great by Jim Collins mamie@mamieks.com

Organizations are increasingly investing in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs. As managers, we can take it a step further to truly create a sense of belonging. In short: Diversity is who is on the team. Equity is a sense of fairness for how the team functions. Inclusion is whether everyone is invited to engage. But Belonging is the eng game - it’s the experience our team members feel when DEI is working.  Today’s guest is Josh Saterman. Josh is the CEO and co-founder of Saterman Connect. Saterman Connect supports organizations facing culture evolution by empowering leaders to unlock the power of their people to unleash their full business potential. Saterman Connect specializes in leadership development, professional coaching, communication strategies and always has a lens that's focused on diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. Josh was a senior executive in the world of retail holding several different leadership positions before launching Saterman Connect in 2019. We talk about moving beyond diversity, equity and inclusion to belonging - why we need to add this additional concept and how managers can truly cultivate belonging in their teams. Josh has offered to hold a special 1:1 Get Connected Experience for members of the Modern manager. This is an exclusive event where you will join other members, and myself, for a facilitated session that offers the opportunity to network, interact, and explore your dimensions of diversity, all in a fun and engaging 60-min program. This will happen on September 23rd, 2021 at 5pm Eastern. To attend the event, become a member of the Modern Manager community.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: Why DEI Is Now DEIB (And What Managers Need To Do About It)   KEEP UP WITH JOSH Website: www.SatermanConnect.com LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/joshsaterman/ Instagram: @satermaconnect   Key Takeaways: DEI practices should always lead to a sense of belonging (DEIB).  Belonging is feeling like you can show up as your full self and share your unique voice. It is built by an environment of trust and listening.  Employees who feel belonging feel like they are co-creators of the workplace experience rather than just passengers along for the ride. The organization or culture feels like it represents them. To empower your team to speak up, create diversity councils or forums to regularly discuss how to create a more inclusive workplace (policies, procedures, norms, etc).  Talk about issues of diversity, equity and inclusion by sharing stories rather than ideologies. This allows people from opposing viewpoints to hear each other’s perspectives and develop empathy.  Don’t take feedback personally or employees won’t want to speak up. Thank them for the input and reflect on what you can learn from it.  Cultivating a growth mindset environment will encourage everyone (including managers) to share, listen, learn, and change.  Do your own research about your employee’s cultural background on Google without asking them to educate you.  Understand that each employee relates to their culture as an individual. When they ask for time off for a cultural reason, have a conversation to learn more about why that day is significant to them.  Everyone has a story to share. Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging is an issue that affects us all and includes all of us feeling like we truly belong.  mamie@mamieks.com

Becoming more productive can feel like a never ending pursuit. Yet, many of us are constantly in search of the newest tool, hack or system that will help us make the most of our time. As managers, we are also responsible for helping our team members optimize their performance. According to today’s guest, the surprising truth about productivity is that it’s all about clarity, focus, and rest.   Today’s guest is Erinn Jewell. Erin is a Thrive Global Top 10 Coach of 2021, an Executive Mindset and Performance Growth Coach, an International Speaker and a Professor of Leadership at Villanova University. She has over 20 years of leadership experience in the healthcare sector at fortune 500 companies like Pfizer, Boston Scientific, and Medtronic, and was the founder of her own healthcare Start-Up.    As a global director, Erin was responsible for 80 million in revenue and managed 200 direct and indirect reports. Along the way, she developed multiple strategies on how to optimize team performance. As a coach, Erin is passionate about empowering leaders to get the most out of their teams so they can achieve the results they deserve.   Erin and I talk about how to increase the productivity of your team. What productivity is, the connection between biology and productivity, goals, stress and so much more.   Erin is offering a free 1:1 consult to members to help them discover the tools to put your WHY into your WORK and get your team the results they deserve. As an additional bonus, you get my favorite productivity hacks guide where I share my go-to tools and practices that I rely on to help me be most productive. Get them both when you join the Modern Manager community at www.themodernmanager.com/join   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: Teach Your Team To Work Less And Produce More   KEEP UP WITH ERIN Website: https://erinjewellconsulting.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/erinjewellcoachingInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/erinjewellconsulting/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erinjewellgerst/   Key Takeaways: Stress is good in that it helps us focus. We just need to take breaks to rest and digest between stressful events in order not to burnout.  Know how you operate best; are you an Event (task oriented) or Clock (time of day oriented) person? A morning person or night owl?  Multitasking can reduce your productivity by 28%. Our brains need to focus on one thing.  The higher an employee’s Meaning Quotient or sense of purpose, the more productive they are.  Productivity requires clear goals because in order to be productive you must be moving towards your goals.  Divide your tasks into 3 Buckets: work that is (1) directly related, (2)  indirectly related, and (3) not at all related to your goals.  Highly successful people spend time taking care of themselves so they can focus and put energy into accomplishing their goals.  Have a group meeting with your team to discuss how everyone views productivity and share ideas for how to optimize productivity.  Have your team track how they spend their time according to the 3 Buckets over the course of 3 days. Discuss the results and brainstorm ways they could change how they spend their time to be more productive. mamie@mamieks.com

Love in the workplace may seem like a big no-no, but when applied to the organization’s culture, it’s surprisingly appropriate. A culture of love puts people first which is not only good for morale and engagement, it’s also good for the bottom line.   Today’s guests are Mohammad Anwar and Frank Danna.  Mohammad and Frank are co-authors of the Wall Street Journal Bestselling book Love as a Business Strategy. Mohammad is the CEO of Softway and in his spare time, he enjoys fitness, watching college sports, and butchering American idioms.   Frank is Director of Culture at Softway and in his spare time, he writes children’s books, makes silly videos, and also enjoys fitness.   Frank, Mohammad and I talk about the idea of love in business. What love is, why it matters, what they learned applying love as a strategy in their own work, and how you can adopt a similar approach.   Five members of The Modern Manager get a free copy of their book Love as a Business Strategy. Get 50% off additional copies until September 7, 2021. Learn more about membership and join at www.themodernmanager.com/join   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: Lessons For Managers From Love As A Business Strategy     KEEP UP WITH MOHAMMAD AND FRANK Book: https://www.loveasabusinessstrategy.com/LinkedIn - Mohammad: https://www.linkedin.com/in/manwarsoftway/LinkedIn - Frank: https://www.linkedin.com/in/frankdanna/Website: https://www.softway.com/Seneca Leaders: https://www.softway.com/events   Key Takeaways: Love as a business strategy works when we maximize profits by prioritizing our people. To do this, we need to create a culture of love based on six pillars.  The first pillar is inclusion; making sure everyone has a voice and seat at the table. Inclusion of both visible (like race and gender) and invisible (like educational background and personality) diversity elements is critical.  The second pillar is empathy; putting yourself in someone else’s shoes. It is a skill that can be practiced and developed, not a trait.  The third pillar is vulnerability; taking ownership for your mistakes. This leads to greater trust.  The fourth pillar is (unpredictive) trust; believing our staff can handle what they haven’t yet tried.  The fifth pillar is empowerment; setting up your staff for success so they can own their projects and succeed.  The sixth pillar is forgiveness; letting go of the past. Without a culture of forgiveness, we will feel wronged, lash out, and create divisions and cliques.  Leading a culture of love requires introspection. Reflection is thinking about what actions you could do differently. Introspection questions your mindset itself and asks why you feel the way you or how you could interpret things differently.  Empathetic leaders are better than sympathetic leaders, because they not only acknowledge the pain, they get involved in collaborative problem-solving. mamie@mamieks.com

Every team experiences conflict at some point. Therefore, the question is not if or when, but how the conflict will unfold. Managers play an essential role in guiding the team’s ability to engage in healthy, productive conflict so that the team gets stronger and the work is better. Today's episode is the second in a two part series about conflict. In this episode, I’ll get into the difference between productive and unproductive conflict, how to deal with conflict in healthy ways, and tips for how to get your team to confront conflict head on. In episode 162, I explained the five conflict styles and how they can be beneficial or not.  The full episode guide includes sample norms for dealing with conflict as well as additional guidance for helping your team engage in healthy, productive conflict. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community or purchase the full guide at www.themodernmanager.com/shop.     Get the free mini-guide at www.themodernmanager.com/miniguides.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: How To Effectively Manage Conflict At Work   Key Takeaways: Teams that prioritize productive conflict and use a healthy approach become better and closer. Unhealthy, unproductive conflict slows down teams and worsens relationships. Productive conflict makes the work better. Unproductive conflict is a distraction. A healthy approach to conflict is grounded in trust and respect, and addresses the conflict head on. An unhealthy approach ignores the conflict or addresses it with ill will.  Trust and respect are necessary for teams to feel safe sharing diverse perspectives and coming up with collaborative solutions.  Teams need to learn which problems to focus on and which to let go of.  Don’t try to “win” the argument. Go in with a curiosity mindset to learn about others’ perspectives and to explain your own. If conflict is too heated, people won’t listen to each other and will become defensive or silent. Reflect on your own emotions and take a break to calm down if needed. Have a team discussion on Ground Rules For Conflict by identifying 3-5 behaviors for what a healthy approach to conflict looks like. Post the Ground Rules behaviors somewhere visible in the office and refer to them when conflicts arise. Decide whether to address conflict at meetings or individually, educate your team to recognize unhealthy conflict, and identify what skills your team needs more of.  Additional Resources: Episode 162: The 5 Approaches To Dealing With Conflict At Work Episode 76: Bring Team Values to Life mamie@mamieks.com

Do you enjoy working? Would you say you have fun at your job? Unfortunately, most of us associate work with stress rather than fun. But fun at work doesn't need to be a rarity. Teams that incorporate fun and recognition boost morale, engagement and retention. And fun comes in many forms, so it’s possible to increase the fun without beer, ping pong tables, or karaoke. Today’s guests are Dr. Bob Nelson and Mario Tamayo. Dr. Bob is considered the leading advocate for employee recognition and engagement worldwide. He has worked with 80 percent of the Fortune 500 and presented on six continents. He has been featured extensively in the national and international media including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, CNN, CBS 60 Minutes, MSNBC, ABC, PBS and NPR about how best to motivate today’s employees. He has sold over 5 million books, including 1501 Ways to Reward Employees, 1001 Ways to Energize Employees, The Management Bible, 1001 Ways to Engage Employees, Managing For Dummies, and his latest book: Work Made Fun Gets Done! Easy Ways to Boost Energy, Morale, and Results. Mario Tamayo is a Principal of the Tamayo Group, Inc., a no-nonsense, no-frills consulting firm specializing in leadership and organizational performance. With extensive experience in the human performance and organization development field, Mario has been training, coaching, and consulting with individuals and teams in leadership and communication skills since the late 1970s.  The three of us talk about how to have fun at work. Why fun is important, what fun really is in the context of work, and ideas for how to incorporate fun into various work settings. Get ready to have some fun! Members of The Modern Manager get a free copy of the book Work Made Fun Gets Done! Easy Ways to Boost Energy, Morale, and Results. Get your copy when you join the Modern Manager community.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.  KEEP UP WITH DR. BOB AND MARIOWebsite: www.drbobnelson.comLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/drbobnelsonWebsite: https://tamayogroup.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mario-tamayo-809b7791Book: https://www.amazon.com/Work-Made-Fun-Gets-Done/dp/1523092351   Read the related blog article: What “Having Fun at Work” Really Means in 2021   Key Takeaways: 85% of employees feel overworked and underappreciated.   Create “Daily Fun Habits” like rewards for unexciting tasks and “Fun Lists” in addition to “To-Do Lists” to be sure to include at least one enjoyable activity each day. People have different opinions about what is fun. Ask your team what they want to do with an online poll and scheduling options.  Create a “Fun Committee” responsible for planning fun events for the whole team, department or organization.. The most effective fun events at work are often low or no cost. The Greatest Management Principle In The World  is: what gets recognized gets repeated (and done even better). Recognition is crucial for people to feel valued at work.  Send out a survey asking how your team likes to be recognized. Do praise rounds where everyone shares what they like about a colleague. Seeing ourselves as others see us is a moving experience You can program fun into virtual meetings with things like sharing photos of favorite vacations, doing home tours, or pet intros.  You can assign “praise buddies” for virtual staff so that each person notices and shares the good that another does with the team.  Additional Resources: Episode 153: Humble Inquiry with Edgar and Peter Schein mamie@mamieks.com

HR is an often misunderstood business function. HR can do a lot more than the obvious work policies, employee benefits, and performance issues. Yet not enough managers  take advantage of the support and partnership that HR offers.   Today’s guest is Tracee Hunt. Tracee is the Owner & CEO of Total HR Solutions, LLC. With over 25 years of experience in the field of Human Resources, her responsibilities have spanned all facets of HR to include the transformation of entire HR functions, as well as leading the charge in reshaping the culture of the organizations that she has worked with and for. Recently, she authored her first book “Silent Overcomer” which conveys her life’s journey and how the power of reframing was integral in turning life traumas into life triumphs.   Tracee and I talk about how managers can engage with HR as a partner rather than a resource to call upon only when there are problems, and how this partnership can help enable your team members to show up as the best version of themselves.    Members of The Modern Manager can get 1 of 3 copies of Tracee’s book Silent Overcomer in which she shares her own story of turning trauma into triumphs and offers lessons and insights she’s learned along the way. To be eligible, join the Modern Manager community.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: 5 Ways To Use HR You Probably Never Considered   KEEP UP WITH TRACEE: Website: www.traceelhunt.com Facebook: Tracee L. Hunt LinkedIn: Tracee Hunt Twitter: @tracee_hunt   Key Takeaways: HR is more than transactional. Instead of working with HR in a reactive way, only when there are problems, proactively build a strategic partnership that continually supports you and your team. HR is meant to be a “change agent” that navigates change with managers and employees to realize goals.  HR can strategize how to create safe spaces that give employees the confidence to share their life’s experiences and career aspirations with you.  HR can help craft mission statements and ensure consistency of culture throughout different teams in organization.  HR can coach managers to grow their employees’ skills and conduct effective performance reviews. HR can collaborate on “Employee Value Proposition” documents for recruitment to explain why someone would prefer this organization over others. HR can strategize methods of supporting teams so that each person is able to bring their “best” not their “whole” self to work.  mamie@mamieks.com

Everyone deserves to work in a respectful environment but what does that really mean? Unfortunately, incivility in the workplace is not uncommon. Whether it’s aimed at a specific person or more generally disrespectful behavior, incivility can sour any team dynamic. It’s a manager's responsibility to foster civility which can transform an employee's daily experience.    Today’s guest is Robin Rosenberg. Robin is the CEO and Founder of Live in Their World, a company that uses, in part, virtual reality to address issues of bias and incivility and upskill employees for respectful engagement. Robin is a clinical psychologist and is board certified in clinical psychology by the American Board of Professional Psychology, and a Fellow of the American Academy of Clinical Psychology. She has taught psychology classes at Harvard University and Lesley University.   Robin has combined her interest in immersive technologies with her coaching and clinical experiences to foster in employees a deeper understanding of how and why other people may feel slighted or marginalized, and how to approach such interactions differently.   Robin and I talk about civility and incivility in the workplace, the difference between general disrespect and microaggressions, and how to respond when you notice disrespectful behavior on your team.   Members get Robin’s Best Practices for Giving and Receiving Feedback. To become a member go to themodernmanager.com/join. If you work for a government or nonprofit agency, you get 20% off any membership level.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    KEEP UP WITH ROBIN Website: www.liveintheirworld.com Twitter: @LiveNTheirWorld LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/29341962 Read the related blog article: How Managers Can Encourage Greater Civility In the Workplace  Key Takeaways: Civility is about thinking how your words and actions can impact others, and adjusting your behavior accordingly. “Theory of Mind” are stories we make up of how other people will hear and respond to something we say or do. Understanding the need to monitor yourself is not a new concept for marginalized people but is for others.  Incivility is low level, frequent acts of disrespect, including interrupting and cracking hurtful jokes.  Microaggressions are disrespectful behaviors based on one’s personal group identity. Take turns at meetings being the “process person” taking note of problematic behavior and helping the group act more effectively and respectfully. Decide as a team what respectful behavior looks like and put these guidelines on every agenda.  Support employees who complain about disrespectful behavior and ask if/how they want you to be involved. Bring in the offender and ask how they experienced the situation. If they apologize, brainstorm how to support them in the future. If they refuse to change, get HR involved.  Check in with your colleague if you notice disrespectful behavior directed toward them.    mamie@mamieks.com

Conflict exists wherever there are humans in relationship to one another. It’s a natural part of teamwork and therefore dealing with conflict is an essential aspect of any manager's role. When address well, conflict can be a source of strength for a team, leading to better ideas and stronger relationships. When address poorly, or not at all, conflict can undermine even the best of us. Today's episode is the first in a two part series about conflict. In this episode, I’ll walk through conflict styles and how they can be beneficial or not.  In episode 166, I’ll get into the difference between productive and unproductive conflict, how to deal with conflict in healthy ways, and tips for how to get your team to confront conflict head on. The full episode guide includes an overview of each conflict style and what they’re best used for as well as a sample agenda to guide your team through the conflict identification process. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community or purchase the full guide at www.themodernmanager.com/shop.   Get the free mini-guide at www.themodernmanager.com/miniguides. Read the related blog article: The 5 Approaches To Dealing With Conflict At Work. Key Takeaways: The five conflict resolution approaches are accommodating, avoidance, competing, compromise, and collaboration.  Accommodate when the outcome is unimportant or when disagreeing is not worth the energy.  Accommodating develops trust and avoids insignificant conflicts but may build resentment. Never accommodate for large, important issues.  Avoidance can give people time and space to get into a better headspace before addressing the conflict. Sometimes conflicts will naturally resolve themselves.  Avoiding the conflict may make the problem worse, undermine your role as leader, and create a culture where conflict festers. Compromise is a lose-lose approach that tends to make both parties unhappy.  Compromise when you’re short on time and need to come up with a solution quickly.  In a competing approach, any compromises or alternatives are rejected.. Competing is useful when you step in and make the call, but may make your team feel bulldozed and unheard. Collaboration is a win-win approach of  hearing everyone’s viewpoint and deciding on a solution together. Collaboration is time-consuming yet is the best for building relationships and creating effective solutions.  Reflect as a team on your individual go-to conflict resolution styles and identify the best approach for common workplace conflicts.  mamie@mamieks.com

In the US, we often take English language skills as a given. But for the millions of immigrants, refugees and foreign language speakers, English can be a barrier to contributing their best and reaching their potential at work. As managers, we have the opportunity to support our language learning colleagues which in turn give us access to greater talent pools while simultaneously enabling people to thrive inside and outside of work.    Today’s guest is Katie Nielson. Katie is the founder and Chief Education Officer of Voxy EnGen, a public benefit company that leverages proprietary technology to deliver high-quality, needs-based English instruction to immigrants and refugees. Voxy EnGen rapidly gives language learners the tools they need to advocate for themselves and their families and improve their economic outcomes. Katie has dedicated her career to making language learning more accessible and effective using innovative technology and research-based best practices. She earned her PhD in SLA from the University of Maryland in 2013, and she holds ten patents on the technology she designed to deliver language learning at scale.   Katie and I talk about the challenges and opportunities that often exist when working with colleagues who are still developing their English language skills, how to better engage and support these colleagues, and how to distinguish what English skills are truly needed so you can unleash the potential of each person regardless of their current level of English proficiency.    As a special guest bonus for five members, Katie has generously offered 30 minutes of personalized consulting on how to make their organization, product, or workplace more welcoming to speakers of other languages, whether those speakers are clients, employees, consultants, or the community at large. To be eligible, you must be a member. Learn more and join at www.themodernmanager.com/join.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: How to Support English Language Learners In The Workplace   KEEP UP WITH KATIE Website: www.voxyengen.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katienielson/     Key Takeaways: To work on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, we need to include supporting immigrants and refugees in gaining the English language skills they need to thrive. In the US, we meet the needs of a mere 4% of adult English language learners. This means we’re leaving a lot of talent untapped. Language is often taught wrong. It needs to be relevant and experiential. Employees should learn from real examples of people talking with managers, doing customer service, and reading through employee manuals, to get the specific English they need for the workplace.  The hiring process can be full of bias, like hesitating to hire someone with an accent because they are harder to understand or foreign degrees might not feel as “familiar” or “acceptable”.  Consider whether specific degrees or credentials are really necessary or whether they may be prohibiting you from tapping a wider talent pool and building a diverse workforce.  Consider your responsibility in improving communication. Slow down when speaking to help the other person understand you better or ask them to repeat themselves indicating you value what they have to say and want to be sure you’ve understood them. Ask what they feel their strengths and weaknesses are and what areas of English language they need support in.  There are four skills to fluency, which includes the receptive skills of listening and reading and the productive skills of speaking and writing. Someone may be fluent in some areas and not in others, and not all skills are critical for each role. mamie@mamieks.com

You’re probably familiar with the terms business strategy or product strategy, but what about people strategy? Shouldn’t we be as thoughtful about how we approach expanding our teams as we are with how we grow organizations and develop new products? In this episode, I speak with Andrew Bartlow, founder, and managing partner at Series B Consulting. Andrew has 25 years of Human Resources and Talent Management experience at organizations across a wide spectrum of sizes, maturity stages, and industries. He is the co-author of “Scaling for Success: People Priorities for High Growth Organizations,” has a master’s degree from the top program in his field, and has been CECP, SPHR, Six Sigma, and executive coaching certified. Andrew and I talk about how to develop a people strategy - how to prioritize the most important work and focus your team structure and roles on doing that work so you’re investing in the right people doing the right activities at the right time in the organization’s life cycle.    As a guest bonus, members of the Modern Manager community can get a free 25-minute “coach-sulting” session with Andrew to get advice and recommendations on your people strategy, scaling, or culture development. To be eligible, you must be a member - join the Modern Manager community today.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: Align Your People With Your Priorities.   KEEP UP WITH ANDREW Website: https://www.peopleleaderaccelerator.com/ LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/bartlow https://www.seriesbconsulting.com/ Book: Scaling for Success: People Priorities for High-Growth Organizations   Key Takeaways: Your team needs to ruthlessly prioritize their top three goals that will make the biggest impact. You can move three things a mile or thirty things an inch.  Like a waterfall, your team’s actions, culture, and hiring processes should all flow from those top three goals.  To determine the highest priorities, use a  (1) bottom-up approach to decide as a team the top three things to move your organization forward or (2) a top-down approach where you decide the top three goals on your own and invite your team to ask questions and raise concerns until everyone is on the same page.  If someone, including you, want to add another goal, negotiate what to remove.  Check in with your critical stakeholders e.g. senior management, other departments or investors, to make sure they are in agreement about the top three goals.  Hire and add new roles in alignment with your goals. Consider if it’s possible to promote from within, especially if you invest in a bit of professional development, or if you need to hire from the outside. Use a portfolio approach of sometimes hiring from within and sometimes from without. If you always hire from without, you will discourage your team by not providing growth or advancement opportunities. If you always hire from within, you may not get the talent you need.  Resist promoting just because someone has been there the longest. Don’t stick with your team just because it’s comfortable. As the needs for various roles change, be transparent while also treating people with generosity. Pay attention to the spans and layers your structure is creating. A span is the number of direct reports a manager has. Layers are the number of managers managing managers. A manager can handle a span of up to 20 in simple, similar roles and a span of 4-6 when dealing with more complicated, diverse roles.  More layers make communication, efficiency, and connection more challenging. Each manager needs to find the “Goldilocks” level of spans and layers that works for them.  Additional Resources: Patrick Lencioni - 6 Critical Questions mamie@mamieks.com

I’m in the process of writing my second book on what it means to be a modern manager. The process of writing this book included interviewing dozens of people about their great manager in search of themes, practices and habits from the best managers. Instead of talking to the managers, I spoke with the direct reports to hear what their manager did that made them appreciate working for this person.    In this episode I share the recording of one of these book interviews. After speaking with Steph, I was so energized and wanted everyone I talked to to feel this way about their manager. Steph Richter loves helping others & creating an impact! Through her work as the Director of Operations, Culture Coach & Life Coach In-Training at The Perk, she is lucky enough to do those two things everyday. She is passionate about embracing a growth mindset & seeking discomfort, and enjoys big-picture, futuristic thinking, planning & always tying things back to ‘WHY’.   Share your experience with a great manager at www.managerialgreatness.com   Members of The Modern Manager get The Perk’s How To Assess Employee Emotional Wellness Guide which includes their Survey template & simple 4-step process to survey your employees, assess their emotional wellness, & get the information you need to make the best decisions & provide the right support for your employees. And, the first 10 members to request it will also get A free 60-minute lunch & learn for you & your team facilitated by one of The Perk’s coaches! To get the free guide and be eligible for the lunch & learn, join the Modern Manager community.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: How To Form A Strong Relationship With Your Employee   KEEP UP WITH STEPH Website: https://www.choosetheperk.com Steph’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steph-richter/ Leah’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leah-roe/   Key Takeaways: Have one-on-one meetings to learn about your employees beyond their to-do lists. Learn what they are excited about in their lives and look for ways to incorporate this into their work experience.  Celebrate not just the financial wins but the “small wins” with your staff, like finishing a job well.  Establish communication norms up front so everyone is clear about expectations for using email, chat, etc. Pay for professional development opportunities for your employees to grow in exchange for commitment to working for a specific amount of time. This investment in them pays back as they are more invested in you. Encourage your employee to ask questions by assuming responsibility for their confusion rather than blaming them.  Compliment your staff daily by authentically noticing specific things they are doing well.  Normalize two-way feedback and vulnerability by addressing conflict head on and being transparent.  Don’t make your work relationship hierarchical; make them feel like a collaborative partner rather than working “below” you. mamie@mamieks.com

There is something magical that happens when you do work you love that also taps into your talents. In a perfect world, everyone would spend all of their work time doing these activities. In reality, we also have other responsibilities. This is where the optimal work zone come in. In this episode, I talk about how you and your team members can discover your optimal work - those things that you enjoy, tap your talents, and only you can do as part of your role. Because, when people spend the majority of their work time doing their optimal work, the productivity goes up, the positive atmosphere increases, and everyone just feels better. The full episode guide includes worksheets to help you identify your optimal work zone, tasks that can be delegated, and areas to invest in personal development, along with activities to support your team to optimize your collective work. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community or purchase the full guide at www.themodernmanager.com/shop.   Get the free mini-guide at www.mamieks.com/miniguides. Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: Prioritize Working in Your Zone of Genius.   Key Takeaways: In the book The Big Leap, Gay Hendricks describes four zones (1) The zone of incompetence, (2) the zone of competence, (3) the zone of excellence, and (4) the zone of genius. Most people spend too much time in the zone of competence when these are activities that could be delegated. Working in your zone of excellence and genius are great for different reasons. Excellence is things we are acknowledge for and highly talented (but don’t always enjoy) whereas Genius are tasks we enjoy and excel at. Sometimes, a zone of genius does not align with your work responsibilities. It’s great to seek outside activities that put you into a state of flow. Your optimal work is the overlap between things you’re good at, things you enjoy, and tasks or responsibilities specific to you or your role. Delegate as much as you can that falls outside this venn diagram, especially tasks that are in your zone of competence and that are not unique to your role. Encourage your team members to identify their optimal work and look for opportunities to shift responsibilities so that people can spend more time doing work that aligns with their talent and interests. Additional Resources: The Modern Manager’s Guide to Effective Delegation The Big Leap, by Gay Hendricks mamie@mamieks.com

While it may seem obvious, we are in control of our thoughts. Yet too often we let our thoughts control us. By taking control of your thinking and focusing on holding a positive state of mind, you can radically transform your life and those of your team members. But to be clear, it’s not just a way of thinking. To truly embrace this positive state of mind and all the good it can unleash requires taking action and sticking with it.   Today’s guest is David R. Ibarra. David is a leadership consultant, speaker, and author of the new book, Stop Drifting: Become the Switch Master of Your Own Thought & Pivot to Positive. After spending most of his childhood in foster care, David started his first business at 28 years old, beginning an entrepreneurial career that spans the hospitality, automotive, and leadership consulting industries. He is the founder of eLeaderTech, IBG, David Ibarra Enterprises and the Think and Grow Rich Institute – Latin America. Taking what he’s learned and through the creation of his patented performance management system, David has implemented the Cycle of Success in his own life to creatively combine his business, community, and civic interests. David and I talk about what it takes to actually make changes in your life and how to get your team to change their habits in order to get what they want. These are lessons he’s captured in his book Stop Drifting. He shares how the brain works, why positive thinking isn’t just woo-woo, how to start to control your thoughts and how to talk with your team about all this.  Members can get one of ten copies of David’s book for free. To become a member go to www.themodernmanager.com/join   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: How To Use Positive Thinking To Transform Your Team   KEEP UP WITH DAVID Website - https://stopdrifting.com/ Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/DavidIbarraStopDrifting Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/david.r.ibarra/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/davidibarra Book (Goodreads) - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56280331-stop-drifting Book (Amazon) - https://www.amazon.com/Stop-Drifting-Become-Thought-Positive-ebook/dp/B08SP6KCKP/   Key Takeaways: You are in control of your thoughts. When we think positively, we come up with better solutions and attract more people to work with us.  80% of our thinking happens in our subconscious, with only 15% coming to conscious awareness. The remaining 5% is our imagination, which uses our emotions to move thoughts from the subconscious to the conscious.  Spend one day monitoring your thoughts, tallying the positives and negatives. Look at the final results. Don’t be surprised if they are as high as 80% negative. The goal is for them to become 80% positive.  Negative and positive states of mind can’t exist at the same time. To quickly shift gears, think of things that make you happy. This automatically starts generating positive emotions.  Ask yourself what you want and what you need to achieve it. Get help from colleagues or outside the organization to reach those goals. Know your team’s individual talents so that they can each contribute meaningfully to the whole.  Ask what your team member’s greater dreams are. Make it your mission to help them achieve those dreams, inside and outside of your organization. Coaching helps a team member execute a specific task. Mentoring helps them live the life they want to live.  mamie@mamieks.com

Almost everyone universally dislikes giving and receiving feedback. No matter how experienced you are, feedback can still cause anxiety, defensiveness, frustration, disappointment, guilt and many more unpleasant emotions. Yet, feedback is a critical element to professional growth and cultivating a healthy workplace. Learning how to give, and receive, feedback without the emotional toll can be a game changer for managers.   Today’s guest is Karen Weeks. Karen’s purpose is helping organizations build amazing cultures while guiding individuals to find fulfillment in their careers. Currently, she’s the Senior Vice President of People at Ordergroove. Karen is also a career coach, award-winning people & culture advisor, speaker, published author, and podcast host. Karen and I talk about all things feedback. How to prepare to give feedback so the conversation goes as smoothly as possible, how to role model and make feedback part of your regular management practice, how to move from feedback to solutions for the future, and so much more. As a special guest bonus, members of the Modern Manager can get one of five copies of Karen’s book Setting the Stage: A Guide to Preparing for any Feedback Conversation. To be eligible to get this guest bonus, and all the other guest bonuses, become a member by going to themodernmanager.com/join/   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.  Read the related blog article: How To Create A Culture Of Feedback At Work   KEEP UP WITH KAREN: Book: Setting the Stage Website: https://www.karendweeks.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-d-weeks-sphr-ms-5965775/Twitter: @career_changersFacebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/337551064291579Instagram: @career_changers_kdwPodcast: Getting Off the Hamster Wheel - Finding Joy, Fulfillment & Success in Your CareerYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC640S1XJWcb2Ynu9Xk0GcHQ/featured?view_as=subscriber    Key Takeaways: For many managers, giving feedback is hard no matter how advanced you are in your career.  Feedback is not always straightforward. It can rely on perceptions or interpretations, and feel very personal. Create a schedule of consistent monthly or weekly times for sharing feedback with your team members. This will help reduce the anxiety about feedback conversations while building a trusting culture of personal development. Gather all the data you can before giving feedback. Reflect on the situation more broadly. Is this a new or pattern of behavior? Have you addressed it before? During the feedback meeting, lead with questions instead of assumptions. How did they feel about their performance? What is their perspective? Get a sense of their own awareness of the situation or problematic behavior. Learn about each person’s individual motivations by asking directly or doing staff personality tests. Tie feedback to whether their performance is helping or hurting those goals.  Role-model taking feedback well by staying calm and responding with gratitude for the opportunity to learn. Ask for feedback on your own performance regularly.  If things get too heated, it’s okay to take a breather and regroup later that day or the next, after people have had the chance to calm down and reflect more. Feedback conversations should always include at least initial thinking on how to improve going forward. Explore options for training and support to help your teammate overcome a challenge or learn a new skill.  Ask if there is anything you can do differently to make the situation better going forward.  Let the person know that you are giving them feedback because you care about them and believe feedback is a critical component to growth. Acknowledge that it may be hard to hear, but that you value the person which is why you are sharing it. mamie@mamieks.com

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 executive. He has more than 20 years of business and technology experience, including founding and running CID Management, a Healthcare Cost Control company that he grew to become one of the largest players in the space before his successful exit in 2015. Steven has consulted as a business management and technology strategist for organizations including Eli Lilly, Janus Funds, IBM, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and the J. Paul Getty Museum. He is known for his unique perspective to leadership innovation and entrepreneurship. We talk about the lessons from his book Synaptic Alchemy. What this concept is all about, how to know thyself, how to get everyone on your team to better understand themselves and each other, and his three step process for turning ideas into gold. Members of the Modern Manager get The Synaptic Alchemy Sneak Peek which provides an in depth overview of the book for free, and free access to The Synaptic Alchemy course launching in June 2021 when you purchase the book. Become a member at themodernmanager.com/join.  Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: How to Turn Your Team Into Gold    KEEP UP WITH STEVEN Website: https://www.synapticalchemy.com/ Book: Synaptic Alchemy: The Art & Science of Turning Ideas into Gold   Key Takeaways: Synaptic alchemy in the physical world is about turning lead into gold. In the management world, it’s about turning groups of people and ideas into gold.  Help your team understand their internal strengths and how it affects the way they collaborate and operate in the workplace by taking personality tests as a group.  Make time for each person to share the insights about their preferences and personality so that you can understand and support each other.  To turn team ideas into gold, destroy an old rule and replace it with a new one.  Ask “what are we doing and why are we doing it?” to examine what isn’t working or what could be done differently and brainstorm new ways.  Create a safe space for your team to innovate by instilling questioning and taking risks as organizational values.  Generate team mottos or soundbites that can regularly be referenced and that reinforce this culture of questioning assumptions.  Additional Resources: Myers-Briggs The Big Five Episode 14: Personality and Preferences with Rob Toomey Typecoach sessions with Mamie mamie@mamieks.com

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 your time and energy.  The full episode guide includes an infographic of the differences between managers and senior managers, along with suggested practices for shifting into the mindset of a senior manager, leading skip-level meetings, and more. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community or purchase the full guide at www.themodernmanager.com/shop.     Get the free mini-guide at www.mamieks.com/miniguides.   Read the related blog article: How Do You Manage Managers?   Key Takeaways: The majority of managing people is the same no matter what level of management you’re in.  There are three primary areas in which a senior manager’s role will be different from a manager’s role and these are: (1) driving towards big picture results, (2) cultivating the manager’s management capability, and (3) clarifying guidelines. As senior management, you will be looking at things from a higher perch and trying to see how day to day activities flow towards the overall goals of the organization.  Focus on setting clear vision, goals and strategy. Then enhance the thinking of your managers without getting into the details. Provide plenty of autonomy to allow your managers and their team members to develop and execute on workplans. As a rule of thumb, spend as much time investing in your people as you do overseeing the work. If you haven’t invested in building culture, spent time talking about values, or elevated the importance of upholding desired behaviors, it's unlikely that your managers will either. Role model the behavior you want your managers to do with their team members. Ask for their input, provide straightforward feedback, offer praise and gratitude.  Build relationships with your managers’ direct reports so you can better support your manager to develop their people. Show your managers’ direct reports that you respect and trust their manager (your direct report) by asking for their input and treating them like a partner when in meetings together.  mamie@mamieks.com

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, we foster psychological safety and much more. In this episode, I speak with father and son duo, Edgar and Peter Schein. Ed is Professor Emeritus of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sloan School of Management. He is one of the original scholar-practitioners in the fields of organizational psychology and organizational development. He may be best known for first expanding our understanding of organizational culture. His books, including Process Consultation, Organizational Culture and Leadership, Helping, Humble Consulting and Humble Leadership are translated and published worldwide and his consulting and coaching has transformed leadership since the 1970s. His latest work, Humble Inquiry 2nd Edition, co-authored with his son Peter, is an international best seller.  Peter is the co-founder and COO of OCLI.org. Prior to his role there, Peter was a strategy and corporate development executive at large and small technology companies in Silicon Valley. He is co-author of The Corporate Culture Survival Guide 3rd Edition, Humble Leadership, the 5th Edition of Organizational Culture and Leadership, and the 2nd Edition of Humble Inquiry. The three of us talk about Humble Inquiry - what it is, why it’s important, and how to do it effectively. We talk about the humble component and the inquiry component, and how together, they are a magical combination that every manager and team can benefit from. Get one of 10 signed copies of the book Humble Consulting if you’re a member of the Modern Manager community. This book is particularly focused at client-facing roles and consultants, but the lessons are applicable even beyond those. To get a copy, you need to be a member and one of the first 10 people to request it.  Join the Modern Manager community -- employees of government and nonpforit organizations get 20% off any membership level. Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: The Simple Brilliance of the “Humble Inquiry” Approach   KEEP UP WITH EDGAR AND PETER SCHEIN Website: www.ocli.org  LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/peteraschein/ Book: Humble Inquiry: The Gentle Art of Asking Instead of Telling    Key Takeaways: The “Humble Inquiry” approach is a way of reacting to situations at work by asking versus telling your team what to do.  Begin with the mindset that you can’t know everything therefore, have much to gain by caring about your team members and their perspectives. Foster a deep curiosity to learn from people around you.  Ask open ended questions without presuming to know the answer. Continue to ask questions that explore further instead of jumping to conclusions too early. Practice deep listening by focusing on their response without interjecting your own thoughts.  Reward people for being open by listening to and incorporating their ideas, and by thanking them for sharing even if you disagree.  If you respond with judgement, anger or dismissiveness, people may fear being open and honest with you again. This leads to destructive behavior, such as hiding mistakes and not mentioning problems, which is harmful to teams and organizations.  If your team gets stuck, shift from the content of your discussion into the process. Ask questions like “Are we making progress?” and “Are we relating to each other well?”  When we build trust and openness using Humble Inquiry, we build psychological safety which leads to positive, healthy workplaces.    Additional Resources: Episode 42: Deep Listening with Oscar Trimboli mamie@mamieks.com

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 acquisition, career and leadership development, and organizational culture. Author and speaker, Dee Ann is the former vice president of talent for Chick-fil-A, where she helped shape the company's historically remarkable culture.  Dee Ann and I talk about managing up - what it is, what it looks like in action, how to talk to your team members about “managing you”, and what not to do that can get you into trouble. Get the chance to win a copy of Crush Your Career when you become a member of The Modern Manager. Learn more and join at www.themodernmanager.com/join.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: Three Ways to Manage Up   KEEP UP WITH DEE ANN Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/deeannturner/ LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/deeannturner/ Amazon Link to Crush Your Career: https://www.amazon.com/Crush-Your-Career-Interview-Launch/dp/0801094372 Crush Your Career Landing Page: https://www.crushyourcareerbook.com   Key Takeaways: Managing up means helping the people above us manage us better. Go into performance reviews ready to share the story of your past year’s successes, responsibilities acquired, and skills learned to help him assess you better.  Present innovative ideas through questions rather than statements as a way of getting heard. Don’t worry about who gets the credit; when the boss or team wins, you win.  Effect the culture beyond your team by first focusing on your team’s culture. When your team succeeds, your boss will want to know the secret of your culture and may incorporate it into the larger culture.  Ask your boss their preferences for communication styles and modalities whether it’s email, voice notes, or texts. Work in the way that best suits them.  Don’t let your boss be surprised. Don’t corner him publicly when he’s not ready to discuss an idea, and keep him in the loop immediately if you make an important mistake.  mamie@mamieks.com

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 and leaders worldwide to help design, develop and build high-performing cultures. He is the CEO of CultureGene, a culture leadership software and services platform. Prior to founding CultureGene Brett spent 16 years as the Managing Partner of a leading executive search firm based in London working with startups and high-growth companies in the UK, Europe and USA. In 2018 he published his first book, Culture Decks Decoded and his second book Own Your Culture: How to Define, Embed and Manage your Company Culture in September 2020. Brett and I talk about how to hire and onboard a new team member who will contribute to and thrive within your organizational culture. We talk about whether there is such a thing as culture fit, how to hire for values fit and what to do if your company or team doesn’t have explicit values, and what onboarding is really all about. Get 15% off on the CultureGene culture development program, plus a free PDF copy of the book Culture Decks Decoded and a PDF of chapter 5 'The Interview Process' from the new book Own Your Culture when you become a member at themodernmanager.com/join. Plus, 5 community members will receive a complimentary culture consultancy call to discuss how to build or strengthen their culture or adapt to remote or hybrid work. (Available to the first five members to claim this call).   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: Don’t Hire for Culture Fit. Hire For Values Fit.   KEEP UP WITH BRETT Website: https://www.culturegene.ai/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brettonputter/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/BrettonPutter   Key Takeaways: Don’t hire for culture-fit, hire for values-fit.  Hiring based on culture relies on gut instinct and personal preference versus what we believe in and how we want to operate.  To figure out your team’s values, have your team create a list of what they believe is important to the team. Narrow the list down to no more than 6 core values. Be explicit about what behaviors you expect from each of those values.  When interviewing, ask the interviewee to tell a story about when they exemplified one of your team’s core behaviors. Ask follow-up questions to dig deeper to understand their story, the context and their approach to the value. The more vivid and believable the story, the more the candidate lives those values.  Use the job description, interview process, and onboarding as a way to educate the candidate on your team culture and values.  Start onboarding a new hire 30 days before their start date. Send a series of emails and videos that start to build trust and relationships with the new hire’s team mates before he begins working. We don’t need to be in person to communicate our values. Use opportunities such as team meetings to demonstrate your values in action, by showcasing stories of team members exemplifying a team value.    Additional Resources: Episode 72: Align Your Team By Creating Shared Values + Guide to Episode 72 Episode 76: Bring Team Values to Life + Guide to Episode 76 mamie@mamieks.com

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 environment in which all team members thrive. The full episode guide includes sample agendas and activities to help your team redesign its email practices. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community or purchase the full guide atwww.mamieks.com/store.     Get the free mini-guide at www.mamieks.com/miniguides.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: How Managers Can Advance Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion In The Workplace   Key Takeaways: All the ways that individuals differ can be considered an aspect of diversity. Diversity can be visible or invisible, things we’re born with or acquired over time, and inherent in us or by association.   Diversity is also about how specific groups of people have been privileged or marginalized historically and across cultures. Intersectionality describes how the complex parts of a person come together in ways that compound privilege or marginalization. Equity is about removing barriers to full participation, correcting for systemic obstacles, and providing everyone a truly fair opportunity. Inclusion is about creating an environment where people feel comfortable to be their authentic self without feeling like they need to code-switch or adjust to fit in. Being an ally is about taking on the struggles of the oppressed as your own. Its an ongoing journey that includes making mistakes and learning from them. When someone speaks up to let you know your actions or behaviors are not inclusive or equitable, respond as an ally would by centering the impacted, listening and learning, apologizing even though you didn’t intend it, and stopping the pattern.  Feelings of guilt, defensiveness, anger and conflict avoidance can lead us to respond in unhelpful ways, including centering yourself, denying that other’s experiences are different from your own, derailing, refusing to center the impacted, tone policing, victim blaming, and withdrawing.  Be grateful for the learning opportunities and stay engaged, even when being an ally is hard. Pay attention to things like who speaks first during meetings, who gets credit for ideas, who you invest time and energy in developing, and who you turn to for help.     Additional Resources: Kimberlé Crenshaw TED talk on Intersectionality  A huge thank you to Amelie Lamont for her incredible Guide to Allyship https://guidetoallyship.com/ Episode 89: Growing into an Inclusive Leader with Jennfier Brown Episode 123: Addressing Race and Bias in the Workplace with Aaron Samuels Episode 143: How to Support People of Color at Work with Omolara Uwemedimo mamie@mamieks.com

