Re-Envisioning Management through Teaming

Are you working in an organization where it seems there are lose-lose internal dynamics among managers?  If so, why is that and how can you help to change it?

The nature of work today requires collaboration and teaming to drive business outcomes like never before.  Johanna Rothman, known as the “Pragmatic Manager,” provides frank advice for organizational leaders, managers and teams tackling tough problems.   In this episode of Center Stage, Johanna shares how optimizing individual achievement over that of the team or organization deeply roots lose-lose propositions into organizational culture.  Incorporating key concepts and learnings from her books, the Modern Management Made Easy series, she provides practical examples of how organizations are shifting structures and reward systems to create win-win engagements among managers.  More importantly, she offers seven principles of modern management aimed at increasing performance, rather than overseeing people and their work.  For example, the principle of catch people succeeding flips on its head the traditionally punitive, disciplinary role of management and moves it more toward motivation and recognition.

Johanna also talks about how the impact of subtle change can impact management.  She presents examples that illustrate the differences among managers who have a mindset of being “responsible for” versus “responsible to” their teams.  She talks about how behaviors, actions and motivations are different for each mindset as well as the impacts of each mindset on individuals and teams.

Having started her career as a software developer, Johanna has also worked as a project manager, program manager, and people manager. Today, as a consultant and trainer/coach, she helps leaders, teams, and organizations create successful teams and projects and manage risk. She has authored more than 18 books on modern management, leading teams, agile and lean program management, portfolio management and related topics. Read more of her blog, articles, and her Pragmatic Manager newsletter on www.jrothman.com.

Chock full of good practices from real-life situations, this Center Stage podcast emphasizes the key role the modern manager can play in helping teams and organizations realize outcomes.