Hi. This is Steve King, and this is Conversation with a Manager: Stories from the Frontline.
Along with my colleague Betsy Hagan and our producer David Blindauer, our podcast explores the common and sometimes uncommon challenges facing today’s managers in the workplace.
Our proposition is simple. Managers, particularly frontline managers, play an oversized role in the productivity of an organization and the engagement of team members. So, a manager’s successful performance makes a ton of difference.
We are defining managers as anyone with responsibilities to look after the performance of others. It is an evolving role … impacted by new technologies, hybrid work arrangements, and generational differences. While some might find the notion of management a bit old fashion, it remains and integral part of the business landscape. There are plenty of managers out there and plenty of new ones every day.
This is a podcast for managers, by managers. Betsy and I have over fifty years of experience as managers between us. We have written extensively on the topic of management, and we have taught literally thousands of managers in classroom, online, and seminar settings. And I can assure you we have learned as much in those settings from managers as we have shared.
In each episode we will visit with a successful manager we have met and hear their stories and the lessons they have learned from their years of experience. We expect you’ll find their stories and insights useful and applicable right away back on the job.
We intend to keep the podcast short and sweet, around 20 minutes, so you can fit them into your commute, lunch break, or while you’re making dinner.
So, please join us in a … conversation with a manager.
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Managers are often challenged with a kind of paradox ... manage teams members the same [without favor] or manage team members differently [acknowledging everyone unique capabilities]. In this unheard outtake from my interview with April Gingras [S1:E4], April offers us some insights via a great story on how she has managed this paradox. Our Website: https://conversation-with-a-manager.captivate.fm
Season One is a wrap! In this last episode of the podcast Steve and Betsy have invited their friend and author Artell Smith to offer their collective perspectives on this first season. Four specific episodes from this first season are discussed in depth with some references here and there to other episodes as well. We hope these additional insights will add a few new ideas and techniques to our listener's managerial tool box. Season Two of our podcast will return later this year. In the meantime...
Evidence suggests that employee engagement, on the whole, is on the decline in our workplaces. But this in not necessarily true where managers are equiped with perspectives, behaviors, and techniques that create psychologically safe and inclusive environments. Binnu and Betsy explore what it takes to create this kind of environment and reap the benefits of not only engaged team members but improved performance and productivity. Our Website: https://conversation-with-a-manager.captivate.fm...
Managers can find themselves in situations where they know something that their members are not yet expected to know. How does a manager handle this delicate balance between being authentic and holding a confidence ... particularly when rumors are flying. Nathan Plenshek discusses this difficult situation and offers valuable perspective on how to handle it. Our Website: https://conversation-with-a-manager.captivate.fm
What happens when a new team member is given a collection of complex responsibilities? This can be a formula for frustration and worry on part of a new team member unless their manager has a thoughtful way of easing the team member into mastering the complexity. Our guest Ivy Mantua shares her approach to this challenge which she calls "gradual development". And along the way she also offers some thoughts on the mastery of technical or functional skills. Our Website: https://conversation-with-a-...
What is a like to receive difficult feedback? Our guest Kathleen Finis lays out the impact receiving difficult feedback has on individuals and how managers can use this insight to craft feedback that is both heard and acted on. Our Website: https://conversation-with-a-manager.captivate.fm
What is it like to manage multiple intercultural teams at the same time? Our guest Shelley Clinger has successfully navigated this tricky challenge and offers her perspectives on how not only to coordinate global team activities, but actually integrate global team activities to leverage the best from every team. Two assessments were mentioned in this episode. Here are the websites where you can find more information about both assessents. IDI Inventory: https://idiinventory.com/ Thomas Kilmann c...
Our guest Lawrence Henderson is disturbed when team members begin “finger-pointing” when things go wrong rather than taking responsibility for their own shortcomings. Lawrence shares his lessons learned about how to best deal with those moments. Jennifer Wilson of New Leaf Consulting and Coaching and author of the book “Waking Up to Your Worth: Ten Touchstones for Overcoming Imposter Syndrome” joins Steve in the debriefing of Lawrence’s remarks. Our Website ... https://conversation-with-a-manage...
Our guest April Gingras tells the story of being a new manager and having to deal with an underperforming team member. The story is complete with multiple lessons learned by April about how to best deal with this kind of situation and how best not to. Website: https://conversation-with-a-manager.captivate.fm
Our guest Becky Kirgan worries about the impact of change fatigue on teams facing uncertain, ill-defined change. Becky shares some strategies for minimizing this fatigue and helping those kinds of change efforts along. Website: https://conversation-with-a-manager.captivate.fm
Should a manager be responsible for finding mentors for their team members? Our guest Michele Kaiser thinks the answer is "yes". Michele outlines her reasons for "yes" and offers tips on how to go about finding those mentors. Website: https://conversation-with-a-manager.captivate.fm
Our guest John Stefanik was 19 years old when he agreed to take on his first manager role … supervising others twice his age and significantly more experienced. John offers advice and counsel for other managers in a similar situation. Website: https://conversation-with-a-manager.captivate.fm
Hi. This is Steve King, and this is Conversation with a Manager: Stories from the Frontline. Along with my colleague Betsy Hagan and our producer David Blindauer, our podcast explores the common and sometimes uncommon challenges facing today’s managers in the workplace. Our proposition is simple. Managers, particularly frontline managers, play an oversized role in the productivity of an organization and the engagement of team members. So, a manager’s successful performance makes a ton of differe...
