The Modern Manager

Collaboration is essential for success in today's workplace. No matter how much intelligence and creativity any individual possesses, collaboration between team members always leads to better results. Collaboration allows team members to pool their ideas and expertise, leading to more creative, diverse, and innovative solutions while leveraging each person’s strengths. Plus, team members who experience successful collaborations feel more engaged and satisfied at work. Today’s guest is Deb Mashek. Deb is a social psychologist who helps business leaders navigate the relationship headwinds that tank timelines, bottom lines, and well-being. An experienced business advisor, professor, and nonprofit executive, her writing appears in MIT-Sloan Management Review, Fortune, ReWorked, The Hechinger Report, and Psychology Today. Deb has been an invited speaker on collaboration and viewpoint diversity at leading organizations including the United Nations and the American Psychological Association. She is the international bestselling author of Collabor(h)ate. We talk about how to foster successful collaborations within your team and organization. What are different ways we work together that we might call collaboration, what are the factors that go into collaboration, and how do you improve each of them or deal with it when things aren’t going well. Members of the Modern Manager community get a recording of Deb’s 1-Hour Workshop on Deep Collaboration, which will equip you to identify and overcome the collaboration headwinds that are holding back your organization. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community.   Get FREE mini-sketchnotes with the big idea from the week’s episode delivered to your inbox when you subscribe to my weekly email.   Read the related blog article: How to Build Strong Collaborations (Even When Your Team Can’t Stand Each Other)   KEEP UP WITH DEB LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/debra-mashek/ Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@debmashek Twitter: https://twitter.com/DebMashek Instagram: www.instagram.com/debmashek/   Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 02:00 What counts as collaboration? 03:32 What does ‘successful’ collaboration mean? 05:07 The importance of relationships 10:08 How integrated should we be with our co-workers? 11:50 Four quadrants of collaboration, with examples 19:52 How to increase the quality of your relationships 26:51 A great manager Deb has worked for 28:47 Keeping up with Deb 30:00 [Extended episode only] How to increase interdependence 31:19 [Extended episode only] Creating a strong collaborative ecosystem 34:47 [Extended episode only] What skills and competencies can we develop to become better collaborators? 37:25 [Extended episode only] Software and tools for effective collaboration mamie@mamieks.com instagram.com/mamieks

Being productive is a skill that comes naturally to some people, but it can be more difficult for others, especially those with learning differences or other challenges. Depending on your attention span, level of motivation, executive functioning skills, and environment, you may struggle to find success with traditional productivity advice. It’s important to remember that everyone’s mind is different, and with the right tools and mindset, you and each of your team members are capable of productivity greatness! Today’s guest is Sandra Halling. Sandra is a marketing systems and technology consultant who has a passion for finding smart, efficient ways of working so you can let go of the hustle. Sandra is a systems expert on platforms like Notion and ConvertKit but her real priority is helping you develop better work habits by achieving Aligned Productivity — that is to say, aligning your work with your values so you feel calm, confident, and can prioritize what matters to you. Sandra and I talk about different approaches to planning and staying organized that work for different styles of thinking. She shares her thoughts on what productivity is all about and how to navigate differences in productivity approaches, and a whole lot more. Members of the Modern Manager community get two bonuses this week! The first is 1 Free Month of Aligned Productivity Membership, which helps highly sensitive entrepreneurs and professionals feel more productive, without the hustle or overwhelm that comes from traditional productivity. The second is a set of Free Productivity Reflection Templates. Get these when you join the Modern Manager community. Get FREE mini-sketchnotes with the big idea from the week’s episode delivered to your inbox when you subscribe to my weekly email. Get 25% off The Modern Manager Skills Accelerator through April 30, 2023. The Skills Accelerator is designed to help you gain the skills, mindset and habits needed to effectively manage your team and yourself so that everyone gets to be their best selves and do their best work.   Read the related blog article: Productivity Approaches That Reduce Stress and Increase Accomplishment   KEEP UP WITH SANDRA Website: https://sandrahalling.com/ Membership Website: https://feelmoreproductive.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandrahalling/   Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 02:12 Why do we feel pressure to be so productive? 05:46 Do we set ourselves up for failure? 07:59 How to acknowledge what we’ve accomplished 10:34 Tip for neurodivergent listeners: breaking down tasks 12:30 Why different approaches work for different people 18:30 What happens when your preferred method doesn’t match your co-workers’? 24:05 Tools for team productivity 29:43 About a great manager Sandra has worked for 31:28 Keeping up with Sandra 33:00 [Extended episode only] Getting started with “aligned productivity” 38:40 [Extended episode only] How to align your daily tasks with larger goals Additional Resources: Join the Skills Accelerator (which includes a Patron level membership) this month to get 25% off to celebrate my 250th episode. Go to themodernmanager.com/milestone250 for details and the discount. mamie@mamieks.com instagram.com/mamieks

