Take a mindful lens to the question of work-life balance. Let's start with the idea that you are a human (first), and that work is one venue (place) where you do life. Then, consider three frames: Balance as an active relationship between dynamic forces (like breathing) Balance like cross-training for function (not every day is leg day) Ask: What part of this is personal vs cultural? Consider your current life stage, season, and circumstances. Just because it doesn't look the same, doesn't mean ...
Jun 30, 2025•28 min•Ep. 219
Emotions are part of being human. So naturally, they are a big part of the workplace! Learn the difference between feeling an emotion and reacting to one. You'll become more effective at work -- more grounded and less reactive to the emotions of others. And, you'll get better at motivating and inspiring your team and colleagues. Deepen your learning in Communication Strategies for Managers: https://maven.com/kimnicol/communication-strategies Get private coaching : https://kimnicol.com/ Follow me...
Jun 23, 2025•21 min•Ep. 216
This week I unbox and review "Where Should We Begin? At Work", a card deck with conversation prompts for relationships and culture at work. This deck is a collaboration between relationship expert Esther Perel and Culture Amp, an employee experience platform. I've been a fan of Esther's work for years, so I was super curious to see what she'd created for workplace relationships and I bought this deck as soon as it was released. Watch the video : https://youtu.be/l3NqtnB28wE Buy the deck: https:/...
Jun 16, 2025•14 min•Ep. 217
Someone asked me how listeners find this show. I told them the truth: "I don't really know." My best guess is that you went looking for a podcast for new managers, because you had some questions about something happening at work. Or, maybe someone shared it with you after *they* stumbled upon it. In any case, you are here, listening, because you care about doing a good job. And so you've found a resource to help you do that. That is a big deal! So in this week's episode, let's focus on appreciat...
Jun 09, 2025•22 min•Ep. 216
Leadership Orientation is on June 18. If you feel anxious wondering "Am I doing a good job?", register for Leadership Orientation and let's clear that up. You will: Identify your strengths -- so you can work with them. Uncover your values -- so you can lead with them. Define success -- so you can feel more self-assured. Through this process you'll discover more of your personal leadership style. Managers deserve more support than they get. Sometimes you just need to take matters into your own ha...
Jun 06, 2025•4 min
Leadership Orientation is on June 18:: https://maven.com/kimnicol/leadership-orientation Communication Strategies for Managers starts July 2: https://maven.com/kimnicol/communication-strategies ________________ Being an effective manager takes a lot of invisible work -- the emotional labor you do to help your team work well and get the work done. Mindfulness can help. Let's discuss! **After the Episode** Read the original LinkedIn post mentioned in the episode. Connect with Kim on LinkedIn: h...
Jun 02, 2025•22 min•Ep. 215
Leadership Orientation is on June 18:: https://maven.com/kimnicol/leadership-orientation Communication Strategies for Managers starts July 2: https://maven.com/kimnicol/communication-strategies ________________ Emotions are part of the human experience, including the workplace. New managers are often surprised by the amount of emotional labor required for the job -- managing different personalities, communication styles, and expectations. If you identify as a hero or a helper, then you ma...
May 26, 2025•18 min•Ep. 214
Leadership Orientation is on June 18:: https://maven.com/kimnicol/leadership-orientation Communication Strategies for Managers starts July 2: https://maven.com/kimnicol/communication-strategies ________________ You're going to face many unexpected challenges as a leader. One of the tricky things about that is the balance between having a good foundation (skills, plan), while *also* being adaptive and making new decisions as things change. I recently completed the Neighborhood Emergency Re...
May 19, 2025•23 min•Ep. 213
Leadership Orientation is on June 18:: https://maven.com/kimnicol/leadership-orientation Communication Strategies for Managers starts July 2: https://maven.com/kimnicol/communication-strategies ________________ Every manager is expected to give feedback and performance reviews, so it helps to have a clear idea of what they are and how they are different. Most managers won't get any training or guidance on how to do this well -- so don't feel bad if it seems like you're expected to know ho...
May 05, 2025•23 min
Leadership Orientation is on June 18:: https://maven.com/kimnicol/leadership-orientation Communication Strategies for Managers starts July 2: https://maven.com/kimnicol/communication-strategies ________________ If you're not sure where to start when it comes to AI, this episode is for you. For starters, when you think about using a generative AI tool like Claude or ChatGPT, follow this rule: "Treat it like a person, but tell it what kind of person it is." Co-Intelligence: Living and Worki...