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 with Seth Linden. Seth is the founder and principal of Gather Consulting, where he advises philanthropists, foundations and nonprofits at the intersections of education, leadership, and community. He has a teaching credential and bartending credential - both of which come in handy while building community. Seth and I talk about how to design and lead an effective and engaging team gathering or retreat whether in person or virtually.  The full episode guide includes key areas to consider when planning an in-person or virtual retreat, along with ideas for activities to build relationships and how to make the retreat extra special. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community or purchase the full guide at www.themodernmanager.com/shop.     Get free episode mini-guides at www.themodernmanager.com/miniguides.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: How to Design a Retreat Your Team Will Love   KEEP UP WITH SETH Website: www.gatherconsulting.org Newsletter: https://www.gatherconsulting.org/newsletter   Key Takeaways: Be really clear about what the purpose of the retreat is so that you can align the agenda with it.  Co-create the agenda; ask your team what they want to get out of the retreat and design the agenda together.  Set the tone and intentions of a safe space by having the leader be honest and open from the beginning.  Set equity of voice as a value from the beginning to encourage louder voices to make room, quieter people to speak up, and to recognize publically the importance of including historically marginalized voices.  To help people feel more comfortable opening up, set a casual dress code, use outdoor settings to lighten the mood, and offer “walking workshops”.  Choose team-building activities like karaoke and ropes courses if it aligns with your purpose and is something the participants are comfortable with.  Consider mailing or providing ‘goodie bags’ that contain little gifts that make the event feel special. Set up accountability partners after the retreat to help people carry their learnings forward.    Additional Resources: Book: The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker Book: The Power of Ritual by Casper ter Kuile Book: Emergent Strategy by Adrienne Maree Brown mamie@mamieks.com

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 (personal and professional) was the answer to their biggest personal problem that EVERY company will eventually face, Matt decided it was time to start Life Pulse Inc to share how he connects Intention with Structure to ensure an individuals desired results. Matt has worked with organizations such as Twitter, Google, and the United States Air Force to individuals looking to just get more out of each day! Matt and I talk about internal vs external motivation, how to motivate yourself and others, the root of what motivates us, how to design your life around your motivations and desires, how to talk to your team members to help them be more intentional and tap into their internal motivators, and so much more.   Members of the Modern Manager community get a free 30 minute consult and custom program based on your answer.  Also anyone who has the consultation will get the discounted LP Planner. Get this guest bonus when you join the Modern Manager community.     Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: The 3 Questions You Need To Ask Your Team Every Week   KEEP UP WITH MATT Website: www.LifePulseInc.com Instagram: @lifepulseinc YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPNc15l_7JB8-aziMAnLPsA   Key Takeaways: Motivation is a mindset. External motivation comes from fear or love. To tap into internal motivation, you need to connect what you want with what that person wants.  Most of us don’t actually know what we truly want. Take time to pause and reflect on what really matters in order to generate your list of desires. Consider creating a SWOT analysis of your life. Often there are small changes or actions we could do now that will help us live our desires in the moment, generating greater fulfillment. In order to tap into the internal motivations of our colleagues, we need to understand who they are and what matters to them.  Ask three questions weekly: (1) What Are You Focused On This Week?, (2) What Are You Grateful For?, (3) What Are You Working Towards? These three questions help you understand the greater context of your colleague’s life while not getting too personal.  Knowing your teammates’ long and short term goals allows you to understand where they want to go and therefore how to help them in the present.  Have your team review their previous week’s successes and struggles by asking themselves how they grew (1) Internally - their mind, (2) Physically - their body, (3) Relationally - their connections, and (4) Professionally - their career. Make three to-do lists of what you (1) want to get done, (2) need to get done, and (3) is most important to get done. Encourage your colleagues to do the same.  Managers inspire their teams by role modeling. It’s important to check in with yourself weekly on your intentions and make time for activities central to your life’s purpose into your schedule.    Additional Resources: Motivation Catalysts test: www.LifePulseInc.com/MCA mamie@mamieks.com

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 struggled with burnout pre-pandemic, it seems even more prevalent now.  In this episode, I speak with Kristen Knowles. Kristen is a 13x award-winning leadership expert with over a decade of experience in leading HR and leadership development for top global companies in Tech, Healthcare, and Startups. Her passion is helping organizations create brave cultures and working with leaders to overcome burnout and lead from purpose. She is the CEO of Brave Leaders Group, a full-suite leadership firm that specializes in offering transformational leadership and organizational development services that create brave cultures with practical application that you can immediately start implementing to see results. She offers a unique opportunity to implement strategies that create empowering cultures and breaks apart our previous ideas of leadership to create brave leaders that will mark history and change the narrative for leadership going forward.  Kristen and I talk about the stages of burnout, how to avoid it and what to do if you find yourself out of alignment and heading into burnout. Kristen also shares tips with how to talk to your team to help them avoid burnout.   Get 20% off the Brave Leadership course when you join the Modern Manager community. Purchase full episode guides at www.themodernmanager.com/shop.     Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: How To Stop Burnout From Burning You And Your Team   KEEP UP WITH KRISTEN Website: https://www.kristenknowles.co/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristen-pinkston-knowles/ Clubhouse: @kristenknowles Instagram: @kristenpinkstonknowles Brave Leadership Course: https://mailchi.mp/98a9ae4346da/brave-leadership-program   Key Takeaways: Burnout is often a result of being disconnected from your purpose.  There are four stages to burnout. (1) You are excited about the new work. Then your energy wanes and you start to feel irritable. (2) You start to be irritated by small things that otherwise wouldn’t bother you. (3) You feel stuck and overwhelmed and might have trouble sleeping. (4) You experience tremendous difficulty coping and getting work done.  Purpose isn’t about achieving something. It’s the “why” of your life, your overarching guidepost for living.  To help overcome and avoid burnout, identify what feels in and out of alignment in your life. Find time and space in your schedule to do things you care about. Create an action plan for how you want to show up better. We need jobs that fit with our working style, strengths, and personality. We can only keep up a working style that doesn’t fit with us for about six months before we experience burnout.  To help your team members align themselves with their purpose, give them autonomy to figure out how to complete tasks in the way that works best for them.  Have a conversation with your team about their 80/20. What are the 20% of things that they are doing in their role that are best suited to their strengths? Think about how to eliminate, delegate, or manage the other 80% of their tasks.  Learn about your team members’ individual purposes and how they can align with the company’s purpose.    Additional Resources: The Sparketype Assessment - help find your purpose Episode 47: Managing Stress and Avoiding Burnout  mamie@mamieks.com

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 appropriate prework, and communicating clearly with your meeting participants, you can transform the entire meeting experience.  In this episode, I walk through what to do before a meeting to prepare yourself and your colleagues for a productive conversation. The full episode guide includes my meeting agenda template, tips for writing a desired outcome, and how to design and communicate pre-work. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community or purchase the full guide at www.themodernmanager.com/shop.     Get the free mini-guide at www.themodernmanager.com/miniguides.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: How to Prepare Yourself and Others For A Productive Meeting   Key Takeaways: Preparing yourself and your meeting participants will help create a more productive meeting. The most important element of any meeting is the desired outcome: what will the meeting achieve? The more specific the desired outcome, the easier it will be to plan the agenda and facilitate the conversation to accomplish that goal. Consider what people need to know, what they can think about, or what they can do prior to entering the meeting that will prepare people for a more productive and efficient conversation. Pre-work can be reading or listening to an article, video or podcast, a document, voice or video message. Pre-work can be reflecting on specific questions or generating ideas ahead of time. Pre-work can be completing a worksheet, answering questions, contributing to a shared online document. Sometimes you may need to produce a document, record a voice message or video presentation in order to share important information in the optimal format prior to the meeting. When you assign prework, be sure to include clear instructions that explain (1) why you have assigned this pre-work or how it will help the meeting, (2) what specifically people should do, (3) how long it will take and (4) when it needs to be done by. Share the agenda and pre-work with enough time for meeting participants to review and complete any actions.   Additional Resources: Episode 33: Do You Really Need That Meeting? Book: Momentum: Creating Effective, Engaging, and Enjoyable Meetings mamie@mamieks.com

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 power of video in asynchronous communications at work. It’s grown in popularity for social connecting so consider how it might enhance your existing communications to build relationships and move work forward. Today’s guest is Josh Little. Josh is the founder of four tech companies–Maestro, Bloomfire, Qzzr, and Volley–that have collectively been used by hundreds of millions of people. His work has been featured in Tech Crunch, Mashable, Entrepreneur, Inc., and Forbes. With two successful exits and a third pending, he’s currently on a mission to save the working world from death-by-meetings with his fourth creation, Volley. Josh and I talk about how to connect with your team using video messaging. We talk about how to make our communications more effective, efficient and inclusive, plus more good stuff.  Members of The Modern Manager get my guide to team communication tools. In it, I share my approach and tips for which apps are best suited to which types of communication needs. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community or purchase the guide at www.themodernmanager.com/shop.     Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: Why Email and Zoom Are Hurting Our Teams And What Else To Use   KEEP UP WITH JOSH Website: https://www.volleyapp.com/   Key Takeaways: Historically, asynchronous communications are written like email and text is; we read and respond at any time. Historically, synchronous communications are meetings; we need to be present with each other at the same time to communicate. The Volley app offers a unique opportunity for asynchronous, video communication.  The problem with communicating via text and email is that it wastes a lot of time. The average person types 19 words per minute but can speak 150 words per minute.  We lose about 93% of the communication that comes from voice, tone and body language. This often  leads to miscommunications or the need for many back-and-forth messages. In person or Zoom meetings require us to set aside chunks or our day and disrupt our ability to get into deep work.  Asynchronous communications allow people time to think before responding which can lead to greater engagement from introverts and deeper thinking overall.  Teams using Volley have experienced a strengthening in relationships and more “water-cooler” type talk.  Managers have also used Volley with individuals on their team which has enabled more natural conversations to unfold, leading to continued alignment and faster speed of work. Different work tech apps serve different purposes. Slack is good for simple information sharing. Zoom or in-person meetings are best for emotionally charged topics, complex discussion, as well as weekly team meetings.  Introduce Volley to your team as an experiment. Try it out for one topic to get your team excited about what it has to offer instead of demanding a transition onto the platform as the new way to work.    Additional Resources: Episode 45: Invest in Meaningful One-on-Ones mamie@mamieks.com

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 psychologist with a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology and emphasis in executive consultation. He is the author of "Choose Better: The Optimal Decision-Making Framework”. He practices in the San Francisco Bay area and leads conferences and retreats around the globe. Between his years in private practice and another eight years as a Mental Health Staff Sergeant in the US Army, he’s empowered hundreds of individuals, families, organizations, and teams to develop authentic relationships and grow into their best selves. Tim and I talk about how to make optimal decisions. We get into why we make poor decisions, or worse, are indecisive, and how to apply Tim’s framework to help you and your team members make better decisions every time.   Get the Optimal Decision-making Framework Checklist when you join the Modern Manager community.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Register for Managing by Personality: www.themodernmanager.com/courses/personality   Read the related blog article: The Four Step Process To Making Better Decisions.   KEEP UP WITH TIMOTHY Website: www.timyen.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/choosebetterconsulting/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/timothyyenpsyd LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timkyen/   Key Takeaways: An optimal decision is one that reflects your values while also meeting the needs of everyone involved. There are four core pillars to optimal decision-making: (1) your emotions; (2) your values; (3) others’ values;  and (4) reality constraints. Pillar Number One: What emotions come up when you are making a tough decision? Reflect on both what you feel and why you are feeling this way.  Pillar Number Two: What are your values? Consider what is important to you and what outcomes you would like to see based upon these values.  Pillar Number Three: What does your team (or other stakeholders) want? Ask people about their values, desires and ideas if you’re not sure.  Team members from different cultural backgrounds come with different expectations. Ask your team where they got their values from to get to know them better and gain greater insight into what they want.  Pillar Number Four: What are the reality constraints? What factors - like your manager’s expectations or budget constraints - affect your decision?  Balance competing interests and values while staying true to yourself. Build trust by listening to your team’s ideas while accommodating your manager’s expectations.   Additional Resources: Episode 124: How to Make Better Decisions Episode 88: Models and Methods of Decision-Making mamie@mamieks.com

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 is a physician and success strategist who works with women professionals to rediscover their purpose, prevent burnout, and achieve their vision - without resorting to struggle or sacrifice. Omolara and I talk about her approach to providing the space and support for people of color to do their own work while us white folks do our needed work.  Omolara has provided access to the replay of her masterclass: How To Have Courageous Conversations. In it, you learn to begin building the confidence to communicate with key stakeholders, foster relationships and get what you need. To get access become a member of The Modern Manager community at themodernmanager.com/join/   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: What Diversity Training Is Getting Wrong: 4 Ways To Help POC At Work   KEEP UP WITH OMOLARA  Website: http://www.melaninmedicinemotherhood.com/  Podcast:  http://www.melaninmedicinemotherhood.com/podcast  Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/melaninmedicinemotherhood  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/omolaramd/  Twitter:  https://www.twitter.com/dromolara  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmEztKcqxoN-6REC4oMETqg/videos    Key Takeaways: “Code switching” is when a person of color feels pressure to change how they naturally communicate in order to make their colleagues feel more comfortable. This causes a great psychological burden. In a large organization, managers can create an employee resource group (an affinity group) for people to speak with people who have a shared experience about vulnerable or sensitive issues.  In a small organization, encourage employees to connect with community organizations that gather people from a shared industry, race or gender such as black women in tech.  Team diversity discussions and training often focus on discovering what white people have done wrong and improving the awareness, mindset and behavior of white people. While this is important, it’s not enough. Create space for recovery for employees of color who live with the trauma of these issues.  POC often spend a lot of energy at work proving they are not negative stereotypes.  Set up employees of color with sponsorship and mentorship opportunities to gain support from leaders in their field who can help them feel more comfortable in showing up as themselves.  Meet one-on-one with employees of color to share strategies for success. Discuss the mission and vision of the company and how it applies to that individual’s own goals and values. Follow through with a strategy of what they can do to lead to promotions and leadership opportunities that POC don’t often get.  If you are a POC managing a mostly white team, be open about how implicit biases about your capabilities as a person of color might affect your colleagues. Demonstrate that you want a workplace with open communication and courageous conversation.   Additional Resources: Episode 123: Addressing Race and Bias in the Workplace with Aaron Samuels mamie@mamieks.com

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 productively.  The full episode guide includes an overview of different types of questions and my favorite questions to ask. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community or purchase the full guide at www.themodernmanager.com/shop.     Get the free mini-guide at www.themodernmanager.com/miniguides.   Learn to navigate the different personality types and work styles to make managing your team easier than you ever imagined. Check out the Managing by Personality live course that starts on March 11, 2021. Learn more and register at www.themodernmanager.com/courses/personality   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article:  How Questions Can Help Us Be Better Managers   Key Takeaways: Questions are not just for gathering information. They also help us build relationships, increase psychological safety and trust, open up thinking, and uncover hidden thoughts. Instead of yes-no questions which often create a false binary, ask a rating question e.g. On a scale of 1-5, how confident are you in this plan? Asking what, why and how will lead to different answers so be thoughtful about what question you’re asking. Asking what if, how might, and why not will open the door to more creative, alternative thinking. How you ask and how you respond also impact what type of response you will get now and in the future. Asking a difficult question in a calm, warm tone shows support. Responding to an answer you don’t like or didn’t expect with appreciation will encourage people to be honest going forward.   Additional Resources: Episode 40: The Power of Questions with Pete Mockaitis mamie@mamieks.com

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, TEDx speaker, author and award- winning business school instructor. He has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, CNN, Fox News.com, NPR, Forbes and many others for his expertise. His book The Hot Sauce Principle: How to Live and Lead in a World Where Everything Is Urgent All of the Time helps readers to master urgency so they can more effectively lead others, manage others’ unrealistic expectations, and prevent burnout at home.  Brandon and I talk about how to use urgency in the right ways, the interplay between urgency and trust, boundary setting, and how to talk to your boss and your team members about when there is just too much to get done and not enough time, plus a whole lot more. Get 50% off the Happiness at Work Formula workbooks when you join the Modern Manager community. This workbook series helps you clarify the 3 things you need to find true happiness at work - The right job, the right workplace culture, and the right boss.    Register for Managing by Personality: https://tga7q1na.pages.infusionsoft.net - Live course begins March 11th.   Get free episode mini-guides at www.themodernmanager.com/miniguides.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: How A Feeling Of Constant Urgency Became The New Work Norm And What We Can Do To Fix It   Key Takeaways: The rise in iPhones, constant communication, and the fallout from the 2008 recession led to an increase in workers feeling more burdened and workplaces filled with a greater sense of constant urgency. Small doses of the anxiety that comes from urgency can be a good thing, but too much will result in an exhausted team.  To reduce the constant urgency to be responsive, agree with your team to schedule emails written during “off hours” to be sent during work hours on workdays only.  To gain credibility points with your team members or manager, respond to emails that you’ll get to later with a simple confirmation that you received the message.  If you have too much on your plate, ask your manager to help you prioritize tasks or find more resources to help.   Create psychological safety by being vulnerable and authentic yourself, so that your team will feel comfortable being vulnerable and asking for help. Limit how many “urgent” projects you give out at a time so as not to overwhelm your staff.  mamie@mamieks.com

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 automatically, enables us to show up productively even during difficult moments. Today’s guest is Ilana Zivkovich. Ilana is the Founder and CEO of Werq, a strategic leadership advisory firm headquartered in Austin, TX, serving clients around the country and abroad. An experienced executive leader and Certified Executive Coach and certified Genos Emotional Intelligence Practitioner, Zivkovich helps leadership teams align their people, processes and strategy so that businesses can achieve exceptional results. Ilana and talk about EQ, emotional intelligence - what it really is, why it’s a critical skill set for managers, the three different dimensions of it, and how to develop your emotional intelligence capabilities.  Werq has offered 10% off their Team Chemistry Workshops. These workshops are the perfect way to reach new levels of success using data-backed personality assessments alongside proven coaching mythology for an incredible team strengthening experience. To get this discount, become a member of The Modern Manager community by going to www.themodernmanager.com/join.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: Emotional Intelligence Is A Skill. Here’s How To Improve Yours   Key Takeaways: Emotional intelligence is a learned skill.  The cornerstone of EQ is self-awareness. There are two types of self-awareness; big picture awareness and momentary awareness.  Big picture self-awareness means being aware of who we are; what we’re good at, our general communication style, understanding how people perceive us, and how we tend to behave in the world.  The best way to improve our big picture self-awareness is through feedback.  Momentary awareness is being aware in the moment of what we’re experiencing by honestly observing and assessing our automatic reactions to experiences. To improve your momentary awareness, use the POWER acronym. Pause when you feel yourself reacting to a difficult situation. Observe what you are thinking and feeling. Widen your perspective to think about the greater context behind how you’re responding. Elect to make a choice about how you want to show up in that moment. Respond how you see best.  In order to improve your EQ in relationship to others, the most important things to do are to focus and pay attention.  If you’re dealing with a lot of Zoom calls these days, turn off the “self-view” on your camera so that you aren’t thinking about what you look like.   KEEP UP WITH ILANA Website: https://werqpeople.com/blog/ Twitter: @Werqpeople   Additional Resources: Top 25 Team Building Podcasts You Must Follow in 2021: https://blog.feedspot.com/team_building_podcasts/ mamie@mamieks.com

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 it’s time to say goodbye. Today’s guest is Dr. Paul White. Paul is a psychologist, speaker, and international leadership trainer who “makes work relationships work”. His company, Appreciation at Work, provides training resources for corporations, medical facilities, schools, non-profits, government agencies, over 700 colleges and universities, and in over 60 countries. He is the coauthor with Dr. Gary Chapman of The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace, which has sold over 400,000 copies. Paul was also a guest on Episode 99: Show Authentic and Meaningful Appreciation. In this episode we talk about toxic behavior. We get into the three components of a toxic workplace, how to navigate toxic behavior from your boss or colleagues, what toxic behavior looks like in a remote work environment and more. Members of the Modern Manager community can access The Motivating By Appreciation Inventory for FREE. This assessment helps you discover your preferred language of appreciation and provides an individualized report and list of action items you can share with your team members to help them “hit the mark” in showing YOU appreciation. Get this bonus when you join the Modern Manager community.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: The 3 Elements of A Toxic Workplace   Key Takeaways: There are three major components of a toxic work environment: (1) toxic systems, (2) toxic leaders, and (3) dysfunctional colleagues. Poor communication habits is a hallmark toxic work environments, especially for larger organizations. Teams avoid directly addressing issues and instead use indirect methods of communication. Additionally, there is consistent lack clarity about what decisions were made and who is responsible.  To reduce chances of confusion, have your team run through a list of questions after a meeting about what the decision was, who is responsible, when the next step will happen, and how you will know it’s happening.  Toxic leaders are often extremely competent, talented, and charming. They look good because they sell well, but their actions fail to line up with their promises. To deal with a toxic leader, find a sounding board to process what’s happening at work. Don’t get side-tracked with fixing the toxic situation. Document the decisions and expectations from meetings. Include measures of effective collaboration as part of performance reviews to help identify toxic colleagues and provide grounds for termination  If your emotional and physical health is deteriorating from work stress, this may be a sign you need to leave your job. Toxic or dysfunctional employees often have chronic functioning problems in. Dysfunctional people tend to blame others and make excuses rather than accept responsibility. To deal with toxic colleagues, set boundaries and document well. Let them know you can’t rescue or cover for them. Make clear what your work is and what you’ve accomplished to minimize being held accountable for their failures.  Have an open conversation with your boss about concerns with your dysfunctional colleague. Present the data and let your boss come to her own conclusions. Ask your boss for advice on how to handle the situation rather than casting blame on your coworker.   KEEP UP WITH PAUL Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/appreciationatwork/ and Facebook.com/DrPaulWhite Twitter: @5Appreciation and @drpaulwhite Pinterest: www.pintrest.com/drpaulwhite  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=dr+paul+white Blog: www.appreciationatwork.com/blog Website: www.appreciationatwork.com Book: Five Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace   Additional Resources: Pamphlet: How to Know When It’s Time to Quit Your Job mamie@mamieks.com

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 essential responsibility for any manager.  In this episode, I talk through the four types of accountability and how to best enter those accountability conversations.  The full episode guide includes an overview of the four types of accountability and a suggested process for having accountability conversations. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community or purchase the full guide at www.themodernmanager.com/shop.     Get the free mini-guide at www.themodernmanager.com/miniguides.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: Managing More Than Performance: The Four Types of Accountability   Key Takeaways: There are 4 types of accountability: Results, Responsibilities, Behavior, Growth Results: Did you accomplish the goal (output or impact) you intended to? Responsibilities: Are you managing the tasks or activities within your job? Behavior: Are you acting professionally and in alignment with our team/company values? Growth: Are you developing in ways that will allow you to be successful in this job and advance your career? Accountability is not about punishment or blame. It’s about ownership and doing even better in the future. Start by clarifying expectations. Collaboratively establish what the person is being held accountable for/to. Have both real-time check-ins and regularly scheduled check-ins or one-on-ones to reflect on accountability. Celebrate and offer praise when accountabilities are met. Investigate when the person falls short. Entering the accountability conversation from a place of curiosity takes off the pressure, lowers defenses, and enables you to work together to discover the root cause and find a solution.   Additional Resources: Episode 112: How to Use Impact, Output, and Process Goals - www.themodernmannager.com/podcast-112 Help design the Modern Manager intensive program by pre-registering for free: www.themodernmanager.com The Modern Manager’s Guide to Effective Delegation course - www.themodernmanager.com/courses/effective-delegation (member get 20% off!) mamie@mamieks.com

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 to transform successful startups into commanding enterprises. Jessica focuses on the human potential of the organization - How to move from where you are, to where you want to be, while retaining team engagement and increasing revenue. Jessica and I talk about how to more accurately estimate the time required to complete work, and how to continually improve your estimates, how to get your team to adopt a mindset for effective time and task planning, and more.  Members of The Modern Manager get 15% off a one hour coaching session with Jessica to help improve your leadership, intentionally design your career path, or better navigate your life and work in alignment with your core principles. To join go to themodernmanager.com/join    Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: How To Accurately Estimate Your Tasks and Projects   Key Takeaways: It’s difficult for human beings to estimate how long complex tasks will take. We don't consider all the things that could go wrong (planning fallacy) and we generally assume things will go well (optimism bias). To improve your time estimation, break tasks down to the smallest thing you can do that still has value.  Estimate the amount of time each task will take. Keep track via a simple spreadsheet of how long each item took to complete. Build empirical data by tracking actual time against projections. Use the data to make more informed guesses on how to plan out your time.  Estimate a reasonable amount of time for a task based on your data, not just a pure guess. You can then decide who's going to work on what and how you're going to schedule it based on capability and capacity. Don’t set your plans in stone. Focus on what you’re trying to achieve and adjust your plan as you go along. Allow for experimentation,adjust for context changes, and review your plans every 2- 4 weeks with your team.  Get your team on board by modeling the behaviors you're expecting. If you want your people to work at a more sustainable pace with less hours and to keep track of and manage their time better, you should also.  Host a meeting to discuss what your goals are: Are you looking for better time management or less employee stress? What difficulties are you or your organization experiencing? Talk through ideas about how you can improve, and review your plans frequently.    Additional Resources: Use SweetProcess to document regular workflow and include time estimates www.SweetProcess.com/modernmanager Preregister for and help me design the new Modern Manager intensive program - Go to www.themodernmanager.com  mamie@mamieks.com

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 door for greater autonomy and improved productivity.  Today’s guest is Owen McGab Enaohwo. Owen is the CEO and Co-Founder of SweetProcess; an easy-to-use and intuitive business process management software founded in 2013. The software makes it possible for company executives and their employees to collaborate together to quickly document standard operating procedures, processes, and policies. Owen and I talk about the importance of documenting your processes and procedures, how to do that documentation effectively and efficiently so it doesn’t feel like a burden, and why using a process specific software like SweetProcess is useful.   For an extended free trial and reduced price for SweetProcess go to www.sweetprocess.com/modernmanager. Members of the Modern Manager community get a 30-minute session with me to facilitate process documentation or answer questions / provide feedback on your documentation. Learn more and become a member at www.themodernmanager.com/join.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: How And Why To Document Your Processes Collaboratively   Key Takeaways: While documenting processes can feel time consuming, it saves time in the long run. When we do effective, collaborative documentation, we give our team members time to focus on improving their game rather than on understanding basic operating information. When critical information is documented, you can provide greater freedom and autonomy for your team members to do their jobs creatively. There are three main areas of documentation. A procedure is a checklist of steps to accomplish a certain task, like directions from how to get from point A to point B.  A policy is information - such as a dress code policy or vacation policy - that provides general guidelines. A Process is a longer, complicated set of tasks that involve many steps. For each step in a process, there are often procedures or policies.  To begin documentation, start with either the most common workflow / task-related questions that come up, the tasks that will most help your team achieve its goals, or the tasks where accuracy is most critical.  Start small by documenting the title of the procedure and the main steps. Get your whole team involved to fill in additional detail and provide enhancements as time goes on.  While performing documented tasks, employees have the opportunity to update missing or inaccurate information in the documentation.  Documenting work processes is a constant work in process; as you learn, you can improve the procedures.  Mistakes are opportunities to figure out the real problem. If a documented task is still not done properly, consider if the issue is with the process, the documentation, a lack of skill or motivation, or capacity.    Additional Resources: www.sweetprocess.com/modernmanager Sweet Process webinar: https://my.demio.com/recording/OuosUYm6 https://www.themodernmanager.com/courses/effective-delegation mamie@mamieks.com

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 the process I used for creating my routines and various examples of activities you might incorporate into yours. The full episode guide includes a list of potential activities to incorporate into your routine as well as an overview of how to design an effective routine. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community or purchase the full guide at www.themodernmanager.com/shop.     Get the free mini-guide at www.themodernmanager.com/miniguides.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: Create Your Daily Routines for Increased Productivity and Well-being.   Key Takeaways: Daily routines are a series of activities that achieve a specific intent. Routines can be designed for any purpose but are often focused on increasing productivity, mental and physical health, reducing stress, living your values, etc. The four optimal times for daily routines are morning wake up, start of the workday, end of the workday and bedtime.  To create a routine, consider what you currently do. Then determine what your goal for the routine is, including how you want to feel when the routine is complete. Then select the activities you believe will lead to those goals.  An effective routine is manageable and sustainable. The time it takes fits into your life and you can regularly complete the routine without feeling like it’s a heavy lift. Experiment with your routines. Start small and add over time. Create a routine that is truly yours. mamie@mamieks.com

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 colleagues?   Today’s guest is Mark S. Young. Mark is passionate about strengthening the experience and opportunities for the professionals who help make a thriving workplace, both in the Jewish community and beyond.   For 20 years, Mark has held leadership roles in human resources, education, and leadership development for Jewish organizations and other non-profits. Bless Our Workforce, Mark's first book, builds off his previous writing and presentations on how to best invest in Jewish community professional talent, including his $54,000 Strategy series on ejewishphilanthropy and his 2016 ELI Talk: Mah Tovu.   Mark and I talk about what he’s learned in the process of writing his new book Bless Our Workforce about how to invest in and support the talented staff on your team. We touch on a number of different ‘blessings’ as he calls them and how you can apply them to your people, even when working at a distance during COVID.   Get one of 10 free 20-minute coaching calls with Markt when you join the Modern Manager community. Plus, get additional member content, bonuses, coaching and community. Purchase the full episode guides and Modern Manager merchandise at www.themodernmanager.com/shop.     Get the free mini-guide at www.themodernmanager.com/miniguides.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: Be A Blessing To Your Team.   Key Takeaways: When we invest in our teams, our organizations become more productive, healthier, and profitable.  In order to help our staff, we need to know what they need to do their best work and what work feeds their creative drive and motivates them. Instead of squeezing people into a rigid job description, hire talented, quality people and fit a job around their interests and needs.   When people’s needs are met at work, they feel like they're part of something greater than themselves. When people are committed, they’ll more happily do the more mundane tasks to help the organization thrive.  Sit down with teammates individually and get a sense of their needs and interests. Ask about their journey; What brought them to this organization? What mentors did they have that inspired them? What motivates/demotivates them and how do they feel about their work and compensation? Whether or not you can actually raise their pay, that information will still be valuable. If you don’t feel ready to have a personal conversation, start off small with what feels most comfortable. Maybe just ask one question, or create a group conversation where everyone shares their journey.  To promote collaboration, look for ways to invite your team to give input on issues affecting the greater organization, even if it doesn’t involve their specific role.  Especially during COVID, when many methods of operation will need to be reevaluated, ask for feedback from your staff about how to build systems that benefit everyone. During current times of instability, your staff needs to feel like they matter more than ever. Feeling like they are part of something greater than themselves will help build their strength and resilience.    KEEP UP WITH MARK: Website: blessourworkforce.com  Book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08P5FFWLX Twitter: @msy226nyc Email: markspencer.young@gmail.com   Additional Resources: Bless Our Workforce 10 Questions List: http://bit.ly/bless-our-workforce-questions mamie@mamieks.com

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 their employees in becoming their best selves, high engagement, performance and uncommon loyalty naturally result. As co-founder and CEO of 15Five, David and his team have developed industry-leading performance management software that helps leaders and managers drive high performance and build phenomenal cultures via a suite of features including weekly check-ins, OKR tracking, 1-on-1s, and peer appreciation. While at 15Five, David created the science-inspired Best-Self Management methodology that helps leaders and managers address the hidden factors that stimulate sustainable growth and development – things like intrinsic motivation, growth mindset, strengths, positivity, and psychological safety in the workplace.   David and I talk about the ideas behind the best self methodology. We get into behaviors, mindsets and models that can help you be the kind of manager you wish you’d had.   Get the 50% off 15Five’s Best-Self Management program when you become a member of the Modern Manager community at themodernmanager.com/join. Plus, take advantage of the holiday Buy One - Get One holiday special. Get one month of free membership to give to the person of your choice when you become a member before December 31, 2020.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: How To Help Your Employees Become Their Best Selves   Key Takeaways: Managers can help employees become their best selves by combining psychological safety with the growth mindset.  To create a healthy environment of trust and psychological safety, employees need to feel like they can speak openly without negative repercussions.  Move from the Victim/Villain/Hero Triangle mindset into a space of curiosity called the Coach/Creator Mode by entering a conversation with curiosity about the problem rather than a fixed opinion.  Ask yourself: “Am I Above The Line (curious and open) or Below The Line (fixed and blaming)? Employees will react defensively if you go into situations with a rigid perspective. Seeing “The White Space” means seeing an employee’s strengths and the potential for who they could be. A manager who believes deeply in an employee’s abilities despite their struggles can transform someone blocked by self-doubts. Focus on developing your staff’s strengths rather than improving weaknesses. Find where their natural talents and passions overlap - called the Zone of Genius - to create fulfilled, productive teams.  Be wary of falling into the trap of the Zone of Excellence, in which the person is good/skilled at the activities but it’s not their passion.  Embrace your own imperfections as someone on the same growth journey. Admit your own vulnerability and show your team that you are also journeying together with them to become your best selves.  Growth mindset only works when combined with an environment of psychological safety. Focusing only on growth can leave employees feeling burdened by “never being good enough.” They need to know that they can share their struggles and you’ll be there to listen.   Resources: https://conscious.is/resources   KEEP UP WITH DAVID Website: 15Five.com Twitter: @dhassell Podcast: Best-Self Management podcast - 15Five.com/podcast Best-Self Management program: https://academy.15five.com/bundles/from-manager-to-leader   mamie@mamieks.com

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 process, the Mood Meter and other techniques to making the most of your, and others’, emotions.   The full episode guide includes an overview of the RULER process, questions for reflection and suggested actions. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community or purchase the full guide at themodernmanager.com/shop. If you join before December 31, 2020, get one month of membership at the same level to give to the person of your choosing.     Get the free mini-guide at www.themodernmanager.com/miniguides.   Read the related blog article: Five Steps to Effectively Dealing With Emotions   Key Takeaways: Americans have not developed the skills to effectively understand and manage their own or others’ emotions.  Humans are notoriously bad at accurately interpreting others’ behavior. Instead, we make assumptions about the emotions and causes.  RULER is an approach to help you understand emotions and follow a process to explore and manage them. R: Recognize - acknowledge the current emotional state. It start with noticing what the predominant feeling is based on energy and pleasantness. The mood meter is a tool that helps people identify their emotional state based on energy level and pleasantness. There are 4 quadrants: Yellow = high energy, high pleasantness; Green = low energy, high pleasantness; Red = high energy, low pleasantness; Blue = low energy, low pleasantness. U: Understand - once you have a general sense of what you’re feeling, you can explore why you feel that way. What is the root cause? What past experiences are influencing your current feelings? L: Label - It’s important to find the right language to describe your emotions. The mood meter can help you and others determine the most precise feelings. Stress is often a catch-all for multiple different emotions. By differentiating between the true emotion such as pressure, anxiety, or overwhelm, can help you more effectively deal with that emotion. Each emotional state has different causes and remedies. You can’t effectively respond to someone else’s emotions if you don’t know what they’re specifically feeling and why. E: Express - How we show emotion is important. Most people don’t feel comfortable showing emotion, especially at work. A more healthy practice is to find healthy ways to communicate what we’re feeling so that others can empathize and respond appropriately.  R: Regulate - We experience emotions constantly. People skilled at emotion management know how to regulate their emotional system and use emotions productively. Regulation skills range broadly from avoidance to breathing deeply, so it’s important to discover what works for you. Additional Resources: Book: Permission to Feel by Marc Brackett mamie@mamieks.com

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 New Rules of Real Estate Investing. He operates his family business with his son, Nick, his daughter, Kayla, his son-in-law, Zach, and an amazing team. Chris and I talk about the complexities of working with family or close friends, how to create a culture that feels like family at work, what to consider if you’re thinking of starting a business or hiring a friend or family member and more. This was a particularly fun episode because as you’ll hear, I’m also part of a family business, and, given that last week’s interview with Dave Schramm was about the connection between family and workplace culture, it seemed appropriate that this conversation should follow that one. Members of The Modern Manager community get the guide to working with friends and family. Non-members can purchase the guide at www.themodernmanager.com/shop. To learn more about membership and to join, go to www.themodernmanager.com/join - become a member before December 31, 2020 and get 1 month free to give to the person of your choosing.  Subscribe to the Modern Manager newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox. Read the related blog article: How to Create A Healthy Work Culture in a Family Business Key Takeaways: If you have both related and unrelated employees on your team, create a work culture that makes everyone feel like they’re family.  Establish a company mission and core values. Use them to guide your decisions instead of basing them on biases or gut reactions.  Hire for mission and values fit, rather than on a person’s relationship to you. This will ensure a level playing field for your employees regardless of their relationship to you. To encourage a healthy culture based on your values, decide as a team what behaviors you want to see. Publicly recognize when anyone sees an employee exemplifying that behavior.  Establish clear, constant communication by using Morning Pow-Wow team meetings to bring everyone on the same page, collectively work through solutions, and enhance efficiency and productivity.  Make clear boundaries between your work and home life. Don’t bring negativity or challenges from work into your home / personal conversations.  Some benefits to managing a family business are (1) deeper pre-existing trust of the person, (2) the ability to set up generational wealth, and (3) the chance to invest in your family by giving them opportunities to try new things and watch them grow.  KEEP UP WITH CHRIS    Smart Real Estate Coach Podcast: www.smartrealestatecoachpodcast.com Free Webinar: www.smartrealestatecoach.com/webinar/ Website: http://www.smartrealestatecoach.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/smartrealestatecoach Google +: https://plus.google.com/+Smartrealestatecoachchannel Podcast: https://www.smartrealestatecoachpodcast.com Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/smartrealestatecoach   Free strategy call: www.smartrealestatecoach.com/action Free book: www.freesrecbook.com https://www.smartrealestatecoach.com/thriving - it's a chapter in the Newly Revised Real Estate On Your Terms for free   mamie@mamieks.com

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 Development and Family Studies. He studies strong couple and family relationships, and translates his family findings into leadership lessons and improving work cultures. Dave and I talk about the three needs of all humans, how those needs show up at work, the connection between family and a positive workplace experience, how managers can apply lessons of healthy family dynamics to their team, positivity, natural consequences and so much more. Members of The Modern Manager community get Dave’s list of 50 Ideas for an Incredible Workplace which he created by gathering data from the top 346 best places to work. To learn more about membership and to join, go to www.themodernmanager.com/join - become a member before December 31, 2020 and get 1 month free to give to the person of your choosing.  Subscribe to the Modern Manager newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox. Read the related blog article: Lessons From Family Life That Strengthen Workplace Culture Check out the bonus series Parenting Your Business where I talk about the lessons I’ve translated from parenting into managing.  PYB 1: Pick Out The Raisins: https://www.themodernmanager.com/episodes/episode/be91d944/pyb-1-pick-out-the-raisins PYB 2: Banned From The Boat: https://www.themodernmanager.com/episodes/episode/b738b10e/pyb-2-banned-from-the-boat PYB 3: Halloween Costume Confusion: https://www.themodernmanager.com/episodes/episode/19af9191/pyb-3-halloween-costume-confusion PYB 4: This Way!: https://www.themodernmanager.com/episodes/episode/e9c23001/pyb-4-this-way PYB 5: What Happens When You Die?: https://www.themodernmanager.com/episodes/episode/212678f0/pyb-5-what-happens-when-you-die   Key Takeaways: There are three fundamental needs humans have in life that show up in both family and work: safety, satisfaction, and connection. Safety includes both physical and emotional safety. Physical safety may be a large enough paycheck to pay the bills, while emotional safety involves feeling comfortable enough to speak out without fear of retribution.  A foundation of trust is essential for safety. Ask your employees directly what would give them more of a sense of support, including what they see as meaningful benefits and perks.  Research shows employees become more loyal when they experience kindness from their manager or leader. All of us are born with a desire to move towards rewards. At work, that translates into professional development opportunities to stretch our talents and move forward.  In the best workplaces, employees have a deep sense that they belong, that they are part of and attached to one other.  According to the Connection/Direction/Correction Pyramid, managers must first build Connection (invest in relationship), then they can give more effective Direction (guidance along with greater autonomy), and that enables the team member to positively intake Correction (constructive feedback).  Connection is created by gratitude and care. When people feel recognized for the work they do, they are 23% more effective. When employees feel valued and cared for, their productivity increases 43%. To help employees feel cared for, connect with them on a personal level by finding out about their lives and enjoy celebrations together. Focus on the positive rather than harping on the negative. When things go wrong, forgive mistakes swiftly and ask your employees what went wrong and what they could do differently in the future. Praise in public, correct in private. No one wants to be embarrassed or mocked. In order to ensure emotional safety, discuss problems in private. But make sure to collect all of the information beforehand rather than just reacting. Ask your employees what they thought went wrong and what they could do better next time.  Discuss with your employees beforehand what consequences they would suggest if they make a mistake or drop the ball on a project. People support what they create.  KEEP UP WITH DAVE   Website: www.LifeJourneyOn.com TEDx Talk:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pmz7z4hyM9E  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdaveschramm/ www.DrDaveSpeaks.com   mamie@mamieks.com

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, managers and colleagues. Today’s guest is Neal Conlon. Neal is a conscious and mission driven Marine veteran with a goal to empower 1000 men to empower 1000 men. He’s coaches, consults, and conspires. Neal and I talk about the changing role and perception of men and masculinity. We get into how men show up in the workplace, how they can start to find their place in the new reality of #MeToo and 3rd wave Feminism, and how we can help shift unhealthy male stereotypes so everyone wins.  Members of The Modern Manager community are eligible to win a free 1 hour coaching call to fast track results, habits, and values and beliefs. This is for entrepreneurs, business owners, veterans in transition, and men or women who feel overwhelmed in 2020. You must be a member by December 1, 2020.  To learn more about membership and to join, go to www.themodernmanager.com/join Subscribe to the Modern Manager newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox. Read the related blog article: What Men Need In Today’s Modern Workplace Key Takeaways: Think of “femininity” (nurturing, energetic, open) and “masculinity” (pragmatism, safety, security) as natural inclinations towards behavior rather than sexual orientation or biology.  Every person contains both aspects of femininity and masculinity inside of them, but life circumstances and individual choices cultivate what we express. The Blueprint for much of civilization gave men and women distinct roles and expectations. As society’s expectations and opportunities for women shifted, the Blueprint crumbled. This caused men to lose their place of privilege, security, and power, resulting in many men experiencing a sense of confusion and loss.  The workplace has experienced major shifts as women have increasingly taken on higher ranking positions and movements like #MeToo have exposed inappropriate male behavior. This has left men (1) unsure of what is acceptable, (2) seeking to become feminist allies, (3) holding onto the past, and (4) everything in between. There are many things men can do to adjust to a healthier, integrated self, including maintaining a mindful practice of examining different expectations for men and women, attending masculinity events to explore unhealthy attitudes, and being conscious of not overshadowing women’s voices. Managers have the power to commit to inclusivity by maintaining a diverse team which includes supporting men to find their place in the changing environment.  If a man is struggling to understand why or how his behavior needs to change, talk with him. Rather than silencing men at meetings, managers can discuss with men why their behavior may be affecting their female colleagues, and how they can adjust accordingly.  KEEP UP WITH NEAL Website: www.nealconlon.com Instagram: @iamnealconlon mamie@mamieks.com

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 uncertainty. Whether you’ve already set annual goals or are just embarking on your goal-setting process, these strategies can help you and your team stay aligned as the world continues to change. The full episode guide includes an overview of the planning approaches, questions for reflections and suggested actions. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community or purchase the full guide at www.themodernmanager.com/shop.     Get the free mini-guide at www.themodernmanager.com/miniguides. Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Looking for a keynote speaker? I can adapt almost any solo podcast episode into a keynote or workshop. Be in touch at mamie@mamieks.com   Read the related blog article: 3 Approaches to Planning During Uncertainty   Key Takeaways: Planning 1 year goals isn’t necessarily the optimal timeline even when we aren’t experiencing lots of uncertainty.When we plan 1 year out, we are making educated guesses because the farther out we plan, the less accurate we are. Create scenarios and be explicit about the assumptions that underlie each scenario.  Look for activities and goals that remain consistent across the scenarios. Identify early indicators and establish check-ins to remind you to assess whether your assumptions still stand. Set minimum, target and optimal goals to allow for flexibility that accommodates the uncertainty. Regularly communicate with your team to stay aligned as things change.  Try not to be wedded to any particular goal, strategy, or scenario. Accept that no one is performing their best right now. Flexibility and adaptability is a critical skill during uncertainty. If you’re experiencing uncertainty in your daily life, prioritize your own actions or tasks so you spend your limited time on the most important items.  Schedule times for your highest priority items to help you stay focused on those tasks, even if your schedule ends up changing.  Additional Resources: Book: The 12 Week Year by Brian P. Moran and Michael Lennington episode 112: How to Use the Three Types of Goals mamie@mamieks.com

