We've all been there - we were super specific on what we wanted our team to do, and then some time goes by and the thing doesn't get done. When this happens, it's not a moment to ask what they are doing wrong, it's a moment to check in with ourselves as a leader about how we could have been more clear. We've gotta clean up our own house first. In this episode I share three simple questions to ask ourselves when an expectation isn't being met to set our teams up for success on delivering on the e...
Jun 20, 2023•10 min
It's often the little things that add up over time that make us great managers and leaders, and the difference between good and great managers often comes down to how intentional we are into bringing clarity and transparency into how we communicate. In this episode, I'm joined by Kristen Hartley, Learning & Development leader at Workday, where we dive deep into two of the most important topics for managers of any sized team (and my two favorite things to talk about), how to set expectations ...
Jun 15, 2023•35 min
There comes a point in every team or company where we have to bring more rigor to the way we are working. But this doesn't mean we have to lose the essence of the team culture we worked so hard to create. In this episode, I talk about three things to do in order to rollout new processes effectively and gain the buy-in of your team in the process - all without becoming too bureaucratic or corporate in the process. And if you're ready to get hands on support for bringing this to life on your team,...
Jun 13, 2023•11 min
When leading a team or running a small business, you're no stranger to living outside of your comfort zone. But to be able to sustain high performance, especially in times of change and uncertainty, it's critical to not only build up your skills as a leader, but your belief in yourself as well. In this episode, I'm joined by Bridgitte Mallinson, Founder/CEO of GutPersonal and Business Mentor, where we discuss how to tune into your intuition to make more confident decisions as a leader, lessons l...
Jun 08, 2023•35 min
As a business owner or manager, how many times have you said the words, "I feel like I'm the only one caring about building this business?" You're not alone feeling this way, and it doesn't have to stay this way. In this episode, I share a framework to help connect the dots for your team members to see and be accountable to their role in growing the business. Use this framework and you will have an edge over every other business or team who is still trying to "convince" team members to step up. ...
Jun 06, 2023•12 min
At least 20% of the workforce is neurodivergent, and yet it's something most managers don't understand or know how to support. In this episode, I'm joined by Margaux Joffee, neurodivergent speaker, consultant, and Co-Founder of the Great ADHD Reset Program, where we discuss what neurodiversity is, specific actions you can take as a manager and leader to support your neurodivergent team members, and how building more inclusive teams makes a better experience for anyone. About Margaux: Margaux Jof...
Jun 01, 2023•34 min
We've all heard that feedback has to be a two way street between managers and team members, but how we do we setup the conversation for someone to give us feedback? Not great? We've all been there. In this episode I talk about the importance of asking our team members for feedback, and share a simple three-step framework for shaping the conversation. It will make it easier and works even if you totally disagree with the feedback someone gives you. -- Get the Thriving Team Scorecard and join my 2...
May 30, 2023•8 min
When it comes to creating safety for vulnerability and trust on a team, as a leader, you have to go first. You have to open the door and set the tone, so others see that it's safe to follow. In my conversation with Chris Hartley, VP Of Sales at K. Hovnanian Homes and author of the upcoming children's book series "Life Lessons with Daddy," we discuss Chris's philosophy for leadership and for bringing out the best in his teams: leading with love. We talk about empathy, vulnerability, having hard c...
May 25, 2023•35 min
Sure we all want to make good decisions, but sometimes as a manager or business owner, the best thing we can do is make FEWER decisions. In this episode, I talk about the role the QUANTITY of decisions you make plays in driving higher engagement on your team; sharing a mental model for understanding which decisions to delegate, and 4 steps you can do to reduce the number of decisions you make day to day in your team or business. -- Get the Thriving Team Scorecard and join my 20-day challenge to ...
May 23, 2023•12 min
You have a new team member starting tomorrow and no plan for what to do. No big deal, right? Welllll.... In this episode, I talk about the importance of having a plan for onboarding new team members, and share three simple things you can do right away to create a more seamless experience, even if you have someone starting literally tomorrow. Don't wing it - having a clear onboarding plan sets the tone for that person to be focused on the right things from day one and feel setup for success long ...
