The Modern Manager

Latest Episodes:

23: Getting a Handle on Procrastination Oct 23, 2018

Show notes

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.

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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

22: Keys to Successful Delegation with Dave Stachowiak Oct 15, 2018

Show notes

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.

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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

PYB 2: Banned from the Boat Oct 12, 2018

Show notes

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

21: Managing Meeting Follow-Through Oct 08, 2018

Show notes

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.

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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

20: Lessons From A Real-Life Manager w/ Rick Kiley Oct 02, 2018

Show notes

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.

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KEEP UP WITH RICK

Website: sohoexp.com/
Email:info@sohoexp.com
Instagram:@sohoexp

19: Time Management Methods, Mindsets, and Approaches Sep 25, 2018

Show notes

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.

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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

18: Be a Culture Change Agent with Wes Kao Sep 18, 2018

Show notes

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.

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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

17: Put your Team First Sep 11, 2018

Show notes

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.

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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

PYB 1: Pick Out The Raisins Sep 09, 2018

Show notes

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

16: Building an Agile Team with Sinead Condon Sep 04, 2018

Show notes

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

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KEEP UP WITH SINEAD

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sineadcondon2/

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