Welcome to episode 250 of The Modern Manager! Phew! I’m so excited to reach this milestone, and I’m so grateful for everyone who has listened to and supported the podcast along the way. Thank you for being here; here’s to 250 more! For this episode, I decided to take a look back at some key ideas that I’ve learned from my amazing guests over the past year or so. While every guest shares something insightful, I chose 5 key takeaways that, for me, stood out in some way. Members of the Modern Manager community get a massive discount on a 360 process facilitated by me. This includes a survey of up to 10 of your colleagues to gather feedback on their experience working with you, your strengths and where you can improve. You’ll receive a full written report plus a 1-hour debrief session with me to review the findings and plan next steps. This special pricing of $250 (instead of upwards of $1,000) is available to 10 members. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community.    Get 25% off when you join the Modern Manager Skills Accelerator before 11:59pm Eastern April 30, 2023.   Get FREE mini-sketchnotes with the big idea from the week’s episode delivered to your inbox when you subscribe to my weekly email.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles, and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: 5 Quick Actions for Managers to Improve Their Leadership   Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 02:26 The four temperaments that shape our core values (from episode 219) 03:05 Excerpt from episode 219 05:21 Mamie’s takeaways from episode 219 06:25 Mental toughness (from episode 229) 06:45 Excerpt from episode 229 08:34 Mamie’s takeaways from episode 229 10:00 How the seeds you plant can grow (from episode 237) 10:20 Excerpt from episode 237 11:39 Mamie’s takeaways from episode 237 12:40 Acknowledging emotions during times of change (from episode 193) 13:03 Excerpt from episode 193 15:43 Mamie’s takeaways from episode 193 16:30 Addressing conflict head on (from episode 228) 16:44 Excerpt from episode 228 20:11 Mamie’s takeaways from episode 228 mamie@mamieks.com instagram.com/mamieks