May 21, 2023•11 min
Right now in the workplace, change is the only constant, and it's requiring managers and team leaders to be intentional about how they show up for their teams. But what this looks like in action is often easier said than done. In this episode, I'm joined by Farah Bernier, HR Executive & Central Ops Executive in Tech, where we talk about the challenges leaders and managers are facing right now from motivation to engagement to navigating change to building inclusive teams, and tools and strate...
May 18, 2023•35 min
Bringing people together from different professional background can get your team thinking in new ways and innovating better than ever - but it can take an adjustment period that's important for managers to be aware of and support. In this episode, I talk about the importance of the context team members bring from previous industries and roles, how to celebrate and leverage qualities that help make the new team better, and how help someone get up to speed on how the new company operates. Followi...
May 16, 2023•14 min
We all want to be better managers - but *how* to do that is easier said than done. Wouldn't it be awesome if someone made you a list of things to do that will improve not only your effectiveness as a manager but the performance of your team as well? I thought so too. That's why I created the Thriving Team Scorecard, a list of twenty things you can do THIS MONTH to up your game as a manager; and in this episode, we dive into what these actions are and why they're important. Grab your copy of the ...
May 14, 2023•14 min
Back with another Ask Me Anything (AMA) episode, answering three questions you've submitted over the past few weeks. In this AMA (first aired as a LinkedIn Live), I dive into three questions: - How do I know if my report is venting vs needing help? - What do I do if a team member isn't meeting expectations? - What was one of the hardest situations you've had to navigate as a people manager? And if you have questions for AMAs, my upcoming Q&A sessions, or for future episodes, text the word MA...
May 12, 2023•12 min
You know that feeling when you're talking to one of your team members and you can see it's just going in one ear and out the other? Or how about when someone says they totally get something and the result looks completely different than you expected? These disconnects, so common on teams and yet so frustrating actually can be avoided by understanding one thing: the enneagram. On this episode, I'm joined by Tracy O'Malley, enneagram expert and leadership coach where we discuss the power of the en...
May 11, 2023•38 min
As managers, we're trained problem solvers, making it oh so tempting to jump in with solutions when a team member is stuck or needs help. The problem is, when we jump in too quickly, we prevent our team member from learning from a setback, trusting themselves solve problems, or bringing their own creative ideas to a situation. In this episode we talk about how to stop ourselves from problem solving as managers and what to do instead. -- To get on the list for my upcoming live Q&A sessions an...
May 09, 2023•9 min
We've all been there: we have that employee who we know isn't happy, but we have so much on our plates already that it's hard to know what to do about it. In this situation you have two options, work to fix it, or work to support that person in finding the next thing, and that's what we dive into in today's conversation. Tune in and you'll be so much more setup for success to handle this situation. AND, if you are eager to bring more clarity and ease to the work happening on your team, so you kn...
May 07, 2023•10 min
What do the importance of personal development, finding a sense of purpose in our work, and the sad reality that impostor feelings never quite go away have in common? These are three of the many topics I dive into with my guest Rachel Smith on today's episode. In our conversation, we cover: - Making time to check in with your teams and making feedback a two-way street - How a focus on personal development fuels greater job performance - The importance of skip level meetings - And yes, the sad re...
May 04, 2023•31 min
One of the most common things I hear from managers is that you want to build an inclusive team, you know it's important, but... you don't quite know how to do it. In this episode, I share 3 concrete "must do's" for having an inclusive team, with specific examples of how to bring these to life so that you create an environment where not only people feel like they can make a meaningful impact on their teams, they also want to stick around for the happy hours. Based on one of my most popular worksh...
May 02, 2023•14 min
When motivation is low and it feels like our team members aren't bought in, it can make us dread managing because we worry that this lack of motivation is going to slow things down or potentially result in losing team members. The good news is, this can be a moment to reignite a sense of purpose in your team members, which can shift people's mindset from disengaged and job searching to being so freakin excited about working on your team or in your company. In today's Sunday Scaries episode, I ta...