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 and running numerous successful companies. He now mentors entrepreneurs and CEOs from all over the world and has coached more than 1000 high achievers, including leading celebrities, centi-millionaires, and billionaires! Siimon and I walk through a number of the tips and tricks he suggests in his book Win Fast: Quick Ways to Achieve More, Earn More, and Be More.  Members of The Modern Manager community get 20% off coaching with Siimon. To learn more about membership and to join, go to www.themodernmanager.com/join Subscribe to the Modern Manager newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox. Read the related blog article: How To Achieve More In Less Time Key Takeaways: Rush your unimportant tasks. If we can handle doing a mediocre job on the tasks that aren’t that important, we can spend more of our time on the ones that matter most.  The 80:20 Rule of Consequence teaches that twenty percent of what you do gives you eighty percent of your results. Twenty percent of that twenty percent - or four percent of what you do - gives you sixty four percent of your results, which is the 64:4 rule. If we are hyper-focused on spending the majority of our time on the most important things, we yield the greatest results.  Talk with your team about the 80:20 philosophy. Encourage them to work quickly on the 80% of tasks that aren’t top priority. Reinforce that ‘good enough’ is all you’re looking for on these tasks. Individually meet with team members to communicate clearly what you believe their top goals are so that you are aligned with what they should focus on. Encourage them to write down the goal and post it where they can look at it daily. Look at your goals three times per day to remind your brain what to prioritize.  Develop a Zen sense or urgency where you feel enough pressure to move forward but not so much that it becomes stressful.  Understand what you can control and what you can’t. Draw two circles on a piece of paper. In one, write down everything outside of your control, and in the other, write everything you can control. Post this in your office to remind yourself of what actions you can take next and where to focus your energy.  One of the most underestimated techniques for making an impact on someone is a personal thank you note. It's a beautiful and powerful technique for getting ahead and getting people to appreciate you. KEEP UP WITH SIIMON Website: https://siimonreynolds.com/ Book: Win Fast: Quick Ways to Achieve More, Earn More, and Be More.  mamie@mamieks.com

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 Podcast. John and I talk about how to connect purpose to your work, no matter what industry or function you work in, how to support your team members through their role development by providing the right support style at the right times, how to get past your own fears so your teammates can really flourish and when to let go because you can’t make someone else succeed if they don’t want to.  Members of The Modern Manager community get access to Learn Loft’s Leadership Styles quiz that will help you better understand your style and their Mastering the Mighty Skills toolkit so you can elevate your leadership. To learn more about membership and to join, go to www.themodernmanager.com/join Subscribe to the Modern Manager newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox. Read the related blog article: Three Steps To Creating An Empowered Team Key Takeaways: People persevere because of purpose, not pay. When you connect your team to a cause, you breathe life into them. Look for creative ways to show your team the impact or results they are contributing to. When possible, make it about the customers not just the business. Leadership is someone whose actions inspire, empower, and serve others. One of the biggest mistakes managers make is thinking they can just hire great people and get out of the way. We all need somebody else to challenge us in order to go beyond what we think we're capable of. There are four stages of development for an employee in a given role. It’s important to establish where each person is on their development journey so you can match their autonomy and responsibility with their readiness. If you give too much autonomy or responsibility too soon, you risk the person failing or being overwhelmed. If you wait too long, you risk the person losing confidence or becoming bored. What you tolerate, you encourage. If your people are struggling, consider how your actions or inactions are impacting their ability to succeed. Managers need to detach themselves from the outcome. You can do everything to inspire and develop your team, but at the end of the day, they choose how much they want to try. According to the 80-10-10 principle, about 10% of your workers will be low performers, 80% are in the middle, and 10% are top performers. Young managers tend to focus on the bottom 10%. Instead, invest in helping the middle 80% get to the top.  KEEP UP WITH JOHN Website: https://learnloft.com/ Book: https://learnloft.com/building-the-best-book/ Podcast: https://learnloft.com/podcast/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johngeades/ mamie@mamieks.com

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 Beauty of Conflict: Harnessing Your Team’s Competitive Advantage and The Beauty of Conflict for Couples. Together they host The Beauty of Conflict podcast for dealing with conflict at work and at home. CrisMarie is an Olympic rower and Susan is a former marriage therapist and Equus coach. As partners in work and life for over two decades, they’ve adapted their proven step-by-step process honed working with Fortune 100 Companies such as Johnson & Johnson, Microsoft, AT&T and San Francisco Giants to help long-term couples use conflict as a catalyst to greater intimacy, passion, and fulfillment. Chrismarie wasn’t able to join us, so I talked with Susan about being conflict avoidant, the difference between conflict and a fight, the role of emotion and vulnerability when dealing with conflict, how to confront conflict in a productive way and more. Warning: there are a few spots where Susan uses a curse word, so if you’ve got sensitive ears around, you may want to wait to listen to this another time.  Members of The Modern Manager community get Susan and CrisMarie’s How to Have Tough Conversations Workbook. To learn more about membership and to join, go to www.themodernmanager.com/join Subscribe to the Modern Manager newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox. Read the related blog article: Embrace Constructive Conflict In The Workplace   Key Takeaways: A fight is different from a conflict. A fight is a one-sided attempt to win an argument. A conflict is a collaborative discussion that looks at all points of view in order to come up with a collective solution. In order to engage in conflict, both parties need to let go of being right and open up to the possibility of new ways of seeing.  Conflicts force us to be in a place of ambiguity and uncertainty which often feels scary and stressful.  It’s normal to experience an “Oh, Sh*t!” moments when you’re not sure if the group is actually going to come to a resolution. When you’re feeling emotionally charged, reground yourself by focusing on calm breathing and feeling your feet on the floor.  Recognize the cues when your body and mind are starting to go into stress-mode.  The faster you can recognize your signals, the quicker you can work to bring yourself down from a place of stress. Managers can change the power dynamics in group discussions by admitting to mistakes, and opening up to new solutions.  Don’t dismiss conflict between colleagues as something they have to figure out on their own. Arrange for a group discussion (for the three of you or with the whole team) to allow for others to help facilitate and add additional perspectives.  Avoid meeting one-on-one to discuss employees’ grievances separately. One-on-one meetings are inefficient, burn managers out, and don’t give employees the opportunity to come together to resolve their issues.    KEEP UP WITH SUSAN + CRISMARIE Website: www.thriveinc.com  Instagram:  Twitter:  Instagram: @thriveinc Facebook LinkedIn (CrisMarie Campbell) LinkedIn (Susan Clarke) Amazon Link - The Beauty of Conflict for Couples Amazon Link - The Beauty of Conflict Apple Podcasts    mamie@mamieks.com

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 these so that we can make better decisions, and two approaches to help organize your decision-making conversation or thought process.  The full episode guide includes an overview of each approach along with suggested questions to support your decision-making. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community or purchase the full guide at www.themodernmanager.com/shop.   Get the free mini-guide at www.themodernmanager.com/miniguides. Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.  Read the related blog article: Improve Decision Quality and Make Better Decisions Become a rockstar delegator! Check out the course: The Modern Manager's Guide to Effective Delegation. Key Takeaways: Our brains are influenced by many factors that can impact our ability to make sound decisions.  These factors include: mood, emotions, decision fatigue, cognitive bias, information overload and the paradox of choice. Our mood is impacted by the weather, if we are hungry or tired, etc. Whether we are feeling good or bad, we will bring that into our perspective on a decision. We make thousands of decisions each day. Over time, our brain loses energy for making these decisions, resulting in poor decision quality as we tire. There are many cognitive biases such as confirmation bias, where we highlight information that confirms what we already believe and downplay information that contradicts it. When we have too much information, we are unable to sort through it to find what is most important. When we have too many options, the chance of making the wrong choice increases so we tend to avoid the decision at all. Be sure to frame the decision appropriately. Is this the right decision to make? Is there a right or best answer?  Be aware of your mood and emotions. Pause and revisit a decision or ask someone else to make it. Make important decisions earlier in the day or week when you have more energy. Include others when making decisions to broaden the perspectives. Look for the right and relevant information rather than just more information. Try the 6 hats approach to think through a decision in a logical manner using six different lenses: creative possibilities, the facts, the benefits, the drawbacks, the emotions, the process.  Use a weighted criteria method to rate each option and compare them using a numerical result. Additional Resources: Episode 88: Models and Methods of Decision-Making Decision Fatigue Mood Episode 108: Combat Unhelpful Cognitive Biases Information Overload Paradox of Choice Situational Awareness Book: Six Thinking Hats by Edward de Bono mamie@mamieks.com

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 is time for managers to do their part to create diverse, equitable, and inclusive teams and organizations in which all people can truly thrive. In this episode, I speak with Aaron Samuels, Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Blavity Inc., a digital community for Black Millennials that reaches over 30 million people per month across five digital properties including Blavity News, Travel Noire, AfroTech, Shadow And Act, and 21Ninety. Aaron and I talk about race and being black inside of predominantly white spaces and predominantly spaces for people of color. We talk about how to start the work of self reflection and owning your role in perpetuating bias, even when it’s not intended. And we talk about what managers can do to create a more equitable culture.  Members of The Modern Manager community get a guide to talking about diversity, equity and inclusion with your team. To learn more about membership and to join, go to www.themodernmanager.com/join Subscribe to the Modern Manager newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox. Read the related blog article: 5 Steps To Make Your Work Culture More Inclusive And Equitable  Check out the new self-paced course - The Modern Manager's Guide to Effective Delegation. Get over your fears and past struggles, and learn how to effectively delegate in 7 weeks or less so that you can confidently hand off tasks to others, regain your focus, and spend the majority of your time on your highest priorities. Key Takeaways Managers need to create a culture of dialogue in which assumptions can be challenged. A healthy culture of dialogue occurs when employees can safely raise concerns about problematic things that happen in the workplace and then have those issues addressed without suffering any social repercussions.  Education about the history of oppression in the US and how it affects present realities and various identities is critical, but education alone will not create change.  Managers need to more frequently question and try to bring awareness to their inner prejudices and biases - we all have them.  Managers should publicly acknowledge their mistakes. By admitting what you said or did, and recognizing why it was wrong, you send the message to your employees that it is safe for them to make mistakes and own up to them as well.  Create a culture that encourages constructive dissent by making sure that there's always somebody in every meeting naming the opposite side of an argument.  To help identify where biases or blind spots are influencing decisions, stage a pre-mortem where you assume that your objective has failed and work backwards to determine what went wrong and why.  When making group decisions, take into account how proposed changes will affect people at all organizational levels, including junior employees. Considering everyone’s feelings before moving forward on a decision allows for alternative voices and viewpoints to be expressed and acknowledged.  Every conversation is an opportunity for you to earn the trust of somebody on your team. KEEP UP WITH AARON Twitter: @poetryaaron Instagram: @poetryaaron LinkedIn: Aaron Samuels Website: https://blavity.com/ Shop: https://shop.blavity.com/ mamie@mamieks.com

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 and quantify leadership effectiveness. He is considered one of the world’s top authorities in metric-based performance coaching and growth. His book, The Coaching Effect, coauthored by EcSell Institute president Sarah Wirth, helps leaders at all levels understand the necessity of challenging people out of their comfort zone to create high-growth organizations. Bill and I talk about the four growth rings, the importance of distinguishing between a performance goal and a growth goal, how growth only happens through the state of discomfort and your role as a manager is supporting your team member through those growth states. Members of The Modern Manager community get $100 off The Coaching Academy leadership training. In addition, members get the chance to win a free 30-min coaching session with prior guest Todd Palmer to help you get unstuck around crucial or difficult conversations, change, adjusting to the new normal, or whatever is on your mind. You must be a member by October 6th, 2020 for a chance to win the session with Todd. To learn more about membership and to join, go to www.themodernmanager.com/join Subscribe to the Modern Manager newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox. Read the related blog article: How To Create A High-Growth Team By Embracing Discomfort Key Takeaways The best leaders and coaches are those who can foster a healthy sense of discomfort in the workplace. Discomfort comes from being put in situations with unknown, unpredictable outcomes. The Four Basic Living Environments are Stagnation, Order, Complexity Order, and Chaos.  Stagnation is a low performing or negative growth environment. Order is predictable inputs and outcomes Complexity is an unpredictable environment where the inputs are known but the outcomes are unknown Chaos is an environment of little to no control where growth is halted by high turmoil.  Our ideal work environment for growth is complexity order.  We can put our teams into complexity order environments by  pushing them to learn new skills, improve their existing skills, and enabling them to take on new opportunities. We need to educate our teams about the power of discomfort as an opportunity and not a roadblock.  The more discomfort we create for our brains, the more change-resilient we become.  Support your struggling employee by expressing your confidence in their ability to succeed. When trust exists in the relationship, employees are more likely to embrace their challenges.  Managers need to have patience for the process of growth, let go, and let their teams struggle.  Too much discomfort in the workplace is not a good thing. We need to put enough structure and support in place so that employees can tolerate times of discomfort and thrive.  Assess each employee for what she/he needs at that moment.  Our job as managers is not to remove obstacles so that our teams can perform. Our role is to teach our team members how to remove obstacles for themselves. KEEP UP WITH BILL Website:https://www.ecsellinstitute.com Book: https://www.ecsellinstitute.com/the-coaching-effect-book LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ecsell-institute/ Twitter: @EcSellInstitute mamie@mamieks.com

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. Her clients, an international group of serial entrepreneurs, perennial corporate executives and established individual contributors hail from a broad range of sectors including Finance, Legal Media, Entertainment, Fashion, Technology and Government. Chrisa teaches her clients how to define their leadership brand, strengthen their competitive edge and foster relationships that impact the bottom line. She helps them learn to navigate corporate structures and promote themselves in an ever-competitive and evolving world. Chrisa and I talk about politicking: how you can build and leverage relationships at work to get what you want or need, and how to do it without that yucky, slimy feeling that so often comes with the idea of playing the politics game. Members of The Modern Manager community can listen to an encore episode with Chrisa where we talk about The Power of One. In addition, members get the chance to win a free 30-min coaching session with prior guest Todd Palmer to help you get unstuck around crucial or difficult conversations, change, adjusting to the new normal, or whatever is on your mind. You must be a member by October 6th, 2020 for a chance to win the session with Todd. To learn more about membership and to join, go to www.themodernmanager.com/join Subscribe to the Modern Manager newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox. Read the related blog article: Make Politicking At Work Relational Not Transactional Key Takeaways Good politicking is relational, not transactional. It doesn't need to feel slimy or inauthentic.  We politic by spreading goodwill, trust, and support in the workplace through building one-on-one relationships Your coworkers will only support you in a cause if you invest the time for them to get to know you and like you Give first, ask later. Demonstrate that you are willing to first help before asking for help yourself. Make clear through your actions that you care about the “We”, not the “I”. Managers need to show that they can set aside their personal wants to help their team get ahead. Reflect on your personality, mindset or behaviors that take you away from being “We”- focused It’s important to get to know both those above and below you. Those who report to you will only execute their best work if they know you, like you, and feel that you care about their best interests Reach out for connections. Ask your boss to put you in meetings that will help build relationships, or set up a Zoom cocktail to get to know a colleague Invest daily in practices that build up your reputation as someone who is collaborative and supportive. Mark times in your calendar to build relationships, whether through pop ins or quick messages For every work relationship, the responsibility (the work we do) and the rapport (how our coworkers feel about us) components need to be in equilibrium KEEP UP WITH CHRISA Website:https://www.handelgroup.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HGLifeCoaching LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-handel-group/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/HGLifeCoaching Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/handelgroup/ mamie@mamieks.com

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 learnings about habits after years of following the top habit researchers. I discuss the famous Habit Loop, some tips for how to successfully change your habits, and how to write a habit statement that can help you transform your behavior and thought patterns.    The full episode guide includes an overview of habit formation and tips, along with prompts, examples, and worksheets to help you reflect on your habits and craft your habit statements. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community or purchase the full guide atwww.mamieks.com/store.     Get the free mini-guide at www.themodernmanager.com/miniguides.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: Design and Build Successful Habits for Managers   Key Takeaways: A habit is a behavior or thought-process that is repeated regularly and tends to occur subconsciously. Habits are not inherently good or bad. They can be both things you do and things you don’t do. They can happen daily, weekly, monthly, annually or whenever triggered Habits are generally formed organically based on our values, desires, culture, and environment. The habit loop has three components: (1) The cue: the signal to do the habit, (2) the behavior, and (3) the reward: the benefit or reinforcement to continue to link the cue with the behavior. Cues can be internal (emotions, instincts), external (visual, environmental), time, place, etc. Behaviors can be both actions and thought patterns e.g. When she turns in work late, I think she doesn't care about her job. To change your habits, try applying the following tips: Make the new habit as small as possible so that it’s a no-brainer to do it. Set up the default in your favor so there are fewer roadblocks. Create the ideal environment that facilitates the desired behavior or inhibits the undesirable behavior. Look for the first action in a routine and build a habit around that first action. Write a habit statement that defines what the ideal behavior is, when, why you’ll do it.  While motivation cannot sustain behaviors or habits, it is an important factor when developing habits. Consider setting a 1-3 month goal with a specific reward to help you embed the habit.   Additional Resources: James Clear: https://jamesclear.com/habits Charles Duhigg: https://charlesduhigg.com/the-power-of-habit/ BJ Fogg: https://www.bjfogg.com/ Wendy Wood: https://goodhabitsbadhabits.com/ mamie@mamieks.com

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, renowned thought leader, author, and CEO who is committed to helping business owners tackle their obstacles and clear their path to success. He specializes in helping leaders join the mission statement of the organization with their personal core values, while addressing fears, self-doubts and imposter syndrome. He brings a unique blend of authenticity, transparency and vulnerability to help leaders & organizations achieve their highest goals. Todd and I talk about imposter syndrome - what it is, how it’s different from your inner critic, and how to overcome it’s unhelpful voice. Plus, how getting past your imposter syndrome can make you a better manager. Get the chance to win a free 30-min coaching Todd to help you get unstuck around crucial or difficult conversations, change, adjusting to the new normal, or whatever is on your mind. You must be a member by October 6th, 2020. To learn more about membership and to join, go to www.themodernmanager.com/join Subscribe to the Modern Manager newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.   Read the related blog article: How To Overcome Imposter Syndrome’s Unhelpful Voice   Key Takeaways Imposter syndrome and your inner critic work together; your inner critic says you’re not doing enough and your imposter syndrome fears you’re not able to be better and will be exposed for being a fraud. Imagine putting your negative voices in the passenger seat so you can control the wheel and drive forward despite their chatter. If a manager feels pressure to be an all-knowing, all-powerful savior for their team, they won’t reach out for help when necessary or deeply listen to their team. We all have our zone of genius where we personally shine but we can’t excel at everything. Change your expectations to focus on what you’re great at. We can’t wait for the motivation; take action first and motivation will follow. Anchoring your motivation to helping someone else may help you move forward and take action when imposter syndrome strikes. One of the greatest gifts we can give our staff is not to solve their problems, but to help them feel seen and heard. Say “tell me more” three to five times before giving advice. A manager’s other central listening task is to remove the “bottlenecks” that make their staff’s work life difficult. When a manager exposes their authentic, imperfect self and reaches out for help, it gives their staff permission to overcome their own imposter syndrome and reach out for help. KEEP UP WITH TODD Website: http://extraordinaryadvisors.com/   mamie@mamieks.com

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 author of the brand new book, GET IT: Five Steps to the Sex, Salary and Success You Want, and has over nineteen years’ experience training and consulting with clients such as The Home Depot, Starbucks Canada, Comerica Bank, Expedia and Lockheed Martin. She also is honored to be THE designated Cool Aunt in her family. AmyK and I talk about building buy-in for your vision, how to ask for what you want, how to have a disarming tough conversation, and how to create an environment where your team feels comfortable asking you for what they want. Become a member of The Modern Manager Community to get $100 Off AmyK’s The Power of Profitable Conversations Online Course. From connecting with another and healing a relationship to asking for a raise or drawing a boundary, being a Master Communicator sets you up for success… however you define it.  Join AmyK in her signature online course, The Power of Profitable Conversations and start using Magical Phrases and brilliant communication techniques to get more of the life you desire. To learn more about membership, go to www.themodernmanager.com/join. Subscribe to the newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.  Have you worked for a rock star manager? Be part of the research for my next book - schedule your 45 minute interview at www.managerialgreatness.com Read the related blog article: Magical Phrases That Get You and Your Staff What You Need Key Takeaways: Each person has their own needs and wants. To get what you want, align what the other person wants with your desires. Use questions to engage people in a robust conversation. The phrase “How might we…” is a great way to open up thinking. Create a meeting agenda of questions to be discussed. Ask people to contribute their questions as pre-work to help co-create the agenda. Instead of assigning work, try asking, “Would you be willing…” This gives the person the choice to accept your offer, providing them autonomy in the conversation. Hire good people and then give them the freedom to do good work. If you can, follow the “three strikes and I’m out” rule. If your manager abuses you or creates a toxic environment, after three attempts to improve the situation, if they still don’t make any changes, it’s time for you to leave that role. It's important to recognize your own self worth. If you can’t leave an unhealthy work environment, look for ways to create boundaries to protect yourself. You can ask for what you need by connecting - seek to understand the person and share how they can understand you. You can ask for what you need through personal power - be straightforward in sharing your desire, values, or what you need in order for the situation to work for you. You can use connecting or personal power, but it’s hard to do both at the same time. The life you want is on the other side of a tough conversation. Give yourself permission to go back and re-open a conversation that didn’t go as planned.  Use the phrase “I have this story in my head…” to share how you interpreted the conversation or their position, and check for accuracy. Always explain your thought process behind your decisions and actions. This builds trust and enables the person to make better choices for themselves going forward. KEEP UP WITH AMYK Website: www.amyk.com Instagram: @AmyKHutchens Twitter: @AmyKHutchens mamie@mamieks.com

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 Coach, non-practicing lawyer, and retired Royal Air Force officer with particular expertise in mentoring as well as leadership coaching and training. His clients range from individual executives and high-growth start-ups to multinational Fortune 500 corporations and others. Peter and I talk about how to take care of yourself and your team members during this time of immense stress and uncertainty. We get into some healthy self care practices that are good even when there isn’t a pandemic, how to take advantage of this strange time, and more. Become a member of The Modern Manager Community to get 50% off coaching with Peter. To learn more about membership, go to www.themodernmanager.com/join. Subscribe to the newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.  Have you worked for a rock star manager? Be part of the research for my next book - schedule your 45 minute interview at www.managerialgreatness.com Read the related blog article: Self Care Tips For Managers And Teams During COVID-19 Key Takeaways: Because our mood heavily impacts how we see the world, when under excess stress, it's easy to misinterpret actions or written communications (e.g. email or chat). Before assuming the worst, consider the facts vs your interpretation of them. Pause before responding when you feel emotionally triggered. Take a break and return to the situation with fresh eyes and a calm mind. Give yourself and others a break. We’re all navigating the same complex, confusing and stressful situation. Mark time on your calendar for self care, including time to prepare and eat meals, go for walks or exercise, etc. Offer to switch a video meeting to audio only or a phone call.  Take vacation time even if there is nowhere to go. Discover a new park within driving distance or simply take a personal day at home to relax. Encourage your team members to take breaks and time off. Role model this healthy behavior, too. Take up a new hobby or find an activity that energizes you. Or design a project for yourself and work toward it. Create a future vision for yourself and write a letter to yourself as if you’ve achieved that future state.  Spend time investing in your skills that will help you advance your career. Take an online course, etc. Know that you will get through this and be stronger because of this experience, no matter how challenging it is.  KEEP UP WITH PETER Website: http://www.petergourri.com/ Instagram: @petergourricoaching LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/petergourri/ mamie@mamieks.com

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 can help you streamline the change journey and increase the chances of a smooth change process.   The full episode guide includes an overview of the seven areas to consider to help you manage changers more smoothly. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community or purchase the full guide at www.themodernmanager.com/shop.     Get the free mini-guide which contains an overview of the emotional change curve at www.themodernmanager.com/miniguides.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: 7 Ways to Help Yourself and Others Manage Change   Key Takeaways: Think of change as a journey, not an event. We experience change as a process of moving from point A to point B, from leaving what was and arriving at what will be. The change journey is complete when you’ve arrived at your new normal. We experience change more positively when we are in control and have chosen to change.  Invite people into the decision early or give people a choice to opt in to a change. In order for us to gain something new, we must let go of something else. This experience of loss can be more dramatic than adapting to the new. Consider who is gaining what and who is losing what for each change. Avoid blanket statements about change being good or bad in the same way for everyone involved. The change journey is also an emotional journey. By understanding the emotional rollercoaster, we can put our experience in context.  When we lack the skills, knowledge, environment or motivation for change, the journey is almost impossible. Changes often have implications beyond what is initially perceived. Some changes seem small but are quite big while other changes appear big but are actually small.  Dealing with change is easier when we are part of a group. Whenever possible, talk about the change experience and support each other to move forward. We each experience change differently. Be patient with yourself and others who need more time to process. Additional Resources: Emotional change curve https://www.rmm-i.com/leading-change-understanding-the-faces-of-resistance/ Hugo - meeting agenda planning software within GoogleCalendar: https://www.hugo.team/ Meeting Sense - meeting agenda planning software within Outlook: http://www.meetingsense.com/ mamie@mamieks.com

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 the Head of Organization + Culture Design at co:collective and the former President of WIN:Women in Innovation. Kit and I talk about the difference between story-telling and story-doing, the power of simply asking, a culture of psychological safety, the idea of being on a quest, and so much more. Become a member of The Modern Manager Community to be entered to win a free coaching call with Kit Krugman. In addition, you’ll be entered to win a collective mindset report worth $1,500. This report provides you with information on the quality of your current culture and mental lenses of the leaders and employees. You must be a member by September 1st to qualify for both drawings. To learn more about membership, go to www.themodernmanager.com/join. Subscribe to the newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.  Have you worked for a rock star manager? Be part of the research for my next book - schedule your 45 minute interview at www.managerialgreatness.com Read the related blog article: Are You Sending The Wrong Signals To Your Team?  Key Takeaways: The story you tell about your company mission, vision and values is only as powerful as the actions that follow it. That is ‘story-doing’ instead of story-telling. When actions don’t align with espoused values, people read the signals and follow what the leadership role models, incentives, and rewards. Reflect on your own behaviors. Are you acting how you expect others to act? Engage your team members in the conversation. What do they want to do? Ask for their feedback and input rather than dictating to them. In order to get honest input and feedback, there must be psychological safety. To develop that trust, ask for critical feedback and take it without being defensive. If you respond negatively, you undermine that psychological safety. Explore what makes you defensive? Get to know yourself and what triggers an emotional response. Prepare to hear critical feedback and to accept it without a defensive or emotional response. Pause to let the emotion pass, say thank you and that you want time to consider it and/or ask for guidance on how to improve. Set your company on a quest that is larger than your products, services, and goals. Establish a Northstar to guide your work that inspires people and opens up possibilities. Create a mission for your team that contributes to that quest. Culture is always a competitive advantage. Culture is about engagement, productivity, attracting and retaining talent. Managers must create a sense of community within their team, especially during this time of physical distancing. Over communicate, invest more time in relationship building individually and collectively. When times are uncertain, people will create their own narrative if you don’t tell them the story. Create the narrative and live into it. KEEP UP WITH KIT Website: https://womenininnovation.co/ Twitter: @kitkrugman Instagram: @24hrkitness mamie@mamieks.com

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 mental success coach and cutting-edge leadership consultant, author, trainer, and researcher. He is the author of "Success Mindsets: The Key to Unlocking Greater Success in Your Life, Work, & Leadership," and a leadership professor at Cal State Fullerton. He has a Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior and Human Resources from Indiana University. Ryan and talk about what mindsets are and how they impact us as managers, the four typical manager mindsets that might actually be holding you back, how vulnerability comes into play, and how to begin shifting your mindset. Become a member of The Modern Manager Community to be entered to win a free collective mindset report worth $1,500. This report provides you with information on the quality of your current culture and mental lenses of the leaders and employees. You must be a member by September 1st to qualify. To learn more about membership, go to www.themodernmanager.com/join. Subscribe to the newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.  Have you worked for a rock star manager? Be part of the research for my next book - schedule your 45 minute interview at www.managerialgreatness.com Read the related blog article: The Four Human Desires that Undermine Great Managers Key Takeaways: Mindsets are the mental lenses that we wear that shape how we see the world and how we behave. How you approach a situation can make all the difference. Consider what happens when you view someone as not trying vs doing their best. Intention and impact are not the same. A lack of awareness of your own mindsets can lead to negative impact, even if unintentionally. 60% of employees say their manager damages their self esteem. Managers, and humans, typically have four desires that can undermine their ability to be great managers. These desires are (1) to look good, (2) to be right, (3) to avoid problems, and (4) to get ahead. These desires stem from self preservation and are associated with four negative mindsets: (1) fixed, (2) closed, (3) preservation, and (4) inward. We can replace our negative mindsets with positive ones: (1) instead of looking good, seek to grow, (2) instead of being right, seek truth, (3) instead of avoiding problems, aim to achieve goals, and (4) instead of getting ahead, strive to lift others.  You must be willing to be vulnerable because in order to develop these success mindsets, at times you will look bad, be wrong, have problems and get past up. When managers struggle with vulnerability, they tend to develop a command and control style. This creates an unhelpful situation where team members are unhappy but don’t feel comfortable speaking up. To become more aware of your mindsets, do the following 4 steps: (1) Identify a goal, (2) Reflect on what you are doing, or not doing, that is inhibiting your from achieving that goal, (3) identify the underlying fears, commitments, and assumptions, are holding you back, and (4) connect these to the negative mindsets or desires so that you can begin shifting them. When you are aware of your negative mindset, you can begin to change your outlook and therefore your behavior. KEEP UP WITH RYAN Website: https://ryangottfredson.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryangottfredson/ Assessment: https://ryangottfredson.com/personal-mindset-assessment Book: Success Mindsets: The Key to Unlocking Greater Success in Your Life, Work, & Leadership mamie@mamieks.com

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 HayimHerring.com, whose mission is “preparing today’s leaders for tomorrow’s organizations™.” Hayim is a prolific author, presenter, and organizational futurist, specializing in nonprofits and values-based organizations.  Hayim and I talk about building relationships with people outside your generation, stereotypes and realities of boomers, gen Xrs, millennials, and gen Zrs, how we might all approach people of any age with curiosity and the value they bring to the conversation, and how to build a truly intergenerational workplace that engages people of any generation. Become a member of The Modern Manager Community to get 30% Hayim’s book Connecting Generations: Bridging the Boomer, Gen X, and Millennial Divide which offers real-world strategies to strengthening intergenerational relationships in our workplaces and communities. Members also get Hayim’s recent report on how COVID-19 is making Gen Zers and Millennials rethink personal and professional priorities. To learn more about membership, go to www.themodernmanager.com/join. Get 10% off The Modern Manager’s Guide to Effective Delegation you register before August 31st, 2020. Use code Early10! -- Members get 20% of this course. Learn more at www.themodernmanager.com/courses/effective-delegation Subscribe to the newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.  Have you worked for a rock star manager? Be part of the research for my next book - schedule your 45 minute interview at www.managerialgreatness.com Read the related blog article: How To Bring Generations Together In The Workplace Key Takeaways: Every generation develops stereotypes about the other generations. These stereotypes can inhibit us from seeking relationships with people outside our own generation. To build relationships with people outside your generation, ask someone to join you for a (virtual) coffee, find places to volunteer with people of other generations, or join a friend who has cross generational relationships. Millennials say Boomers are obsessed with working hard so that they can retire and have fun. They are tough and tenacious, and Boomers are entitled, feeling like they worked for a long time and therefore earned or deserve leadership roles.  Boomers say Millennials only want to have fun now, they don’t have tenacity or grit, they don’t have big goals, and Millennials are entitled, feeling like they should be given responsibility right from the start. There will always be a tension between those with experience and the wisdom gained over time and those with fresh eyes who aren’t beholden to any past experience.  Just putting people of different generations on team or in an office does not make for an intergenerational workplace.  Learning how to collaborate with and learn from people of every generation is a critical skill.  The responsibility of every generation is to hold on to what is good, let go of what isn't, and plan the seeds for a better future so that other generations will thrive. Companies should rethink how the offer benefits to better meet the need of each generation.  KEEP UP WITH HAYIM LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hayimherring/ Blog: http://hayimherring.com/blog/ Website: http://hayimherring.com mamie@mamieks.com Shop the Modern Manager store: www.themodernmanager.com/shop -- Use code LAUNCH10 to get 10% off until August 1st

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 of goal plus a 4th bonus goal type, how to write them and what they are best suited for. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community or purchase the full guide at www.themodernmanager.com/shop.   Get the free mini-guide at www.themodernmanager.com/miniguides. Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Have you worked for a rock star manager? Sign up to be interviewed for my next book: www.managerialgreatness.com   Learn more and register for The Modern Manager Guide to Effective Delegation - course launches August 11, 2020. Get 10% off with code EARLY10! When you register by July 28.   Read the related blog article: How to Use the Three Types of Goals   Key Takeaways: Goals are critical to how an organization, team, and individual work. They guide significant aspects of how people think and behave. There are three basic types of goals: (1) Impact goals, (2) Output goals, (3) Process goals. Impact goals focus on the result that is achieved. They are often out of our direct control. Output goals focus on the deliverable or accomplishment. They tend to be short term. Process goals focus on behavior. They generally include an action and frequency. When writing goals, include any measures that describe success more fully. Often goals have a main focus, but many additional factors that must be met in order for the goal to be fully achieved. Include a timeline for all goals. Even arbitrary timelines are useful in that they help you negotiate how you’ll spend your time. Goals without any due date always fall to the bottom of the list. mamie@mamieks.com

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 worked with clients such as Etsy, Venmo and Foursquare and others you haven't heard of yet....but you will! She also writes for Inc and Forbes and is an angel investor and Broadway investor. Alisa and I talk about common mistakes managers make when communicating with their team members. We talk about power and authority, delegation, micro-management, chat tools and more.  Get 10% off The Modern Manager’s Guide to Effective Delegation you register before July 28, 2020. Use code Early10! -- Members get 20% of this course. Learn more at www.themodernmanager.com/courses/effective-delegation Get free mini-guide at www.themodernmanager.com/miniguides. Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.  Have you worked for a rock star manager? Be part of the research for my next book - schedule your 45 minute interview at www.managerialgreatness.com Read the related blog article: Six Tips For Managers  From The World’s Leading Startup Coach Key Takeaways: It’s easy to forget that you have positional authority (i.e. you are someone with power) so what you say carries a lot of weight even if it’s not intended to. To counteract the negative side of this positional power, you must build psychological safety. Demonstrate to your team that you listen and remove obstacles. Consider using phrases like “I’m wondering about” or “this is just a thought” to clarify and explicitly signal when you’re in brainstorm, not decision mode. Offer to have another conversation about it rather than move forward. Be thoughtful about how you delegate. What work, to which person, how you onboard them to it, etc. You must be clear about what finished looks like before you can ask someone else to take over. Talk with each team member about what the right forms of autonomy are for them - what they feel confident with, where they need help / want to grow. Make this a regular conversation so you can both continue to refine and evolve your oversight. Clarify decisions and next steps at the end of a meeting. Ensure people are on the same page to reduce confusion going forward. Make a plan with your team for how you’ll use each mode of communication (chat, email meetings, etc). Chat is great for engaging many people and quickly gathering responses. Email is great for longer information sharing and response time. Agree on document storage norms, too, so people can find what they need. Talk with each team member about their schedule and home-office setup, and work with them as needed to create the optimal working conditions.  Everyone should spend 1-3 hours per week on planning and strategic thinking. This is the time to organize your week/days so you can focus on the important (not just urgent) and streamline your productivity for the week.  As a manager, part of your strategic thinking time is to reflect on each team member and how you can best support them to make progress - what do they need from you to be successful? How can you help them grow? Are you fully utilizing their talents and capabilities? Additional Resources: The Modern Manager’s Guide to Effective Delegation www.themodernmanager.com/courses/effective-delegation -- Use code EARLY10! To get 10% off until July 20th. KEEP UP WITH ALISA LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alisacohn/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/AlisaCohn Website: https://www.alisacohn.com/ mamie@mamieks.com Shop the Modern Manager store: www.themodernmanager.com/shop -- Use code LAUNCH10 to get 10% off until August 1st

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 through conversations, delivering programs and coaching leaders in 41 countries while reaching thousands online. She has four award-winning books including the one she just released Coach the Person, Not the Problem: A Guide to Using Reflective Inquiry. Marcia is passionate about how coaching contributes to making our organizations and the world a better place for all. Marcia and I talk about the difference between advising, questioning and true coaching. We get into the practicality of how to have a productive coaching conversation, and what happens when you actually help someone see their own thought patterns and choose to transform themselves.  Get early access to a special page full of bonus resources from Marcia when you join the Modern Manager community  Get free mini-guide at www.themodernmanager.com/miniguides. Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.  Have you worked for a rock star manager? Be part of the research for my next book - schedule your 45 minute interview at www.managerialgreatness.com Read the related blog article: The Manager's Job Is To Be The Coach, Not The Expert Key Takeaways: Coaching is being a thinking partner where you help someone take the stories out of their head so they can examine them. Giving advice, or telling people how to fix their problems, isn’t as effective as when the person generates the solution for themselves.   When we aren’t bought into a solution, we don’t take action. Even if we agree with an idea, if it’s not our idea, we’re less likely to follow through on it. Being a great coach isn’t about asking good questions. It’s about creating a safe space to reflect back what you’re hearing so the person can decide what it means to them. Good coaches let go of their own expertise and judgement. They focus on being good listeners and summarizing what they hear, picking up on emotions and thought patterns. Practice coaching with a buddy, friend, colleague or partner. Try coaching each other to get the benefit of experiencing reflexive inquiry as a coach and a coachee. When someone shifts their internal stories, it has a profound impact in how they show up as a person. Additional Resources: Know Your Rights Camp COVID19 Relief Fund https://www.knowyourrightscamp.com/covid19 Shop for Modern Manager gear at www.themodernmanager.co/shop -- Use code LAUNCH10 to get 10% off until August 1st KEEP UP WITH MARCIA LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/marciareynolds/ Twitter https://twitter.com/MarciaReynolds Website: https://covisioning.com mamie@mamieks.com Shop the Modern Manager store: www.themodernmanager.com/shop

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 an international leader in the movement to end harassment — in all its forms. In 2005, at the age of 24, she co-founded Hollaback! in New York City, and in 2010 she became its first full-time executive director. Our executive director has also won many awards for her leadership, including the TEDCity 2.0 Prize. Emily has a Master’s Degree in Social Policy from the London School of Economics, is an Ashoka Fellow and a Prime Movers Fellow.   Emily shares the 5 Ds of bystander intervention, explaining various ways you can help when you notice disrespectful behaviors in your workplace.  Get 10% off trainings with Hollaback! when you join the Modern Manager community  Get free mini-guide at www.themodernmanager.co/miniguides. Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.  Have you worked for a rock star manager? Be part of the research for my next book - schedule your 45 minute interview at www.managerialgreatness.com Read the related blog article: What To Do When You Witness Disrespect In The Workplace Key Takeaways: There is a spectrum of disrespectful behaviors ranging from mild - not listening to each other, intentional undermining, shaming via jokes - to severe - harassing comments, sexual innuendos, inappropriate touching. Cultures that accept mild behaviors tend to slowly accept more aggressive ones. It’s important to interrupt small behaviors so they don’t take root.  Don’t wait until it ‘qualifies’ as harassment and requires attention from HR. Use the 5 Ds to appropriately interrupt disrespectful behaviors. The 5 Ds of bystander intervention: Distract, Delegate, Document, Delay, Direct. Distract: create a distraction that redirects attention, giving both parties a chance to disengage. Try engaging the person experiencing the disrespect in a conversation or asking for their help. Or, make a commotion. Delegate: find the appropriate authority or someone else to help with the situation. This may be an HR team member or a nearby colleague who is more comfortable engaging. Document: capture the situation - who, what, when, where - and give the documentation to the person being disrespected so they can decide what to do with that information. Documenting is critical because memories are fallible and a paper-trail will be useful if further action is needed in the future. Delay: check in with the person being targeted after to see if they’re OK and what they need. Simply acknowledging what happened can reduce the impact of trauma. Ignoring it compounds the experience because you feel like no one has your back.  Direct: confront the initiator and let them know their behavior is not acceptable. If a comment is disrespectful, try asking the person to clarify what they mean.  Regardless of the in-the-moment tactic, as a manager, you need to follow up with the offender and let them know their behavior is not acceptable in the workplace. It’s normal to worry about your own safety or job security or consequence of engaging. That’s why you need to choose the D that feels best to you. Direct intervention is rarely the optimal approach.  Harassment and disrespectful behaviors show up in all kinds of teams - in person and virtual - and takes many forms - racism, sexism, ableism, etc. There is no place for any of it in a healthy workplace culture. Additional Resources: Know Your Rights Camp COVID19 Relief Fund https://www.knowyourrightscamp.com/covid19 Shop for Modern Manager gear at www.themodernmanager.co/shop -- Use code LAUNCH10 to get 10% off until August 1st KEEP UP WITH EMILY Twitter: @ihollaback Instagram: @ihollagram Facebook: facebook.com/ihollaback Website: ihollaback.org mamie@mamieks.com Shop the Modern Manager store: www.themodernmanager.co/shop

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 not totally in control of how many emails we receive every day. This week I walk through 3 cognitive biases and 1 cognitive state that may be inhibiting you from achieving managerial greatness and building a healthy team environment.    The full episode guide includes an overview of each topic, questions for reflection and actions you can take to overcome these unhelpful states. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community or purchase the full guide at www.themodernmanager.co/shop.     Get the free mini-guide at www.themodernmanager.co/miniguides.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: Don't Let Cognitive Biases Get in the Way of Being a Great Manager   Key Takeaways: Cognitive biases are the systematic ways in which the context and framing of information influence our judgment and decision-making. This Actor-Observer bias says that when something negative happens to me, I blame the situation or circumstances. But when that same negative thing happens to someone else, I blame the person - their choices, behaviors, values or personality. For managers, this may impact how you view a poor performer or when a mistake or failure occurs. To avoid mis-attributing something negative to the person, check in with them. Use the conversation to gather more information in order to have a more informed understanding of the context and the person. The Recency Effect says that we tend to remember or over-weigh the most recent information we have access to. For managers, this is particularly important when giving feedback or annual performance reviews.  To combat this, gather data across time so you can look for trends and have accurate information without relying on your memory. The Negativity Bias says we tend to register negative content more easily than positive, and we tend to dwell on the negative more than the positive. For managers, this may impact what feedback you provide, making it more likely to find criticisms and issues and not celebrating wins or sharing appreciation often enough. To counterbalance this, incorporate time for gratitude into your day or week and take time to celebrate the positives with your whole team. Cognitive Dissonance is the mental conflict of holding two conflicting beliefs or seeing the disconnect between two things that are true for you but don’t logically make sense together. For managers, this may appear when we receive feedback or discover that how we perceive ourselves is not how others perceive us, fostering defensiveness or dismissal of others’ opinions. When trying to reduce the uncomfortable state of cognitive dissonance, accept that your behavior may have been interpreted differently and that’s OK. Consider how you might adjust it to better match your beliefs and intentions.   Additional Resources: Know Your Rights Camp COVID19 Relief Fund https://www.knowyourrightscamp.com/covid19 Shop for Modern Manager gear at www.themodernmanager.co/shop -- Use code LAUNCH10 to get 10% off until August 1st More on cognitive biases www.verywellmind.com mamie@mamieks.com Shop the Modern Manager store: www.themodernmanager.co/shop

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 Group and Executive and Leadership Coach - bringing over 20 years of real-world experience from leading as an officer in the army, to leading in corporate america in Sales & marketing in the fast paced medical device technology world. Sue and I talk about leading yourself and others, aligning your leadership style with your core values, and how to talk with your team members in an authentic way to get them to give you honest feedback so that you can show up as a better manager. Warning: Sue and I recorded this episode during the first week of March, before the Coronavirus pandemic hit the US in a serious way. At one point, Sue references an activity that involves imagining a funeral, which may be a sensitive subject or triggering for some listeners right now. If that feels like too much for you, I suggest you enjoy a different episode and come back to this another time.   Read the related blog article: How To Get Honest, Helpful Feedback From Your Team   Join the Modern Manager community (www.themodernmanager.co/join) for a free audio version of Sue’s book Leadership by Choice plus some additional resources. Plus, if you join by July 3, 2020, you will be entered in a drawing to win a copy of Be Kind: A Year of Kindness, One Week at a Time.  If you work for a nonprofit or government agency, email me at mamie@mamieks.com for 20% off any membership level.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    KEY TAKEAWAYS Leadership is the ability to impact and influence other people, starting with yourself. Just because you don’t have a leadership title or position of authority, doesn’t mean you don’t need to display leadership behaviors. We are each responsible for how we show up in the moment. There is no single right way to lead. It’s important to be authentic in your leadership style and lead from your core values. Think deeply about what matters to you. Project your life into the future - what do you want your legacy to be? How do you want people to describe you? Key value for Managers: Be curious and genuinely interested in what motivates and inspires your people. Ask each of your team members directly: What do you like most about working with me? What do you find most frustrating about working with me? What do you find most meaningful about your job? What do you find most frustrating about your job? These questions help you learn and show you care. To help make the person comfortable with sharing honestly, set the stage that this information will help you better serve them. Acknowledge that this may be an uncomfortable conversation but you know you’re not showing up in the optimal way and want to improve, and need their help to do so. Talk to your manager and offer to share feedback that would help them work better with you. Position it as you know you can do better if they’re open to hearing what you need to be most successful.   KEEP UP WITH SUE Book: leadershipbychoice.com [book - also on AMAZON] Website: focalpointeinc.com [co. website for contact/gen info] LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/suesalvemini mamie@mamieks.com