Do you know your team members’ unique talents? Every member of a workplace possesses a unique set of talents and skills that can be valuable to a team. By utilizing these diverse abilities, teams can become more efficient, innovative, and successful. Even more, when team members feel valued for their contributions, it fosters a positive and collaborative work environment. Today’s guest is Scott Whiteford. As Director of Leadership Analytics, Scott is a leading authority on The Science of Talent and has coached over 1,700 leaders on how to develop talent. His primary analytical focus is on utilizing Talent Plus’ Executive Interview to help companies select and coach leaders and their teams based on their strengths. He thoughtfully uses talent solutions such as the Team Retreat, TeamView, Leadership 360s, Collaborative Coaching, and Progression & Succession Planning to develop leaders and build effective teams through a strengths-management approach. Scott and I talk about taking a strengths-based approach to management and talent development. We discuss what it means to focus on talents, how to figure out what those strengths are, how to lean into the strengths of your team members and how to do so in ways that feel fair. Members of the Modern Manager community get a free talent assessment and customized report. Take it yourself or give it to your team members as a tool to guide professional development. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community.   Get FREE mini-sketchnotes with the big idea from the week’s episode delivered to your inbox when you subscribe to my weekly email.   Read the related blog article: Focus On Developing Your Team Members’ Strengths (Instead of Their Weaknesses!)   KEEP UP WITH SCOTT: Twitter: https://twitter.com/TalentPlusInc Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/TalentPlusInc/ Scott LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottwhiteford/ Talent Plus LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/talent-plus-inc/   Timestamps & Topics: 0:00 Introductions 1:54 What is strengths-based management? (Mercedes Benz analogy) 5:46 How do leaders recognize what people’s strengths are? 7:17 Examples of strengths Scott has encountered, and how he helped develop them 10:12 How to have conversations with team members about shaping their job to better suit their strengths 14:01 What if someone wants to do a particular job, but you don’t think it fits their strengths? 17:26 Examples of a strengths-based assessment at work 19:00 What to do if you realize you don’t have particular talents that are needed (compensatory strategies) 23:04 How do we shift jobs based on strengths while staying fair and equitable? 26:36 About a great manager that Scott worked for 28:00 Keep up with Scott [Extended episode only] 29:00 Addressing strengths as an element of DEI [Extended episode only] 31:20 Shifting roles on a full-scale vs. team-wide level [Extended episode only] 35:00 Tips on reorienting our thinking to be strengths-based Get the extended episode by joining The Modern Manager community for just $5 per month.  Additional Resources: https://go.talentplus.com/makeitagreatday mamie@mamieks.com instagram.com/mamieks

At some point, we’ve all been told to “Work smarter, not harder.” But what does that actually mean? Working smarter often means recognizing the importance of mindset in our work. The way we approach tasks, challenges, and even successes can have a significant impact on our team. Recognizing when your mindset isn’t serving you can help you overcome obstacles and achieve your goals. Today’s guest is Dre Baldwin. Dre is CEO and Founder of Work On Your Game Inc. He has given 4 TEDxTalks and has authored 33 books. Dre had a 9-year professional basketball career, playing in 8 countries. His framework is the "roadmap in reverse" for professional mindset, strategy, systems, and execution. Dre and I talk about one of his chapters from his book Work On Your Game where he lays out mental mistakes that good people make that can inhibit you and your team from accomplishing your goals. Members of the Modern Manager community get a chance to win one copy of Dre’s book, Work On Your Game. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community.   Get FREE mini-sketchnotes with the big idea from the week’s episode delivered to your inbox when you subscribe to my weekly email.   Read the related blog article: Four Common Mental Mistakes That Trip Managers Up   KEEP UP WITH DRE LinkedIn: http://LinkedIn.com/in/DreAllDay Facebook: http://Facebook.com/WorkOnYourGame  Twitter: http://Twitter.com/DreAllDay Instagram: http://Instagram.com/DreBaldwin YouTube: http://YouTube.com/Dreupt Website: http://DreAllDay.com   Key Takeaways: Mindset impacts success. Unhealthy ways of thinking can block us from our goals.  Replaying negative memories/worries in our head robs us of the potential energy of the present moment. Acknowledge the mistake and move on, so your brain doesn’t habitually get stuck in negativity.  Cover the basic principles and don’t assume what people know. Thinking bigger may get you off track, so return to the fundamentals often.  Remember to focus on “being” as much as “doing”. Consider who you need to be to reach your goal. Bringing new energy can bring different results.  Being important is about making an impact. It’s possible to be nice by doing the hard things that ultimately benefit everyone instead of trying to please people in the moment.  Model approaching goals with a healthy mindset and keep communication open.  Additional Resources: Dre’s Free book, The Third Day Work On Your Game University Free training to increase business without working harder Dre’s number to get his free #DailyMotivation text: 1.305.384.6894 mamie@mamieks.com instagram.com/mamieks