Apr 21, 2025•14 min•Ep. 211
Ok, it's time for us to start talking about AI. Are you an enthusiastic user? Or do you feel reluctant to learn about it? It might seem overwhelming, like one more thing to learn about when you already have a full plate. So today, let's start with something simple: the present moment. Do you currently use AI tools at work? And if so, how? Are you reluctant to use AI at work? And if so, why? I'm so curious to know! Tell me all about it by leaving a comment on the episode (if you're a Spotify list...
Apr 16, 2025•13 min•Ep. 210
Leadership Orientation is on June 18:: https://maven.com/kimnicol/leadership-orientation Communication Strategies for Managers starts July 2: https://maven.com/kimnicol/communication-strategies ________________ Every team is different. Even if you have the same people, the team can change over time -- because people can change over time. Today's episode gives you a few reflection questions to help sharpen your thinking and highlight some existing learning skills you've honed over time. Le...
Apr 07, 2025•19 min•Ep. 209
Being a manager is stressful. And hey, stress is normal when you're doing something new -- especially if you've had little to no training or guidance! The goal is not to eliminate all stress. Instead, you want to learn to distinguish between healthy stress, and unhealthy stress, and handle them differently. **After the Episode** Register for Communication Strategies for Managers: https://maven.com/kimnicol/communication-strategies Class starts on Friday, April 4, so enroll now to join! Your work...
Mar 31, 2025•25 min•Ep. 208
Today we revisit one of the most popular episodes from the past year: Working with Difficult People. At some point in your career, you're going to find yourself in this situation. It can be frustrating. How you choose to respond is everything. **After the Episode** Register for Communication Strategies for Managers and learn the essential skills that will help you feel more calm and confident every day: https://maven.com/kimnicol/communication-strategies Reach out for 1:1 coaching on your specif...
Mar 17, 2025•18 min•Ep. 207
Too many meetings on your calendar? Welcome to being a manager. Expect to have more meetings, including: 1:1s with your team, plus team meetings, meetings with your manager and other leadership and project meetings. . . It's worth it to take a step back and make a plan. Listen to this bonus mini episode for three questions to ask yourself to have better meetings and 1:1s. For more support, register for Communication Strategies for Managers: https://maven.com/kimnicol/communication-strategies Vol...
Mar 12, 2025•3 min
The Dishwasher Dilemma uses an everyday task to illustrate just how much nuance and thought goes into delegating tasks -- and what happens when things don't go the way you expected. Managers spend a lot of time on : 1) Making decisions, and 2) Communicating. Those are foundational for managing relationships and emotions, whether you want to build trust, influence without authority, engage or motivate your team. When you take time to develop foundational skills and mindset, it makes everything el...
Mar 10, 2025•15 min•Ep. 206
Nothing can fully prepare you for the reality of managing people. Different personalities, priorities, and communication styles can shake any new manager's confidence, and leave you wondering: "Am I really cut out for this?" If being a manager is activating frustration and imposter syndrome, this episode will help! **After the Episode** Enrollment for the April 2025 cohort is now open! Sign up for Communication Strategies for Managers: https://maven.com/kimnicol/communication-strategies Use the ...
Mar 03, 2025•19 min•Ep. 205
Managers deal with a lot of change. Some of it you have no say about -- leadership simply makes a decision that you now have to communicate to your team. Other times, you will be the one initiating change -- and you'll have to figure out how to get a person or your team on board. Here are seven tips to help managers facilitate change. People want to know about: Meaning: What does this change mean for them? Timing: When will this change happen? Context: What is happening, and why? To facilitate c...
Feb 10, 2025•16 min•Ep. 204
Being a people manager means developing the soft skills you need to manage a range of people. You'll encounter people with different personalities and work styles, and a range of communication skills. Each person may have different priorities and motivations. "Soft skills" can be hard to get right, depending on your situation. This episode starts with some prompts to get you thinking about the role of dignity in your work relationships, and how it fits with the soft skills that every manager nee...
Feb 03, 2025•13 min•Ep. 203
Every day you get examples of communication. You're surrounded by it! When you think about the people you work with, who stands out as being a great communicator? Why? What are they doing -- or not doing? This deceptively simple practice will activate your powers of observation and curiosity. You will become more intentional and less reactive, when you start where you are and learn from your direct experience of the communication around you. In this episode you'll hear an excerpt from my course,...