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 productivity tools and training. She released her book, The Joy of Missing Out, with Harper Collins in the fall of 2019, which has been named a top ten business book of the year by Fortune Magazine. Tonya’s messages about business management, productivity, and the pursuit of passion have impacted thousands and inspired her to launch her podcast, Productivity Paradox which has surpassed more than a million downloads. Her podcast regularly ranks in the top 50 of all business management podcasts on Apple Podcasts. Tonya and I talk about the difference between being busy and being productive and how to re-think the idea of work-life balance. We walk through the basics of the Live Well method, how to protect your time when it feels like it’s owned by your company or your team, and much more.    Read the related blog article: How To Live A Less Busy, But More Productive, Life   Join the Modern Manager community (www.themodernmanager.co/join) to get 20% off at inkWELL Press until September 1, 2020. Plus, get the chance to win a copy of Be Kind: A Year of Kindness, One Week at a Time from prior guest Jaclyn Lindsey. You must be a member by July 3, 2020 to be eligible.  If you work for a nonprofit or government agency, email me at mamie@mamieks.com for 20% off any membership level.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    KEY TAKEAWAYS Being productive is about doing what’s most important and what moves you forward. It’s better to do fewer, right things, than be busy with many things that don’t move the needle. There is no such thing as work-life balance. Instead, it’s a constant dance of leaning and counterbalancing. There are times when we need to spend more time, energy and focus at work and then times when we do at home, or on ourselves. The goal is not equal attention to all areas, but a healthy ebb and flow. The Live Well method has four stages: (1) Discovery - what matters to you; (2) Clarify - how do you design your life around your priorities; (3) Simplify - streamline, automate and simplify as much as possible (4) Harmony - make it manageable and embrace happiness. It’s important to think of your life holistically. You need work and home to both be running smoothly if you want to be your best self. Don’t forget about yourself. Our brains and bodies need rest, rejuvenation and investment.  The human brain has an ultradian rhythm which means it works hard for 90-120 minutes and then needs a break. It can’t work at full speed for 8 hours straight. Block time on your calendar to do your important work. This signals to colleagues that you’re not available. It’s OK to say no to a meeting or to ask for an agenda and decide if you should attend or what parts you should attend. Don’t let a 5 minute ‘quick question’ become a 30 minute conversation. If you’ve got other things to do, schedule a better time to discuss the topic or use a different mode of connection e.g. chat app or email. Put a sign on your door or on your chat availability that say you’re busy. Include what time you’ll be done so colleagues (or housemates) know when they can interrupt you again. Improve your habits. Use timers to set reminders, set routines for how you start and end your day. Share what matters to you with your team. Let them know of any time you’ve blocked for specific deep work. The more your team is aware of your goals and priorities, the more easily they can work in ways that allows you to focus. It also brings the team closer into alignment.    KEEP UP WITH TONYA Website: tonyadalton.com Facebook: tonyadalton.com/fb Book: joyofmissingout.com Instagram: @tonya.i.dalton   RESOURCES Book: How To Be An Inclusive Leader Episode 89: Growing into an Inclusive Leader with Jennifer Brown Color of Change https://colorofchange.org/ Equal Justice Initiative https://eji.org/racial-justice/ mamie@mamieks.com

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 kindness is humanity's greatest asset. It was this ethos that inspired her to launch kindness.org, a global non-profit building evidence-based programs for kinder classrooms, communities and workplaces.  Jaclyn and I talk about the science of kindness, the role kindness plays in our work experience, why being kind matters, how you can still show kindness even at a distance, and how to get your team on board with the idea of being kinder at work. Now here’s the conversation!   Read the related blog article: Simple Ways to Benefit from Kindness In The Workplace   Join the Modern Manager community (www.themodernmanager.co/join) for the chance to win a copy of Be Kind: A Year of Kindness, One Week at a Time. You must be a member by July 3, 2020 to be eligible.  If you work for a nonprofit or government agency, email me at mamie@mamieks.com for 20% off any membership level.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    KEY TAKEAWAYS Kindness is a choice, it's an action. Kindness is not the same as being weak, fluffy, feminine or soft.  Research has proven that kindness has a significant effect on happiness and overall well being for the person who acts with kindness, the recipient of the kindness, and a person who witnesses the kindness.  Kindness does not need to be heroic actions. The small daily interactions and behaviors often matter more. For example, simply smiling and greeting someone or asking how they are doing with genuine curiosity. It often takes strength to choose kindness. There are times when we are hurt, betrayed, stressed or resentful and it seems easier to act out of negativity. But rising above and letting something go or confronting it with an open mind demonstrates you are willing to go to great lengths to seek to better yourself and the team. One of the most powerful acts of kindness a manager can do is consistently say good morning to their team members. It’s simply acknowledging the person. You can show kindness at a distance by sending an email, a message on Slack, a handwritten note, calling a team member to check in on them,  etc. Introduce kindness to your team by having a conversation about what kindness means to you. Talk about why kindness matters and what it looks like in a work setting. Let your team know that kindness is welcomed and encouraged.  Often people just need to know that it's acceptable to be kind, it’s expected that we care for each other.  Share stories in a meeting or via Slack of moments where kindness made a difference in your life, or, where you experienced a lack of kindness and how that impacted you.  Think about how you can put kindness at the forefront of all you do, recognizing that we can never fully understand or know someone else’s story, but we can approach each person and situation with a generosity of spirit.    KEEP UP WITH JACLYN Twitter: @jaclyndsey and @kindness_org Website: https://kindness.org/ Facebook: @kindnessorg Instagram: @kindnessorg Email: jaclyn@kindness.org mamie@mamieks.com

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. My approach is designed to generate the right conversations that enable clarity and alignment, resulting in a highly usable visual map.    The full episode guide includes both a written overview of my version of process mapping along with a video tutorial. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community or purchase the full guide at www.mamieks.com/store.     Get the free mini-guide at www.themodernmanager.co/miniguides.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: Streamline Your Teamwork with Simple Process Mapping   Key Takeaways: Process mapping is a simple and effective way to clarify any repeated workflow. Don’t worry about all the technical components of process mapping. Focus on producing a document that is usable by you and the team.  When mapping, consider the following elements: (1) what actions, tasks or steps need to happen in what order, (2) what decisions need to be made, (3) what tools, resources, templates, checklists, etc are needed for each step. Consider who (person or role) will take each action and who will be involved in which decisions. Use a RAPIDS or other decision model to further clarify how a decision will be made. Brainstorm and create a draft map as a starting point. Invite others involved in the process to enhance the map. Start by mapping a process or workflow that isn’t working well. Map one process at a time. It’s normal to spend 1-10 hours to complete a process map. Consider this an investment up front which will save you many hours and frustrations in the future. Decide how to best use your map - post it on a wall, store it in a digital document, print and put in a binder. Revisit the map as often as is needed to help you stay on track. Update the map with new learnings as you discover how to better streamline the work, need additional steps, etc.   Additional Resources: Lucid Chart free mapping tool www.lucidchart.com/‎ Episode 88 Models and Methods of Decision-Making  mamie@mamieks.com

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 Coaching and Consulting. He elevates successful corporate leaders by preventing bad moments from turning into bad days. He has shared his inspirational story and transformation from human DOer to human BEing on the TEDx stage, with multiple Fortune 500 companies, Fast Company, Real Simple, ABC, and many wonderful podcasts like The Modern Manager. Michael and I talk about how to show up every day as the leader or manager you want to be. He shares his major wake up call and what he’s learned about how to put an end to having bad days. We get into mindsets and intentionality and building yourself a peloton (tribe).    Read the related blog article: The Two Support Systems Every Manager Needs   Join the Modern Manager community (www.themodernmanager.co/join) to get a discount on Michael’s book My Last Bad Day Shift.    If you work for a nonprofit or government agency, email me at mamie@mamieks.com for 20% off any membership level.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    KEY TAKEAWAYS Nothing has meaning until you give it meaning. Nothing in your life is bad or good until you label it that way. You have a choice in how you look at life and any situation. We all have bad moments. The key is to not let those bad moments gain momentum and turn into bad days. It’s hard to press pause on life to really consider who you are and what you want. This moment of the pandemic is a pause for many of us. Take this time to really reflect on what matters to you and how you want to show up as person, as a leader. Be in the moment. Breath more and connect with your body. Set an intention for every day: How do you want to be? What do you need to do to be that way? What do you want to have in your life? We are in constant conversation with ourselves. If your mindset is holding you back, you need to shift your mindset in order to make real change. The four common mindset blocks are: (1) limiting belief - it can’t happen because it hasn’t happened before; (2) interpretation - we draw conclusions without investigation; (3) the inner critic - we’re just not good enough; (4) assumptions - because it’s happened before, it will happen again. To help recognize your inner dialogue and how it could be holding you back, you need to create quiet in your mind. Consider meditating as a way to give your mind space. Create a peloton (community or tribe) for yourself of people who can help us see what we can’t see or hear what we can’t yet hear. Let them be your trusted advisors. Consider whose peloton you’re in and how you’re showing up for them.    KEEP UP WITH MICHAEL LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/michaelobrienpelotoncoaching Website: www.michaelobrienshift.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/pelotoncoaching mamie@mamieks.com

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-founder of JRNI Coaching and the Catalyst Coaching Intensive. She is also a feminist scholar, coach, speaker, and sexologist who specializes in the relationship with the self. Noelle and I talk about the difference it makes when you approach situations and people with a positive mindset, how to minimize defensiveness when having accountability conversations, and how to use brain science to inform your management style and get the best performance from your team while also creating a positive, healthy environment.   Read the related blog article: How to Apply Brain Science to Give Better Feedback   Join the Modern Manager community (www.themodernmanager.co/join) to access dozens of guest bonuses, episode guides and a community of supportive managers in our private Slack team.    Members get  $100 off the The JRNI Coaching Intensive which is a 20-week life coach certification for imperfect people to pursue their perfect calling and launch a coaching practice that makes an impact If you work for a nonprofit or government agency, email me at mamie@mamieks.com for 20% off any membership level.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    KEY TAKEAWAYS Managers can leverage brain science to create the optimal environment for their team members.  The Poetic Principle says we can learn anything we put our mind to. When you look at your team members, its important to see them as full of potential. Social Construction theory says people are born into believing they have limitations given their past experiences. Help your team members see their potential for themselves. Mastery experiences help us develop confidence as we learn that we can achieve our goals. THey are little moments that lead us to the realization that “wow! I can do it!” Create opportunities for emotional interval training for your team members. This gives them opportunities to take small risks and go to the edge of their comfort zone but then retreat to safety. Over time, people become more tolerant of discomfort and are able to take greater risks before needing to return to safety. When the nervous system fires up, it closes down the logic center. When the endocrine system fires up, it causes people to be more creative. People do their best work when their endocrine system is alive. Use empathy mapping to help you understand the experience and perspective of your team members. Reflect for 5 minutes and consider what the other person has experienced, what they are seeing, hearing, feeling, etc.  Empathy  mapping is especially useful before giving feedback or inquiring about a mistake or problem. It enables you to have compassion and anticipate how the other person might respond. To avoid triggering a negative emotional response which leads to a ‘fight or flight’ mode,we must avoid appearing accusatory. Ask “what” questions instead of “why” questions. For example: “I expected X, but Y happened. Help me understand what caused the disconnect.” instead of “I expected X. Why didn't we end up with X?” When we externalize the situation, it enables people to be really honest because they know you’re not focused on their shortcomings. When someone is pointing a finger at you, it shuts down the opportunity for honest self reflection and growth.   KEEP UP WITH NOELLE Instagram: instagram.com/jrni_co Facebook: facebook.com/JRNICoaching/   RESOURCES JRNI Coaching program https://www.jrni.co/life-coach-training-program?src=modernmanager mamie@mamieks.com

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, even over Zoom, and transform the relationships between your team members? Jason Treu is a Chief People Officer and employee engagement expert. He spent 15+ years in leadership positions working with Steve Jobs, Reed Hastings (CEO at Netflix), and Mark Cuban. He’s the best-selling author of Social Wealth, that’s sold more than 60,000 copies. His 2017 TEDxWilmington talk focused on “How to Get CoWorkers to Like Each Other.” His team building game Cards Against Mundanity is being used by more than 20000+ employees. Jason and I talk about how to quickly build deep, authentic relationships, How to develop trust through meaningful conversations, and how teams and organizations benefit when people actually know and care about each other. And, the amazing thing is you don’t need to be together in person to do it!   Read the related blog article: The Easiest Way To Create Psychological Safety For Your Team   Join the Modern Manager community (www.themodernmanager.co/join) to access dozens of guest bonuses, episode guides and a community of supportive managers in our private Slack team.  Members get a free 30 min coaching session where Jason can help you strategize and plan for how to use the game and build relationships with your team. If you work for a nonprofit or government agency, email me at mamie@mamieks.com for 20% off any membership level.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    KEY TAKEAWAYS Despite spending significant time with our colleagues, we actually know very little about each other. When you don’t like someone, you don’t trust them. That leads to creating false negative narratives about their behavior which further distances us from them. The biggest factor in whether a team is high performing or not is the strength of the relationships and cohesiveness of the team. To develop deeper bonds among team members, you need to spend time getting to know them through meaningful conversation. Studies have shown that asking deeply personal questions instantly strengthens relationships and allows people to find common ground through shared experience. This opens the door to repairing previously strained relationships. Include questions such as: “What was the most important lesson you've learned in the last year?” and “If you were to thank one person for helping you become the person you are, who would that be, and why?”  Talk to your team about why these conversations are important and how opening up about ourselves will benefit us as individuals and as a team. Role model the desired behavior by being the first to share. Be honest and vulnerable. Consider making “work with me” manuals that document each person’s preferred work style. Include pet peeves, optimal communication methods, etc. Whenever a new team member joins, hold another group conversation with the deep questions. Then encourage them to create their own “work with me” guide and review those of their colleagues.    KEEP UP WITH JASON LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/jasontreu/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/jasontreu  Facebook: https://facebook.com/jasontreuexecutivecoaching  YouTube: https://youtube.com/jasontreucoaching    RESOURCES Remote Insensitivity game: http://playingcards.io/game/remote-insensitivity Free Download of Cards Against Mundanity: http://cardsagainstmundanity.com/ Email mamie@mamieks.com to learn more about my Personal Instruction Manual program mamie@mamieks.com

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 and suggested behaviors to help you implement the lessons from the episode. Become a member of the Modern Manager community or purchase the guide at the store.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: Seven Ways You Can Be a Modern Manager.   Key Takeaways: The role and expectations of a manager have changed over the past century.  To be a modern manager means you consider what is best for your team in addition to what is best for yourself. To be a modern manager means you help your team members solve their own problems rather than swooping in to save them. To be a modern manager means you focus on growing and developing your team members in addition to achieving performance metrics. To be a modern manager means you provide autonomy while providing support. To be a modern manager means you do what’s needed even when it is uncomfortable or challenging. To be a modern manager means you invest in developing yourself and take care of yourself so you can do your best work now and in the future. To be a modern manager means you balance logic and love, what is rational with what is best for people.   Additional Resources: Check out the new podcast website at www.themodernmanager.co Check out the new www.mamieks.com website mamie@mamieks.com

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 trainer who “makes work relationships work”. His company, Appreciation at Work, provides training resources for corporations, medical facilities, schools, non-profits, government agencies, over 700 colleges and universities, and in over 60 countries. He is the coauthor with Dr. Gary Chapman of The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace, which has sold over 400,000 copies.  Paul and I talk about the five languages of appreciation, how to show appreciation that is actually appreciated, how to not show appreciation that backfires, and basically all things appreciation in the workplace.    Read the related blog article: How To Ensure Your Team Members Feel Valued   Join the Modern Manager community (www.mamieks.com/join) to access dozens of guest bonuses, episode guides and a community of supportive managers in our private Slack team. Members get the Motivating By Appreciation Inventory FREE! This assessment helps you discover your preferred language of appreciation and provides an individualized report and list of action items you can share with your team members to help them “hit the mark” in showing YOU appreciation.  If you work for a nonprofit or government agency, email me at mamie@mamieks.com for 20% off any membership level.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    KEY TAKEAWAYS There are five languages of appreciation at work based on Dr. Gary Chapman’s five love languages: words of affirmation; quality time; acts of service; tangible gifts; physical touch. 46% of people prefer Words of Affirmation. This includes verbal and written (paper and digital) communications. When offering words of affirmation, use the person’s name and be specific about what you appreciate and why. Show appreciation for performance and personal qualities such as cheerful attitude, sense of humor, or dedication. Approximately 40% of people prefer to receive praise in private. Quality time focuses on feeling included. This can be done through small gestures such as informal chatting with a person and spending time talking about work, listening attentively, and providing opportunities for mentorship. Acts of service is about helping to make the other person’s life or work better. This includes proactive acts and offers such as helping on a project, ensuring someone isn’t interrupted while they’re trying to focus, or lending your expertise. Do not confuse acts of service with swooping in to save a failing project or taking over someone else's work. Tangible gifts do not need to be expensive. As long as the item is specific to the person and shows you thoughtfully selected this gift because you were thinking about them. Consider items such as a person’s caffeinated beverage of choice, a magazine featuring a hobby they enjoy, or a memento from a vacation you just took. Less than 1% of the population prefer physical touch. This can be complicated in the workplace and it’s important to respect physical boundaries. Acts such as a handshake, high five or fits bump after an exciting moment are all appropriate.  Physical touch can also be conveyed without contact through a warm smile and looking the person in the eyes. Rewards are not the same as appreciation. Rewards incentivize performance while appreciation shows gratitude for the whole person.  Whenever possible, show appreciation within 24-48 hours after an occurrence, instead of waiting for a formal review.  Beware of generational differences in appreciation. Older generations tend to prefer handwritten notes while younger generations feel equally satisfied by digital messages. Younger generations also tend to appreciate the ability to have quality time outside of the office rather than with their colleagues.    KEEP UP WITH PAUL Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/appreciationatwork/ and Facebook.com/DrPaulWhite Twitter: @5Appreciation and @drpaulwhite Pinterest: www.pintrest.com/drpaulwhite  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=dr+paul+white Blog: www.appreciationatwork.com/blog Website: www.appreciationatwork.com   RESOURCES Book: Five Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace Books by Gary Chapman on the Five Love Languages mamie@mamieks.com

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 successful projects and impressive business results. Her clients value her pragmatic and fun approach and the unique blend of experience and expertise that she brings. She believes that success starts with leading yourself and your teams and loves working with people to make that happen. Bekka and I talk about how to balance getting your own work done and being available to support your team. We get into the three key domains of a manager, dig into effective delegation, and the important nuances of communicating effectively with different team members.   Read the related blog article: How to Balance the Three Roles of a Manager   Join the Modern Manager community (www.mamieks.com/join) to access a community of supportive managers in our private Slack team. Get The Curious Choice worksheet and 10% off a coaching package with Bekka along with dozens of other guest bonuses and episode guides. If you work for a nonprofit or government agency, email me at mamie@mamieks.com for 20% off any membership level.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    KEY TAKEAWAYS There is no perfect equation to balancing the role of a manager. But, there is an ideal balance for you and your team at this moment in time. The Curious Choice model says managers have three core responsibilities that overlap in a Venn diagram: (1) leading or setting vision, (2) executing and ensuring others get work done, and (3) coaching and supporting team members. The amount of time you spend doing various activities within the Curious Choice model will depend on your team members, the goals you’re working towards, and other context. It’s important to check in every few months to be sure you’re allocating your time appropriately. Look for activities you can do that hit more than one of those core responsibilities in order to optimize your time. Delegating is a sweet spot as you can do all three at the same time: hand off work and ensure it gets done, explain how this work aligns to the bigger picture, and support the team member to develop new skills or know-how to do this work. Be specific and explicit about what you need from each of your team members. Make it easy for them to give you the right information at the right time, and set them up to successfully complete their work. Get to know your people by asking them questions and truly listening. When you align work with their personal interests, skills and goals, people do their best work. Be clear about when you’re available, and under what circumstances, and when you’re doing your own focused work. Set “office hours” or otherwise signal when people can interrupt you. The job of a manager is not to be putting out fires or rescuing people. Your job is to enable others to solve problems and get work done. Build relationships with your team members to understand what motivates them, how you can support them, and how they want to grow.  Communication is a two way street. You must communicate in a way that the other person understands and is able to act on the message. If the other person doesnt understand and cannot act, you’ve only transmitted, not communicated. Encourage your team to give you feedback, to let you know when you aren’t being clear. Graciously accept their questions and feedback so you can learn and do better. mamie@mamieks.com

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 & fun culture for her team. With an experienced team of professionals, Soda Pop PR specializes in media relations, influencer relations, events, and partnerships for food, beverage and lifestyle brands. Over the last eight years, SPPR’s personalized, honest and creative approach has launched over 40 products, managed over 50 influencer campaigns, brokered 100+ partnerships and produced over 90 promotional events resulting in over 7 billion impressions. A few months ago, before coronavirus shook the world, Dyan experienced a moment of crisis in her business. While the context was different, the lessons learned can be applied to almost any situation. Dyan and I talk about how she approached this difficult moment with her team. What information she shared and when, how she empowered the team and was vulnerable with them, basically how to lead through a moment of crisis.    Read the related blog article: How to Inspire Your Team When Everything Is Falling Apart.   Join the Modern Manager community (www.mamieks.com/join) to access a community of supportive managers in our private Slack team. Get 20% PR Therapy calls with Dyan AND a free 1x1 coaching call with me to help you manage through this difficult moment. You can also win 1 of 5 copies of Surrounded by Insanity: How to execute bad decisions. You must be a member by April 21, 2020 to be eligible.  And, win 1 of 5 copies of Start At The End: How to build products that create change. You must be a member by April 14, 2020 to be eligible.  If you work for a nonprofit or government agency, email me at mamie@mamieks.com for 20% off any membership level.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    KEY TAKEAWAYS You’re only as successful as your team and the people you surround yourself with. When a crisis arises or you face a difficult decision, it’s important not to only think about yourself. When accepting advice from others, take it with a grain of salt. Their situation may be different from yours. Their values may be different. You should listen and then decide for yourself. Be as transparent as possible with your team. Tell them everything you can, even more than you normally would. Talk with each person individually as well as as a whole group. Process the news together and then one-on-one. As the leader, you need to be rock solid and vulnerable at the same time. Project confidence in your plan to do everything you can to get the team out of the situation while also being real about the impact it has on you personally. Imagine the worst case scenario and then make peace with it. This frees your mind to work on what you can do rather than worry about what will happen. The hardest part of change is the neutral zone, between what was and what will be. (From Managing Transitions book) Focus on the small daily activities that will move you forward. Continue to invest in your team even during a moment of crisis. That investment will provide momentum and inspiration to keep going. Attack the problems as a team. Start a “war room” where the team gathers weekly to work on the problem, share learnings and plan next steps. The small things you do all year establish the strong foundation for you to lead your team when a difficult moment arises. Say hello, give real-time feedback, build relationships, etc. It matters.   RESOURCES Book: Managing Transitions by William Bridges Webinars on remote work during social distancing: www.mamieks.com/webinarreplays Free guides on remote work during social distancing: www.mamieks.com/free mamie@mamieks.com

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 distancing. For more support, scroll down to the resources section.   Instead of a mini-guide for this episode, you can download 2 free guides at www.mamieks.com/free.    Members of the Modern Manager community get a free 30 minute coaching session with me to help them address their most pressing challenges. Become a member of the Modern Manager community.    Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: How to Be a Rockstar Manager During Social Distancing.   Key Takeaways: Give yourself a break. This is a high-stress time and no one expects you to be perfect. Be practical. Give your team members time to adjust to working from home, especially if they have kids around. Delay timelines and push back deadlines when you have wiggle room. This will alleviate some of the stress. Allow “good enough” to be good enough when you can.  Talk with your team about how you will work together remotely. What hours will everyone be available? What tools will you use? Talk with each team member individually about what kinds of support they need from you right now.  Let your team members know what support you need from them, too. Hold a weekly team meeting to connect and stay aligned. Use the first part of the meeting to check in and connect with each other. Use the second part of the meeting to align on work progress, company news, and reflect on how you can work together more effectively. Use a chat app to stay connected at a distance. Set up topics for work and fun. Organize your work topics based on the natural conversations you’d have. Consider also creating topics such as ‘issues’ as a special way to signal when help is needed. Create fun topics such as ‘family time’, ‘coronavirus news’ or ‘funny things.’ Use these topics to replicate the casual conversations that happen around the office. Post pictures! Photos are a great way to feel connected. Encourage people to share pictures of their life at home, even if they would normally be more private.  Use the chat app to hold a daily standup meeting. Each person posts their answers to these three questions by 9am: (1) what did I accomplish yesterday? (2) what will I accomplish today? (3) What is stopping me from doing my work? Or What do I need from my colleagues? A daily stand up helps people focus and prioritize, creates accountability, and quickly identifies roadblocks.   Additional Resources: Go to www.mamieks.com/free to get two guides to effective work during social distancing Chat tools to consider: Slack, Microsoft Teams, Chanty, Whats App Purchase full episode guides at www.mamieks.com/store.   mamie@mamieks.com

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 building of a microfinance organization during the global recession, an interfaith service-learning program during times of unprecedented bigotry in the US, an international social-entrepreneurship accelerator, and most recently, a co-working space for social entrepreneurs in Tel Aviv.  We talk about culture and what it is, how to read cultural cues, how to connect and build relationships across cultures, how to work with team members around the world at a distance, and how to balance having a consistent culture that is comfortable for everyone and having diversity in culture that enhances the team.   Read the related blog article: How To Form A Cohesive Team Across Cultural Divides.   Join the Modern Manager community (www.mamieks.com/join) to access a community of supportive managers in our private Slack team. Also, get 1 of 2 coaching sessions with Jonah on social innovation - email mamie@mamieks.com to request one.   You can also win 1 of 5 copies of Surrounded by Insanity: How to execute bad decisions. You must be a member by April 21, 2020 to be eligible.  And, win 1 of 5 copies of Start At The End: How to build products that create change. You must be a member by April 14, 2020 to be eligible.  If you work for a nonprofit or government agency, email me at mamie@mamieks.com for 20% off any membership level.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    KEY TAKEAWAYS A person’s culture is influenced by their family and country or society they grew up in. It impacts everything from how they dress to what they eat to how they speak. Often we don’t recognize our own culture until we confront someone with a different culture. Creating a cohesive team culture is challenging when you’re working with people from many different countries. It's important to pay attention to cultural differences as they can be a great strength. Interviewing for cultural fit is important. Cultural fit doesn’t mean everyone has the same culture but rather there is alignment in vision and values so that when there is conflict, it is handled productively. Use the interview time to get to know the person beyond their skills and experiences. What do they care about, what’s their story. Use culturally appropriate humor to get a sense of the person and show warmth. Look for cues that can help you adjust your tone to match theirs. Trust your instincts when building a culturally diverse team. Your intuition often knows whether someone will fit and their differences will enhance the culture. Get to know each person’s culture as a team. Listen actively and show your genuine understanding and support for them through your words and actions. Find shared struggles to quickly develop connections. Commiserating over shared pain is the fastest way to see our shared humanity.  Bring the team together in person whenever possible to help build or strengthen the bonds. Despite the challenges of time zones, use virtual meetings to keep the team connected. Don’t rely on text communications alone. Too many misunderstandings occur via written messages. Agree on your technology tools so everyone can collaborate in a streamlined way.    RESOURCES Webinars on remote work during social distancing: www.mamieks.com/webinarreplays Free guides on remote work during social distancing: www.mamieks.com/free mamie@mamieks.com www.mamieks.com/coaching www.managerialgreatness.com

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 HomeMonday March 23, 1-2pm Eastern Set yourself up for a productive day with these practical strategies for working from home. Get ideas for how to start and end your day, set up your space, minimize distractions, stay focused and more. Webinar 2: Become a High Performing Virtual TeamTuesday March 24, 1-2pm Eastern Learn approaches, tips, and digital collaboration tools that can help your team quickly become a high performing virtual team. This webinar will orient you to best practices for building relationships at a distance, virtual meeting best practices and tools, staying aligned on work, and more. Invite up to 9 of your colleagues to join at no extra cost! **Both webinars will include time for Q&A.**Both webinars will be recorded and shared with all registrants. Webinar 3: Lead Virtual Meetings with Confidence with cohost Jackie Miller Tuesday March 24, 4-5:30pm $40 ($32 for members of The Modern Manager community) We'll explore techniques designed to help you empower your presence on-camera, assert your voice in web-based meetings, and strengthen your virtual communication, meeting facilitation, and management skills. www.mamieks.com/webinars Members of The Modern Manager community can access the discount codes at https://www.mamieks.com/member-bonuses To become a member, go to www.mamieks.com/join

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-winning speaker and the host of the podcast “The Corporate Middle” where he answers the most common middle management questions. We talk about the challenges of being a middle manager, how to approach autonomy so that it builds confidence and not a sense of desertion, how to manage up when your boss isn’t giving you the support you want, what to do when you’re handed unrealistic expectations, and how to lead your team when you don't believe in the work you’re doing, and how to make your boss successful so that you’re successful.   Read the related blog article: Leading Successfully From The Middle.   Join the Modern Manager community (www.mamieks.com/join) win 1 of 5 copies of Surrounded by Insanity: How to execute bad decisions. You must be a member by April 21, 2020 to be eligible.  You can also win 1 of 5 copies of Start At The End: How to build products that create change. You must be a member by April 14, 2020 to be eligible.  If you work for a nonprofit or government agency, email me at mamie@mamieks.com for 20% off any membership level.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Help me write my new book! I’m researching what makes a manager great to work for. Share your story and experience at www.managerialgreatness.com Help spread the word, too! Share the link with friends and colleagues.    I want to work directly with you! Learn more about my one-on-one coaching services or complete this intake form to see if coaching is the right next step for you. (www.mamieks.com/coaching)   KEY TAKEAWAYS Being a middle manager is tough because there is no preparation for it and you’re responsible to people above and below you. Managers, especially senior ones, want you to bring them solutions, not problems. There will always be firsts for you as a manager (first time firing someone, sharing bad news, etc). If your manager isn’t helpful, find someone who can help you through these situations. Great managers facilitate their team members to find the answers. They ask questions like ‘what do you think we should do?’ or ‘what are your instincts telling you’. This shows support while providing autonomy. When going to your boss for advice, come in with a recommendation or options,  and ask for their input or perspective. This is a great form of managing up. If you’re given an assignment with an unrealistic deadline or goal and you’re unable to sway the decision-makers to modify it so that it's attainable, you need to communicate early and often on the status. Share challenges that will inhibit you from accomplishing the goal on time. People are not logical and we’re terrible at projecting timelines. So it's likely that no matter how often or how strongly you share that the goal will be missed, your boss will still be disappointed.  Sometimes you need to lead your team to do work that you don’t believe in. (unrealistic expectations, poor strategy, etc) Be candid with your team members about the issues you see, but also affirm that the team needs to do its best regardless. By pointing out flaws ahead of time, you minimize the chances that the group will disagree or be deflated. Look for the one or two perceived benefits of the work. Point out what the group will learn, develop, gain, etc and why it’s worth the effort. As a manager, it's likely you will make an unrealistic request of your team and some point. Give your team an opportunity to voice their concerns and truly listen. Take their ideas into consideration as they often know more than you do. Focus on making those around you successful - your team members and your boss. When you make them successful, you’ll be successful. Understand what your boss cares about so that you can align your work with what they need. Ask your boss what opportunities they see, what they’re excited about.    KEEP UP WITH DONALD Website: thecorporatemiddle.com/ Book: Surrounded by Insanity mamie@mamieks.com

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. A multi-exit entrepreneur and product expert, he is passionate about focusing on behavior as the outcome of everything we build. He is the author of Start at the End: How to build products that create change and no matter where he is, Matt will be in cowboy boots and gesturing wildly.  Matt and I talk about behavioral psychology and what happens when you think about management as a service, how to use promoting and inhibiting pressures to guide behavior and create an ideal environment, how to set objectives and run pilots to measure process and outcomes, and gather learnings and so much more.    Read the related blog article: Try These Behavioral Science Strategies For Managing Team Behavior.   Join the Modern Manager community (www.mamieks.com/join) win 1 of 5 copies of Start At The End: How to build products that create change. You must be a member by April 14, 2020 to be eligible.  If you work for a nonprofit or government agency, email me at mamie@mamieks.com for 20% off any membership level.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Help me write my new book! I’m researching what makes a manager great to work for. Share your story and experience at www.managerialgreatness.com Help spread the word, too! Share the link with friends and colleagues.  I want to work directly with you! Learn more about my one-on-one coaching services or complete this intake form to see if coaching is the right next step for you. (www.mamieks.com/coaching)   KEY TAKEAWAYS It’s difficult to manage people if you haven’t articulated what behaviors are desired and why. Promoting pressures make something easier and more likely, while inhibiting pressures make something harder and less likely. As a manager, you can influence behavior by designing promoting and inhibiting pressures. Develop yourself and others to have both deep expertise and broad interests. Spend time learning in your area of specialty and learning in a wide variety of topics even if they’re unrelated to work.  Collaborate with your team to design tests or experiments for how you make the experience at work better. Be clear about the outcomes the team is responsible for to ensure the experiments support the outcome achievement.  Reflect on the experiments and iterate based on the learnings.  Use both outcome goals and process goals. Outcome goals describe the final state or achievement while process goals describe actions you take.  Measure performance based on outcome goals. Use process goals to help you understand why outcomes are being achieved (or not). Write a behavioral statement that explains the behavior you desire for which population under what circumstances (motivation and limitations).  Teams struggle to work with other teams when it’s unclear where the boundaries are and who is responsible for what. A behavioral statement can make it easier for everyone to understand your team’s role. Good standardized processes open up creativity and enable greater autonomy. It reduces the cognitive load on your brain and allows your mental energy to be focused on the important and valuable topics.   KEEP UP WITH MATT Website: mattwallaert.comTwitter: @mattwallaert mamie@mamieks.com

You’ve planned a thoughtful agenda, sent materials as pre-work, and done everything in your power to set the meeting up for success. But then...someone takes the conversation off track. Or keeps bringing up old business and wants to rehash a decision. Or won’t stop talking. These disruptive meeting behaviors can make it hard to accomplish even the best planned meeting objectives. Effective meeting leaders are prepared to facilitate through these moments of tension to keep the meeting on track.  The full episode guide includes an overview of five common disruptive behaviors and how to facilitate through them. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community or purchase the full guide atwww.mamieks.com/store.     Get the free mini-guide at www.mamieks.com/miniguides.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Learn more about one-on-one coaching at www.mamieks.com/coaching. I’d love to help you implement the learnings and unleash your potential as a rockstar manager.   Read the related blog article: Put an End to These Disruptive Meeting Behaviors.    Key Takeaways: Most people aren’t intentionally being disruptive. They’re simply unaware of the impact of their behavior. By making people self-aware or clarifying expectations, many people will begin to self-regulate. Disruptive behavior 1: going off on tangents. This happens because the agenda isn’t clear, they’re particularly excited about a topic, or something is on their mind that is holding their attention.  When the conversation goes off track, acknowledge the new topic and suggest returning to the agenda at hand. Offer to schedule a follow up specifically on the open topic and use a backburner to document off-agenda topics for future discussion. Disruptive behavior 2: hogging the mic. This happens because extraverts talk to think, people struggle with being succinct, and/or time does not feel urgent. When someone is taking up all the air space, offer to speak with them another time in order to ensure you hear from everyone during this meeting. Disruptive behavior 3: naysaying or revisiting old content. This happens when something feels unsettled or the person is emotionally distracted.  When someone is naysaying, help them put their work in perspective of the larger effort. Acknowledge their concern and offer to address it outside of the meeting.  Reinforce that this meeting has a particular agenda or focus. Include a ‘devil’s advocate time’ on the agenda for everyone to share any concerns. Disruptive behavior 4: someone is distracted by their technology. This happens when people shouldn’t be in that meeting, they’re bored or have a lot on their mind. When people are distracted by technology, gently encourage them to put it away inn order to participate. Start by establishing norms for tech use.  If addressing the behavior during the meeting is not effective, talk to the person one-on-one to let them know how their behavior is disruptive to you and/or the team and engage them in finding an appropriate solution.   Additional Resources: Episode 10: Effective Meetings with Elise Keith mamie@mamieks.com

We live in a world of distractions. Between the endless buzzes and notifications, and the biological desire for dopamine, it’s almost impossible to expect anyone to concentrate and stay focused for more than 20 minutes. Yet that is exactly what is needed if we want to do deep, meaningful work. Jake Kahana believes that we can live a healthier life and do our best work by creating  structures and environments that combat digital distraction. He is a cofounder of Caveday, a company established to maximize productivity for individuals and corporations through facilitated focus sessions and deep work training. As a founding US faculty member with The School of Life, Jake teaches workshops in emotional intelligence for corporate teams. He speaks at conferences and companies around the world on creating a relationship to our work that is healthy so that our other relationships can thrive. Jake and I talk about the challenges of dealing with so many distractions, shallow work, good habits, the difference between productivity and accomplishment, creating a distraction-free environment to do deep work, and how to minimize disruptions and create deep work spaces as a team, even if you’re virtual.   Read the related blog article: Master the Lost Art of Concentration by Working Inside the Cave   Join the Modern Manager community (www.mamieks.com/join) to a 10-day free trial of Cave Day. If you work for a nonprofit or government agency, email me at mamie@mamieks.com for 20% off any membership level.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Help me write my new book! I’m researching what makes a manager great to work for. Share your story and experience at www.managerialgreatness.com Help spread the word, too! Share the link with friends and colleagues.    I want to work directly with you! Learn more about my one-on-one coaching services or complete this intake form to see if coaching is the right next step for you. (www.mamieks.com/coaching)   KEY TAKEAWAYS We touch our devices up to 5,000 times per day. It’s become habitual. But it’s OK to be bored. It’s OK to let your mind wander.  We spend too much time doing shallow work like checking email, slack, or quick tasks that make us feel like we’re being productive, but ultimately don’t make progress toward goals. Shallow work feels good in the moment but very unsatisfying at the end of a day, week, or month because nothing important has been accomplished. Sharon Salzberg offers this idea: Imagine your brain is your mental home. Just like your physical home has a door and you control who enters, you need to control who and what enters your mental home, and when.  Just as you go into your home and expect no one to bother you, you can go into your cave, put away devices, turn off notifications and give yourself the mental break from distractions and freedom to focus.  We actually do better work when we focus and take breaks from being ‘always on and always available.’ It’s not unprofessional to turn on away messages or close down your messaging app for a few hours.  Create your cave by setting up a distraction-free environment. Put your phone in airplane more and out of reach and out of sight. Turn off all notification or close down all non-essential apps. Clarify what work you will do during your cave time and what you won’t do such as check email. Work in 45 minute segments while in the cave.   Create caves with your team whether you’re in person or virtual. If virtual, get together via video conference during the cave time so you can help hold each other accountable.Share what you’ve accomplished at the end so you can celebrate together. We do better when we’re in community with others. That’s part of the power of a collective cave. We like being seen and acknowledged by others, and we want to do our best when being observed by others. Working is not equivalent to sitting in front of a computer. Know what you want to accomplish each day so that you can leave work and give you full attention to your family, self, etc. Because when you have a healthy relationship with your work, you can have healthy relationships in your life.   KEEP UP WITH JAKE Website: https://www.caveday.org/ Twitter: @jakekahana and @caveday mamie@mamieks.com

Whether you’re leading a single team or an entire organization, you can’t deny that culture plays a critical role in your experience at work. The challenge is that culture is hard to design, cultivate, and sustain. It’s often the small things that make the most difference. So what can you do to shape a strong, healthy culture? Tristan White is the founder & CEO of The Physio Co, a unique healthcare business that ranked #1 on BRW’s list of Australia’s 50 Best Places to Work in 2014. The Physio Co has ranked as one of Australia’s 50 Best Places to Work for ten consecutive years (2009-2018), along with being named one of the Best Workplaces in Asia from 2015-2018. Tristan is also the author of Culture Is Everything: The Story And System Of A Start-Up That Became Australia's Best Place To Work. Tristan and I talk about the four secrets to powerful culture that Tristan has learned over more than a decade of leading and growing his own company. We take a deep dive into execution and appreciation - how to do those to critical activities in alignment with your values whether your leading one team or an entire organization.   Read the related blog article: How To Design and Implement The Optimal Workplace Culture   Join the Modern Manager community (www.mamieks.com/join) to get a free digital e-book of Culture Is Everything so you can discover even more of Tristan’s insights into building a strong, healthy culture. If you work for a nonprofit or government agency, email me at mamie@mamieks.com for 20% off any membership level.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Help me write my new book! I’m researching what makes a manager great to work for. Share your story and experience at www.managerialgreatness.com Help spread the word, too! Share the link with friends and colleagues.    I want to work directly with you! Learn more about my one-on-one coaching services or complete this intake form to see if coaching is the right next step for you.   KEY TAKEAWAYS Based on years of experience building his own company, Tristan developed the Culture is Everything system which is composed of four parts: (1) Discover the core, (2) Document the future, (3) Execute relentlessly, and (4) Show more love. Discover the core is all about having a clear purpose for why the organization exists. It should be short and sharp.  In addition, it includes identifying three - five core values that describe how the team behaves. These should be action statements not just words or phrases.  Document the future focuses on creating a vision for where the business is headed. It starts with a 10-year Obsession - what we will achieve in ten years - which acts as the North star. Create a 3-year Painted Picture Vision that is a stepping stone on the path to your 10-year Obsession. This enables you to start to see how you will get there in the long run and create an opportunity for celebration. Execute relentlessly is when you live your purpose, values and vision. You must have a robust recruiting process that attracts (and retains) the right people. Show more love is the final component which emphasizes the importance of leading humans by showing more love to your clients, team mates, and everyone around you. When you hire and retain the wrong people, it’s very hard to sustain (or build) the culture you aspire towards. Consider running a daily huddle as one way to keep your team connected to you and each other. Choose an unusual time for this meeting e.g. 9:27am and don’t let it run longer than 15 minutes. Ask two questions: What’s going on? Where are you stuck? And: nominate or share a story of one person who lived the core values. Don’t try to solve the problems during the huddle - that happens after in a follow up with the people who are involved. By sharing stories of people living the core values, we reinforce them, give praise and show love, and keep them top of mind for people. Be connected to your team members so when something is going in their life outside of work, you know about it, or when their behavior is unusual, you recognize it. This way, you can be there to support them by letting them know you’re there to help if/when they want it. Small acts can be really powerful. Include a budget to send flowers, handwritten cards, etc for special occasions and milestones, both joyful and sorrowful. If you’re a virtual team, be sure to use video meetings in addition to a chat or texting app. Share pictures of your weekend activities, vacations, family, etc to help feel more connected to each other.   KEEP UP WITH TRISTAN Twitter: @tristanjwhite  Instagram: @tristanjwhite Facebook: facebook.com/tristanjwhite/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/whitetristan/ Website + special bonuses: https://www.tristanwhite.com.au/modernmanager/   RESOURCES Special bonuses from Tristan: https://www.tristanwhite.com.au/modernmanager/ Culture is Everything (book) - download 1st chapter for free: tristanwhite.com.au/book mamie@mamieks.com

