"1:1s are a powerful tool to help improve trust, productivity, clarity, happiness..." We've all heard that, but is it true? Well, it CAN be true as long as both the manager and the team member are engaged in making it a meaningful meeting. A lot of people we chat with are unhappy with the current state of their 1:1s, so in this episode Michael shares some foundational tips that will help you start or reboot your 1:1s. Michael references some ways to reframe your 1:1s. Here are some conversation ...
Sep 18, 2020•11 min•Ep. 20
Asking your team members to fill out 1:1s is great, but all too often the "discussion" digresses into a simple reading of the words written by the team member. In this episode, Chris talks about the importance of getting past the words and into the actual meaning behind them. It's in that meaning that both managers and team members find fulfillment in the relationship, which fuels better work and a more vibrant culture. Related podcast: 4 Strategies to Have More Effective One on One Meetings by ...
Aug 14, 2020•20 min•Ep. 19
While it often takes a great deal of time to develop trust with people, it can, sadly, be lost very quickly. So what do you do when your team has lost trust in you as a manager? How do you get back to where you were? In this episode, Chris flies solo and shares some of his own experiences (and failures!), and how he handled rebuilding the foundation of any good relationship - trust. Related podcast: How trust and truth build a great team with Erik Johnson You can follow Chris on Twitter at @chri...
Jul 16, 2020•18 min•Ep. 18
Are reviews simply a necessary evil? Can they be made easier? SHOULD they be made easier? Michael and Chris talk about how a thoughtful, meaningful performance review can be an opportunity for both a manager and their team member to grow professionally and personally, and how we can think creatively about how to connect with our teams. It's not the easiest path, but the investment in time and effort pays off in the long run. Related podcast: How we're taking the dread out of performance reviews....
Jul 06, 2020•40 min•Ep. 17
Our perception of productivity is often skewed by being in the office, sitting at a desk and going heads down. But is that the true measure of productivity? Of course not. In this episode, Michael and Chris are joined by Uptick Solutions Engineer Joel Slotman, who found that completing his 1:1s helped him get a true sense of how he was doing in the remote workplace, and it was better than he thought! Book link Michael mentioned: Atomic Habits by James Clear You can follow Michael on Twitter at @...
Jun 08, 2020•31 min•Ep. 16
Boring, "here is my report" 1:1s are typically dreaded by team members and managers alike. Leave status updates to email, Slack and your Microsoft Teams chat. In this episode, Michael and Chris talk about building new habits and how to save your 1:1s tomake them meaningful, rich and a meeting people actually want to join. Related blog: The Update, The Vent, and The Disaster by Rands in Repose You can follow Michael on Twitter at @jmichaelprobert and Chris at @chriszaugg . — Let’s Talk Teams is a...
May 26, 2020•19 min•Ep. 15
Joining a new team is stressful enough. But joining a new team in the midst of a crisis, personal or professional, can be daunting. In this episode Michael and Chris are joined by Whitney Hathcock, who recently joined the Uptick team while going through the effects of a tornado in her hometown and the COVID-19 pandemic. She shares some relevant insights that will help managers know how to help the folks they're hiring experience a less stressful transition. Related blog: What Managers Owe Our Te...
May 18, 2020•33 min•Ep. 14
Without a clear answer to the questions "why are we doing this", and "how does why I am doing contribute to the vision my manager has", team members will flounder, lose motivation and experience decreased productivity. In this episode, Michael and Chris talk about how productivity is influenced heavily by the team's understanding of the "big picture". Related blog: How to Level Up Your Team’s Productivity in 2020 by Michael Probert You can follow Michael on Twitter at @jmichaelprobert and Chris ...
May 05, 2020•25 min•Ep. 13
Should you have annual, or quarterly reviews? Should they be a time for constructive feedback or congratulations? Michael and Chris talk about how we at Uptick came to make performance reviews helpful, meaningful and productive. And way less spooky! Related blog: How to write a self-evaluation that will impress your boss by Michael Probert You can follow Michael on Twitter at @jmichaelprobert and Chris at @chriszaugg . — Let’s Talk Teams is a podcast by Uptick the one-on-one tool that helps mana...
Apr 21, 2020•36 min•Ep. 12
COVID-19 has put almost every business in a situation where their teams are working remotely. And now that several states have extended "shelter in place" rules, it looks like we in this for the long haul. What does it mean for our productivity? Our communication? Our team culture? In this episode, Britta, Michael and Chris talk about how the Uptick team has been handling the remote workplace, and they share their tips on how both managers and their teams can work together to make it work. Relat...