Apr 30, 2023•8 min
As managers or business owners, the ultimate goal is to hire great people so we can both learn from them and step out of the way and let them step up as leaders; but it can often take a few tries and lessons learned to get there. In today's episode, I talk with Audrey Saccone, Founder and CEO of Audrey Digital, a digital design team about how to create a strong culture when managing a remote team, when to know it's the right time to make a hire, and the awesome moment when we see our team member...
Apr 27, 2023•30 min
Working in some of the most influential organizations in the world, on teams shipping some of the most cutting edge projects - do you want to know the #1 differentiator between teams that excelled and the ones that struggled? An ownership mindset. The ownership mindset is a quality that allows small business owners and entrepreneurs to scale, and managers in the corporate world achieve even the toughest of project timelines. This is what I talk about in today's episode - how to create, foster, a...
Apr 25, 2023•11 min
Thought feedback was hard enough when you have to give it to your team members? How about giving it to your own manager or to an executive in your management chain? Thanks but no thanks? Same. This is something that can make us start to sweat just thinking about it, but fear not, because In this episode I share a 5-step framework for delivering feedback up the chain. And for business owners or founders who do not have a management chain, I encourage you to think about how you can apply this 5-st...
Apr 23, 2023•9 min
Want to build more influence as a leader? Start with your story. In today’s episode, Alex Street, Storytelling Coach joins me to discuss the power of storytelling in motivating our teams, building a stronger sense of purpose across our organizations, and becoming a more influential leader. Yeah… storytelling is THAT powerful. We cover why storytelling is such an important leadership skill and how to do it effectively even if it’s new to you. You are not gonna want to miss this one. About Alex: A...
Apr 20, 2023•30 min
Today we're making feedback a lot more fun! I promised we'd be talking about feedback a lot on this show ;) Why? Because feedback is one of the most important skills for managers, but more than that, because feedback needs a rebrand. Feedback is such a tough issue because we tend to think of it as all of the bad stuff - the things we did wrong or messed up. But that's not actually what feedback is - feedback is information about how we're being perceived, GOOD or BAD - and when we start to suppo...
Apr 18, 2023•10 min
We're all feeling a little stressed right now, and for many of us, that has our Sunday Scaries firing on all cylinders. But fear not, in today's episode, I share three ways to deal with and hopefully prevent burnout as a manager: 1- Adjusting expectations 2- Managing up 3- Asking for help In the episode I talk about why each of these strategies are important and how to do them, even if they feel uncomfortable. -- To get on the list for my upcoming Q&A sessions and "manager tip of the week" e...
Apr 16, 2023•8 min
As managers, we have to make decisions all of the time. But this doesn't mean the process is easy. In this episode, I'm joined by Abby Davisson social innovation leader and author of the book "Money and Love" to discuss how we can make the whole process of making decisions easier as leaders and managers. In the conversation, Abby shares the 5 C's framework for making decisions we can feel more confident, we discuss the importance of tuning into our emotions when making decisions, and how to supp...
Apr 14, 2023•30 min
Meeting overload is something we’re all struggling with right now, but have we really taken action to do something about it? In this conversation, I talk with Megan Karsh expert in facilitation about frameworks for managers to apply to run effective meetings, resulting in a better use of everyone’s time, and achieving the intended outcome of the meeting. We also delve into specific tools you can deploy to create more engagement in meetings and decisions, ways to apply these tools to making bette...
Apr 13, 2023•35 min
Showing appreciation goes deeper than just saying thank you, and if you've been finding your efforts to recognize your team members falling flat, this is the episode for you. In this episode I dive into the importance of understanding your team members' appreciation language, and three ways to meaningfully recognize your team members to create higher motivation, engagement, and better results. Resources cited: The Five Languages of Appreciation by Gary Chapman -- To get on the list for my upcomi...
Apr 11, 2023•12 min
As if all of the work on your plate wasn't enough.... now two of your team members are in a conflict and now you have to deal with it. It's tough and it can trigger those Sunday Scaries, or let's face it, everyday scaries. But the key here isn't to avoid it, it's to reframe it ;) In this episode, I share three strategies for supporting your team members through a conflict: - Helping them establish a common ground - Not taking sides - Holding them accountable to having a plan for how to move forw...
Apr 09, 2023•7 min