Good intentions just aren’t enough when it comes to being an inclusive leader and creating an environment that truly embraces diversity. I learned that the hard way. It requires a personal journey in which you learn about yourself and others, but by doing so, you are able to become an empathic and inclusive leader needed to build a thriving team in which all people flourish.  Jennifer Brown is a leading diversity and inclusion expert, dynamic keynote speaker, best-selling author, award-winning entrepreneur and host of The Will To Change podcast, which uncovers true stories of diversity and inclusion. As the founder, president and CEO of Jennifer Brown Consulting, her workplace strategies have been employed by some of the world’s top Fortune 500 companies and nonprofits to help employees bring their full selves to work and feel Welcomed, Valued, Respected and Heard℠. Jennifer and I talk about what diversity and inclusion really means, the personal journey of engaging in being a more inclusive leader, what you can do to support your learning, and a whole lot more. And, you’ll hear about my own learning journey when it comes to implicit bias and being an inclusive leader. This is deep and challenging work and it is so important.   Read the related blog article: Start Your Journey of Inclusive Leadership With Small Steps   Join the Modern Manager community (www.mamieks.com/join) to get 20% off JBC’s upcoming DEI Foundation’s course which will equip you with the knowledge you need to meet the challenges of this changing world of work so you don't get left behind. Learn more about the course at: https://jenniferbrownconsulting.lpages.co/   If you work for a nonprofit or government agency, email me at mamie@mamieks.com for 20% off any membership level.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Help me write my new book! I’m researching what makes a manager great to work for. Share your story and experience at www.managerialgreatness.com Help spread the word, too! Share the link with friends and colleagues.    KEY TAKEAWAYS Embracing diversity and inclusion is more like building a new muscle than putting on a pair of glasses. It requires noticing and making different choices. There are visible and invisible forms of diversity: Gender, Race, Ethnicity, Sexual Orientation, Disabilities, Mental Health, Neuro-Diversity, Veteran Status, Age, Parental Status.  Unconscious bias exists in everyone and it doesn't make us a bad person. Being well intentioned or holding morally just values is not enough because bias lives below the surface. The important thing is to admit to yourself that you have unconscious bias so that you can start to recognize your own thoughts and see how bias is showing up in the world around you. The business world was built by and to work for a small segment of the population, which is predominantly male and white. Bias is hardwired in the system and often leaders are perpetuating this biased system. The Inclusive Leader Continuum has 4 stages: (1) Unaware - people don’t think there is a problem, I’m not responsible, and/or I think diversity is important and that’s enough.  (2) Aware - understand that not everyone is bringing their full self to work, actively trying to learn about the experiences of others, putting yourself in new/uncomfortable situations. (3) Active - you chose to use your knowledge and learnings, make different decisions and use different language, be public about your journey and seek feedback, take risks and be willing to make mistakes, apologize when you do or say something that misses the mark. (4) Advocate - work towards system change, advocate for and lift up others, work publically and behind the scenes. When you activate your learnings, you will make mistakes and you need to hear the feedback and keep going. You cannot disengage for fear of offending people because by opting out, you are unwilling to learn and are therefore enabling the status quo to continue. We must all contribute to shifting the workplace culture. It cannot only be the responsibility of people who are in the minority.  Intent is not the same as impact - to have positive intent but not understand the actual impact of your behaviors and words is the same as being unaware. There is such a narrow vision of what a leader looks like that when we don’t see people “like us” in leadership roles or as our colleagues. Take the free Inclusive Leader Assessment for yourself and with your team:  Reflect on how often are you in a room in which you’re the only person who identifies or presents in a particular way? If rarely, we need to put ourselves in those positions more often so we can be a more empathic and inclusive leader. Select areas of diversity that you could learn more about and seek out spaces and sources of learning. Find a trusted ally who can give you feedback and help you reflect and grow on your own journey. Share stories with our colleagues, broaden our understanding of what diversity means, and start bringing more of our full selves to work so that we can live into what actually exists. As a manager, you must role model and be vulnerable in sharing who you are and your journey. You cannot expect others to do if you don’t lead by example.   KEEP UP WITH JENNIFER Twitter: https://twitter.com/jenniferbrown Instagram: @jenniferbrownspeaks Podcast: THE WILL TO CHANGE: Uncovering True Stories of Diversity & Inclusion  RESOURCES Jennifer’s Book: How to Be an Inclusive Leader Book audio sample link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/nmoajhl8tsjxgkc/Retail%20Sample_InclusiveLeader.mp3?dl=0 Jennifer’s Book: Inclusion, Diversity, The New Workplace & The Will To Change JBC’s Inclusive Leader Assessment Book: White Fragility Assessment: IAT (Harvard Implicit Association Test) Book: Blind Spot  mamie@mamieks.com

Decision-making can be one of the most challenging aspects of a manager’s job. You want to empower your team, but worry about whether they’ll make a decision that derails the project or negatively impacts your stakeholders. Finding the right balance is easier than you might think once you have a model for determining which decisions should be delegated and a clear method for identifying who will be engaged in the decision-making process and how.    In this episode, I’ll walk through a few different decision-making models that should help give you some frameworks to apply to your decision-making. We’ll cover how to think about who owns which decisions, different ways to be involved in decision-making, and different processes for making decisions.     The full episode guide includes an overview of each of the models. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community or purchase the full guide at www.mamieks.com/store.       Get the free mini-guide which includes the risk/changeability matrix at www.mamieks.com/miniguides.     Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.      Read the related blog article: Make Better Decisions Faster     Key Takeaways: When decisions are made by those closest to the work, decision quality and speed go up.  Research consistently shows that when decision-making authority is shared, productivity goes up, trust increases, and employees are more engaged. Fears around decision-making are essentially fears around risk. To determine what constitutes a risky decision, consider the impact (high/low) vs changeability (high/low). Decisions that are low impact/high changeability are very low risk and should be delegated. Decisions that are high impact/low changeability are very high risk and should generally be owned by the appropriate level of leadership. To ensure the best thinking in included in a decision, use the RAPIDS model: (R)eccomend - who is offering the options and making a recommendation? (A)gree - whose input must be included and who must agree with the decision in order for it to stand? (P)arameters - who sets the scope or boundaries of the decision and what’s acceptable? (I)nput - whose input is needed or who has an important perspective to consider? (D)ecide - who is actually making the decision? (S)hare - who must be informed of the decision after it’s been made?  Create a RAPIDS model before a project or decision is begun in order to avoid ambiguity or frustrations down the road. When making a decision as a group, there are generally 3 models: Concurring - everyone agrees to the decision, Majority Rules - a vote is taken and the majority wins regardless of the strength of the nay votes, Consensus - everyone is comfortable going forward and agrees not to block or undermine the decision even if they dont agree with it.  To gauge agreement, use a Fist of Five - Hold up the number of figners that correspond to your position: (5 / full hand up) I fully agree, (4) I’m 80% in agreement, (3) I’m neutral, (2) There are a few things I don’t agree with, (1) I’m against this decision, (0 / fist) I’m actively against this decision and would try to undermine it or walk out.  For Concurring decisions, everyone must be at least a 4. For Consensus, everyone must be at least at 3.  mamie@mamieks.com

Despite our best efforts, it's hard to ignore gender in the workplace. Gender roles and stereotypes have been reinforced in us since birth. Often, we don’t even realize our unconscious gender biases and their impact. If we truly want to create a work environment that rewards on merits, we must address gender with eyes wide open.  Andie Kramer and Al Harris, they are married practicing lawyers. They have been mentoring women and speaking and writing about gender communication for more than 30 years. They offer women unique, balanced, and highly practical advice they can use to prevent gender biases from slowing or derailing their careers. Andie and Al also present arresting information and compelling examples for male audiences to make them aware of and sensitive to the gender biases that hold women back—even in the most well-intentioned organizations. This power couple provides organizations with concrete, non-disruptive suggestions for workplace changes that will make women’s career opportunities more comparable to men’s.   Read the related blog article: The Surprising Truth About Gender Bias in the Workplace   Join the Modern Manager community (www.mamieks.com/join) to get 3 tip sheets from Andie and Al:  Gaslighting Tip Sheet: This guide offers nine tips on how to respond when women are told they are imagining gender bias.  Preventing Interruptions: This sheet provides tips on how to avoid being interrupted, and what to do when you are interrupted. Saying “No”: This guide walks you through the thought process of What to when you are asked to do something that won’t advance your career. Join by February 11, 2020 to be eligible to win a full behavioral, motivational, and axiological analysis and a 90-minute debriefing. These tools will gather information about your brain type, communication type, motivational orientation (what moves you), emotional consistencies (what emotions you rely on for decision making), effective nature, default instincts, emotional needs, self-esteem, self-direction, practical thinking, structured thinking, work/role-awareness, etc. One member will be drawn at random but you must join before February 11th, 2020 to be eligible.  If you work for a nonprofit or government agency, email me at mamie@mamieks.com for 20% off any membership level.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Help me write my new book! I’m researching what makes a manager great to work for. Share your story and experience at www.managerialgreatness.com Help spread the word, too! Share the link with friends and colleagues.    KEY TAKEAWAYS Gender stereotypes have no basis in fact. The differences among women are just as prevalent as the differences between men and women. Each person is their own unique being. People expect women to be kind, communally focused, and soft, so when they’re direct and results-oriented, we (men and women alike)  ‘punish’ them. Yet, women fight to not be held to traditional feminine expectations. The “Goldilocks dilemma” occurs when a woman experiences this challenge: (1) If I’m nice and kind, people like me and want to work with me, but don’t give me important work to do. (2) If I’m strong and assertive, I’m competent, but nobody wants me on their team. Gender stereotypes are ingrained in culture from the moment we’re born. They are reinforced throughout life which makes them very hard to even recognize or be aware of. Men need to recognize that women have it tougher than women in almost every work environment. Men need to pay extra attention to including women on their teams, giving them equally challenging assignments, and not treating women with extra sensitivity.   Because leadership of organizations is predominantly male, there is by default a culture in which the values, the norms, the expectations revolve around a masculine view of the workplace. This is challenging given home life is often gendered in most families too, with greater obligations on the women. The interplay makes it much harder on women than men. To help equal the playing field, managers can offer more flexible work policies. They can offer women opportunities despite any reservations about the woman’s family pressures, allowing the woman to decide for herself.    KEEP UP WITH ANDIE AND AL Twitter: https://twitter.com/AndieandAl;  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreaskramer/ Website: http://andieandal.com/ mamie@mamieks.com

With so much emphasis on employee engagement programs, there is very little emphasis on the root cause of employee dis-engagement. Despite the overwhelming research on the negative effects of employee dis-engagement, very little is actually being done to move the needle. No amount of money or attention on employee reward programs, wellness efforts, or engagement programming will make a difference if we don’t address the underlying issue.   Tevis Trower helps organizations optimize their most precious assets: humans. As a “corporate mindfulness guru” she has served clients in over 70 markets, clients include HBR, YPO, PWC, KKR, Soros, Bloomberg, Viacom, Google and AOL/HuffPo on mindfulness, executive lifestyle, mastery, innovation, and sustainable success. She's a forever beginner guitarist, snowboarder and surfer. Tevis and I talk about the power of the beginner mindset, the root causes of employee dis-engagement, how to gain perspective on your own behaviors that could be contributing to a poor culture, and the challenges of trying to change the leadership above you.    Read the related blog article: Why Isn’t Your Employee Engagement Program Working?   Join the Modern Manager community (www.mamieks.com/join) by February 11, 2020 to be eligible to win a full behavioral, motivational, and axiological analysis and a 90-minute debriefing. These tools will gather information about your brain type, communication type, motivational orientation (what moves you), emotional consistencies (what emotions you rely on for decision making), effective nature, default instincts, emotional needs, self-esteem, self-direction, practical thinking, structured thinking, work/role-awareness, etc. One member will be drawn at random but you must join before February 11th, 2020 to be eligible.  If you work for a nonprofit or government agency, email me at mamie@mamieks.com for 20% off any membership level.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Help me write my new book! I’m researching what makes a manager great to work for. Share your story and experience at www.managerialgreatness.com Help spread the word, too! Share the link with friends and colleagues.    KEY TAKEAWAYS When you have high expectations of yourself and you’re in the beginning or early stages of your skill development, it can be hard not to judge yourself. Instead, especially in areas that are for fun (e.g. hobbies) and you won’t ever be an expert, give yourself permission to be an “always beginner.”  An “always beginner” has the mindset that I’m learning exactly what I should be, I’m as far along as I should be, and I’m enjoying this moment for what it is without the pressure of seeing it as a only a step to some desired future. It’s challenging to live the values we preach inside our organizations. Just knowing them and believing in them is not enough. As individuals, we’re not good at examining our own behaviors and how they are disconnected from the values we promote (e.g. respect, teamwork, appreciation for the whole self, etc) People get on board conceptually, but until there is a leader who is willing to do the work on themselves, and provide the resources for others to do that deep behavior-change work, the values won’t come to life. Beware of hiring a C-suite level role to ‘deal with’ the culture problems. These challenges below to the entire C-suite and shouldn’t be designated to one person.  Ask people for feedback - directly or anonymously - on your behaviors to help build self awareness. Do an inventory of your life over the past 1-5 years of all the things that have gone wrong and all the worst interactions you’ve had at work. Look at each of them as if it was a movie: look for how your actions or choices contributed to the issue or interaction. What themes emerge? Hire an external person that you are paying for in a formal relationship to be your source of truth and wisdom because we can never fully see ourselves honestly. That formality forces you to take it seriously, show up, and know they’re doing their job to the best of their ability. When you do this for yourself, it will trickle down to the people on your team, but likely won’t trickle upward. To manage up, it often takes an external consultant to work with leadership. Too often, we avoid speaking hard truths to those above us in order to protect ourselves, but change cant happen if we’re all functioning from a place of fear.   KEEP UP WITH TEVIS Twitter: https://twitter.com/CorporateYogi LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tevistrower/ FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/BalanceIntegration/ mamie@mamieks.com

Motivation is a complicated beast. Almost every manager questions how to best motivate their team members at some point. External motivators can only take us so far. The real magic happens when we align internal motivators with the work context. Then, you don’t have to motivate people at all - they’ll motivate themselves. Steve Sisler is a Behavioral Analyst, speaker and author. Steve's consultation involves personality difference, leadership strategy, cultural differences, and temperament strategy. Working with clients in more than 18 countries, Steve gathers behavioral and attitudinal information on individuals within corporate settings and develops strategies for effective leadership, teamwork, and entrepreneurial success Steve and I talk about motivation, how to position your job and those you hire so that the way you naturally think is what will make you successful in the role, the sad reality of self-esteem, simple things you can do to be a rock star manager, and what to avoid doing.   Read the related blog article: How Motivation And Self-Esteem Influence Performance And Success    Join the Modern Manager community (www.mamieks.com/join) by February 11, 2020 to be eligible to win a full behavioral, motivational, and axiological analysis and a 90-minute debriefing. These tools will gather information about your brain type, communication type, motivational orientation (what moves you), emotional consistencies (what emotions you rely on for decision making), effective nature, default instincts, emotional needs, self-esteem, self-direction, practical thinking, structured thinking, work/role-awareness, etc. One member will be drawn at random but you must join before February 11th, 2020 to be eligible.  If you work for a nonprofit or government agency, email me at mamie@mamieks.com for 20% off any membership level.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Help me write my new book! I’m researching what makes a manager great to work for. Share your story and experience at www.managerialgreatness.com Help spread the word, too! Share the link with friends and colleagues.    KEY TAKEAWAYS The optimal way to motivate people is to align their internal drive with the work setting so that they are self-motivated. It’s almost impossible to get someone to consistently think or act in ways that don’t feel natural to them. Your job as a manager is to figure out each person’s motivators and help create the context for them to thrive. When you put people in a situation in which their natural inclinations align with what the circumstances call for, they will automatically be motivated. There are 7 motivational spectrum: (1) Originality, (2) Individualism, (3) Efficiency, (4) Power, (5) Sacrifice, (6) Regulation, (7) Theoretics. People who succeed at management roles tend to be those who have already displayed the behaviors of great leaders. Great managers spot those leadership behaviors and elevate those employees rather than offering a promotion and hoping the person will be a good leader. 84.6% of the population has low self-esteem. Many managers use their role as a coping mechanism. Having power or being in a role of authority makes them feel better about themselves.  To rewire your brain so that self-esteem does not inhibit your success, focus on celebrating the positives and accepting praise without internal negative commentary. One thing that almost always trumps motivation is whether you believe your manager cares about you. If you do, you’ll bend over backwards to meet their needs and expectations. If you don't, no amount of motivation will inspire you.   RESOURCES: Book - Nine Lies About Work by Marcus Buckingham and Ashley Goodall    KEEP UP WITH STEVE Twitter: https://twitter.com/stevesisler Website: https://www.stevesisler.org/  mamie@mamieks.com

Most people think of project planning as the execution plan: Who needs to do what by when. But before we get to milestones, RACIs, or fancy gantt charts, it’s important to align the team up front on the strategy and scope of the project. Without this critical step, it’s easy for projects to go off course, friction to arise between team members, and time, energy and money to be wasted.   In this episode, I walk through a tool I’ve used for years to help me and my team plan projects. The Project Profile is designed to create shared understanding, elicit the best thinking, generate buy-in and streamline the execution.  The full episode guide includes the Project Profile template, a completed example Project Profile, and detailed instructions for how to use it with your team.  Get it when you join the Modern Manager community or purchase the full guide atwww.mamieks.com/store.    Get the free mini-guide at www.mamieks.com/miniguides.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Register by January 10, 2020 for Make More Time: Everything a Manager Needs to Know to Delegate Successfully at mamieks.teachable.com/p/delegation   Read the related blog article: Do This Before You Start Your Next Project   Key Takeaways: Teams often jump from a goal to a work plan without first aligning on the project’s scope and strategy. This causes unnecessary friction, complexity, stress and lost time/money. Using at Project Profile can align the team, increase buy-in, generate stronger thinking, and streamline execution. The Project Profile consists of a series of sections each of which addresses a different aspect of the initiative. It is designed to get the team thinking deeply about the work and includes (1) Context, (2) Objectives, (3) Goals, (4) Measures of Success, (5) Assumptions, (6) Strategic Questions, (7) Watch-outs, (8) Resources, (9) Stakeholders, (10) Working Agreements, (11) Exclusions. There are two primary approaches to using a project profile. Option 1: One person begins a draft and shares it with the group to enhance as a collaborative document. Then the team gathers to work through it together and agree on a final draft. Option 2: the group works together from the start during a half-day project kick-off session.  mamie@mamieks.com

Organizations have up to five generations in the workplace, yet most people tend to congregate with others of the same generation. Even more problematic is the fear that sharing knowledge or making introductions for colleagues will somehow negatively impact one’s own career. As a manager, it’s your job to create an atmosphere of open dialogue where everyone can learn from one another, regardless of age.    Phyllis Weiss Hazero is the foremost workplace expert on cross-generational dialogue at work. Her newest book You Can’t Google it! The Compelling Case for Cross-Generational Conversation at Work explores generational challenges and opportunities. Phyllis is President of Practice Development Counsel, a business development and organizational effectiveness consultancy, as well as a speaker and blogger on intergenerational relations issues. Phyllis and I talk about the importance of building relationships across generational cohorts and how you can help create a culture of dialogue. We discuss various alternatives to traditional measures of age, mutual-mentoring, and how to open a conversation with someone you’d like to teach or learn from.   Read the related blog article: Create a Culture of Cross-Generational Dialogue at Work   Join the Modern Manager community (www.mamieks.com/join) to get two digital downloads on cross-generational dialogue at work -- 10 Tips for Achieving a Culture of Generational Inclusion, Engagement and Belonging and How to Maximize Cross-Generational Working Relations with Conversations Each Generation Wants to Have.   If you work for a nonprofit or government agency, email me at mamie@mamieks.com for 20% off any membership level.   Register for my course on delegation: Make More Time: Everything a manager needs to know to delegate successfully. Registration closes January 10, 2020. Early bird pricing ends December 31, 2019.    Members of The Modern Manager community get 10% off!   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Help me write my new book! I’m researching what makes a manager great to work for. Share your story and experience at www.managerialgreatness.com Help spread the word, too! Share the link with friends and colleagues.   KEY TAKEAWAYS Organizations can have as many as five generations in their workforce. Age no longer provides an accurate depiction of a person. We must stop making assumptions about what people know, are capable of, or are interested in, based on age. In addition to major societal influences, many things help shape us including religion, where we grew up, educational environment, etc. There are 8 forms of age: (1) Chronological Age; (2) Generational Age; (3) Career Stage, (4) Organizational Tenure; (5) Life Stage; (6) Physical Age; (7) Relative or Social Age; (8) Subjective Age. Stereotypes about age (both positive and negative) are not helpful and contribute to ageism in the workplace. Be proactive in building relationships with people outside your generational cohort. Select three people to invite for a conversation or coffee. Then pick three more. Many people worry they will become expendable if they share what or who they know. You must proactively create an environment for cross-generational dialogue and learning, and encourage sharing.  Two-way mentorship is a fantastic way to build mutually beneficial cross-generational relationships.   KEEP UP WITH PHYLLIS email: pwhaserot@pdcounsel.com  website: youcantgoogleit.com  Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/pwhaserot Twitter: @phylliswhaserot YouTube channel: https://www.amazon.com/You-Cant-Google-Cross-Generational-Conversation/dp/1683505816/ref=sr_1_1   mamie@mamieks.com

Why are big tech companies so successful? It’s not just that they create amazing products leveraging the newest technology. According to this week’s guest, it’s how they approach their work by focusing on continuous customer engagement and measuring outcomes. Even if you’re a service business, or an HR team inside a manufacturing company, or a small business retailer, we can all improve when we measure outcomes instead of outputs. Jeff Gothelf. Jeff helps organizations build better products and executives build the cultures that build better products. He is the co-author of the award-winning book Lean UX and the Harvard Business Review Press book Sense & Respond. Jeff works as a coach, consultant and keynote speaker helping companies bridge the gaps between business agility, digital transformation, product management and human-centered design. Most recently Jeff co-founded Sense & Respond Press, a publishing house for practical business books for busy executives.  Jeff and I talk about how every team can benefit from managing themselves as if they were a technology company. He explains how to be in continuous conversation with your customers no matter who you define as your customers, so you can always be learning and improving. And we talk about how to shift the mindset and measurements of success from outputs to outcomes and why this is so critical for long term success.   Read the related blog article: Outputs or Outcomes: Measuring What Matters   Join the Modern Manager community (www.mamieks.com/join) to get a free digital copy of Jeff’s latest book: Lean Vs Agile Vs Design Thinking to members of The Modern Manager community.  -- This short, tactical book reconciles the perceived differences in Lean Startup, Design Thinking, and Agile software development by focusing not on rituals and practices but on the values that underpin all three methods. If you work for a nonprofit or government agency, email me at mamie@mamieks.com for 20% off any membership level.   Register for my course on delegation: Make More Time: Everything a manager needs to know to delegate successfully. Registration closes January 10, 2020. Early bird pricing ends December 31, 2019. Get a special bonus PDF “5 Common Mistakes to Avoid When Delegating” for free when you sign up before December 20th.    Members of The Modern Manager community get 10% off!   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Help me write my new book! I’m researching what makes a manager great to work for. Share your story and experience at www.managerialgreatness.com Help spread the word, too! Share the link with friends and colleagues.   Key Takeaways: Years ago, software was delivered in a box. Every year, the product was updated and a new version was shipped. Tech companies today are able to gather lots of user data extremely quickly and therefore make hundreds of small changes to the software every day.  This continuous conversation of learning based on customer or user feedback (did they click or not), enables them to deliver greater value. Every team, no matter the context, product, service offering, industry, etc, can benefit from learning from their customers. This ongoing conversation to gather feedback enables you to experiment with ideas and make small tweaks or major changes in order to achieve an outcome. Outputs are short term deliverables that are easy to measure: did we finish on time, on budget? Outcomes are more complex and grey: How well did the promotional efforts drive customer loyalty? How did employee wellbeing improve?  Example: If the goal was to get employees to take 10% more vacation days by offering an unlimited vacation policy, and after 6 months, employees are taking 6% more, is that success or failure? It makes things more complicated for a manager to measure individual performance and determine bonuses based on outcomes.  You must know the long term outcome in order to test if the short term output or deliverable is help to accomplish it. That is the feedback you want to gather - is this approach delivering on the outcome we seek? This is a learning journey for everyone. Start by saying, “forget the solution we're trying to implement or build, what is the problem that we are trying to solve? And, if we solve it, how will we know?” You must talk with your customers, whoever they may be. When you ask for their feedback, be prepared to hear that your initial ideas were wrong. This is the best way to learn quickly so you can adjust and deliver greater value.   KEEP UP WITH JEFF Twitter: @jboogie Publishing Company: https://www.senseandrespondpress.com/  mamie@mamieks.com

We all have moments when we get in our own way. Our conscious mind is saying “this is what I want” but our subconscious mind is saying “actually...I don’t think so.” This result is a confusing mess of self-sabotaging behaviors.  David Neagle is the founder of the multimillion-dollar global coaching company Life Is Now, Inc, helping thousands of entrepreneurs, experts and self-employed professionals gain the confidence and find the right mindset to increase their revenue, turning their endeavors into seven- and eight-figure ventures. He is also the bestselling author of The Millions Within, a book focusing on intention, focus and awareness to build your dream business and life. David and I talk about how self sabotaging works, why we self-sabotage, how to overcome your own tendencies to self-sabotage, and how to talk with your team about their self-sabotaging.    Read the related blog article: Why We Self-Sabotage and What We Can Do About It   Join the Modern Manager community (www.mamieks.com/join) to get David’s course The Art of Success for free. The Art of Success is truly a tool of self-empowerment like none other. It teaches you exactly HOW to rise above your circumstances and live a stronger, more liberated, more fulfilling life. If you work for a nonprofit or government agency, email me at mamie@mamieks.com for 20% off any membership level.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and mini-guides delivered to your inbox: mamieks.com/join.    Register for my course on delegation: Make More Time: Everything a manager needs to know to delegate successfully. Registration closes January 10, 2020. Early bird pricing ends December 31, 2019. Get a special bonus PDF “5 Common Mistakes to Avoid When Delegating” for free when you sign up before December 20th.    Members of The Modern Manager community get 10% off!   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Key Takeaways: The brain is hardwired to keep us safe, alive and reproducing. Anything that threatens those (think: anything that requires a change and feels risky) can trigger a self-sabotaging behavior. Self-sabotaging tends to occurs in one of two ways: (1) we get hyper-focused on something irrelevant and (2) we create a problem for ourselves. In both cases, it’s subconscious, but we let our attention be drawn from where it should be and instead focus on a distraction. Once you agree with the distraction or lean into the self-made problem, you’ve gotten yourself stuck and all progress toward your goal will end. The first step toward overcoming self-sabotaging is to be aware of how it works for you.  Evaluate the choices you’ve made of what to focus on, how to behave, etc. If you anticipate that you’re likely to avoid a behavior, try scheduling it and bundling it with an activity or reward you enjoy.  Talk with your team members about self-sabotaging to help them recognize their potential tendencies. Create a safe space for people to share personal struggles and perspectives.  Often we carry stress from outside of work into the office. When you can get to the root of the problem, it’s easier to address the subconscious desires. When something goes wrong in a project, help your team member diagnose what happened. Listen actively for their perspective and potential self-sabotaging behaviors. Then support them to develop their own strategies to address it. To counter self-sabotaging, discover what deeply motivates yourself and your individual team members. Focus on lifting up these motivations.   KEEP UP WITH DAVID Podcast: The Successful Mind Podcast Website: www.davidneagle.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/david_p_neagle/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DavidNeagleCommunity   mamie@mamieks.com

Delegation is a critical skill for any manager, but did you know it’s also a mindset? Many of us have had less than ideal experiences delegating in the past, making us weary of trying again. It’s almost impossible to delegate successfully if deep down, you don’t believe it will work out. It’s time for a shift in mindset. In this episode, I talk through three common fears around delegating (which I’ve personally experienced and heard from other managers) and how to shift your approach so you can move past these excuses and prepare to delegate effectively.  The full episode guide includes an overview of the 5 common fears, questions for reflection and recommendations for how to move past your concerns. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community or purchase the full guide individually at www.mamieks.com/store.     Get the free mini-guide for this episode at www.mamieks.com/miniguides.   Register for my course on delegation: Make More Time: Everything a manager needs to know to delegate successfully. Registration closes January 10, 2020. Early bird pricing ends December 31, 2019. Get a special bonus PDF “5 Common Mistakes to Avoid When Delegating” for free when you sign up before December 20th.    Members of The Modern Manager community get 10% off!   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: Prepare Your Mind to Delegate Successfully   Key Takeaways: Delegation is one of the best ways to create more time for yourself. Delegating requires the right mindset along with an effective process for planning, communicating and managing to a successful result. Often we avoid delegating out of fear. Three common fears are: (1) Fear we’ll look bad; (2) fear we’ll spend more (rather than save) time; and (3) fear of letting go of what we enjoy.  Your time is your most precious resource. If you believe that, why would you spend it on activities that are not the most meaningful or valuable for you? Start small and build trust over time. Delegate a task (straightforward) before handing over an outcome (complex or uncertain). Delegate the first draft or a component of the work instead of the entire piece. Just because you enjoy something or are good at it doesn’t mean your the best person to do that work. Consider how the other person will benefit from taking on this work. It’s not only about benefiting you. Consider what you will gain by having additional time. How might you spend it in more important or meaningful ways? Delegating may take more time up front to properly prepare and offer support, but in the long run, you’ll gain that time and often more.    Additional Resources: Episode 22: Keys for Successful Delegation with guest Dave Stachowiak. Online course: Make More Time: Everything a manager needs to know to delegate successfully.  mamie@mamieks.com

Being a manager is tough. Being a new manager is really tough, even if you’ve done it before in another company or with another team. There are a few things you can do to start off strong whenever you’re taking on a new managerial role. But we can all learn from these lessons whether you’re brand new or have been with the same team for years.  John Murphy is the author of 10 Key Traits of Top Business Leaders and creator of the First 100 Days Plan course for new managers. He is an internationally successful coach, author and speaker. He began his corporate career as a salesman and progressed to being CEO of a Pan European Group. 15 years ago, he set up John Murphy International to help business owners, senior executives and management teams deliver what they are capable of. John has worked with global companies like Pfizer, Airbus, Johnson & Johnson and Vodafone. John and I start our conversation talking about the mindset of a successful manager and servant leadership, and then we hit a twist and transition into the topic of critical things to do as a new manager to set yourself and your team up for success.    Read the related blog article: Move From Individual Contributor To Effective Manager   Join the Modern Manager community (www.mamieks.com/join) to get a digital copy of John’s book: 10 Key Traits of Top Business Leaders. Plus, get access to dozens of other guest bonuses and episode guides when you join. If you work for a nonprofit or government agency, email me at mamie@mamieks.com for 20% off any membership level.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and mini-guides delivered to your inbox: mamieks.com/join.    I’m interested in hearing about your experience working for a rockstar manager. Please share your story at www.managerialgreatness.com   KEY TAKEAWAYS: As an individual, you are measured by what you accomplish. As a manager, you’re measured by what your team accomplishes. The old ‘command and control’ mentality is outdated and adds to the disengagement of team members. A support and serve mentality is needed in today’s workplace. Your job is to help your team members become the best version of themselves, to become very effective and efficient at what they do.  60% of first time managers don't celebrate their second anniversary. Being a new manager is extremely challenging. When taking on a new managerial role, be proactive about educating yourself. Learn about the business, the goals, the strategies so you can make better decisions.  Think broadly about who your team’s stakeholders are and go meet them.  Meet internal stakeholders to learn about them and their work. Ask how you can work together best, what do you need from each other, etc.  Talk with your team members about your expectations of them. Be clear about what their goals are and how you’re there to support them. How do you want them to act/interact with you? Talk to your boss about their expectations of you. Gain clarity on what they believe success looks like. Prepare yourself for new tasks like preparing for and leading meetings, giving feedback, etc. Find resources to support your growth in these areas. If you join a management or leadership team, remember that you’re wearing two hats: that of your own team or department and that of the organization at large.   KEEP UP WITH JOHN Course: https://www.first100daysplan.com/join Linkedin:https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnmurphyinternational/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/jmicoaching Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JohnMurphyInternational/?ref=bookmarks Website: http://www.johnmurphyinternational.com/ mamie@mamieks.com

Fear is one of our most natural instincts. At its best, fear drives us to make good choices that preserve our safety and security, but at its worst, it inhibits us from taking risks and moving forward. After surveying more than 4,000 people, seven patterns of fear emerged. Knowing your fear pattern, and your colleagues', can help you all achieve your goals.  Ruth Soukup is a New York Times bestselling author dedicated to helping women overcome fear and create a life they love. Through her blog, Living Well Spending Less, which reaches more than 1 million women each month, she encourages her readers to follow their dreams and reach their goals. She is also the host of Do It Scared® podcast, the founder of the Living Well Planner® and Elite Blog Academy®, as well as the author of five bestselling books. Here newest book, Do It Scared®: Finding the Courage to Face Your Fears, Overcome Obstacles, and Create a Life You Love will be available in May 2019.  Ruth and I talk about the 7 fear archetypes each of which has strengths and struggles, we get into my fear archetype, which is a very common one, as well as specific things you can do to manage and reduce your fears. And, we get into how knowing your team members fear archetypes can help you be a better manager and so you can better support your team members.   Read the related blog article: Take Control and Conquer Your Fears   Join the Modern Manager community (www.mamieks.com/join) to get Ruth’s guide to picking an accountability partner that matches your Fear Archetype. So after you complete the free Fear Assessment, you can use the criteria to help pick an accountability partner that matches your archetype and is a good fit for your needs. Plus, get access to dozens of other guest bonuses and episode guides when you join. If you work for a nonprofit or government agency, email me at mamie@mamieks.com for 20% off any membership level.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and mini-guides delivered to your inbox: mamieks.com/join.    I’m interested in hearing about your experience working for a rockstar manager. Please share your story at www.managerialgreatness.com   KEY TAKEAWAYS: Complete the fear assessment to better understand your fear archetype. https://doitscared.com/dis-assessment/ Often fear is unconscious or we experience it as overwhelm, anxiety, feeling stuck or depressed. Once you bring your fear to the surface and recognize it, you can do something about it. Fear does not present the same for everyone but there are seven patterns of fear or fear archetype: (1) The Procrastinator, (2) The Rule Follower, (3) The People Pleaser, (4) The Outcast, (5) The Self-Doubter, (6) The Excuse Maker, (7) The Pessimist. Each fear archetype has positive qualities that serves us and negative qualities that inhibit us. Understand the nature of your fear so you can take appropriate steps to move past it. Look for how it shows up in your ways of thinking and behaving. Then replace those thoughts and actions with small, new ways that better serve you. Action is the antidote to fear. You can only overcome fear by moving forward. Because we don’t all fear the same things, a behavior that seems easy for you may cause deep fear in a team member.  When you understand the fear archetype of your team members, you can better motivate and support them to achieve their goals.    KEEP UP WITH RUTHWebsite:www.ruthsoukup.com Book: https://doitscared.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LivingWellSpendingLess/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ruthsoukup/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/RuthSoukup| Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/lwsl/ mamie@mamieks.com

It’s that time of year again, when many of us begin thinking about what we’ve accomplished and where we’re headed - in business and in life. Using a structured process to help you reflect on the past year and plan for the next year creates a sense of accomplishment and momentum to move you into the future.  Doing it as a team helps build relationships, increases morale, and offers opportunities to support one another. Carey Jaros is Chief Operating Officer at GOJO Industries, inventor of PURELL® Instant Hand Sanitizer. Carey will become President and Chief Executive Officer on January 1, 2020. As an executive, board member, and investor, Carey has worked on and in over 50 organizations— from startups, to established public and private companies, to non-profits.  She spent the first decade of her career at Bain & Company, before taking on progressive operating roles in several other companies. Carey walks me through her end of year reflection process that she’s used for years with her teams. She explains the various sections, including exercises and objectives of each, so you can use this process with your team.   Read the related blog article: Engage Your Team in Purposeful Reflection and Planning   Join the Modern Manager community (www.mamieks.com/join) to get the worksheets Carey uses for each activity. Plus, get access to dozens of other guest bonuses and episode guides when you join. If you work for a nonprofit or government agency, email me at mamie@mamieks.com for 20% off any membership level.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and mini-guides delivered to your inbox: mamieks.com/join.    I’m interested in hearing about your experience working for a rockstar manager. Please share your story at www.managerialgreatness.com   KEY TAKEAWAYS: Plan to spend 3-4 hours using this reflection and planning process. Be sure to send an agenda or share the concept of the session with your team so their expectations are set prior to attending the session. Begin with the “future self” - what does your life look like in 15 years? This gets people to think beyond incremental shifts to their current life. Next, generate your top 3 x top 3 - what are you most proud of accomplishing this year (1) with your team, (2) individually at work, (3) in your personal life? Identify three items for each category. For each accomplishment, reflect on whether you had a goal and a plan? Help the team recognize that when you have a goal and a plan, you’re more likely to accomplish it. Identify up to 10 areas of your life and describe what fulfillment or satisfaction looks like for each. On a scale of 1-5, how satisfied are you now and how satisfied would you like to be in 5 years? Two common ways to reallocate your time are to (1) outsource e.g. delegate or hire someone and (2) double up i.e. combine activities from two areas into a single activity such as going to the gym with a friend.  Select two goals you’d like to achieve in the next year that will help you move closer to your 5 year vision. Have a partner offer ideas for what practical steps you can take to make progress on your goal.  Commit to two actions you’ll take for each goal. Share them with a partner and check in on them over the course of the year.   KEEP UP WITH CAREY LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/careyjaros/ Website: www.gojo.com   mamie@mamieks.com

How often does your team talk about goals (or impact or accomplishments)? And how often do you talk about your values?  Too often team or organizational values are meaningless words on the wall (or website). Unless we intentionally take steps to bring these values, the beautifully crafted inspirational values will likely never become core to the culture.  In this episode, I talk through various strategies to help bring your values to life. I discuss how to translate values into norms or behaviors, how to incorporate values into your accountability systems, and how to modify your ways of working to reflect your values. The full episode guide includes a sample agenda, activities, and examples to help your team translate it’s values into norms and incorporate them into your ways of working. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community or purchase the full guide at www.mamieks.com/store.     Get the free mini-guide at www.mamieks.com/miniguides.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: How to Live Your Team Values Every Day   Key Takeaways: Values on their own will not change a culture. It takes intentional effort to embrace the values and make them part of your team’s daily experience. Norms can be explicit and implicit. Often we take cues from observing our colleagues to help us understand what behaviors are expected and accepted.  When norms are not intentionally developed based on the team’s values, they emerge organically. In this case, they are typically derived from the team leader and/or the loudest personalities.  To generate norms as a team, ask the group, “for each value, what behaviors would we observe if people were living this value?” Collectively identify the top 1-3 norms to focus on first. These could be the easiest to implement, most needed, greatest ROI, etc. Elevate the norms to the same level of importance as your team’s goals. Talk about them wherever you’d talk about goals. Share stories of when you’ve observed people upholding the norms and values. Incorporate ratings or reflection questions specifically about upholding the team values and/or norms into your performance review process. Include developing skills and capabilities related to the values in your individual development plans. Talk with team members individually when they don’t uphold a norm. Seek to understand why and support them to do better in the future. Reflect on your current ways of working - processes, practices, rewards, etc - and ask if they are aligned with your team values. Take steps to update or redesign any ways of working that are inhibiting people (as structural roadblocks or de-motivators) from living the values. Make it fun by including visuals, playful language or other approaches that highlight the team’s values. Recognize that this process takes time and focus, but it’s worth the investment.   Additional Resources: Episode 072: How to Create Team Values mamie@mamieks.com

Do you ever find yourself doing anything but what you should be? Are you highly creative, imaginative and loving? Does it ever seem like you’re too empathetic? These are just a few characteristics of a highly sensitive person. Note: Being highly sensitive is not the same as being highly emotional. HSPs are more attuned to the world around them due to how their brain is wired. As you’ll soon learn, there are pros and cons to this ability.  Heather Dominick is the founder and leader of the Highly Sensitive Entrepreneur® movement.  She has helped thousands of HSE®s release life-long limiting beliefs, overcome fears and learn how to build their business in a way that actually feels so good that they can’t help but create solid, sustainable, high level financial success. Although Heather’s work has been primarily focused on entrepreneurs, the lessons and insights are relevant to managers and their direct reports, too. Heather and I talk about what it is to be a highly sensitive person, the shadows and strengths of HSEs, how to move from coping mechanisms to healthy behaviors, and how to identify if your colleague may be highly sensitive.   Read the related blog article: Embracing Your Strengths as a Highly Sensitive Manager   Join the Modern Manager community (www.mamieks.com/join) to get a discount on Heather’s course Business Miracles.  Get access to dozens of other guest bonuses and episode guides when you join. If you work for a nonprofit or government agency, email me at mamie@mamieks.com for 20% off any membership level.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and mini-guides delivered to your inbox: mamieks.com/join.    KEY TAKEAWAYS: 15-20% of the population is highly sensitive. This means their nervous system is wired to take in more information through their 5 senses. There are 12 common strengths of highly sensitive entrepreneurs. Each of these strengths has a shadow for when it’s overused and starts to inhibit the individual. HSEs often use coping mechanisms to help them avoid feelings of stress and overwhelm. For example, some will busy themselves with other seemingly meaningful tasks (but which actually don’t move the work forward) while others will over-invest in getting the work done, burning themselves out in the process. HSEs have a strength of empathy with a shadow of over-responsibility. It’s powerful to be highly attuned to the feelings and experiences of others, but not healthy to always feel responsible for those feelings and experiences.  HSEs have a strength of creativity with a shadow of overwhelm. It’s powerful to have lots of ideas to pursue, but not healthy to avoid the work or burnout because of all the details and workload. Step one is to recognize if you and/or a colleague is highly sensitive. Then you can start to notice what triggers you and what coping mechanisms you typically turn to. Self reflection is critical. Regularly assess how you’re doing and develop tactical plans for how to work or behave differently next time.    RESOURCES Rocketship.fm podcast - Meetings Suck episode Highly Sensitive Quiz - www.HSEQuiz.com   KEEP UP WITH HEATHER Instagram: www.instagram.com/bizmiracles FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/businessmiracles/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ACIBMs LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/businessmiracles/ Website: www.BusinessMiracles.com   mamie@mamieks.com

“Winners never quit and quitters never win.” Oh yah? Says who?  Dr. Stan Robertson is an author, coach and speaker, and has come to be known as “the quit doctor” because of his relentless determination to heal the world of the stigma and shame associated with the concept of quitting. Dr. Stan and I talk about why quitting has a bad rap, when to quit and when not to, and how to quit successfully because quitting can be surprisingly difficult.   Read the related blog article: Time to Stop: Quitting Can Lead to Greater Success   Join the Modern Manager community (www.mamieks.com/join) to get a discount on Dr. Stan’s book Quit: The Last Principle of Success.  Get access to dozens of other guest bonuses and episode guides when you join.   If you work for a nonprofit or government agency, email me at mamie@mamieks.com for 20% off any membership level.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    KEY TAKEAWAYS: American culture reinforces the idea that quitting is for losers, creating negative connotations and emotional baggage around quitting. Our brains are hardwired for completion. Research shows that when we stop before something is done, we have a hard time letting it go. We continue to spend mental energy on the unfinished task. There are times when quitting is the right thing to do: (1) you’re overly focused on being right and therefore not making room for others, (2) you’re ignoring bad news, (3) you’re not getting the expected ROI, (4) your priorities have changed. There are times when persevering is the right thing to do: (1) you’re feeling undervalued, (2) the work is challenging, (3) you’re frustrated by someone else’s success. The key is to know when to stop and redirect your efforts compared to when to keep going and build your competency. To help you quit, follow this acronym: Q = quit quickly. It’s better to identify early when things aren’t working so you can save time and energy for more optimal work. U = understand associated negative emotions. Know that you’re likely to feel uncomfortable about quitting, and that’s OK. Recognize the feelings and let them go. I = initiate a new behavior. Quitting is easier when you’ve replaced the old behavior, strategy or goal with a new one that you can focus on. Through the process of identifying the new, you’ll feel less loss for the old. T = transform your behavior. Make the new behavior, goal or strategy stick by making any additional changes to your environment, skill set, etc in support of the new.   Shout Out: The Green Repeal podcast by prior guest Rick Kiley of Episode 20   KEEP UP WITH DR. STAN Website: http://thequitdoctor.com/ Book: https://drstan4.wixsite.com/website-1 mamie@mamieks.com

A rockstar manager does more than make sure timelines are met and goals accomplished. They know how to get an individual or team to do the best work of their lives while finding satisfaction or meaning in the process. As this week’s guest learned, it’s not about being nice, but instead about how to be authentically yourself while enabling people to accomplish more than they ever thought possible. Lindsay McGregor is the co-author of New York Times bestselling book, Primed to Perform: How to Build the Highest Performing Cultures Through the Science of Total Motivation. She is also the CEO and co-founder of Vega Factor, a startup building technology to help organizations transform their cultures. Previously, Lindsay led projects at McKinsey & Company, working with nonprofits, universities, school systems and Fortune 500 companies.  Lindsay and I talk about being nice and being a leader, how to manage for both tactical performance and adaptive performance, how various motivations can help or hinder performance, and what you can do to increase TOMO - that stands for total motivation.   Read the related blog article: Manage Adaptive Performance, Achieve Exceptional Outcomes   Join the Modern Manager community (www.mamieks.com/join) to get a complimentary session with one of Linday’s colleagues to plan next steps based on your team survey results. Plus, one member will will a signed copy of Primed to Perform.     Become a member by Friday October 18, 2019 to be eligible for a free private coaching session with prior guest Lindsey Caplan of episode 70. If you work for a nonprofit or government agency, email me at mamie@mamieks.com for 20% off any membership level.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    KEY TAKEAWAYS: Every manager must manage two types of performance: (1) Tactical performance: codifying best practices and lessons learned, keeping everyone aligned on what to do and how to do it. (2) Adaptive performance: creating conditions for and facilitating learning, problem solving, and innovation. To enable adaptive performance, it helps to understand people’s motivations. Not all motivations will inspire people to achieve their best performance, especially when creativity, risk taking and growth are involved. The three positive motivations are: (1) Play: find joy in doing the work itself; (2) Purpose: the work leads to a meaningful, desired outcome; (3) Potential: the work positions you for something desired in the future. The three negative motivations are: (1) Emotional Pressure: do the work out of fear of disappointment or missing out, shame, or guilt; (2) Economic Pressure: the carrot and stick approach to do the work for the reward; (3) Inertia: Do the work because it’s what you’ve always done. When combined, you can rate your individual or team Total Motivation (TOMO). Do this through the Vega Factor surveys (below). A team’s TOMO will predict their overall performance. As a manager, you can adjust performance by changing someone’s TOMO via role design, routines and responsibilities, and professional development. You can also help connect a person’s role to the success of the team or organization by helping them feel valued for their unique contributions.   Resources: Motivation Surveys: https://www.vegafactor.com/survey   KEEP UP WITH LINDSAY: website:  www.vegafactor.com email: lindsay.mcgregor@vegafactor.com linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsaymcgregor/   mamie@mamieks.com