Apr 14, 2020•46 min•Ep. 11
Show notes: In 2009 Simon Sinek electrified the business community with his "Golden Circle" illustration during a TED talk. He proposed that people were more motivated by the values and the "why" of the companies they patronized than they were by the "what". We're often asked how and why we got started building Uptick. If you've done any reading on our website you probably know some of the story, but the real story of Uptick starts with how we think about people and how we think about work. Many...
Mar 31, 2020•41 min•Ep. 10
The last month has forced unprecedented change on the whole world, and COVID-19 has made working away from the office a necessity for most people. But many managers have no experience with it. What should we do? In this episode, Michael and Chris talk about their experiences with remote work, both as a manager and a team member. Chris, who worked remotely from his team and his boss for almost 2 decades, talks about some of his failures and a few successes. Michael shares some ideas to make it wo...
Mar 20, 2020•32 min•Ep. 9
Over the past several months, we have been asked dozens of times about how often you should have 1:1s with your team. In this episode, Britta, Michael and Chris talk about how interacting with managers has given us an opinion on the frequency of these meetings. Blog post mentioned : How Managers Can Get Better Results by Being Better Communicators by Michael Probert (referencing "the illusion of agreement") Related podcast : Clarifying Expectations Before It’s a Problem by Uptick You can follow ...
Mar 10, 2020•37 min•Ep. 8
All leaders start somewhere, and Amy Baker from Spry shares her journey with Chris – from being an art major newbie in the corporate world to moving into leadership. Her transparency about her rocky beginnings give us a great picture of how we can all grow as leaders. For a full transcript , go to https://uptickapp.com/podcast You can follow Chris on Twitter at @chriszaugg . -- Let's Talk Teams is a podcast by Uptick the one-on-one tool that helps managers and their team members change vague mee...
Feb 24, 2020•47 min•Ep. 7
Building an effective 1:1 meeting is a collaborative effort. In this episode, Chris and Michael talk about ways to engage both managers and their teams in the process, so both get the benefit of a meaningful 1:1 that is both positive and constructive. Blog post mentioned : Build your one-on-one meeting agenda with these 4 steps by Chris Zaugg For a full transcript , go to https://uptickapp.com/podcast You can follow Michael on Twitter at @jmichaelprobert and Chris at @chriszaugg . — Let’s Talk T...
Jan 30, 2020•27 min•Ep. 6
Self evaluations are a such wild-cards during the performance review process. Every manager will want something different. Some will care a lot some won't care at all. In this episode, Michael shares his tips for writing a well-rounded self-evaluation that isn't a recital of amazing feats and run-on sentences that aren't actually communicating anything. Blog post mentioned : How to write a self-evaluation that will impress your boss by Michael Probert For a full transcript , go to https://uptick...
Jan 07, 2020•30 min•Ep. 5
So you have a new team, and you want to establish your relationship with them, but where's the best place to start? Chris and Michael talk about some different strategies that might work in your context. Hosts: Michael Probert , Chris Zaugg Want to learn more about Uptick? Check out how you can start your free early access subscription here . And if you have any feedback for us, we'd love to hear from you! Email us at hello@uptickapp.com....
Jan 02, 2020•15 min•Ep. 4
Building great teams takes work, and a lot of the work is about making sure everyone on the team is on the same page. In other words, let's get rid of the ego that says "I've got this" and ask the questions that will get the job done.. Chris and Michael talk about ways to make sure teams are crystal clear about their expectations, and that both employees and managers know what they're being held accountable to. Hosts: Michael Probert , Chris Zaugg Want to learn more about Uptick? Check out how y...
Jan 02, 2020•17 min•Ep. 3
Chris, Michael and Matt from the Uptick team talk about trends in organizational flexibility, and how both managers and their teams can communicate in order to serve the needs of modern teams. Hosts: Michael Probert , Matt Wenell and Chris Zaugg Want to learn more about Uptick? Check out how you can start your free early access subscription here . And if you have any feedback for us, we'd love to hear from you! Email us at hello@uptickapp.com....
Jan 02, 2020•47 min•Ep. 1
Erik talks about how he builds strong teams by nurturing a culture that includes trust AND truth. Erik also chats about the modern challenges of working with distributed teams in different cultures. Host: Chris Zaugg Guest: Erik Johnson Want to learn more about Uptick? Check out how you can start your free early access subscription here . And if you have any feedback for us, we'd love to hear from you! Email us at hello@uptickapp.com....
Jan 02, 2020•27 min•Ep. 2