Jan 27, 2025•7 min•Ep. 202
A lot of new managers tell me they're conflict avoidant and struggle to communicate directly when it feels like there's conflict brewing. If that's you, then this episode is for you. I've been reading a book, Dignity: The Essential Role It Plays in Resolving Conflict . The author is Dr. Donna Hicks , an Associate at the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs at Harvard University. She has worked as a conflict resolution specialist for years. In her book, she talks about dignity violations ...
Jan 20, 2025•19 min•Ep. 201
Do you know the Eisenhower Matrix? It's a classic framework for organizing tasks and clarifying priorities. In this episode, I walk you through the basics, adding a Neurodiverse lens that makes this framework even more useful. This is also the 200th episode of The New Manager Podcast. Wow! Thank you for listening, and being part of this. In this episode I also share an announcement: that I will be taking a break. After 200 episodes, it's time to pause and take some time to think about what to cr...
Dec 30, 2024•15 min•Ep. 200
If you're conflict avoidant, or grew up as the peace-maker in your family or friend group, then save this episode! You probably have a gut sense that conflict is bad, and must be prevented. But did you know that conflict can actually be an indicator of psychological safety? Conflict is a normal part of human relationships. What's important is what kind of conflict it is, and how you handle it. Let's discuss! **After the Episode** Register for Communication Strategies for Managers: https://maven....
Dec 23, 2024•20 min•Ep. 199
You must find out how things work. One of the most common misconceptions is, "If I just do good work, it will be recognized and rewarded." When you don't question your assumptions about process --how things work -- it leaves you with blind spots you don't realize are holding you back! Here's a simple three step framework that can help you: What do you want? Make a list of all the things. How do you think it works? Write down the story of how you think those things happen. Verify! Get curious, ta...
Dec 16, 2024•15 min•Ep. 198
There's a perspective shift that happens when you step into a manager and leadership role. Instead of thinking, "I have to do it all", you begin to take a bigger view and ask, "How can all this get done?" You'll be thinking about how work is allocated, and what are the different strengths and qualities you have on the team. You'll start thinking about what strengths you and the team need to develop. And you'll make decisions about delegating and prioritizing work. See this as part of the skill s...
Dec 09, 2024•11 min•Ep. 197
It's December now, and I'm feeling reflective about time passing. So, in today's episode I share some ideas to encourage your own reflection, and how doing so can help you show up more grounded at work. Resources mentioned in the episode: Upstream: Selected Essays by Mary Oliver https://maryoliver.com/prose/ If you're a fan of Mary Oliver, go listen to this iterview she gave back in 2015: https://onbeing.org/programs/mary-oliver-i-got-saved-by-the-beauty-of-the-world/ Year Compass: https://yearc...
Dec 02, 2024•11 min•Ep. 196
The end of the year is a great time do a personal Year in Review. I'm using the Year Compass, and will share some of the questions to get you started. Let's discuss! **After the Episode** Download your own free Year Compass workbook: https://yearcompass.com/en/ Inquire about private coaching or team facilitation: https://kimnicol.com/ https://kimnicol.com/ Follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimnicol/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimnicol/ Sign up for Communication Strategies for M...
Nov 25, 2024•21 min•Ep. 195
In the course of your career, you're likely to encounter some toxic traits at work. These can show up in any relationship and undermine trust, making it harder to work well together. The first step is to simply become aware of them: Criticism / Blame Contempt Defensiveness Stonewalling To address this, you'll need to: Increase your skill & capacity for dealing with conflict Be responsive, rather than reactive Let's discuss! **After the Episode** Inquire about personal coaching: https://kimn...
Nov 19, 2024•21 min•Ep. 194
It's the end of the year -- you might be feeling some overwhelm! In this episode I walk you through a mindfulness practice to try when you want to feel more grounded and calm. Let's discuss! ** After the Episode ** Join the next cohort of Communication Strategies for Managers: https://maven.com/kimnicol/communication-strategies Ask about private coaching: https://kimnicol.com/ Say hi on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimnicol/...
Nov 11, 2024•18 min•Ep. 193
Feeling overwhelmed about a situation, or uncertain about what to do next? Ask yourself these two questions to help organize your thinking and get clear on your next steps: What's the goal? What's your intention? When you take a breath, take a step back, and look at the bigger picture, the GOAL can help clarify what matters, and your INTENTION gives you direction for how to show up today. Let's discuss! **After the Episode** Sign up for the next cohort of Communication Strategies for Managers: h...
Nov 04, 2024•17 min•Ep. 192