In his book Traction: Get A Grip On Your Business, Gino Wickman says you have to have “the right people in the right seats.” Team values help ensure you have the 'right people' by making explicit the way the group expects people to act and interact. By doing so, you are able to elevate 'how work gets done' to the same importance as 'what is accomplished.'  In this episode, I explain what team values are, how they differ from organizational or personal values and how to create them with your team.  The full episode guide includes a list of value terms to select from, an overview of the values structure and process, examples and templates. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community or purchase the full guide at www.mamieks.com/store.   If you work for a nonprofit or government agency, email me for 20% off any membership level.   Get the free mini-guide at www.mamieks.com/miniguides.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: Align Your Team by Creating Shared Values.   Key Takeaways: Unlike organizational values, which apply to all employees and are part of the “north star” that guides the enterprise, team values focus on what matters most to this particular group. When someone isn’t acting in alignment with your team’s values, you can work with them the same way you’d work with a team member to develop any competency or skill. To create team values, gather input from the entire team on the values they believe are important. It’s OK for these values to be aspirational. Group the values by theme and together decide which groupings are most critical. Aim for 5-7 in total. A team value has three components: (1) the term, (2) the definition, (3) what it’s not. Create draft values that include a suggested term, starting statement that further illuminates what this value represents, and a starting statement of what it’s not which depicts what overuse of this value might be. Enhance these statements as a group with the goal of good enough to go forward. It’s OK if not everyone feels fully aligned as these are the team values, not a collection of individual values. Agree to revisit the values in 6-12 months after you’ve had time to live with them.    Additional Resources: Episode 43: Learning from Experience Interviews Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business Negotiate Anything podcast mamie@mamieks.com

Respond, don’t react. Easier said than done. When our emotions take over, our logical brain shuts down, increasing the possibility we’ll say things we don’t mean or make poor decisions. Yet we have more control over our emotional response than you might think. Ron Shuali holds a Master of Education and has spent over 15 years presenting in the  education marketplace. He is a best selling author, top motivational speaker and most importantly…He is funny. He presents keynotes, school assemblies and workshops all over the United States on issues related to bullying. His study of martial arts, yoga, reiki and improv rounds out a powerful hero for what is right. In this episode, Ron offers a fresh perspective on how we overemphasize emotions and the power we give to other people to influence our emotional state. We share approaches and tips for how to manage your own emotional response and how to deal with other people’s emotional moments.  Note: This episode is an experiment. Rather than playing the full interview, it’s a solo-guest mashup. Please share your thoughts on this format - whether you love it or not - and any suggestion for the future. Email me at mamie@mamieks.com.   Read the related blog article: Don’t Let Your Emotions Control You   Join the Modern Manager community (www.mamieks.com/join) to get a free session with Ron on workplace or school bullying. Plus, get a chance to win a free coaching session with Lindsey Caplan of episode 70. Become a member by Friday October 18, 2019 to be eligible.   If you work for a nonprofit or government agency, email me at mamie@mamieks.com for 20% off any membership level.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    KEY TAKEAWAYS: Your emotions are yours. No one can make you feel anything. We’ve been conditioned since childhood to over-emphasize our emotions and the way other people make us feel. Words have inherent meaning, but we often ascribe additional meaning or interpretation to them.  Recognize your physical signs of emotional stress. Use these to help you trigger a thoughtful response. Apply Mel Robbins’s 5 second rule whenever you feel your emotions taking over. Count down from 5, then decide how to respond. Ask yourself, are these emotions helping me right now? Or not? If someone is having an emotional outburst directed at you, stay calm and redirect the conversation if possible. Hum a tune in your head and stare at the person’s forehead to make the experience less intense. If you’ve had an emotional outburst, have a ‘cleanup conversation’ later. Apologize and promise to work to not let it happen again.   Resources: Tiny Leaps, Big Changes - episode 392: How to Overcome AnxietyThe 5 Second Rule by Mel RobbinsEpisode 14: Personality and Preferences with Rob ToomeyEpisode 69: Center Yourself So You Can Lead Others with Dolores Hirschmann   KEEP UP WITH RON Website: www.ronspeak.comYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/user/shualife Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ronshualispeaks/ mamie@mamieks.com

Meetings are one of the essential tools that managers use to get work done. While meetings are prolific, they’re only a tool to accomplish some larger purpose. How we design, structure, and engage people in these gatherings is critical.  Lindsey Caplan has been gathering people for over 15 years - first to entertain, as a comedy writer in Hollywood, then to educate for companies like DreamWorks Animation and McKinsey, and now to transform as an organizational psychologist as the Head of Talent Development for successful Silicon Valley companies like Zendesk, Credit Karma, and Flexport. Lindsey helps companies drive organizational change by applying lessons in gathering from entertainment, education, and business and she is currently writing a book on “Gathering”. Lindsey and I talk about the unique role of the manager, how to design gatherings to accomplish some purpose, how to engage people in the gathering process which generates better thinking, deeper buy in, and more.   Read the related blog article: Gatherings Should be Personal, Productive and Powerful   Join the Modern Manager community (www.mamieks.com/join) to get a chance to win a free coaching session with Lindsey. Become a member by Friday October 18, 2019 to be eligible.   If you work for a nonprofit or government agency, email me at mamie@mamieks.com for 20% off any membership level.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    KEY TAKEAWAYS: A manager’s job is to move people from A to B: from under-performer to high-performer, from one level to another. The unique aspect of a manager’s role is that we’re responsible for people more than products or services. It’s not enough to gather people in a room and talk at them. We need to engage people if we want them to act, buy-in, share ideas, etc. Gatherings can take many forms: meeting, workshop or learning session, town hall, etc. There are four reasons to gather: (1) Compliance: ensure specific actions are taken, (2) Engagement: generate new thinking, buy-in, ongoing ownership, (3) Informing: ensure information is internalized, (4) Entertainment: bring about a sense of delight We need to create safe spaces if we want people to engage. Managers should role model by sharing why they want to hear from each person, be explicit that they don’t have all the answers, connecting as humans by sharing auto-biographical information, and connecting the content to what matters to each participant. It’s important to focus on creating the right conditions and worry less about creating good content. Let the group create the content. Treat participants like adults. Invite them to engage, give them choices, and explain why you're asking these questions.   Resources: ELI5: Explain Like I’m 5 podcast   KEEP UP WITH LINDSEY website: www.lindseycaplan.com twitter: https://twitter.com/lindsey_caplan linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/lindseycaplan mamie@mamieks.com

We all have days when little things seem to bother us more than they should or when our emotions take over and we over-react. It’s hard to lead others when you’re feeling unsettled yourself. It’s even harder when you discover your life isn’t aligned with true purpose. Dolores Hirschmann is an internationally recognized strategist, Clarity Coach, TEDx Organizer, speaker, and author. She has over 20 years experience helping entrepreneurs and business owners realize their potential by guiding them to CLARITY so they can reach their next level of growth. Dolores and I talk about how you need to take care of yourself in order to lead others, and how to deal with your own and other’s emotions when things are feeling out of whack. We also talk about finding your life’s purpose and how that informs your leadership.   Read the related blog article: Living and Leading from the Inside Out.   Join the Modern Manager community (www.mamieks.com/join) to get the ebook version of Stand Out The TED Way: Be Seen & Grow Your Business for free. This book will help you understand what is behind the work you do in order to communicate your message from a place of higher vision, purpose, and passion and thus engage with your ideal client and grow your business.   If you work for a nonprofit or government agency, email me at mamie@mamieks.com for 20% off any membership level.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    KEY TAKEAWAYS: When you’re feeling chaotic on the inside, everything on the outside is amplified. That’s when one drop overflows the glass. It’s critical to have healthy self-care and self-management to avoid overloading our own capacity to deal with the world around us. When you find yourself overwhelmed or overreacting, start with self awareness. Notice your own behavior and feelings. From that awareness, you can then decide how to act. It’s hard to recognize it on our own so it’s helpful to have a trusted ally who can help you recognize when you’re not functioning at your best.  If you notice this in others, be diplomatic and careful not to aggravate the situation or them by pointing out their emotions. Instead, try distracting or redirect them by offering to take a break or go for a walk and talk. Who we are is composed of layers of values, dreams, passions, habits and more. Figuring out your own essence, what matters to you, can help you design a life that fills you rather than drains you. Focusing on the tiny actions we do every day can have a transformative effect because life is really a series of moments and behaviors strung together.  Your life’s purpose is bigger than any job. It’s what fills you up, gives you meaning, and when you’re taking action aligned with your purpose, it feels like time stops. You can’t find your flow or your purpose by changing the world around you. If you’re not settled on the inside, no amount of outside change can fix that. It starts by clarifying your purpose on the inside and then designing the outside accordingly.   KEEP UP WITH DOLORES LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dolores-hirschmann-28620b28/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Doloreshirschmann/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/DglarHYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbc8sZ8Qs-IdmgH1CbHmXWA Website: http://mastersinclarity.com mamie@mamieks.com

It’s hard to get into a collaboration groove when a team’s composition is in flux. Establishing solid relationships is critical to generating trust and a sense of good will. Any time there is a change to the team’s membership, there are emotions at play - hopes and fears about what this new person will bring. In this episode, I walk through the approach I use with teams to help a new colleague–whether a team member or team leader–and the existing team quickly integrate and orient to one another. The full episode guide includes sample agendas, ice breaker and story-telling activities, and leadership assimilation questions to help your team integrate a new colleague. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community or purchase the full guide atwww.mamieks.com/store.     Get the free mini-guide at www.mamieks.com/miniguides.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: Building Cohesion When Team Composition Changes   Key Takeaways: Anytime a new person joins a team, the team experiences a moment of change which comes with fears and hopes. According to Bruce Tuckman, teams go through stages of evolution: (1) Forming, (2) Storming, (3) Norming, (4) Performing, (5) Mourning -- it’s cyclical. To integrate a new team leader, hold a Leadership Assimilation meeting in which the the leader and the team answer questions and discuss the responses with the goal of getting clarity and alignment on a variety of topics of importance. This sets a solid foundation for additional conversations. The Leadership Assimilation questions focus on what’s important to the team and what’s important to the leader such as: What makes this team unique or special? What’s working well that this team doesn’t want to change? What are the new leader’s hot buttons? When a new team member joins, the goal is to establish bonds amongst the team members and help the new person understand the team’s culture. In this meeting, the team can engage in a fun and educational ice breaker such as Two Truths and a Lie, and tell it’s team story: Who are we as a team? What are we proud of? What’s important to us? By intentionally addressing these types of questions, a team can move more quickly from feelings of uncertainty to a position of confidence.   Additional Resources: The Productivityist Podcast - episode 167: Meetings and Momentum with Mamie Kanfer Stewart The Productivityist Podcast - episode 227: Why You Need Atomic Habits with James Clear Forming-Storming-Norming-Performing-Mourning model mamie@mamieks.com

Are you living your values every day? It’s not always easy to do what’s right, to recognize your own biases and mistakes, to put people before profits. But these are things that moral leaders do. And the more you do them, the easier they become for yourself and for others who follow you. That’s moral leadership. Emily Miner leads LRN’s Ethics & Compliance Advisory practice. She helps organizations understand their company culture to inspire ethical behavior using an approach that is co-creative, bottom-up, and data-driven. In addition to leading engagements with organizations in the healthcare, technology, and manufacturing industries, Emily contributes to major research studies and thought leadership. Emily and I talk about moral leadership, what it is, why it’s so important right now, and what the characteristics of moral leaders are and how they show up in managers.    Read the related blog article: Use your Moral Compass to be a Better Leader   Join the Modern Manager community (www.mamieks.com/join) to get LRN’s The State of Moral Leadership in Business 2019 Report. Note this is available for free to the public because LRN believes in access to knowledge.  If you’re a member of the Modern Manager community, it’s available for download on the guest bonus page.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    KEY TAKEAWAYS: In every group setting, we have formal leaders with a specific title or expertise, and those with moral authority who are animated by values and inspire others. Formal authority is important but no longer adequate. The world is changing so that profits and shareholders cannot be the primary criteria for business decisions. Globally, employees and consumers are beginning to demand business leaders make choices aligned with their values, not only finances. Moral leadership is needed at all levels of an organization. It starts with role modeling. When employees see their managers demonstrate characteristics of moral leadership, they are more likely to demonstrate those characteristics too. For managers, moral leadership means thinking “what’s the right thing to do here,” putting my organization’s purpose above my own individual interests, thinking beyond my team and connecting dots across the organization.  There are seven main capacities of moral leadership. The two with the most outsized impact are (1) the ability to see people as people, not as a resource to get the job done, (2) the ability to hold really high ethical standards and pursue what is right, not what is needed right now. The remaining capacities are: (1) Starting with a pause and reflecting, (2) fostering freedom to do the work in new/creative ways, (3) demonstrating humility, (4) acting with courage, (5) seeking the truth. Try exercising your moral muscles by asking yourself the tough questions of what’s right and wrong, what’s fair, where are my blind spots and biases, am I living my values?   KEEP UP WITH EMILY Website: https://lrn.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-miner-6951b414/   RESOURCES LRN report: The State of Moral Leadership in Business 2019

People and businesses are complex. In order for one to thrive, so must the other. Easier said than done. This is Shannon Adkins world. She lives it and helps others figure out ways to run a business that works for its employees and wins in the market. Shannon is a thought leader and CEO at Future State, a woman-owned, employee-owned consulting company with a triple bottom line where people get to be themselves. After years of working for startups, tech companies, and in corporate America, getting her MBA, and starting a family, Shannon decided she wanted to work somewhere where she could be fully expressed as a mom, a volunteer, and a badass business woman. So she went back to Future State, where they bring value to their clients by understanding the journey they are on throughout their transformation. Shannon and I talk about how she’s built Future State to embrace people’s full lives and selves, how you can apply some of those ideas to your team, what feminine leadership is, and what happens when you create a personal mission statement to guide your life.   Read the related blog article: An Empowered Work Environment Inspires Energy, Creativity and Retention   Join the Modern Manager community (www.mamieks.com/join) to get Future State’s 21st Century Leadership eBook which includes a set of common attributes that when combined make people especially adept at leading teams through this time of change. The eBook provides a self-assessment tool and recommendations to further evolve your skills, and ready your organization for inevitable change. AND I’ve also included the template I use with teams to create the professional profile to help you learn about your team members strengths, desires, and interests.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and mini-guides delivered to your inbox.   KEY TAKEAWAYS: Just because someone hasn’t done something before, doesn’t mean they’re not interested in or capable of doing it. It’s a manager’s job to understand how their people want to grow and find opportunities to stretch them. Business is in a constant state of change. In order to compete effectively in the marketplace and for talent, organizations must put people at the center. There is an inextricable link between employee flourishing and business success. Employees want meaning - to see how the business is making a contribution to the world beyond stakeholder value. Employees want to be their whole selves - to have the option to leave work early to attend a child’s performance, to share their unique perspective. Viewing your employees as whole people starts during the hiring process and continue throughout their time with you. Share what you learn about the person with others in your organization to help the new team member integrate quickly. Use what you learn about your team member’s aspirations and interests to give them new assignments and growth opportunities.  Feminine leadership styles are becoming more accepted in the workplace - putting humans at the center, emphasizing empathy. We see it in the shift to encouraging listening rather than telling, flat structures rather than hierarchy, experimentation rather than perfection. As a manager or leader, you need your own life’s mission to help guide you personally. When you know who you are, what matters to you, and how you want to show up every day, you are better equipped to lead others.    KEEP UP WITH SHANNON Website: http://www.futurestate.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannonadkins/ FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/futurestateinc/   RESOURCES Landmark Education Read to Lead Podcast - Episode 184: Alan Alda on the Art and Science of Relating and Communicating 

Working 60, 70, 80+ hours in America has become the norm for too many teams. Yet it seems impossible to get everything done in only 40 hours. Not for the employees of Wildbit. This week’s guest shifted her organization to a 32-hour, 4-day work week. Over a year into it, they’re seeing more positive results than they could have imagined. Natalie Nagele is the co-founder and CEO of Wildbit, the company behind Postmark, Beanstalk and Conveyor. With 29 team members across 5 countries working on multi-million dollar products for developers, she’s proving that you can grow an extremely profitable business while focusing on shorter work days, an enjoyable work-from-anywhere environment, and staying small. Natalie and I talk about why her company moved to a 4 day, 32 hour work week. She shares how she introduced it and managed the transition, the surprising impact it had on the people and the company, and how you might translate this practice if you work in a larger organization.   Read the related blog article: Make a 32-hour Work Week Work For Your Team   Join the Modern Manager community (www.mamieks.com/join) to get Natalie’s overview of the 4-day work week which includes a description of their paid time off plan.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and mini-guides delivered to your inbox.     KEY TAKEAWAYS: We started with only working 40 hours per week and truly limiting our hours on weekends and evenings before moving to a 32 hour work week. Agree on a hypothesis about the impact or why you’re making the shift to a shorter work week e.g. We believe we can accomplish the same amount of work with greater focus and increase the quality of work by having more time to rejuvinate outside of work.  To make this work, you need to be extremely intentional about what work to do and how to do it. You need to change the mindset, processes, and priorities, not simply cut hours. Experiment with changing your communication methods. Cancel all standing meetings to see which ones you really need. Turn off Slack for 1 week or have everyone turn off all notifications to see how it enables people to focus better.  Position the shift as an experiment which you can measure. Check in on it weekly - how people are feeling, what might need to shift, etc. After 1 year of the 32 hour work week, Natalie’s team had increased the quality and quantity of their work! 4 days isn’t the answer for every team or every person. It could be 6 days of 5 hours of work per day.  For knowledge workers, especially, it’s a managers job to help identify what a reasonable amount of high value work looks like so that we can move away from “hours in the office” as a sign of productivity. For larger corporations where you can’t change the workweek structure, look for opportunities to create flexibility in the work week by having each person deliver a specific set of tasks or value - if I get XYZ done, it’s been a solid week and you can go home early.   KEEP UP WITH NATALIE Website: https://wildbit.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalie-nagele-b9aa42/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/natalienagele

For many teams, email is the primary form of staying connected, making it critically important but also a major point of stress. 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 not totally in control of how many emails we receive every day. But, there are a number of things you can do with regards to how email is used amongst your team members and therefore strongly influence how many emails you get and send every day. In this episode, I discuss four principles and related tactics for more effective team email along with how to introduce them to your team.  This is part two of a two part series on email management. This episode tackles team email practices. Part one, episode 60, covered individual email management practices.   The full episode guide includes sample agendas and activities to help your team redesign its email practices. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community or purchase the full guide at www.mamieks.com/store.     Get the free mini-guide at www.mamieks.com/miniguides.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: How to Establish Effective Team Email Practices.   Key Takeaways: Aligning your team’s email practices is one way to reduce the quantity of emails you receive while enhancing the flow of communication. Email is just one tool in your team’s communication toolbox. Clarify how to use email vs chat, meetings, your team collaboration software (e.g. Asana, Basecamp), a document, text message, etc. Email is generally well suited for a limited number of activities such as one-way information sharing, communicating with external stakeholders, multiple choice questions, gauging whether a meeting is needed. Crafting thoughtful emails may take a few extra minutes but will reduce the back-and-forth, saving time and energy in the long run. Consider how your team uses email subject lines. Standardizing subject lines to include a bracketed term followed by a headline makes it easier for the recipient e.g. [ACTION] Your input needed on Monday’s client meeting agenda  If assigning tasks or making a request, be as precise as possible for the 3 Ws: who is responsible, what do they need to do, when does it need to be done by. Explore how your team might structure email content or use formatting consistently to draw attention to important information. Establish explicit norms for email such as how and when to use niceties such as the “thank you” response, what a reasonable response time is for regular and urgent emails, whether email should be read/responded to outside of work hours, etc. There are not right or wrong ways to design team email practices. Engage your team in this process to decide what make the most sense for your team’s situation.   Additional Resources: Science of Success Episode 60: Habits and Principles to Manage Your Email Inbox mamie@mamieks.com

Employee handbooks are typically filled with procedural information, legal requirements and company policies. They provide an important function, but aren’t typically fun to read. Nor do they incorporate concepts for how the team will work together to build a positive environment in which people thrive and great work gets done.  Building off the idea of an employee handbook, this week’s guest created a Team Playbook which clarifies how the team will collaborate in a playful yet articulate manner. Millie Blackwell is the CEO and Co-Founder of Showcase Workshop, a digital toolkit for sales representatives that contains presentation slides, videos, price lists and brochures, replacing old fashioned ring binders and printed collateral. Millie and I talk about this brilliant Team Playbook she developed for her company which provides guidance for how the team communicates, collaborates, and much more.   Read the related blog article: Enhancing Collaboration with a Team Playbook   Join the Modern Manager community (www.mamieks.com/join) to get a copy of the Team Playbook which you can use as a reference for your Team Playbook! Plus, join before August 12th and you get entered to win one of 5 copies of The Boomerang Principle from guest Lee Caraher of episode 61.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and mini-guides delivered to your inbox.     KEY TAKEAWAYS: The Team Playbook is part of a series of documents that provide guidance for how people engage. It focuses on the “heart” of the business and the team. It includes the company mission and vision, the brand story, the team members, roles and responsibilities, communication methods and practices, and more. The Team Playbook should reflect the tone and culture of your organization. It can be playful, humorous, elegant, etc. Meetings are a strategic tool for communication, not a default. Before scheduling a meeting, consider what other ways the information can be shared/gathered. Develop or articulate your norms for each mode of communication. For example, should task request be made in Slack? By email? Via your collaborative task system?  After three rounds of back-and-forth on email, if an issue still isn’t resolved, pick up the phone. Different personalities have different preferences for communication modes. Some people prefer to talk things through over the phone while others prefer to read an email and have time to compose a response.  Consider an org chart that visualizes the roles or responsibilities (rather than the people) as the structural framework. Then the people’s names are added into the boxes which they manage.  This type of org chart enables everyone to quickly grasp who is responsible for what. It helps illuminate who might be spread too thin, who has overlapping responsibilities, and where the team may want to invest in adding capacity.    KEEP UP WITH MILLIE Website: http://www.showcaseworkshop.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/millieblackwell/   RESOURCES Awesome at Your Job Podcast

Very few people are eager to add more meetings to their calendar, but what would happen if you scheduled a weekly check in with each of your team members? That’s what this week’s guest did. Chris Zaugg has been leading people for over 40 years, and according to his own reflection, had made LOTS of mistakes and had a few victories. He has trained people in leadership principles and communication all over the world, and loves to share what he's learned from other leaders. He currently serves as the President of OPIN Systems, a software company based in Bloomington, MN. Chris and I talk about how he incorporated weekly check-ins with his team and the transformative effect they had. We get into his process and why weekly can be so much more effective than monthly touch-bases.   Read the related blog article: Strengthen Your Team With Weekly Check-Ins   Join the Modern Manager community (www.mamieks.com/join) to get three months of free access to Uptick, a software to help you with your weekly check-ins. This is doubly special because you get to skip the waitlist and to start using Uptick right now.    Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and mini-guides delivered to your inbox.     KEY TAKEAWAYS: It’s not easy for employees to translate big company goals, vision and strategies into daily activities. Organizations need systems that allow staff to honestly share with managers and managers to really listen to their staff in order to truly know what’s going on. If you want your team members to feel like they’ve won every day, they need to end the day knowing they accomplished their most important priority. Have a regular 15 minute check in with each team member. As prework, they write down what they see as the priorities for the week. Work together to prioritize them so they are clear on what matters most and why. In those 15 minutes, (1) prioritize the work for this week - use their individual, team and organizational goals as a reference point, (2) Ask reflection questions like "Did anything keep you from being productive last week? When did you feel like you most productive?” (3) Celebrate by learning what they were most proud of last week or milestones accomplished. Keep basic notes which you can then use to for upcoming performance reviews, simplifying that process and removing recency bias. Employees don’t want to feel like they’re doing work just to check the box. If you ask them to write something down for you, read it and use the information. In every workplace, people want three things: to know and be known, to serve and be served, to love and be loved, or perhaps to give and receive respect. Aim to hold weekly check-ins at the optimal time for each person given their work flow. For example, first thing Monday morning, Monday afternoon, or early Friday afternoon. The challenge with monthly check-ins is that you need much more time and that time is often spent recapping what happened and catching up to where things are now.   KEEP UP WITH CHRIS Website: https://blog.uptickapp.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chriszaugg/

Ah, Millennials. This generation may be the most broadly stereotyped, yet often misunderstood. As managers, we may be Millennials ourselves trying to figure out how to manage and build relationships with older peers, or we may be struggling with how to manage this unusual cohort which seems to “know everything,” and “demand autonomy.” What is really going on with Millennials and what does it mean for managing every generation in the workplace? This week’s guest is Lee Caraher is the CEO of Double Forte PR & Digital Marketing; she’s known for her practical solutions to big problems. Lee’s the author of Millennials & Management based on her experience with failing and then succeeding at retaining Millennials. Her second book, The Boomerang Principle: Inspire lifetime loyalty from your employees, was published in April 2017. Lee and I talk about various cohorts of Millenials, the experiences of Gen-Xers and Boomers in the workplace, how to manage new graduates who are just entering the workforce, and management practices that work for everyone, whether you’re a young manager with older team members or an older team member with a younger manager.   Read the related blog article: Successfully Manage Millennials and Other Generations in the Workplace   Join the Modern Manager community (www.mamieks.com/join) by August 12th to win one of five copies of Lee’s book The Boomerang Principle: Inspire Lifetime Loyalty from Your Employees.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and mini-guides delivered to your inbox.      KEY TAKEAWAYS: The term Millennial technically only tells you what age cohort they belong to. Pew Research says that a millennial was born between 1980 and 1997. There are three cohorts of Millennials that are grouped based on what was happening in the world when they were young. (1) The oldest group which joined the workforce shortly after 9/11 and grew up with minimal technology; (2) The middle group which entered the workforce in the late 2000s which was the same time that work was becoming digital; and (3) The youngest group which learned with iPads in the classrooms and grew up as digital natives. One challenge recent graduates face in the workplace is the experience, often for the first time, of being told their work isn’t “A+” and that they have to do it again. In a schooling environment, the directions are typically very clear on how to get an A+ and rarely do you re-do work once it’s done, even if it’s only B+ work. Set expectations for a new hire right from the start. Be clear that you want them to spend the first 30-60 days getting to know the job and doing the work “your way” and then you want to hear their ideas for how to improve it. Be clear about deadlines - the day, date, time and timezone. This eliminates ambiguity and decreases frustration within a team. Each generation has its own expectations of work, behavior, access and opportunity. It can be emotionally hard for Boomers and Gen-Xers to have fought for greater rights in the workplace for decades to now see Millennials and Gen-Zers “waltz in” and express a sense of deserving of these rights. Millennials want the same things as other generations, they’re simply willing to be vocal about it from a younger age. When you address the needs of Millennials, you can address everyone’s needs. Be clear about your company purpose and values, clarify and engage people in defining projects and what success looks like, be explicit about roles and expectations.  Gather input from those around you who are closer to the work. Synthesize and make decision, and share the decisions with context for why this was decided. Without context, the team will never stay aligned. A boss that is younger than you is no different from any other boss. They’re not a child, they could be great or terrible regardless of their age. If it makes you uncomfortable to have a younger boss, talk to them about it. Let them know you have a lot to offer based on your years of experience and that you hope to learn from them too. As a manager of any age, you will be measured on the contribution of those around you, not necessarily your own performance on the owned tasks that you have. Your job as a manager is to understand the people on your team: what motivates them, what they hope to get out of a project, what their career goals are, and then outline how you can help them do that through the work, and then also to guide the team on the rules of engagement and behaviors you're going to tolerate and not tolerate.     KEEP UP WITH LEE Website: http://leecaraher.com/blog/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leecaraher/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeeCaraher1/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/leecaraher Instagram: @leecaraher Books: http://leecaraher.com/books/

Email overload plagues almost every manager. After feeling frustrated with myself for missing important emails and watching my inbox slowly tick up, I decided to take a new approach to managing my inbox. I set out to learn more about various approaches to email management and then try them out. In this episode, I share with you the various practices I learned and the impact I’ve noticed on my own mental state, productivity, stress level and inbox management in just a few weeks.  This is part one of a two part series on email. This episode tackles personal email management. Part two will tackle team email practices. The full episode guide includes questions for reflection on your current email habits, steps for how to clear your inbox, a description of the 5 principles and suggested tactics for each. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community or purchase the full guide at www.mamieks.com/store.     Get the free mini-guide at www.mamieks.com/miniguides.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: Strategies and Tactics to Achieve and Maintain Inbox Zero.   Key Takeaways: Inbox Zero is a mindset that gives you freedom from your email. It’s about having the right tactics and habits to keep your inbox empty so you can spend your mental energy on more important activities. Often we don’t have intentional practices for email management, which leads to unhelpful behaviors like ‘grazing’ on email all day long, using the inbox as a to-do list, reading email and marking as ‘unread’, etc. Consider how you can implement these five principles to effective email management - the tactics you decide on will be unique to your particular situation and preferences. Principle 1: Your inbox is not your to-do list. If an email requires an action that will take more than 2 minutes, add it as a task on your task list (paper or digital) and archive the email. Principle 2: Not all emails are equal. Not every email requires the same level of attention. Skim an email and then decide if it’s a priority to spend more time on it. Create a ‘someday-maybe’ list to track websites, articles or topics you *may* want to explore in the future.  Principle 3: Touch an email only once. Only open your inbox when you’re in a position to take action. That may mean removing email from your mobile device. Consider scheduling a few 30-minute blocks on your calendar to address email. Principle 4: Take advantage of technology. Email apps have lots of features native or as add-ons to make email management easier. Look for the ability to ‘snooze’ an email for later, set a reminder for the email to return to your inbox, and create email templates. Principle 5: Reduce the number of emails you receive. Unsubscribe from newsletters you don’t read or have them auto-filtered into a specific folder.  Clean out your existing emails by selecting a date before which all emails will be archived. For all emails between that date and the present, go through them following the two-minute rule. Select the date based on the number of emails and likelihood of there being anything that still may warrant your attention even if its a few weeks or months old.   Additional Resources: MixMax Gmail add-on Calendly Doodle Asana Evernote Sanebox Unroll.Me Mail Spring Episode 25: Finding the right task management app Episode 27: Getting started with a task manager Episode 29: Overcoming common challenges with task managers mamie@mamieks.com

I typically follow the 80-20 rule when considering the challenges that managers face. About 80% of a a manager’s role and the challenges they encounter are the same regardless of the setting. But that 20% which is different can be drastically different. So what might we all learn from building culture in a retail setting? This week’s guest is Lorean Cairns, Co-Founder of Fox and Jane Salons, Skin Habit, and Little Lion Salon. Her initiatives employee over 150+ members in globally. Lorean leads the charge in coaching and mentoring leaders, executives, and managers of all levels.  Loren and I talk about building a collaborative culture in a non-office environment, how everyone can learn from success, feedback, and mis-steps, how to grow consistent culture across multiple locations, and how to stay connected and informed with what’s happening on the floor.    Read the related blog article: Building Culture in an Unusual Setting   Join the Modern Manager community (www.mamieks.com/join) to get 15% Lorean’s book Culture Fox: How to cultivate a lasting culture. My path from hairstylist to international CEO.    Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and mini-guides delivered to your inbox.     KEY TAKEAWAYS: It’s possible, and desirable, to create a retail environment in which everyone feels a sense of unity and teamwork.  Exile the competitive nature and replace it with a focus on winning (and losing) together. Celebrate success and process poor customer feedback as a group. Assume everyone can learn from the experience and be part of the solution. Incorporate the essential elements of your culture into your hiring practice so candidates know what they’re joining and what’s expected of them. In the moment coaching can be a powerful technique for providing a gentle nudge that enables the recipient to recognize when their own behavior isn’t appropriate. This may be a slight head nod or simply stating their name as you give a very direct glance. Develop a monthly meeting rotation that provides insight into the business and activities on the floor. Each week of the month has a designated agenda so topics are addressed on a monthly basis. Topics may include data, customer feedback, progress towards goals, process improvement, professional development, problem solving and more. When you receive poor customer feedback, don’t assume it’s completely true. It’s critical to explore the feedback in context of what the employee recalls. It’s important to learn from the feedback, but not overweight one customer’s bad experience.   KEEP UP WITH LOREAN Website: https://foxandjanesalon.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorean-cairns-ba45a162/ Instagram: @loreancairns @foxandjane Book: https://shop.foxandjanesalon.com/products/culture-fox

What’s the tone of your team? Do you assume people want to work hard, learn, grow, and achieve results? Or do you feel like you’re constantly trying to motivate people to take ownership over their work? Do you set the bar high and support your colleagues to be successful? Or do you set average expectations and focus on compliance? This week’s guest, Bob Dusin, is the co-author along with Sue Bingham of Creating the High Performance Work Place. They collaborate with leaders and organizations in all industries to help create the highest performing work environments possible. Bob speaks at numerous expos and events throughout the country each year.   Read the related blog article: 3 Critical Ingredients for a High Performance Work Place   Join the Modern Manager community (www.mamieks.com/join) to get 15% off when you register for an upcoming high performance leadership workshop. Learn more about the workshop at https://hpwpgroup.com/events/    Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and mini-guides delivered to your inbox.     KEY TAKEAWAYS: Leaders and managers to create an environment where people want to go to work, not just have to go to work. Too many managers have been taught to focus on results only whereas strong cultures focus on the people too. 8 elements to a high performing workplace: positive assumptions about people, remove the negative, mutual trust and respect, two-way communication, employee involvement empowerment, high-level training, competitive wages and benefits, and setting high expectations. The old model of separating yourself as the boss from those you manage doesn’t work. Instead, get to know your team members and build authentic relationships with them. Set high, not unrealistic, expectations of your team. People will often meet your expectations. When you set low expectations, you don’t create an opportunity for engagement. High expectations signal you believe in the person. Stop saying, “Just do the best you can.” That phrase gives an excuse for bad performance. Instead say, “It’s going to be tough, but I’m here to help. Let’s create a plan so you can succeed.” When you make positive assumptions about people, it starts a positive, reinforcing cycle. Try assuming people want to do well, want to be challenged, want to make the ideas better.   KEEP UP WITH BOB Website: hpwpgroup.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobdusin/ Twitter: @HPWPBob Book: https://hpwpgroup.com/book/

Flexible work hours, greater autonomy, freedom, virtual teams, work from anywhere… These are growing in popularity but not always easy to implement. To successfully manage a team “at a distance” (whether that be geographic or just being more hand’s off), you need solid systems and colleagues with the right skills to succeed in that environment. This week’s guest, Carissa Reiniger, is the Founder & CEO of Silver Lining Ltd. She started Silver Lining in 2005 and created the Silver Lining Action Plan - SLAP! - A methodology that has helped over 10,000 small business owners in 9 countries set - and hit their growth goals. Carissa’s team is 100% virtual, spanning 14 countries and dozens of employees. She has developed systems and processes that enable autonomy and deep engagement without having met many of her employees in person.   Read the related blog article: How to Build Autonomy into Your Teamwork.   Join the Modern Manager community (www.mamieks.com/join) to get Silver Lining’s Team Cheat sheet which they use to set mutual expectations and basic understanding of how they operate AND their Verbal Warning / Coaching Template, which they use as part of the Progressive Discipline process.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    I need your help: What's challenging about being a manager? Share your experience here: www.mamieks.com/new-course   KEY TAKEAWAYS: It is very hard for humans to learn the skills of being self-disciplined, self-structured, and results oriented. Regardless of culture / country of origin, most of us need to learn these skills. Too often people have been trained to be submissive instead of contributive, yet to be a good team member, it’s important not to just follow along and say “yes.” Think, push back, share your perspective and help make the system better. Encourage sharing by creating a virtual ‘suggestion box’ and follow up with each idea. Be conscious about publicly rewarding the behaviors of speaking up. Silver Lining has a monthly “silver stars” program in which anyone can recognize a colleague.   Silver Lining manages using a Roles-Goals process: Once per month, each person in the company spends one hour doing a reflection during which they consider how they’ve spent their time, what they’ve accomplished towards their goals, how they or the system can improve, etc. Then they meet with their manager to review it for one hour and generate any plans for the next month. Think creatively about how to design the hiring process to determine fit. How might both parties assess whether the candidate will likely be successful in the role and the company’s culture, and that those are also what the candidate wants. At Silver Lining, the interview process focuses on non-negotiables and then the onboarding is really when the candidate will get the job or not. Each new hire, regardless of seniority, spends one week going through SLAP University, a 40 hour, self-managed one week program where they orient themselves to the company, products, culture, etc. The onboarding process helps people get oriented quickly but also gives them an opportunity to demonstrate whether they can manage themselves, learn and integrate the information, and have other skills needed to be successful at the company. Every time you need to teach someone something, record it or document it so next time, you share the documentation instead. Over time, you’ll build a library of how-tos and save yourself hundreds of hours. Plus it becomes a resource to current staff who may need an occasional refresher. You can invest in underperformers forever, but it’s not healthy for the business or their colleagues. Silver Lining uses Progressive Discipline: When someone is underperforming, first get them coaching. If after 90 days, the behavior hasn’t changed, write a written warning that includes a clear mandate for change in the next 30 days. Continue to give them whatever support seems appropriate to enable change. If after two weeks there still isn’t visible change, they get a second written warning. At the end of 30 days (2 additional weeks), if there still isn’t adequate change, the person is terminated, totalling a four month process.   KEEP UP WITH CARISSA Website: www.smallbizsilverlining.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carissareiniger/ Facebook: @SilverLiningActionPlan Twitter: @silverliningltd   ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Episode 5 Providing Autonomy That Works - www.mamieks.com/podcast-005

Building psychological safety may be the most important thing you do as a manager. Creating an environment in which people feel comfortable acknowledging mistakes, asking questions, offering ideas and feedback, and experimenting and failing, enables a team to think big, be nimble, and accomplish great feats.  In this episode, I’ll touch on what psychological safety looks like in the workplace and why it’s important, the difference between psychological safety and trust, why people don’t speak up and what you can start to do about it.  Much of what I share I learned from the book The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation, and Growth by Amy C. Edmondson.   Join the Modern Manager community to get the full guides, guest bonuses, access to the forum and more. Join before June 30th and get two special bonus gifts: a Modern Manager mini-notebook (usually reserved only as a thank you gift for my guests) and Meeteor meeting log to help clarify your meeting outcomes. Memberships start at $2.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and mini-guides delivered to your inbox.   Read the related blog article: Why Psychological Safety is More Important than Trust   Key Takeaways: Psychological safety describes people’s perceptions of the consequences of taking interpersonal risks in a particular context. In other words, what does someone expect will happen if they speak up at work. Psychological safety is what makes integrating diverse knowledge, perspectives, and skills is possible. It’s what enables teams to think big, be nimble, deal with conflict, give and receive feedback, and so much more. Psychological safety shows up in every interaction regarless of medium. The level determines whether someone speaks up when they have a different point of view, notice a mistake, have a question, have bad news or feedback to share, or anything where there is potential risk of looking stupid or incompetent, being seen as a failure, coming across as mean or argumentative or otherwise putting themselves out there. We can’t see when someone doesn’t speak up. It’s a silent act so no one knows except the person who didn’t speak up, making it hard to do anything about it. Psychological safety and trust are two different things. Psychological safety is a function of the group and is about immediate response, where trust is between two individuals and about belief in future action. There are three failure archetypes: (1) Preventable failures are deviations from recommended procedures that produce bad outcomes; (2) Complex failures occur when a series of factors collide in ways that have never happened before; (3) Intelligent failures are the result of a thoughtful foray into new territory where you’re going to have to get things wrong in order to get things right. To build psychological safety, how you frame failure is critical and highly dependent on the type of work and failure you are likely to see. Is intelligent failure seen as necessary in order to be creative and learn? Is the act of identifying a mistake - preventable or complex failure - considered heroic because you’re helping to improve the outcome? When you focus on purpose and remind people what’s at stake, you reinforce psychological safety. The outcome or impact becomes more important than the fear of speaking up. To encourage others to speak up, you must be crystal clear in your ask and invite their response through proactive inquiry. Do not wait for people to speak up. It’s important to respond with appreciation for whatever has been shared, even if you disagree, in order to encourage future speaking up. When a new idea or experiment doesn’t work out, take time to discover the learnings and celebrate what came from it as a way to destigmatize failure.   Additional Resources: Episode 38: How to Unleash New Ideas Through Failure with Jesse Fowl Episode 18: Culture Change and High Performing Teams with Wes Kao The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation, and Growth by Amy C. Edmondson mamie@mamieks.com

You may have heard the idea of manager as coach before. It’s one of the core ideas I subscribe to as a manager - that we should coach our team members to unleash their potential. But what about coaching yourself? Is that even possible? This week’s guest, Jennifer DiMotta, is the Owner and President of DiMotta Consulting LLC where she takes her 20+ years of triple-digit growth success and transforms it to easily digestible strategies and plans for clients, particularly in the luxury direct to consumer market. Jennifer speaks on Women Leadership and has developed a method which she calls Six Steps to Becoming Your Own Leadership Coach, a proven method of developing your leadership skills for personal success. Jennifer and I walk through the six steps, dig into the process and examples, so you can apply the approach to yourself or you team members.   Read the related blog article: How to Coach Yourself   Join the Modern Manager community to get 2.5 hours of free coaching from Jennifer when you start the 6 Steps to Becoming Your Own Leadership Coach program. Join by June 30, 2019 and get two special gifts - a Modern Manager mini-notebook and a Meeteor meeting notebook to help you distill meeting outcomes.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and mini-guides delivered to your inbox.   I need your help: What's challenging about being a manager? Share your experience here: www.mamieks.com/new-course   KEY TAKEAWAYS: Step one is to become more self aware. Through a series of assessments, you can get a better understanding of your strengths, preferences, and potential areas for growth. Two great assessments to start with are Strengths Finder and Myers Briggs Type Indicator It’s not about trying to change who you are, but rather develop in areas that will serve you and your team. Leaders come in all varieties. There are many attributes of great leaders. The key is to figure out your strengths which you can build on and what specific qualities you want to develop. Step two is to create a vision of what leadership qualities you desire. Reflect on leaders whom you admire - what about them do you appreciate? Step three is to create SMART goals which describe the goal, the behavior you’ll adopt, when/where you’ll do the behavior, how you’ll measure success, and when you’ll pause to reflect on progress. Step four is to find an accountability partner who can speak honestly with you, help hold you to your goals, and be your cheerleader. It’s critical you respect this person so that you can really hear what they say. Research has proven time and again that when you have an accountability partner, you’re significantly more likely to achieve your goals. Meet with your accountability partner in whatever format and frequency works best for you. Step five is to reflect and celebrate progress along with small and big wins. Reward or treat yourself to help stay motivated. Step six is to encourage others to develop themselves and offer praise and thanks.   KEEP UP WITH JENNIFER Website: www.dimottaconsulting.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferdimotta/ Email: jennifer@dimottaconsulting.com Phone: 703-570-5545

There is an old joke that a manager’s work is to go to meetings. As a meeting expert, that sounds lovely to me, but as an experienced manager, I know that’s not the case. This week’s guest, Mike Tannenbaum, is Founder, Principal, and Lead Strategist of Humanity. Mike helps people create better experiences by deepening their understanding of humans. He focuses on helping people and teams become the best version of themselves by redesigning the way they relate to their work so they experience more joy, fulfillment, and effective ways of working. Mike and I talk about the 4 types of work, what a manager creates, the practice of continuous improvement combined with planning, mindfulness and more.   Read the related blog article: What Does a Manager Create?   Join the Modern Manager community to get 25% off everything on Mike’s store including the Clear Path Forward workbooks and course. Join by June 30, 2019 and get two special gifts - a Modern Manager mini-notebook and a Meeteor meeting notebook to help you distill meeting outcomes.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and mini-guides delivered to your inbox.   I need your help: What's challenging about being a manager? Share your experience here: www.mamieks.com/new-course   KEY TAKEAWAYS: There are four types of work: (1) planning - preparing to do the work (2) coordinating - the activities that facilitate the work e.g. meetings, gathering information, etc. (3) creating - producing your deliverables, and (4) distracting - anything that gets in the way of the other work. A manager’s role is to create trust, clarity, enhanced team members, a strong team, high performance, results or goal achievement. There are 5 types of people we collaborate with: (1) collaborators - those we work with to achieve the same goal, (2) leaders - those who give direction and inspire action, (3) advisors - those who offer guidance, (4) people who I rely on, and (5) people who rely on me. Often there are people outside our team of collaborators who we rely on and/or who rely on us - for information, for help, for specific needs. It’s critical to think expansively about who we need to work with, communicate with, and build relationships with. There is value to creating plan that provides direction, but things almost never go according to plan. Incorporating regularly scheduled moments of reflection - e.g. what have we learned - allow you to iterate the plan so it stays relevant. Mindfulness in organizations is really about creating a practice of reflection and awareness, at the individual and organizational levels. We all have qualities about ourselves that we don’t see, and we have those which we don’t like about ourselves. The sooner we can have an honest view of these behaviors, the sooner we can take action to address them - which can range from accepting a behavior without changing it to investing deeply in modifying a behavior.   KEEP UP WITH MIKE Website: http://enjoyhumanity.co Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheRoyalTbomb LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tannenbaum/ Workbook + Store: http://clearpathforward.co

Is your organization more like a stoplight or a round-a-bout? That may seem like an odd question but while they do the same thing (manage traffic intersections), they operate in fundamentally different ways. This week’s guest, Aaron Dignan, has spent the past 10 years studying organizations and teams with a new way of working that prioritizes adaptivity and autonomy over efficiency and control. Aaron contends that teams everywhere need to join them in the future of work. As the Founder of ​The Ready​—a global organizational transformation and coaching practice—he helps companies large and small adopt new forms of self-organization and dynamic teaming. Aaron is an active angel investor and helps build partnerships between the startups and end-ups he advises. He’s also a co-founder of Responsive.org. And he has sat on advisory boards for GE, American Express, PepsiCo, and Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum, as well as the board of directors for Smashburger. He is the author of ​Game Frame​ (Free Press, 2011) and ​Brave New Work​ (Portfolio 2019). Aaron and I talk about the origins of “modern management practices” and why they no longer serve us, what old vs new operating systems look like and how to being transitioning your team to work in brave new ways.   Read the related blog article: Embracing the Future of Modern Management   Join the Modern Manager community to get Aaron’s OS Canvas PDF and instructions on how to use it to support your learning journey! Join by June 30, 2019 and get two special gifts - a Modern Manager mini-notebook and a Meeteor meeting notebook to help you distill meeting outcomes.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and mini-guides delivered to your inbox.   I need your help: What's challenging about being a manager? Share your experience here: www.mamieks.com/new-course    KEY TAKEAWAYS: Current management practices were developed when work was primarily done on a factory floor. The goal was efficiency. Yet today’s work context is very different - one in which the market is constantly changing, the work itself is evolving, and the goal is to be nimble and adaptive. Complicated systems are machines that can be fixed and optimized, like a wrist watch. Complex systems are dynamic and unpredictable. They can be managed but not solved, like a garden. Companies are complex and we need to stop treating them like machines and start approaching them more like gardens. It’s time to update our “operating systems” - the underlying assumptions and norms that guide how we work. We need do annual planning and more dynamic planning, empower the people doing the work to make decisions as they learn. For every process and practice in the workplace, there is a “command and control” way of doing it and a “trust and empower” way of doing it. Our organizations are overwhelmingly command and control oriented. The job of a manager is not to create perfect execution - it’s to create continually growing capability. Start by asking your team members: "What's stopping you from doing the best work of your life?" and then ask "Well, what can we do in our team to take one step forward on that issue."   KEEP UP WITH AARON Website: https://theready.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/aarondignan LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aarondignan/ Book: https://www.bravenewwork.com/

It’s been 1 year since I launched The Modern Manager podcast. To celebrate, I take a look back at some of my favorite episodes and lessons learned, and share plans for the future, including some exciting changes.   Get all the free mini-guides (episodes 1-52) in a single download.   There is a new community! Join the Modern Manager community to get the full guides, guest bonuses, access to the forum and more. Join before June 30th and get two special bonus gifts: a Modern Manager mini-notebook (usually reserved only as a thank you gift for my guests) and Meeteor meeting log to help clarify your meeting outcomes.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and mini-guides delivered to your inbox.   I'm launching a new course for managers! Share you thoughts and get 10% off when the course launches: www.mamieks.com/new-course   Key Takeaways: Lesson from Elise Keith: Productive meetings is a mindset - when you expect meetings to be a waste of time, you don’t invest time preparing for them which results in the meeting being a waste of time, further proving they’re a necessary evil. Break this mental downward spiral by seeing meetings as an important place where work gets done and preparing appropriately. Lesson from Rob Toomey: Before responding to a colleague or team member, pause and consider how you can communicate in a way that’s best for them rather than what’s easiest for you. Lesson from Tara Mohr: Rather than trying to argue with someone’s inner critic, help them recognize that it’s their inner critic who is speaking out of fear, rather than a voice that is speaking from your aspirations or potential. Lesson from Robleh Kirce: When giving feedback, start by getting permission to speak with them about feedback. Share your observations without judgement by focusing on facts and the impact. Then open the conversation to hear their thinking. Lesson from Jesse Fowl: To help unleash more creative and risky ideas, focus on learning rather than success. Treat ideas that generate learnings (both what works and what doesn’t) as equally valuable.   Additional Resources: Episode 10: Effective Meetings with Elise Keith Episode 14: Personality and Preferences with Rob Toomey Episode 26: Quieting the Inner Critic with Tara Mohr Episode 32: Give and Receive Better Feedback with Robleh Kirce Episode 38: How to Unleash New Ideas Through Failure with Jesse Fowl Episode 23: Getting a Handle on Procrastination Episode 37: Designing Your Management Style Get my book Momentum Meeting Leadership online course Personality and Preference Coaching Options mamie@mamieks.com

How many languages do you speak or understand? Learning a new language helps you appreciate the importance and nuance of language and how it impacts your ability to communicate and connect with others. Leadership and management have their own language which you can learn. This week’s guest, Krister Ungerboeck, is a CEO Coach, and expert in The Language of Leadership.  Prior to retiring at age 42, Krister was the award-winning CEO of one of the largest family-owned software companies in the world.  His expertise in the Language of Leadership is based upon his unique experience as a global CEO leading teams in three languages while observing and doing business with executives in over 40 countries, building businesses in six and living in three Krister and I talk about the importance of language as a manager, how to use language to engage people, and how positivity can transform productivity.   Join the Modern Manager community to get special four tools from Krister including a leadership assessment, plus episode guides and other guest bonuses to support your learning journey!   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and mini-guides delivered to your inbox.   Read the related blog article: How Language Can Make You a Better Manager   KEY TAKEAWAYS: Leadership or management is all about how you use language. Even when the underlying meaning is consistent, how you say it matters. Choose words that are too strong and you risk alienated people. Choose words that are too soft and you risk not getting the behavior you’re asking for. Power your productivity with positivity by setting metrics that allow each person to compete with themselves rather than each other. Aim for each person to become their personal best. This eliminates room for excuses and allows everyone to be celebrated. Create metrics that can always be increased rather than a percentage so there is always room for improvement. It takes lots of energy to figure out answers, but asking good questions is often easier and leads to better answers. Ask open-ended questions that generally start with ‘what’ or ‘how’ as these will lead to more interesting answers than yes/no questions or questions that are really ideas disguised as questions. To improve your emotional intelligence, try guessing at the emotion the other person may be experiencing and why. What is it they’re needing? Use language like “I’m wondering if you’re frustrated by…because you want more autonomy to make decisions,” or “I’d imagine you’re feeling excluded from…because the team didn’t loop you in at the start of the project.” If your guess is accurate, the person will reinforce it, but if it’s not, they’ll likely correct you. This gives you more accurate information and helps them articulate their situation.   KEEP UP WITH KRISTER Website: krister.com Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/theleadershiparchaeologist LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/meetkrister Book: https://www.krister.com/book

Unfortunately, bullying is not limited to kids and playgrounds.   This week’s guest, Matt Paknis, is a senior management consultant who focuses on lessening bullying in the workplace. He was a former assistant coach at Penn State under Joe Paterno and has spoken publicly about being abused as a child. He is the author of Successful Leaders Aren’t Bullies and has over twenty-five years of experience helping global clients embrace healthy management practices. Warning: The content of this episode is likely not appropriate for young audiences. Matt and I talk about what makes a person act as a bully, what bullying is, what to do if you are bullied or observe someone being bullied, the legal stuff and more.   Join the Modern Manager community to get 10% off a speaking or consulting engagement with Matt. Plus, get past and future episode guides and guest bonuses to support your learning journey!   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and mini-guides delivered to your inbox.   Read the related blog article: Dealing With A Workplace Bully   KEY TAKEAWAYS: Bullying in the workplace is repetitive, intentional, very negative, even derogatory language and actions that undermine motivation, capability and trust. Bullies are often afraid that you’ll outshine them so they set you up to fail. The best employees are often the targets of bullying because they're the ones that are most apt to trigger the incompetence fear of the boss. A tough boss sets high expectations and then supports you, even if it’s with tough love, to meet them. You always know they’ll go to bat for you and you’re on the same side even when they’re being hard on you. Organizations without clear goals, roles and processes are primed for bullying. Bullies take advantage of the lack of clarity while victims don’t have the structure to back up their concerns. One of the best things you can do as a manager to prevent bullying is to be clear about roles, goals and processes. Encourage other managers to do the same. 5% of the people in an organization will be perpetrators of bullying. 10% will be targets. 85% will be bystanders. If you are experiencing bullying or observe someone else being bullied, report it to HR and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. In most states, recording is legal with one party consent - be sure to check your state’s laws. If you're being bullied, you're the one person that's consenting to that recording so you can record the conversation. Then bring that to a labor attorney or the EEOC, or the human rights commission and they'll refer you to a reputable attorney in the area.   Other resources: Episode 6: The Importance of Healthy Workplace Culture w/ Fran Sepler   KEEP UP WITH MATT Website: http://www.mattpaknis.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-paknis-7227454/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/mattpaknis?lang=en Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/matt_paknis/

Virtual meetings are laden with problems. Incorrect or missing call-in numbers, strange echoes, and the occasional choppy connection delay and interrupt what is already a difficult situation. But even without technological issues, virtual meetings have all the typical challenges of in-person meetings and more. So how do we make virtual meetings engaging and productive?   Get the free mini-guide with suggestions for virtual meeting practices and how to use technology to enhance your online gatherings.   When you join the Modern Manager community, get the full guide with step-by-step instructions for using Trello to facilitate brainstorming, along with access to prior episode guides and guest bonuses.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and mini-guides delivered to your inbox.   Key Takeaways: Virtual meetings feel less important than in-person meetings, so we treat them with less respect. It’s easy to hide during a virtual meeting which enables multi-tasking, coming unprepared and not being noticed, and/or avoiding participating in general. For teams that are not generally co-located, virtual meetings may be mis-used for relationship building. To make virtual meetings more engaging and productive, treat them more like in-person meetings: (1) Have a desired outcome, agenda, and prework. Be more intentional in planning them and take them seriously even though they may feel informal. (2) Clarify your virtual meeting practices as a team. Consider norms for processes, technology, and participation so everyone is aligned and expectations are shared. (3) Use technology to drive focus and engagement. Use video over audio. Use Trello to mimic sticky-note brainstorming. Use Zoom breakout rooms to mimic small group discussions, etc. (4) Use a chat tool to build relationships between meetings. Create ‘water cooler’ channels so people have a place to talk about interests outside of work instead of using meeting time to connect.   Additional Resources: episode 33: Do You Really Need That Meeting mamie@mamieks.com

What sets apart great leaders and high performers from everyone else? Why is it that some people seem to create magic over and over again for themselves in their personal life, with their team, or their organization? This week’s guest, Rob Shallenberger, is one of the world's leading authorities on leadership, planning, and execution. Rob is the CEO of Becoming Your Best Global Leadership and has spoken to and trained more than 200 organizations around the world. Rob and I talk about two of the 12 principles of highly effective leaders. Rob shares stories and examples of how these principles can transform your life and your team. We also get into the process of pre-week planning, what Rob calls a “game changer” for managers and employees alike.   Join the Modern Manager community to get 30% off the Becoming Your Best Planner plus episode guides and other guest bonuses to support your learning journey!   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: How to Become a Great Leader   KEY TAKEAWAYS: Rob and his father studied high performers in a variety of roles and industries and distilled 12 principles of highly successful leaders. Putting the 12 principles into action together creates a chemistry of excellence that is predictive of success. Principle 2: Lead with vision - This means having an articulated, written down vision for the team as well as for yourself. And, as a manager, helping each of your team members to define their own vision which will help them achieve their highest potential. It’s incredibly powerful when everyone knows the vision, is inspired by it, and takes actions in line with achieving it. Principle 4: Prioritize your time - 68% of people feel their number one challenge is how to prioritize their time. In order to be a transformational leader or effective manager, you need to focus on the things that matter most. The things that matter least will always be pulling at us, whereas often, the things that matter most, get lost in the chaos. This single biggest game changer for most managers is doing pre-week planning. For 20-30 minutes, between Friday afternoon and Sunday night, look at your vision and goals, the roles you play (parent, friend, spouse, self, etc) then do a mini brainstorm on what you can do this week that matters for each of the topics. Then schedule these onto your calendar. The pre-week planning process is simple, but developing the habit of doing it can be hard. Set two reminders for yourself over the weekend to trigger you to do the pre-week planning. Read Becoming Your Best with your entire team, practice together applying one principle per month.   KEEP UP WITH ROB Website: www.BecomingYourBest.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/byb

We all experience stress at work. Ideally, it’s short lived and easily manageable. When a heightened state of stress becomes the new normal, you may be on the way to burnout. While burnout is the extreme and typically rare case, it’s critical to notice when stress, frustration, overload and overwhelm are taking over. They’re the signs burnout may be coming.   Get the free mini-guide with questions to help you identify stressors in your life and your team members’ lives.   When you join the Modern Manager community, get the full guide with suggestions for how to manage stress, along with access to prior episode guides, guest bonuses and 30% off personality based coaching to help you better understand your preferences and learn new strategies to help you be a rockstar manager.   When you join before midnight Eastern April 23, 2019, you are eligible to win a free coaching session with Amy Born, guest from episode 44: Manager as Coach.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Key Takeaways: Job burnout is different from depression or other mental or emotional conditions. Burnout occurs when you are physically or emotionally exhausted from work in ways that lead to a sense of lack of accomplishment, reduced motivation, and loss of personal identity. Burnout is caused by a number of factors including (1) lack of control, (2) unclear expectations, (3) extremes of activity, (4) dysfunctional workplace dynamics, (5) lack of social support, and (6) work-life imbalance. Look for signs of stress, frustration, overload and overwhelm so you can manage stress and avoid burnout. Find a de-stressor that works for you which you can use ‘in the moment’ to regain a sense of calm. Change your situation or change the environment. Do something to get yourself out of the stressful situation if only for a few days. Plan a no-meetings day each month to catch up on work, have uninterrupted focus time or do some self care. Admit when you’ve got too much on your plate and ask for help or let things go. Know what’s most important so you can make choices and not feel guilty. Invest in your health by getting enough sleep, exercise and healthy eating. Nourish your soul and recharge by doing things you love. Remember why you do the work you do and what about your role you find meaningful. If all else fails, consider if it’s time to change organizations, fields, roles or careers.   Additional Resources: Episode 19: Time Management Methods, Mindsets and Approaches Mayo Clinic article: Job Burnout: how to spot job it and take action mamie@mamieks.com

Team building can develop relationships in ways that profoundly impact the team. When people get to know each other, they are able to work together more effectively and efficiently.  This week’s guest, Amani Roberts, is a DJ, music producer, podcaster professor and creative who loves to help people unlock their creativity by teaching them how to DJ. After a successful career as a corporate executive, Amani took the leap into the creative space. Amani and I talk about his experience in both corporate and creative settings, lessons learned, and his new business of team building through DJing.   Join the Modern Manager community to get 25% off Amani's team building program plus episode guides and other guest bonuses to support your learning journey!   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and mini-guides delivered to your inbox.   Read the related blog article: Insightful Management Lessons from a DJ   KEY TAKEAWAYS: Creatives and those with an arts background tend to be more comfortable taking risks and being vulnerable. It comes from years of practice in their art-making of creating something new, pushing themselves and the boundaries and getting feedback. As DJ or manager, it’s helpful to be able to read the room - to look around and recognize when the energy has dropped, people are mentally checked-out, feeling frustrated or uncomfortable. Look for signals of disengagement such as: leaning back in the chair, eyes wandering the room or glazing over, starting to speak but then stopping. Music is a universal language that brings people together and helps them learn about each other. A great team building activity will transform a group of uncertain participants into a high energy, engaged group. At the end of the exercise, the people will still be talking about the experience and connecting personally. Team building should be fun with times of laughter, but also serious in that people are authentically connecting. With music, it’s not unusual for people to become emotional and that enhances the relationships. Team building brings people together into a tighter team, enabling them to work more effectively and efficiently together. It’s like a shortcut that speeds up the getting to know each other process, even if you’ve known each other or worked along side each other for years. Especially for geographically dispersed teams, the relationships and bonds that get formed in these activities can have a halo effect that lasts for weeks, months or even years afterward.   KEEP UP WITH AMANI Website: amaniexperience.com/teambuilding Twitter: twitter.com/amaniexperience Facebook: facebook.com/amaniexperience Instagram: instagram.com/amaniexperience/ Pinterest: pinterest.com/amaniexperience/

Your team members are your greatest resource. When they succeed, you succeed. Taking time to focus on each of them rather than the work can have exponential impact on employee engagement, quality of work, productivity, trust, and more. That is the power of One-on-Ones.   Get the free mini-guide with the One-on-One agenda template I use.   When you join the Modern Manager community, get the full guide with suggestions for how to introduce One-on-Ones to your team, plus a Manager’s Guide and Team Member’s Guide to preparing for productive One-on-Ones. In addition, get access to prior episode guides, guest bonuses and 30% off personality based coaching to help you better understand your preferences and learn new strategies to help you be a rockstar manager.   When you join before midnight Eastern April 23, 2019, you are eligible to win a free coaching session with Amy Born, guest from episode 44: Manager as Coach.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and mini-guides delivered to your inbox.   Read the related blog article: Turbocharge Your Team Members with Meaningful One-on-Ones.   Key Takeaways: One-on-Ones are a specific type of meeting that focuses on the employee rather than the work. The manager’s role is to ask questions and support the team member to reflect honestly on their performance and areas of growth. Spend time building your rapport at the start of the meeting. End the meeting with a recap of any decisions and next steps. Capture them in writing for future reference. Focus on celebrating successes and offering praise, sharing critical feedback and planning for growth, and removing roadblocks or frustrations that are inhibiting the individual from doing their best work. The manager reinforces and enhances the individual’s reflections by agreeing and adding additional thoughts. Together you brainstorm and identify specific steps the individual will take to move forward on growth areas. Always ask, “what might I do differently as your manger to better support you?” There is no right frequency or length to these meetings. Most managers start with an hour per month per employee and adjust from there.   Additional Resources: Episode 9: Show Meaningful and Authentic Appreciation Episode 24: Dealing with Difficult Employees with Kris Plachy Episode 32: Give and Receive Better Feedback with Robleh Kirce mamie@mamieks.com

This is the fifth bonus episode in the Parenting Your Business series. In these episodes, I talk about my experiences as a parent and manager / entrepreneur, comparing situations and learnings. In this episode, I reflect on moments when we are asked questions that make us uncomfortable and how we might be underestimating both our kids and our colleagues. Get in touch and join the conversation! mamie@mamieks.com mamieks.com/podcast patreon.com/modernmanager

Managers play many roles throughout their day: leader, task-master, visionary, advisor, facilitator, cheerleader, etc. One of the most important roles any manager plays is that of coach. When a manager puts on their metaphorical coaching hat, they’re shifting out of the role of telling people what to do and into one of encouraging team members to discover their own answers. This week’s guest, Amy Born, has spent most of her professional career in the field of organizational development and organizational psychology. Amy and I talk about strategies and approaches to help managers be good coaches for their direct reports.   Join the Modern Manager community to get episode guides and guest bonuses to support your learning journey!   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and mini-guides delivered to your inbox.   Read the related blog article: How to Coach your Team Members   Key Takeaways: When managers play the role of coach, they focus on asking questions to get the other person to discover the answers for themselves. It’s surprisingly difficult to switch from giving the answers to asking the questions. Try saying, “what ideas have you considered?” before giving your thoughts. Coaching is not always the right approach. Coaching is appropriate when you’ve clarified what success looks like, defined the parameters or boundaries, and you trust that the individual has the capability to come to their own conclusions with a bit of help. Instead of coaching, use a more directive approach when the questions are for clarification and/or the individual is new to the role or still developing. No one wants a manager who has completely disconnected or is micromanaging. Coaching requires regular check-ins to maintain alignment and ensure the individual is moving in an appropriate direction. To make the shift more incremental and avoid creating unnecessary stress on your team members, let them know that you’ve got ideas but you want to hear from them first. You can also offer for everyone to spend a day thinking it over and regroup the following day to share thoughts. Most patients ask their doctor the most pressing or sensitive question just as the doctor is leaving. Encourage your team members to ask you whatever question they have. Try shifting from “do you have any questions” to “what questions do you have?” Coaching doesn’t mean you avoid accountability. You still need to hold others and yourself accountable to deadlines, metrics and progress. Communicating internally is critical. Many organizations spend more time thinking about how they communicate externally than internally. As a manager, you’re striving to find the right balance between over- and under-communicating with your team.   KEEP UP WITH AMY Website: www.leadingedge.org Email: amyborn@gmail.com Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amyborn/

Managers are often expected to be natural interviewers with a discerning ear, able to determine if a candidate is both capable of doing the job and a good fit with the team. I had to learn how to interview and assess a candidate because it's way more complicated than a gut check. This week, I explain learning from experience interviewing and the process I use to understand a candidates capability, competencies and culture fit.   Get the free mini-guide to help you prepare for your next interview.   When you join the Modern Manager community, get the full guide with competencies and questions I often use when interviewing. In addition, get access to prior episode guides, guest bonuses and 30% off personality based coaching to help you better understand your preferences and learn new strategies to help you be a rockstar manager.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and mini-guides delivered to your inbox.   Read the related blog article: How to Lead Learning from Experience Interviews   Key Takeaways: I typically seek to assess whether a candidate has the hard skills (capability), soft skills (competencies) and culture fit to thrive in the role. Use the interview to primarily assess competencies. Use a simulation to assess capability. Culture fit can be assess during the interview and simulation. How a person behaved in the past is a great indicator of how they'll be have in the future. Use "tell me about a time when..." questions to explore how a person has behaved in the past under certain conditions. Explore prior behavior, how they understand a competency intellectually, and what they've learned from an experience where they didn't apply the competency well or over-used it. Prepare for the interview by know what competencies are important for the role, what questions you'll ask, and what you'll look for in their answers.

Are you a good listener? Like breathing, listening is something we do every day yet most of us struggle to do it well simply because we were never taught how. A lack of listening skills in combination with the many distractions vying for attention can have a profound impact on our ability to work effectively, make good decisions, and connect with other people. This week, I speak with Oscar Trimboli, speaker and author of Deep Listening: Impact Beyond Words. Oscar is on a quest to create 100 million Deep Listeners in the world. Join the Modern Manager community to get 10% off the Deep Listening book. Plus, access additional guest bonuses and other resources to support your learning journey when you join.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and mini-guides delivered to your inbox.   Read the related blog article: Going Beyond Active Listening to Deep Listening   Key Takeaways: Deep listening involves listening to what isn’t said in addition to what is said. It means making space for and exploring the thinking behind the words. People can think much faster than they think. Often what we initially say is only part of what we’re truly thinking. In order to listen well, you must quiet your mind. The worse distractions are our own brains. Put your phone on airplane mode so you won’t be tempted to sneak a peek at it. Drink plenty of water so your brain can function at its best. Take deep breaths. Your mind follows your breathing. Make space for silence. Silence allows people time to think and go deeper. How we listen impacts whether people feel heard, whether a group generates insights that lead to good decisions, whether a team is aligned and works harmoniously.   KEEP UP WITH OSCAR Website: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oscartrimboli/ Podcast: https://www.oscartrimboli.com/podcast/ Books: https://www.oscartrimboli.com/books

How many times have you thought, “I’m too busy to figure out a better way to do X” or “I’ll improve this process as soon as things settle down.” The reality is that things never really settle down and yet, if we don’t periodically pause to reflect and improve our processes, we’ll soon discover they’ve eroded into overly complicated, burdensome ways of working. This week, I walk through a real-life example of a process redesign session I led with one of my team coaching clients. It was an incredibly enlightening session that had them questioning the root of their activities, pushing back on previous assumptions, and designing completely new ways of working.   Get the free mini-guide to help you lead a session to rethink your ways of working with your team members.   Get the full guide with 10 productivity hacks and ways to streamline work when you join the Modern Manager community. In addition, get access to prior episode guides, guest bonuses and 30% off personality based coaching to help you better understand your preferences and learn new strategies to help you be a rockstar manager.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and mini-guides delivered to your inbox.   Read the related blog article: How to Hack Your Team’s Productivity   Key Takeaways: You must “sharpen the saw” if you want to efficiently and effectively cut down the tree - one of Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. If you don’t periodically pause and reflect on your processes, they will slowly begin to burden you. In just a few hours, your team can identify critical pain points in their current ways of working and generate solutions to reduce or eliminate those pains. Some solutions may have a high implementation cost such as a new technology platform while others may be low cost such as a shared template or checklist. When looking for opportunities to save time, consider what areas of work take up the most time already. It’s typically easier to save an hour when it’s a 10-hour activity compared to a 2-hour activity. Learn from others: how were these activities done at other places you worked? What practices or policies do other departments have that you could model off of?   Other Resources: Episode 19: Time Management Methods, Mindsets and Approaches   I’d love to work with your team to reimagine your processes and ways of working! Get in touch with me at mamie@mamieks.com

Asking questions, and knowing when not to, can be a kind of ‘secret sauce’ that enables you and your team to be more efficient and effective. Questions can help you prioritize, clarify, and even make decisions, when you know how to use them. This week, I speak with Pete Mockaitis, award-winning speaker and coach who helps professionals perform optimally at work, and host of How to be Awesome at your Job podcast. Listen to Pete interview me about productive meetings in episode 321 of Awesome at Your Job.   Join the Modern Manager community to get Pete’s Business Promises Worksheet templates to help you manage your team’s projects and progress. Plus, access additional guest bonuses and other resources to support your learning journey when you join.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and mini-guides delivered to your inbox.   Read the related blog article: When to Ask Questions...And When Not To   Key Takeaways: We don’t always ask clarifying questions for fear of looking stupid in front of our colleagues, but by not asking, we risk misunderstanding and doing the wrong work. There are six key things you want to clarify regarding deliverables: the timing, the process, the resources, the audience, and the motive. To help you prioritize, ask questions first to align on the goal: what does success mean? What does victory look like? What is the result, the output that we're after? How do we define quality? Then ask the questions to determine what work to do: What actions will have the biggest impact on achieving the goal? (Typically 20% of our work makes for 80% of the impact.) If you don’t know the answer to a question, just say so and commit to finding the answers. Managers aren’t expected to have all the answers, but we are expected to move the work forward which may mean helping to find the answers. Avoid asking questions, especially in front of a group, when it’s clear the other person is not prepared to answer them. Take it off-line to avoid embarrassing them. Pause before asking a question in a meeting and reflect on whether the answer will materially impact your perspective, position or decision. Imagine the whole range of potential answers to your question and if from one extreme to the other, the decision is not at all changed, then you know that's a question not worth asking. When making a decision and organizing your analysis or research, ask ‘what must be true for this to be a wise move’, and ‘how do we test for that’?   KEEP UP WITH PETE Website: www.Awesomeatyourjob.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/petemockaitis/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/PeteAwe

As a manager, you are responsible for your team members accomplishing their individual and collective goals, but you also need to motivate them to work in ways that will foster a culture that will ultimately serve the team best. This may include what seem like obvious behaviors such as owning your mistakes, or more complex ones such as giving real-time feedback to one another or asking for help. It’s your job as the manager to find both the internal and external motivators that resonate with each person and help them adopt the desired behaviors.   Get the free mini-guide to help you get reflect on the different motivations of each of your team members. Get the full guide when you join the Modern Manager community. In addition, get access to prior episode guides, guest bonuses and 30% off personality based coaching to help you better understand your preferences and learn new strategies to help you be a rockstar manager.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and mini-guides delivered to your inbox.   Read the related blog article: How To Motivate Your Team To Work in New Ways.   Key Takeaways: People will change their behavior when (1) the expectation is clear, (2) they have the capability and opportunity to do the new behavior, (3) they understand why it’s important, (4) they are rewarded when they do it, and (5) feel consequences when they don’t. Motivation is only one component of successful behavior change. According to Daniel Pink, there are internal motivators, external motivators, positive rewards and negative consequences. Different motivators resonate with different people. BJ Fogg explains 3 essential motivators, each with a positive and negative side: Sensation (pleasure and pain), Anticipation (hope and fear), Belonging (social acceptance and social rejection). How we respond to expectations set by ourselves and others impacts our motivation. According to Gretchen Rubin, there are 4 tendencies which explain how we respond to expectations - those who meet all expectations, those who meet internal but struggle with external, those who meet external but struggle with internal, and those who push back against all expectations. There are various strategies that work to support each tendency to meet expectations. It’s not always easy to follow-through on rewarding the desired behavior or “punishing” lack thereof. Many times managers unintentionally respond negatively to the exact behaviors they asked for, ensuring people don’t try them again. Your job as the manager is to clarify expectations, ensure proper systems/processes/tools to support successful behavior change, help people understand why it matters, link the behavior to each person’s motivators, and finally reward positive behavior and reprimand failure to change.   Links to Additional Resources: Gretchen Rubin’s 4 Tendencies Quiz: https://quiz.gretchenrubin.com/ BJ Fogg’s Motivation Model: https://www.behaviormodel.org/motivation.html Daniel Pink’s book Drive: https://www.danpink.com/drive./ Episode 1: What it Means to be an (Un)Intentional Manager: www.mamieks.com/podcast-001 Episode 9: Show Meaningful and Authentic Appreciation: www.mamieks.com/podcast-009   Get it touch! Email me at mamie@mamieks.com

"It's OK to fail." Really? Does anyone actually believe that? No matter how genuine your intent, innovation will never flourish while your team remains constrained by systems designed to enforce and reward traditional metrics of success. So how can you truly invest in new ideas and recognize "failure" as a vital part of the idea development cycle? This week, I speak with Jesse Fowl, managing director and lead strategist at Solomon where he coaches clients to help them create a safe space for innovations while keeping fiscal responsibility front and center.   Join the Modern Manager community to get 2 templates Jesse uses to manage innovation and the learning cycle. Plus, access additional guest bonuses and other resources to support your learning journey when you join.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and mini-guides delivered to your inbox.   Read the related blog article: How to Fail More (Effectively)   Key Takeaways: Failure is both a “dirty word” and something we’ve started to embrace through methods like lean startup, agile and “fail fast, fail cheap”. Innovation typically looks like this: one person has an idea; they generate lots of buy in which takes a long time, slowing the cycle of innovation; but it spreads out the risk so if it fails, it wasn’t just one person’s bad idea - we all bought into it. To create a culture in which innovation and creativity flourish, you need processes, tools, systems and a psychologically safe space which in combination foster innovation. Hide failures and promote successes by turning failures in ‘frequency of learning.’ What are all the ideas to explore and how will we measure each? In this way, you are protected from failure because you’re focused on finding and promoting what works, knowing that some things won’t. Design small learning experiments that have clear measures that will provide the essential information within a constrained time/budget. Without constraints, experimentation will be elongated and slow. To do this you need clarity on the goal and what success looks like. You also need time for innovation and creativity, when we aren’t swept up in the daily activities. Different people contribute to innovation in different ways so design multiple opportunities for engagement e.g. have a brainstorm session with sticky notes, have a verbal ideation session, collect ideas ongoing rather than just during an innovation session. When an experiment get big, it becomes about getting it right rather than about learning. And when you need to get it right, it’s hard to let an unsuccessful idea go.   KEEP UP WITH JESSE AND SOLOMON Website: http://gosolomon.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessecfowl

I’ve found that most teams don’t often enough pause to reflect on or evaluate the success of the work itself. There is so much to do, that we just keep pushing forward without pausing to ask how we’re doing and if we should keep going. In this episode, I outline four approaches to evaluating your teams’ work.   Get the free mini-guide to help you get started with evaluating your team’s work.   Join the Modern Manager community to get 30% off personality based coaching to help you better understand your preferences as a manager.    Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and mini-guides delivered to your inbox.   Read the related blog article: Finding Your Own Management Style    Key Takeaways: Management style is how you approach your responsibilities as a manager - everything from how you make decisions to how you allocate resources and workload to how you communicate. Management style is based on three primary factors: (1) your personality and preferences, (2) your values, and (3) what you've learned works well to achieve the outcomes you desire. Understanding your personality and preferences will help you understand how they are expressed in your style. Clarifying your values will help you be intentional about the behaviors you encourage in other and yourself. Intentionally adopting tactics and approaches you've learned through external sources (books, podcasts, TED talks) and personal experience (prior managers, observing other managers) will also make you more effective. No single management style is perfect because no one style works for every team member.    Get it touch! Email me at mamie@mamieks.com

This is the fourth bonus episode in the Parenting Your Business series. In these episodes, I talk about my experiences as a parent and manager / entrepreneur, comparing situations and learnings. In this episode, I reflect on moments when we communicate unclearly or don't say what we actually mean and how we make assumptions about what other's say or do.   Get in touch and join the conversation! mamie@mamieks.com mamieks.com/podcast patreon.com/modernmanager

We all have moments when we wish we were better communicators: less nervous, more confident, better able to connect with and inspire members of our team, and more likely to really be heard by those listening. According to this week’s guest, “Owning your voice means feeling confident in the moment of communication because you know how to move through nerves and anxiety to say what you need to say so that it will resonate with your audience." This week, I speak with Jackie Miller, CEO and President of Bespoken, a communication coaching firm utilizing practical theatre techniques to help individuals and teams own their voice and speak with purpose.   Join the Modern Manager community to get 18% off when you purchase my and Jackie’s courses on GenConnectU together. Plus, access additional guest bonuses and other resources to support your learning journey when you join.   Learn more about Jackie’s course Own Your Voice and my course Leading Meetings for Results and Real Leadership   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and mini-guides delivered to your inbox.   Read the related blog post: Own Your Voice in the Workplace   Key Takeaways: Communicating effectively is a learned skill and we need to train it like a muscle. First, reflect on what aspect(s) of speaking you struggle with: projecting loud enough, presenting from a pre-written script, sharing criticisms without apology, commanding a meeting, etc. Techniques developed in theater were designed to help actors communicate given the extraordinary circumstances: People are staring at you in the dark and you're supposed to pretend they're not there. Pre-microphones, you had to project so people in the last row could hear you. You're saying words that someone else has written and you need them to sound as if it's the first time you're saying them and that they're your own words, even though you do it night after night. Step one is to connect your diaphragm and voice, to your breath and intention of what you want to communicate. (For a beautiful experiential walk through, listen to the episode.) When communicating in a stressful situation, think “outside-in” and ‘inside-out’. Outside-in: How is your body feeling? How are you physically sitting - with arms crossed, in a defensive stance, or more open? Are you fully facing the person so you’re giving them your full energy? What impression are you giving them? Inside-out: Think about the other person, their world, their situation. Imagine yourself in their shoes, how would you want to be spoken to in that moment? What tone feels right? Women and men’s voices are perceived differently in the workplace. Studies have been done with people reading the same script and yet the male voices are perceived as exponentially more authoritative and persuasive than the woman's. Women and men can reference what other women have said by name to lift up their voices. Women can also appear more confident by removing fillers, qualifiers and apologies from their remarks.   KEEP UP WITH JACKIE AND BESPOKEN Website: www.bespokenpartners.com LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/bespoken-partners Twitter: @bespokenNY

I’ve found that most teams don’t often enough pause to reflect on or evaluate the success of the work itself. There is so much to do, that we just keep pushing forward without pausing to ask how we’re doing and if we should keep going. In this episode, I outline four approaches to evaluating your teams’ work.   Get the free mini-guide to help you get started with evaluating your team’s work.    Join the Modern Manager community to get the full guide which includes questions to ask and more for all four approaches to evaluation.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Key Takeaways: Evaluating your team’s work is different from evaluating individual or team performance. Evaluation meetings go by various names: retrospectives, post-mortums, after action reviews or plus/deltas. There are for approaches to measuring your team’s work: (1) Accountability - Did we do what we said we would do? (2) Impact - Did the result of our work make a difference and did it matter? (3) Learning - What did we learn by doing this work? (4) Cost-Benefit - Is the investment we made worth the return? Evaluating your teams work is critical to building trust, streamlining your processes, improving impact and allocating resources. By evaluating your team’s work across all four dimensions, you will be able to accurately determine if the work was successful, how to improve it, and whether to do it again. (1) Accountability. Ask questions like: Did we execute the project activities on time? If not, why?, Did we stay on budget? If not, why?, We we accomplish all the work? If not, why? (2) Impact. Ask questions like: What is the result of the work we accomplished?, What impact did the work achieve?, Did we achieve the outcome we expected? (3) Learning. Ask questions like: What might we do differently if we did a similar project again?, What surprised you - either in a good or disappointing way?, What worked really well ? Why?, What didn’t work so well? Why? (4) Cost-Benefit. Ask questions like: What was the full total of resources invested in or deployed for this work? (people, time, energy, finances, social or relational capital, physical resources), What other ways might we accomplish the same impact?, What didn’t we do because of the resources spent on this work?   Get it touch! Email me at mamie@mamieks.com

When was the last time your team had a conversation about a non-work topic? That might seem like an unusual question when in fact, it’s an important component to building a high performing team. When people connect on a human level, they develop and deepen trust and respect, enabling them to constructively engage in conflict, openly share ideas and much more. This week, I speak with Ann Smith, Executive Director of the non-profit Books@Work. Books@Work partners with employers to break down barriers, build connections and foster openness, trust and respect. Using facilitated dialogue about a carefully-curated piece of narrative literature, the program invites colleagues to deepen the relationships that anchor healthy and inclusive organizations.   Join the Modern Manager community to get 3 stories from Books@Work to use with your team. Plus, access additional guest bonuses and other resources to support your learning journey when you join.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and mini-guides delivered to your inbox.   Read the related blog post: How to use Stories to Transform Relationships   Key Takeaways: Using narrative text as the basis for a discussion tees up conversations that don't normally happen, enabling the group to address topics as potentially challenging as race, and gender, and politics. The story creates an alternate reality to talk about, so people feel more open to share their view. When people engage in a narrative text, they each bring their own perspective, often seeing different things. There's almost no organization or industry where the ability to connect more deeply with other people isn't relevant and profound. Books@Work has impact any place that the human relationship lies at the core of being successful. The big difference between the Books@Work approach and other common forms of team bonding such as a happy hour, is that a happy hour is wonderful in the moment, but most people will gravitate to the people they already know. To elevate the conversation, don't use business books or self-help books, and select stories that are on topics unrelated to your work. Use narratives because they bring up human stories which actually attract you to share your own. Once you've shared your own, others will share theirs as well. Really bring everybody to the table for the conversation. Even beyond your direct team - bring people from different functions, different roles, different levels of the organization.  People are always pleasantly surprised that the most insightful comments don't always come from the most senior person in the room or the most educated person in the room. If possible, have somebody who's trained to facilitate the discussion through questions. This will help ensure the conversation is open and that the text becomes a starting point but not the only thing you talk about. The facilitator allows people to go deeper and deeper into the story and bridge to the implications for people in the workplace. Different stories tee-up different conversations on big topics like creativity, accountability, free will, etc. Start by asking some of the fundamental human questions: What are the actions that this character took that really intrigued you? What are the actions that the character took that gave you pause? Is there somebody that you identify with? And then to move to more essential, topical questions e.g. What does it take for human nature to be innovative? Or, would you make the same choice as the character? Don’t be afraid of silence. Give people space to reflect, gather their thoughts and speak up. Ask open-ended questions rather than yes-no. Don’t ask if people liked the story. This doesn’t lead to productive discussion. Only at the end might you ask if there are any implications or connections to your work.   KEEP UP WITH ANN AND BOOKS@WORK Website: www.booksatwork.org LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annkowalsmith/ Twitter: @anksmith1 and @books_at_work Facebook: facebook.com/readbooksatwork

Meetings are just one form of communicate. Chat, email, collaborative digital tools and meetings are all good for some things and not others. While it seems simple to say, “let’s have a meeting,” it is important to pause and consider if a meeting is really necessary.   Get the free mini-guide to help you write a desired outcome.   Join the Modern Manager community to get the full guide which includes suggestions for when to hold a meeting vs use an alternative, and more.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and mini-guides delivered to your inbox.   Learn more about how to have productive meetings and build a healthy meeting culture in my book, Momentum: Creating Effective, Engaging, and Enjoyable Meetings.    Key Takeaways: Meetings are quite costly when you factor in the time to plan, schedule, complete pre-work, meet and follow-up. Plus there are emotional costs to sitting in meetings that feel unproductive. Meetings are only one form of communication. All forms of communication have their best uses. Before scheduling a meeting, be clear about why you’re meeting and what you want to accomplish (the desired outcome). Once you know what you need to accomplish, decide if a meeting is the right next step. Consider a meeting alternative such as sending an email or memo, chat (e.g. Slack or Microsoft Teams), or a collaborative document (Google Doc, InvisionApp, etc) might be better suited. A meeting alternative can be used as a first step in which it helps you narrow the focus of your meeting based on the initial responses. To know if a meeting is the right next step, look at your desired outcome and ask yourself the following questions: (1) Do I need the participants to listen to, respond to, or interact with one another? (2) Is there a lot of complexity in the content or situation that needs real-time discussion? (3) Do I need to generate buy-in with this group of people? If the answers to all are No, then a meeting is likely not necessary.   Get it touch! Email me at mamie@mamieks.com

Do you still remember that uncomfortable, nerve-wracking or awkward feedback conversation you had with your manager, a colleague or direct report? Why are these conversations so difficult and how can we be better feedback givers and receivers? This week, I speak with Robleh Kirce, Head of Coaching at LifeLabs. His research centers on transformative leadership experiences, behavioral-based 360 tools, leadership skills under pressure, and workplace habits that drive change.   Join the Modern Manager community to access guest bonuses and other additional resources to support your learning journey.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and mini-guides delivered to your inbox.   Learn more and register for my upcoming online course Meeting Mastery - classes start January 8th!   Read the related blog post: Feedback: The Art of Giving and Receiving   Key Takeaways: Difficult conversations generally fall into two buckets: giving feedback and conflict resolution. It’s totally normal to have anxiety about giving someone negative feedback. Prepare yourself for giving feedback: (1) Get a micro-yes from the person e.g.“Is it ok if I talk with you about this specific topic?” (2) Identify and share the behaviors you observed. (3) Identify and share the impact of the behavior and why it matters. (4) Open up and listen to what the other person has to say. When we give feedback, we can trigger emotional, reactionary responses. What causes that trigger to go off is particular to each person. The most common trigger in a workplace setting is ego. When feedback we receive is at odds with how we perceive ourselves, it often causes an emotional reaction. Be careful about how you overvalue an aspect of yourself. You can be kind or smart without having a self conception or ego around it. If a colleague comes to you with a negative opinion about a person, ask about the behaviors they’ve observed to substantiate their opinion. Then ask if they’ve had a direct conversation with the person, and if they haven’t, recommend and support them to do so. If they are uncomfortable, offer to sit with them both and facilitate the conversation. If you have an issue with a colleague, it’s OK to go to your manager with a positive intent to ask for help with how to address the issue yourself. Negative surprises can spike your emotional response by up to 400%. When asking for feedback from others, narrow the focus to a specific area. Give them time to reflect and then meet a few days later with them to discuss. If something happens in the workplace and you’re still thinking about it after 24 hours, give the feedback immediately. To get feedback for reluctant people, frame it as “pro-tips.” Ask for suggestions and recommendations for how to do something specific with a focus on the future rather than the past.   KEEP UP WITH ROBLEH Website: http://lifelabslearning.com LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/kirce Email: Robleh@lifelabslearning.com

As we prepare for another year, many of you I’d expect are doing some reflection on yourself, your personal goals, and what you hope for in 2019. Teams have goals, skills and competencies, just as individuals do. As you reflect on individual performance and opportunities for growth, consider also reflecting on how your team could become stronger. How might you invest in your team’s capabilities in order to work more effectively, accomplish great things, and create an environment where people flourish?   Get the free mini-guide to help you plan and follow-through on team development goals this year.   Join the Modern Manager community to get the full guide which includes questions for reflections, potential areas of growth to focus on, and more.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Key Takeaways: Teams have goals, skills and competencies just as individuals do. It’s worth investing in strengthening how your team works and setting team development goals. Introduce the concept of a team growth goal at an upcoming meeting. Explain why it’s important for teams to invest in their collective capabilities. Decide on an area of growth and generate buy-in. If you already have a topic in mind, present it to the team and be sure to explain (1) what the problem is, (2) how you, the team, the company will benefit, and (3) how each of them will benefit. If you haven’t selected a topic, ask the team to brainstorm areas for growth. Come up with decision-making criteria and agree upon the area you’d like to focus on developing. Set growth goals that explicitly state how you will measure success. Break down the goal into reasonable milestones to help you assess progress along the way. Create a learning and accountability plan. Decide how you will collectively gain the knowledge and/or skills to grow e.g. attend a webinar, read a book, develop ground-rules, etc. Set a meeting schedule to regularly check in on learnings and progress. Collectively commit to the goals and plan. Make it part of your overall performance system. Ensure each person understands that this is just as important as other team goals and needs to be taken seriously. Implement the plan by learning, debriefing, problem solving, experimenting, and supporting one another. Assess progress regularly and reflect on what’s working and what still needs to be figured out. Refine, update and iterate the plan as needed. Celebrate any and all progress, no matter how big or small. Don’t let distractions or a busy calendar get in the way of following through on your growth plan. If your team slows down or stops investing, regroup, recommit and re-prioritize.   Get it touch! Email me at mamie@mamieks.com

Team culture exists whether you intentionally shape it or not. Many managers organically build a culture based on their own values. But how do you design and transform a culture intentionally - one that delivers greater results for the individual, team and company? This week I speak with Isaac Tolpin, co-founder of ConveYour.com, the #1 Microlearning platform for learner engagement. Isaac and I talk about how to build a culture that enhances results, effective meetings and investing in your team members.   Join the Modern Manager community to Isaac's free course on building high performing teams and other additional resources to support your learning journey.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and mini-guides delivered to your inbox.   Key Takeaways: To create a learning culture, you need to understand the dreams of your team members and help them grow even if that means they leave your team to pursue their next step. We are most energized when we are learning, improving, growing in exciting directions. Most of what we learn when listening to a speech or attending a training is quickly forgotten. To really create change, you need just in time learning. Culture can’t be created by events. Culture is created by a never ending positive pressure on the right levers of the business. If you’re not living elements of the culture you want to drive, you will never be able to sustain that culture. Use powerful and consistent language to refer to your culture and key values. Culture is the ethos, the unwritten rules, how people behave when no one is looking. To shape a new culture, you need to start with understanding “what is” - both the good and bad. Identify the 3-5 key levers of your business. Levers are those things that will have the most positive impact when activated. Write a key statement that captures the essence of each lever and you feel confident saying over and over again. To go beyond incremental thinking into revolutionary thinking, you need to suspend what you know (or think you know) and think expansively. Schedule time in your calendar to do this.   KEEP UP WITH ISAAC  Website: https://conveyour.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/conveyour Twitter: https://twitter.com/isaactolpin Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/isaactolpin LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/isaactolpin

This is the third bonus episode in the Parenting Your Business series. In these episodes, I talk about my experiences as a parent and manager / entrepreneur, comparing situations and learnings. In this episode, I reflect on moments when we make assumptions that result in wasted effort, and then how we respond to them. Get in touch and join the conversation! mamie@mamieks.com mamieks.com/podcast patreon.com/modernmanager

It’s normal to have ups and downs with any new app. There will be times when you love using your task manager and times when you slow down or completely stop. Thats because using an app is really about building new habits. Whenever we try to change behavior we run into challenges.   Get the free mini-guide to help you overcome some common challenges with using a digital task manager.   Join the Modern Manager community to get the full guide which includes printable trackers, tips and approaches.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and mini-guides delivered to your inbox.   Key Takeaways: There are a few common reasons we struggle with using a digital task manager: The excitement of a new app wears off; We don’t get into a routine of putting tasks into the app or keeping it up to date; We stop trusting the tool to be helpful; We struggle with combining our use of paper and digital; The app is missing a capability or starts to feel like too much work. To prevent or overcome these challenges, acknowledge they're real and normal, and then make a plan. Decide how you will integrate your use of paper and digital tools. Be intentional about how together, they will support you to be most productive. Integrate your new habits for using your task app with your existing routines. Use visual reminders, like a 30-day chart, to help you track your usage. Set a goal of using your task app every day for a month. Make it a team goal if you’re collaborating with others. Explore new features, automations, integrations, etc to make it easier to use the app. Hold regular reflections on how it’s going. Consider what you want to do differently so you can get more value from the app. Recognize the challenges and frustrations are real. No app is perfect. If you’re really having a hard time consider changing to an app that is better suited to your needs, or whether an app is needed at all. There are many paper-based task management systems as an alternative.   Get it touch! Email me at mamie@mamieks.com

Hiring remote team members has gained in popularity over recent years. With access to a wider talent pool, more varied price ranges, and the ability to hire project-based and full-time resources, what's not to love? So how do you effectively hire and work with someone whom you never meet in person?   This week I speak with Nate Hirsch, entrepreneur and expert in remote hiring and eCommerce. Nate is the co-founder and CEO of FreeeUp.com. Nate and I talk about how to hire remote workers to grow your team’s capabilities. We talk about different types of freelancers and how to set yourself and the new hire up for success.   Join the Modern Manager community to get a $25 credit to FreeeUP and other additional resources to support your learning journey.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and mini-guides delivered to your inbox.   Key Takeaways: With remote hiring, you have access to a larger pool of talent at a wider variety of price point. You can hire a remote individual for a one-off project, sporadic work, and full time employees. Even ‘brick-and-mortar’ stores can supplement their work with remote team members for things like customer service, social media management, graphic design, etc. There is always a risk with hiring anyone, in person or remote, that the person won’t deliver. But hiring is the only way to gain capacity and grow. It’s about implementing good processes for accountability and building trust. You need to know what you’re looking for before you start the hiring process. Too often when hiring remote, we think ‘we’ll know it when we see it’ about finding the right person. Once you’ve identified a person to hire, be intentional about sharing your expectations and clarifying what success looks like. Freelancers often work with multiple clients who have different needs and expectations. What makes one client happy doesn’t make another client happy. There are three levels of hires: (1) The basic level freelancer who can follow and execute on the processes and systems you’ve already set up; (2) The mid-level freelancer who is a specialist doing the work, for example a graphic designer, book-keeper or Facebook Ad manager who knows their craft; (3) The experts who advise in addition to doing work by bringing their own experience to help your business. Defining what level of work you need is critical. Where people go wrong is by hiring a basic level freelancer when the don’t have systems yet and then expecting that person to create the systems. If you hire full time people who are doing work central to your business, treat them as full members of your team or business by including them in weekly meetings. Ask for feedback regularly, even with your remote team members. Set the expectation that asking for and giving feedback are part of our culture.   KEEP UP WITH NATE AND FREEEUP Website: FreeeUp.com Facebook:www.facebook.com/nathan.hirsch and https://www.facebook.com/freeeupcom/  Twitter:@realnatehirsch and @freeeup Instagram:@realnatehirsch and @freeeup_ LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanhirsch/ and https://www.linkedin.com/company-beta/10455467/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqoq7EGvwLQXgiYuIG8_iMg and https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSWdjdeVEWmk6f6wrsMeZcQ Online Hiring Mastermind Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/OnlineHiringMastermind/?ref=br_rs

Introducing a new technology tool to your workflow, whether doing it alone or with a team, shouldn’t be taken lightly. You have to work the technology in order to reap the benefits. Getting set up properly from the start will make it easier to sustain the new behaviors that will lead to less stress, more alignment, and greater productivity.   Get the free mini-guide to help you set yourself and/or your team up for a strong start with a new to-do app.   Join the Modern Manager community to get the full guide to getting started with a task manager.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and mini-guides delivered to your inbox.   Key Takeaways: Be thoughtful about how you will structure your work in the app. As more content goes in, it becomes harder to find what you’re looking for. Having the content well organized from the beginning will make it easier to keep it organized over time. Be explicit about what norms or ground rules you’ll follow when using the app. Consider how you’ll use specific features, like tags, followers, and due dates. If you’re using the app with a team, agree together on expectations for how tasks will be assigned, communicated about, and updated. Reflect on what changes you’ll need to make to your existing routines. For example, how will you capture tasks when you’re not at your desk? When will you input those tasks? How will you plan your priorities for the day? How will you hold yourself (and your team) accountable to using the app and following the ground rules? Consider having a weekly team huddle to reflect on how you’re using the app, how you’re benefiting and what you can do differently. Consider adding some new routines like daily and weekly time to input, update and review the tasks in your app. Set up the infrastructure of your app before you input any content. Name the folders, create the tags, add and avatar, update your notifications, bookmark the app’s URL, etc. Do a braindump of everything you need to do. Collect items from your notebooks, email, other apps, etc to get a full picture of all your work. Input each task including the owner, due date, relevant tags, documents or links, etc. Remember this is a journey and you’ll discover what works (and what doesn’t) as you use the tool. You’ll find ways to use the features that are helpful and features you wish the app had which you need to work around. If you find you’ve stopped using the app consistently (or completely), don’t worry. Decide if you want to give it another go. Then reflect on what was challenging before and how you’ll work differently this time around.   Get it touch! Email me at mamie@mamieks.com

We all have that inner critic who wants us to believe “I can’t.” As a manager, you may also see that voice taking control of your team mates. So how do you quiet the inner critic and unleash the full potential of yourself and your colleagues? This week I speak with Tara Mohr, expert on women’s leadership and well-being. Tara is the author of Playing Big: Practical Wisdom for Women Who Want to Speak Up, Create, and Lead. Tara and I talk about different forms of fear, that annoying inner critic that holds us back, and how to respond to someone else’s inner critic when it’s holding them back.   Join the Modern Manager community to get Tara's "Ten Rules For Brilliant Women Workbook” and other additional resources to support your learning journey.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and mini-guides delivered to your inbox.   Key Takeaways: Playing big is not about striving more or working harder. It’s about getting in touch with and taking action on your own hopes and dreams. There are different kinds of fear. The first type 'pachad' is projecting the worst case scenario. This is the irrational fear that holds us back. The second type 'yirah' is the feeling of taking on more responsibility, getting an influx of energy, or being in the presence of the sacred. This is the fear that tells us we're on the right track. If you don't address your inner critic, it will sabotage you time and again. The inner critic works almost identically in all of us. When you do something that feels emotionally risky, the inner critic speaks up, trying to get us to retreat to emotional safety. Ask yourself, "What is the emotional risk I'm taking - failure, rejection, incompetence, uncertainty, etc." Once you've identified it, you can acknowledge it, have compassion for yourself, and decide to act from the part of you that wants to fulfill your dreams. Especially as women, if you do substantive work, it will be met with praise and criticism. When you get praise or criticism, what comes up for you? As managers, we get an up close view of our colleagues' inner critic. We often make the mistake of thinking our encouragement or confidence will make someone's inner critic will go away. But it actually can make someone more concerned. Have a conversation with your team about the inner critic. https://www.taramohr.com/quieting-the-inner-critic/ Being your authentic self, and sharing creative or innovative ideas often comes with self doubt. Confidence doesn't come with more experience when we are continuing to grow, take on more responsibility, and work at our learning edge.   KEEP UP WITH TARA Book: Playing Big available on Amazon Upcoming: Playing Big Facilitators Training - taramohr.com/facilitators-training Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tarasmohr/ Twitter: @tarasophia Instagram: @tarasophiamohr LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tarasmohr/ Twitter: @tarasophia

There are endless benefits to using technology at work. But, software tools and apps are not a magic pill. They require behavior change and sustained dedication to using them in order to reap the benefits. Therefore, even considering the idea of adding a new app to your tech toolbox should be done thoughtfully.   Get the free mini-guide to help you reflect on why you need a task management app and what features are most important.    Join the Modern Manager community to get the full guide to generating buy-in for a collaboration app with your team along with suggested tools.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and mini-guides delivered to your inbox.   Key Takeaways: Adding a new technology tool to your workflow, whether doing it alone or with a team, shouldn’t be taken lightly. New apps require new behaviors. Be clear about the problems you want the tool to solved.  Paint a vision of what benefits you (and the team) will receive when using the app successfully. Identify unique capabilities and feature needs based on the type of work your team does. Explore 3-5 apps by reviewing their marketing site, using the web and mobile apps, visiting the help site, and reading reviews. Select one to use first and give it a go for a few weeks. You'll discover things you like more about it and things you like less or that it doesnt do which are needed.  Then decide if you want to stay with this one, try another, or find a non-technical way to solve the problems you identified. Articles with app reviews: https://zapier.com/blog/best-todo-list-apps/ https://www.proofhub.com/articles/top-project-management-tools-list-2018   Get it touch! Email me at mamie@mamieks.com

It's no fun to work with difficult people. As a manager, it's your responsibility to deal with difficult people and disruptive behaviors head on. It's not always easy, but it doesn't need to be complicated or anxiety-producing.  This week I speak with Kris Plachy, Founder and CEO of Leadership Coach and host of How to Lead podcast. Kris and I discuss proven approaches to dealing with difficult people and how to hold them accountable to change.   Join the Modern Manager community to get Kris's free course on how to have difficult conversation and for additional resources to support your learning journey.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and mini-guides delivered to your inbox.   Key Takeaways: We have behaviors that get interpreted and lead to labels. Instead of labeling a person as rude, describe the behavior which makes you feel they are acting rude.  Sometimes we misinterpret behaviors because we make assumptions about what a behavior means. It often feels hard to confront someone because we inherently don't want to hurt someone's feelings. If you think someone is difficult, it colors your perspective and you anticipate the person to always be difficult. We each interpret and make meaning of a behavior differently. Sometimes people need to be aware that others are perceiving the behavior as disruptive. When confronting someone, start by identifying the behavior and the impact on me, the team, the organization. Then let the person respond and be heard. Then state the expectation and what will happen if they don't change their behavior. Holding people accountable for behaviors and work results are the same. You must have set, clear expectations for what behaviors are expected. You also need a consistent practice for feedback.   KEEP UP WITH KRIS Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/howtolead/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/krisplachy/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/@krisplachy How to Lead Podcast: https://leadershipcoachllc.com/podcast/ Website: https://themanagerformula.com

Almost everyone deals with times of procrastination, either with ourselves or our colleagues. At its best, procrastination is a natural tendency to wait until the last minute, resulting in a rush of adrenaline that actually creates focus and helps produce our best work. At its worse, procrastination is due to lack of clarity or avoidance of work. Regardless of the root cause, if procrastination is something you or a colleague struggle with, there are proven approaches that will help you get a handle on procrastination.   Get the free mini-guide to help you better manage procrastination tendencies.    Join the Modern Manager community to get the full guide to tackling procrastination and many more resources to support your learning journey.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and mini-guides delivered to your inbox.   Key Takeaways: Procrastination is not always a bad thing. Some people do their best work when they are forced to focus under the pressure of an upcoming deadline. If you manage someone who procrastinates, you may need to learn to manage your own expectations rather than change their behavior. There are multiple approaches to combating procrastination IF you've determined it's causing problems such as missed deadlines or poor work quality. Set milestones to create mini-deadlines along the path to project completion. Determine why you're avoiding the work - lack of clarity? task feels too big? it's not fun work? etc. Commit to doing the task you've been avoiding first thing. Schedule time on your calendar to do the task. Determine what the first, smallest step is to get started on the work. Bribe yourself. Determine a reward that is equal to the work being accomplished.   Get it touch! Email me at mamie@mamieks.com

Sometimes, delegating work can feel like more trouble than its worth. Wouldn't it be nice to have more time for other work? Who will benefit from taking on new responsibilities and growing their skills? But then, how do I make sure the work is done "right"?   In episode 22, I talk with Dave Stachowiak, host of Coaching for Leaders podcast about all things delegation. From mindset to practical steps, learn how to hand off work and set everyone up for success.   Key Takeaways: Delegation is as much a mindset as it is a practice. As Simon Sinek says, “Leaders aren't responsible for the results. Leaders are responsible for the people who are responsible for the results.” Before you sit down to review the delegated work with an employee, get clear on: What is the quality metric? What does success look like? What are the outcomes? What is the timeframe for the work? What are the budget and resources available for this work? Consider: Who is the right person to delegate the work to? Who is already good at this work? Would could benefit from growing in this way? Focus on explaining the outcome rather than all the steps of how to do the work to achieve the outcome. Consider delegating anything that you aren’t uniquely qualified to do or that is only appropriate for your role. Get it in writing to ensure clarity and alignment of expectations for both parties. Encourage ownership of the work by having the employee create a plan and come back to you a few days later to review and enhance the plan. When reviewing the plan, look for indicators that the plan will accomplish the outcomes within the timeframe, resources and quality metrics. When you delegate the right work to the right people, it’s possible to achieve even greater results.   oin the Modern Manager community and get Dave's guide 11 Crucial Books that Every Leader Should Know and additional resources to support your learning journey.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and mini-guides delivered to your inbox.   Listen to my interview on productive meetings on Coaching for Leaders -- https://coachingforleaders.com/podcast/358/   KEEP UP WITH DAVE Website: https://coachingforleaders.com podcast: https://coachingforleaders.com/itunes LinkedIn: https://coachingforleaders.com/linkedin

This is the second bonus episode in the Parenting Your Business series. In these episodes, I talk about my experiences as a parent and manager / entrepreneur, comparing situations and learnings. In this episode, I reflect on moments when we might be too close to the work or situation, and would benefit from taking a step back. Get in touch and join the conversation! mamie@mamieks.com mamieks.com/podcast patreon.com/modernmanager

There are times when rich conversation is exactly what needed to happen, but that’s really the exception, not the norm. For most meetings, a good conversation is simply not enough. Too often meetings that are intended to produce a decision or clarify next steps result in little if any follow through. So what can you do about that?  In this episode, I discuss 5 practices to make your meetings outcomes more actionable, ensuring greater meeting follow-through.   Get the free mini-guide to better follow-through.   Join the Modern Manager community to get the full guide to managing meeting follow-through and many more resources to support your learning journey.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and mini-guides delivered to your inbox.   Key Takeaways: Recap next steps and decisions at the end of the meeting. Assign one owner to each action item. Write down the tasks, decisions, and learnings (key takeaways) so you don't need to rely on memory. Share the meeting notes with all attendees and those who need to be informed.  Use a meeting note app such as Beenote or Wisembly Jam. Follow-up on tasks assigned from prior meetings. Use the old notes to help keep track of open items. Transfer action items assigned to you to your project plan or regular to-do list. Don't keep meeting action items separate from your other work.   Get it touch! Email me at mamie@mamieks.com

It's helpful to hear stories and lessons learned from managers who have experienced the daily challenges of working with a team. In episode 020 I speak with Rick Kiley, a founding partner of Soho Experiential. We talk about his experiences as a manager growing his team, holding people accountable, and lots more lessons over his 13 year journey in the business. One word of warning: there is some inappropriate language for children in this episode.   Key Takeaways: Train people properly. Invest in people's growth. Set them up for success.  Incorporate your company or team values into your hiring process. Hiring is not just about talent. ​How the person will act and interact with colleagues and clients is just as important. There are three types of people: problem makers (who you want to avoid hiring)​ problem identifiers (who are helpful but common) problem solvers (who will figure out solutions and are critical to success) Find problems and poor performers quickly and take action. The sooner you find it, the sooner you can address it. As teams and organizations evolve, processes need to be formalized and systemized. As an entrepreneur, you begin by wearing all the hats (roles) and over time you take off a hat as you hire someone to do that role. The person you hire for that role should do the job as good or better than you. Don't feel bad if the people you hire are better than you at that role. They should be! Your team will be more successful if each person does great work and you are a great manager. Manage people and teams by objective (results) and empower them to do their roles.    Join the Modern Manager community for additional resources to support your learning journey.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and mini-guides delivered to your inbox.   KEEP UP WITH RICK Website: sohoexp.com/ Email:info@sohoexp.com Instagram:@sohoexp

For many of us, there never seem to be enough hours in the day. Our to-do lists seem to accumulate new tasks faster than we can cross them off. There are demands from colleagues and clients at work, family obligations, and social responsibilities. And in addition to all the things we’re supposed to do, there are things we wish we had time to do - like going to the gym, cooking, playing an instrument or reading a book for fun, or getting a full 8 or 9 hours of sleep at night - that feel impossible to try to squeeze in. While it’s true that we probably can’t do everything (at least at the same time), on the whole, when you approach your time with intentionality, you may be surprised by how much you can accomplish in 24 hours. In this episode, I discuss 4 time management strategies I use to manage my time as a busy entrepreneur, mom, wife, and philanthropist, plus some pro-tips for effective time management.   Get the free mini-guide to better time management. Get the free time tracker at: http://bit.ly/MMTimeAudit   Join the Modern Manager community to get the full guide to effective time management and many more resources to support your learning journey.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and mini-guides delivered to your inbox.   Read the article based on this episode: Time Management Strategies Every Manager Should Know   Key Takeaways: Do fewer things. Question whether everything you're doing needs to be done at all, and if yes, can it be done for less time or less frequently. Delegate. Determine what can be off loaded from your plate and who can take it on best. Use a 2x2 matrix: "Things only I can do” vs “Things someone else can do” and  “Things I like to do” vs “Things I prefer not to do.” This will help you determine what to hand off. Think of time as abundant or expansive. Prioritize things that are important and give up those activities that don't serve you. Look for ways to streamline your work. Bundle similar tasks Automate with technology Time-block tasks to avoid spending too long on them Develop your skills and become more efficient   Get it touch! Email me at mamie@mamieks.com

Whether you're trying to build a high performing team or transform your organization's culture, you need to be a change agent. When it comes to changing culture, thinking like a marketer can help. In episode 018 I speak with Wes Kao, an expert in marketing, product, and growth, and former Executive Director of Seth Godin’s altMBA. We talk about generating buy-in for bigger culture change work as well as creating a high performing team culture in which people take ownership.   Key Takeaways: Culture is simply 'how we do things around here.' It subconsciously impacts how we engage at work - are we proactive, do we take ownership, etc. Changing culture is, in part, marketing. We're selling ideas to our team members, supervisors, and colleagues. If your values are out of line with those of your organization, (1) move to a different organization or (2) frame your idea in ways where people who are attached to the status quo don't feel threatened. You want your idea to be new and interesting, not new and scary. Culture change happens person by person. It needs to be continually reinforced. Create a foundation of psychological safety so people are able to share their ideas without feeling foolish. Combine psychological safety with rigor. This means you encourage people to share out-of-the-box ideas knowing that they will be met with a rigorous discussion. That response is not because the ideas are bad or the person was wrong to share them, but because we have a culture of rigor when it comes to debating ideas.  In a high performing team, everyone thinks like an owner and is proactive, people care about each other, and people ask question and think critically.    Read the article based on this episode: How Rockstar Managers Tackle Changing Culture   Join the Modern Manager community to listen to the recoding of the bonus Q&A call with Wes. Get additional resources to support your learning journey when you join.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and mini-guides delivered to your inbox.   KEEP UP WITH WES website: https://www.weskao.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weskao/ Seth Godin's AltMBA: https://altmba.com/ Email: wes@weskao.com Twitter: @wes_kao

Almost everything you do as a manager can be influenced or framed by the mindset of serving your team: in the level of autonomy you provide, in how you invest in people’s growth, and in the culture of respect and gratitude that you build, and beyond. With the servant leadership approach, your job as a manager changes from that of conductor to that of coach and cheerleader. When you can make a few small adjustments in how you act towards and with your team, your people will have the space and confidence to do their best work.   Get the free mini-guide to help you put your team first.   Join the Modern Manager community to get the full guide to servant leadership and many more resources to support your learning journey.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and mini-guides delivered to your inbox.   Read the article based on this episode: Servant Leadership: Leading from Behind   Key Takeaways: Servant leadership means putting your team first in order to unleash the potential of your people. Try adapting your approach to what works best with each of your team members.  Prioritize the person and their ability over your own convenience. Coach them rather than 'doing it for them.' If you work in a large organization, the bureaucracy can be suffocating. You must clear the path, keep things moving up above, and prevent unnecessary stressors for your team. Trust your team. Accept that sometimes this means they will fail. Speak last in meetings. Make space for other people to share first so you don't shut down the conversation before it begins. Be willing to be wrong. Apologize when you make a mistake and admit when you don't know something.   Get it touch! Email me at mamie@mamieks.com

This is the first bonus episode in the Parenting Your Business series. In these episodes, I talk about my experiences as a parent and manager or business leader, comparing situations and learnings.   In this episode, I talk about the things we do for our team members that they should really do for themselves.   I'd love to hear from you! Email me at mamie@mamieks.com Subscribe to my newsletter at www.mamieks.com Join The Modern Manager Community at www.patreon.com/modernmanager

Is it possible for non-technical teams to benefit from practices like agile that were created by and for engineers? What if we’re not in a tech or software development space? How can non-techie managers take agile and use it for the growth of their teams? If you’ve heard about agile, but are still unsure what it is, you’re not alone. In this episode, I speak with Sinead A. Condon, Transformation Strategist for CA Technologies. We discuss agile priorities and ceremonies and agile for non-techies.   Key Takeaways: Agile is both a mindset and a series of processes, ceremonies and structures. An agile mindset is one which prioritizes delivering value, continuous improvement, speed and collaboration. The daily standup is one of the most common agile practices. Individuals share what they completed yesterday, what they're working on today, and what (if anything) is standing in the way of getting their work done. Practicing agile includes keeping a running to-do list (back-log) of tasks that need to be completed and then prioritizing on a regular basis. The 'retrospective' is a ceremony in which the team looks for ways to improve. After a cycle of work (either time or project based), people ask 'what can we do better?' Agile means working in shorter time periods (sprints) and in multiple iterations.  Most important to the agile mindset is curiosity. Keep asking what your stakeholders value and whether your actions are delivering adequate value given the efforts.    Read the article based on this episode: Agile for Non-Techies: What Every Manager Should Know   Join the Modern Manager community for additional resources to support your learning journey.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and mini-guides delivered to your inbox.   KEEP UP WITH SINEAD LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sineadcondon2/

The decision to invest in your employees can be one of the smartest decisions you make as a manager. When you allocate money, time, or energy to an employee’s growth, the benefits for them, for you, and for your business can be profound. Learn ways to invest in people individually and as a team.   Get the free mini-guide to investing in your team.   Join the Modern Manager community to get the full guide to investing in your team and many more resources to support your learning journey.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and mini-guides delivered to your inbox.   Read the article based on this episode: Invest in Employees for Growth and Success   Key Takeaways: Investment means you deal with the cost now in order to reap the benefit later.  Everyone benefits when you invest in your team members. Employees feel more engaged and grow their capabilities. This, in turn, makes your job easier as a manager, freeing you to do other work. There are multiple ways to invest in people. Leadership consultants Mike Figliuolo and Victor Prince created a great framework. Talk with your employees about growth. There is greater buy-in when you decide together what to focus on and how. Consider the employee's learning preferences when deciding on investment approaches. Be sure to invest in your team as a whole and in yourself too!   Get it touch! Email me at mamie@mamieks.com

Diversity in the workplace is getting a lot of attention these days. As we build awareness of and increase the range of diversity in its many forms, one we mustn’t overlook is personality. Our workplaces are already quite diverse in this respect and as managers, we must be capable of working with people who have different preferences than we do. Todays guest, Rob Toomey is President at TypeCoach. TypeCoach helps companies improve communication and achieve goals through the application of personality type, specifically the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). To get free access to TypeCoach's tools, join the Modern Manager community on Patreon.   Key Takeaways: Most of the time, we function in our default mode which means we communicate and collaborate in ways that feel most natural to us.  Great communicators and collaborators are able to adjust to work in ways that are most effective for those they are engaging with.  Make space for introverts in meetings. Give them time to process the information prior to the meeting. Use a 'check-out' at the end of the meeting for final thoughts. If you're a big-picture manager but you have team members who need more details, spend extra time time clarifying the end goal, processes and any detailed information even if it feels tedious to you. Feedback will resonate more when it speaks to people's primary motivations.  Pause before you give feedback or respond. Ask yourself: What is the best approach to take in light of this particular person? Personality and preferences appears in teams and can cause conflict when not addressed. Some people prefer to think in light-bulb innovation (brand new ideas) and others pre to think of process innovation (improving on what exists). Neither is better or worse, but they can create conflict amongst the group when doing both at the same time. Set time in a brainstorm meeting for each type of thinking rather than combining them into one.   Read the article based on this episode: How to Manage and Leverage Personality Types for Greater Success   Join the Modern Manager community to get free access to the Type-Coach Verifier and additional resources to support your learning journey.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and mini-guides delivered to your inbox.   KEEP UP WITH ROB Website: www.Typecoach.com Twitter: @rvtoomey

As managers, we’re constantly communicating with others by email, chat, phone, and in meetings. We share instructions, feedback, praise, and gratitude. We provide information, ask questions, and offer suggestions. In this episode, we discuss the communication skills every manager (not leader) needs.   Get the free mini-guide to help you improve your communication.   Join the Modern Manager community to get the full guide to effective communication and many more resources to support your learning journey.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and mini-guides delivered to your inbox.   Read the article based on this episode: 5 Communication Skills to Make You a Rockstar Manager   Key Takeaways: Share the right information at the right time.  Provide clarity and be direct. What actions should the person take? What should they do with this information? Provide context so the person understand 'why' not just 'what'. Check for understanding. Avoid asking 'yes or no' questions like 'does that make sense?' which can make someone feel embarrassed that they don't understand.  Listen actively, respond to cues from the other person. Match the medium to the content. Consider which mode of communication - email, chat, meetings, etc - will be the most efficient and effective at delivering the message. Say what needs to be said, even if it's hard. Give feedback, share unpopular opinions and speak up.   Get it touch! Email me at mamie@mamieks.com

We have conversations every day. We have them with our family and friends, our colleagues at work, and strangers at the grocery store. We have them online. We have them in our heads. Most conversations happen organically, but what happens when you approach a conversation with the mindset that it is an experience which can be designed, and how does it transform the conversation and the outcomes? Daniel Stillman, conversation designer, and I discuss the ins and outs of designing a conversation in ways that build deeper human connections and achieve outcomes.   Key Takeaways: A conversation should begin before you get together. Find a way to entice people to join you so that they want to be in the conversation. Avoid being vague about the purpose of the conversation. Few people feel good about attending a meeting when they don't know what's going to be discussed. End a conversation with intention. Reiterate the positive outcomes to elevate the mood.  Engage participants in giving feedback using the Rose-Thorn-Bud technique in which people need to share 2 things they like (rose), two that could be improved (thorn) and 2 ideas they have (bud). Use drawing (instead of writing) to elicit new information and spark creativity. Drawing often relaxes people and lowers barriers. Cultivate and sustain your internal conversation through a practice such as mediation.    Read the article based on this episode: How to Use Conversation Design to Transform Your Team   Join the Modern Manager community for additional resources to support your learning journey.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and mini-guides delivered to your inbox.   KEEP UP WITH DANIEL Daniel's podcast: www.theconversationfactory.com 9 Conversations book: https://publishizer.com/nine-conversations/ Book giveaway: http://theconversationfactory.com/giveaway

Enjoyment may not be the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about work, but it’s a critical ingredient to building a thriving team. In order for each person to flourish, they need feel a bit of joy in the work they do, the team they do it with and the environment in which they do it.   Get the free mini-guide to increasing the enjoyment in your team.   Join the Modern Manager community to get the full guide to bring more joy into your workplace and many more resources to support your learning journey.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and mini-guides delivered to your inbox.   Read the article based on this episode: A New Recipe for Success: Enjoyment at Work   Key Takeaways: Help people find the right balance their skills with the amount of challenge in their work.  Kim Scott, in her book, Radical Candor, defines 'rockstars' and 'superstars' as two different mindsets on what a person wants out of their job and career growth. Matching the role's demands to the person's desires will increase their enjoyment. Help each person see the meaning and purpose of their work. Link the individual's work to the team's success and the organization's success and mission. Encourage more fun in the workplace. Having moments of fun can build bonds, lighten the mood, and reduce stress. Provide autonomy and generate buy-in. It's funny how we can enjoy or dread the same activity based on whether it feels like our choice to do it.   Get it touch! Email me at mamie@mamieks.com

Meetings have a bad rap, but they're critical to how work gets done. Today's guest, Elise Keith is the co-Founder of Lucid Meetings, which helps organizations run day-to-day meetings to power their organizational success. Elise and I discuss the 'bad meeting doom loop', different types of meetings and how to string together a series to optimize how the team collaborates, and the most important thing to do when planning a meeting.   Key Takeaways: Stop the bad meetings doom loop in which we expect meetings to be a waste of time so we don't prepare for them properly which leads them to being unproductive which reinforces our belief that meetings are a waste of time. Try this mindset instead: Meetings are a place where people come together to get work done. The word meeting is loaded. Try reframing your meetings by calling them something else like a weekly huddle or team crush. Keith identifies 16 types of meetings which she discusses in depth in her book. Separate meetings by their work purpose. Rather than compound meeting types, create a sequence of meetings that work together. In general, the more frequently you meet, the shorter the meetings can be and they are likely to be more productive. In contrast, the less frequent you meet, the longer the meetings need to be, and the less productive they typically are.    Read the article based on this episode: Effective Meetings = Effective Business   Join the Modern Manager community for additional resources to support your learning journey.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and mini-guides delivered to your inbox.   Get my book, Momentum: Creating Effective, Engaging, and Enjoyable Meetings at: www.meeteor.com/momentum   KEEP UP WITH ELISE Where the Action Is: https://www.lucidmeetings.com/book Website: www.lucidmeetings.com Twitter: @lucidmeetings LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elisekeith/ Goodreads Booklist on Improving Meetings: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/117713.Better_Meetings_Better_Business   Check out Episode 21 - Managing Meeting Follow-Through - for more on effective meetings.   Get the free mini-guide for episode 21 to help improve your meeting follow-through.

Expressing appreciation - a “thankful recognition” of the contribution of those around you - is part of the wave of positive psychology that has become mainstream in recent years. But how do we do this effectively in a work setting? Consider three facets of appreciation: gratitude, praise and recognition. Rockstar managers use all three and build appreciation into their daily or weekly routine.   Get the free mini-guide to help you show meaningful appreciation.   Join the Modern Manager community to get the full guide to meaningful appreciation and many more resources to support your learning journey.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and mini-guides delivered to your inbox.   Read the article based on this episode: How to Express Meaningful Appreciation at Work   Key Takeaways: Employees who feel appreciated are more productive and more successful in their roles.  Establish a regular practice of gratitude for yourself. It's easier to show appreciation when you have a habit of doing so. Appreciation can be shown as: Gratitude (saying thank you) Praise (showing admiration) Recognition (sharing in public) Make your gratitude and praise as specific as possible. A simple "thanks!" or "nice job" isn't meaningful. It feels automatic. Include how the person's actions positively impacted you. Both gratitude and praise should often be given in private, but on occasion, public recognition is welcomed. Use recognition as a way to encourage new norms and behaviors in meetings. Acknowledge the person who identified 'the most critical watch-out' as a way to encourage people to share their concerns. Set time on your calendar each week to 'express appreciation.' Reflect on what happened the past week and write a note, send an email, or speak directly to the person to show you care.    Get it touch! Email me at mamie@mamieks.com   For additional resources on appreciation in the workplace: http://blog.meeteor.com/blog/appreciation-in-virtual-teams/ http://www.appreciationatwork.com/learn/

Is it possible that prevailing perceptions about productivity don’t work for everyone? This week's guest Dorie Clark, productivity expert, strategy consultant, author, and professional speaker decided to put them to the test. Through her month-long time-tracking experiment, she was able to further optimize her time, and what she learned might surprise you. Dorie and I discuss misconceptions about multitasking, methods for better email management, and getting out of meetings you don’t need to attend.   Key Takeaways: Start by actually understanding how you're spending your time. Do a time-tracker for 1-2 weeks (see below for a free version). Traditional definitions of multi-tasking is really task-switching, which is not productive. Strategic multi-tasking is when you can truly do two (or more) things at once, like exercise while listening to a podcast or eating a meal with friends.  Strategic multi-tasking can increase the amount of things you get done within the same 24 hours.  Standardize how you deal with email. Avoid letting 'dealing with email' become a go-to activity periodically during your day. Email is less of a problem because of the time it takes but because of the stress it causes.  Say no to meetings you don't need to be in. Ask for other ways to engage before agreeing to participate in a meeting.    Grab a free time-tracker.   Read the article based on this episode: 3 Unexpected Ways to Optimize Your Time   Join the Modern Manager community for additional resources to support your learning journey.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and mini-guides delivered to your inbox.   KEEP UP WITH DORIE website:https://dorieclark.com/twitter: @dorieclark instagram: @ericakeswilinkedin:https://www.linkedin.com/in/doriec   Check out episode 19 - Time Management Methods, Mindsets and Approaches - for more on this topic.    Get the free mini-guide for episode 19 to help you manage your time more effectively.

Connections at work provide a sense of cohesion, which is essential for cultivating teamwork and collaboration. When there are strong relationships, many interpersonal dynamics become less stressful. Conflicts are reduced and those that do arise are often easier to resolve. People are more willing to ask or help and share their ideas. As a manager, your job is to connect with each of your team members and to foster connections among them.   Get the free mini-guide to help you strengthen the relationships on your team.   Join the Modern Manager community to get the full guide to building connections and strengthening relationships, and many more resources to support your learning journey.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and mini-guides delivered to your inbox.   Read the article based on this episode: Connections at Work Can Make Your Team More Successful   Key Takeaways: We are social beings. Human connection is critical to our wellbeing and our collaboration capabilities.   When you have a strong relationship, it's easier to move past bumps like a mis-communication. You're more likely to give the benefit of the doubt to someone and take risks in front of them. Your job as a manager is to build relationships with and among your team members. Celebrate work-related and personal occasions as a team. Share personal stories and photos e.g. from vacations, weekend activities, etc. Take time out of the office for team-building. Bring people together over non-work topics. Try a lunch-n-learn or book/article/movie club. Surprise your team with occasional special somethings like food or time off.   Get it touch! Email me at mamie@mamieks.com

Does your work environment provide respect, fairness, and safety? Those are the three key attributes of a healthy workplace culture in which people contribute their best ideas and efforts. Too often we overlook the small behaviors that can have a major negative impact. When people perceive that they're unsafe or undervalued at work, they engage in unhealthy coping mechanisms such as gossip, battling for territory, and disengagement. Today's guest, Fran Sepler, an expert in building respectful workplaces free from harassment, shares the perils of an unhealthy culture, the benefits of a truly respectful one, and what we can do as managers to help create a workplace environment in which everyone thrives.   Key Takeaways: Safety (physical and psychological) and fairness are two critical aspects of a respectful workplace. When people perceive that they are unsafe or undervalued at work, they may engage in unhealthy coping mechanisms like gossiping, creating alliances to claim territory or status, withdrawing, and disengaging. When you feel disrespected, your whole attitude can be impacted, making you more likely to be disrespectful to others. We generally have the same definition of what it looks and feels like to be respected and disrespected. Once you've recognized that disrespectful behavior is an issue, you can create ground rules to address it.  Ask for feedback on how you're doing. View feedback as a gift. Even if you don't like what you hear, say 'thank you.' If a high performer who accomplishes great work treats others poorly, stop considering them a high performer.  You must take into consideration the negative effects of someone's behavior on other people = they are depressing or inhibiting other people's performance. Managers must address even the 'little things' that you may be inclined to let slide. Other people see them and are counting on you to role model.   Read the article based on this episode: Why Respectful Workplaces are More Important than You Think   Join the Modern Manager community for additional resources to support your learning journey.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and mini-guides delivered to your inbox.   KEEP UP WITH FRAN website: www.sepler.com email:fransepler@sepler.com     Check out episode 3 - Building a Culture of Respect - for more on this topic. Get the guide to building a culture of respect.

Flexibility is a growing concern (or demand) of many employees. As a manager, you have the ability to increase the autonomy of your team, thereby enabling greater engagement, dedication and even performance. But how do you do it in ways that are meaningful while also ensuring high quality work performance?   Get the free mini-guide to help you implement greater autonomy in your team.   Join the Modern Manager community to get the full guide to increasing the autonomy of your team and many more resources to support your learning journey.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and mini-guides delivered to your inbox.   Read the article based on this episode: Increasing the Autonomy of Your Team   Key Takeaways: Autonomy comes in different forms: How you do your work When you work Where you work from Who you work with What you work on Autonomy is not one size fits all. Different people value different forms of autonomy and can manage different forms of autonomy. Create the conditions for each person to thrive. Provide appropriate guidance and support. Start by experimenting with greater autonomy for each of your team members. Set clear boundaries and expectations and have regular check-ins. Then determine if the experiment is working or if additional changes are needed. Get it touch! Email me at mamie@mamieks.com

Who is the best manager you ever had?  How did they make you feel? There are a million different answers to this question, but none of them involve some variation of saying, “They made me feel like a number.  Like a cog in the wheel.” That’s because we value human interactions. We value when people take their time with us, get to know us, and actually act like human beings around us. In this episode of The Modern Manager, I speak with Erica Keswin, author of Bring Your Human to Work to learn how we all can become better human beings at work! Key Takeaways: Use the 3 Ps of Meetings: Purpose, Presence, and Protocols. Know your desired outcome, engage people in the conversation and follow standard practices like using an agenda. Invest in professional development. It's important to most people, but especially millennials. Design work practices with human sustainability in mind. Flexible work schedules and other policies allow people to stay with you for the long run. Read the article based on this episode: Being a 'Human' Manager Join the Modern Manager community for additional resources to support your learning journey. Subscribe to  my newsletter to get episodes, articles and mini-guides delivered to your inbox. KEEP UP WITH ERICA Bring Your Human to Work: order on Amazon website: ericakeswin.com twitter: @erica_keswin instagram: @ericakeswin linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericakeswin/ Forbes contributor page: https://www.forbes.com/sites/ericakeswin/#1c1910b31a83#1c1910b31a83 Huffpo contributor page: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/author/erica-169 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EricaKeswinWorkplaceStrategist/

When you have a culture of respect, people are less stressed and there’s less conflict, which often translates into many positive outcomes, including greater productivity. A culture of respect creates what experts call “psychological safety.” Simply put, it is being able to show your full self and share your ideas without fear of negative consequences.   Get the free mini-guide to help you build a culture of respect.   Join the Modern Manager community to get the full guide to building a culture of respect and many more resources to support your learning journey.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and mini-guides delivered to your inbox.   Read the article based on this episode: Building a Culture of Respect   Key Takeaways: You need to role model respect. Listen first, then ask questions before jumping in. Beware of how you communicate in email. Tone can be misinterpreted.  Make it a team effort by encouraging everyone to co-create and abide by shared norms. Use your meetings practice respectful behavior e.g. no more interrupting, include all voices, etc.   Get it touch! Email me at mamie@mamieks.com

Being an intentional manager is a great start, but what does it take to be a rockstar manager? How can you build a culture in which people flourish and accomplish extraordinary results? In this episode, I discuss 8 characteristics of a rockstar manager.   Get the free mini-guide to being a rockstar manager.   Join the Modern Manager community to get the full guide to becoming a rockstar manager and many more resources to support your learning journey. Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the article based on this episode: 8 Characteristics of a Rockstar Manager   Key Takeaways: Cultivate and demonstrate respect Provide autonomy Build connections Show appreciation Foster enjoyment Communicate effectively Invest in your people Put the team first   Get it touch! Email me at mamie@mamieks.com 

What does it mean to be an unintentional manager? If you’re an unintentional manager, you likely don’t even realize the frustrating things that you may be doing. Here are 6 signs of an unintentional manager. Luckily, they’re easily identifiable and quickly correctable. unclear expectations the wrong or not enough feedback not asking for feedback not showing appreciation separation from the team letting things go that should be addressed   Get the guide that accompanies this episode.   Read the article based on this episode: Are You an Unintentional Manager?   Join the Modern Manager community to get additional resources.

In this intro episode of The Modern Manager, host Mamie Kanfer Stewart shares what listeners can expect to hear from the show. Get ready for a podcast that will help you optimize your time, cultivate your team, and achieve your goals. Check out the Myers-Briggs test here.