You’ve probably heard of meditation as a personal practice, but did you know it can have benefits to your professional life? Regular meditation practice can help reduce stress, improve focus, and increase emotional regulation. In addition, it can spark increased creativity, better decision-making, and improved relationships. Imagine how our workplaces would be if all of these benefits became reality!   Today’s guest is Shai Tubali. Shai is a happiness history expert and a PhD researcher at the University of Leeds in the UK. His numerous books published over the last two decades have won awards, become bestsellers and been published in 11 languages. His newest book, "Llewellyn’s Complete Book of Meditation,” was published in January 2023 and explores 35 meditation techniques from all over the world. Shai’s postgraduate expertise in science fiction film and pop culture enables him to share common principles that can help modern humans struggling with trauma, fear, uncertainty, depression, anxiety, and screen addiction.  Shai and I talk about why it’s helpful to meditate, the benefits you can expect to feel, how to get started with meditating and the various different techniques, and how meditation can improve how you show up as a manager and engage with your colleagues. Members of the Modern Manager community get a 50% discount on Shai’s 21-Day Challenges. These challenges are an invitation to tap into a new potential and to bring the light and clarity of consciousness to your everyday life. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community.   Get FREE mini-sketchnotes with the big idea from the week’s episode delivered to your inbox when you subscribe to my weekly email.   Read the related blog article: How a 5 Minute Meditation Routine Can Make You a Better Manager   KEEP UP WITH SHAI Website: https://shaitubali.com/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sevenawakenings https://twitter.com/STubali  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shaitubali/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ShaiTubali Book: https://www.amazon.com/Llewellyns-Complete-Book-Meditation-Comprehensive-ebook/dp/B0B1XSGF8D/    Key Takeaways: Meditation is about learning to focus our attention rather than being controlled by our emotions.  We learn to recognize our thoughts through meditation and not identify so strongly with them.  Meditation builds our brain’s ability to calm ourselves down when stressed.  Like with physical exercise, the more we build our mental muscles, the stronger they are.  Meditation helps high performers stop over-identifying with their “doing”, and learn to enjoy just “being”.  Meditation is the best preparation for action because it helps you think clearly.  There are all different ways to meditate, including standing, walking, or dance meditations. Use different techniques to achieve different results or meet your personal preference.  Start small, with only two minutes a day of meditation, and build up. It shouldn’t be a burden, but a pleasure. See what feels good.  Meditation can be done at any time of day, but most people are successful when they build it into a daily routine. Consider adding meditation first thing after waking up or last thing before going to bed.  mamie@mamieks.com instagram.com/mamieks

While everyone approaches their work with a different mindset, there’s one factor that can heavily influence the mindset you bring to work: your generation. From Gen X, to Millennials, to Gen Z, different generations can bring unique perspectives to a workplace that can lead to communication and cultural differences. To work together effectively, it’s important for individuals to recognize and respect each other’s experiences and strengths, and share their unique knowledge with each other. Today’s guest is Vivek Iyyani. Vivek is a professional speaker and author. He's written 3 books on Millennials and consults to Fortune 500 organizations to bridge the generational gap within their teams. We talk about what managers can learn from Millenials and Gen Z, and what those generations can learn from older generations, too, all in service of making the workplace healthier and stronger for all of us. Members of the Modern Manager community can win 1 giveaway copy of Vivek’s book, The Millennial Leader. In a new age of leadership, millennial leaders face the ultimate challenge of overcoming generational differences, reverse ageism, motivating an isolated, remote, gig and burnt-out workforce, while juggling all the responsibilities and expectations as a leader. This book is the ultimate guide for any Millennial who’s moving into management. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community.   Get FREE mini-sketchnotes with the big idea from the week’s episode delivered to your inbox when you subscribe to my weekly email.   Read the related blog article: What Boomers and Millennials Can Learn From Each Other at Work   KEEP UP WITH VIVEK LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/millennialexpertasia Website: https://www.vivekiyyani.com/    Key Takeaways: Millennials prefer new technology and focus on doing things more efficiently. This may be mislabeled as being “lazy”. Incorporating new technology or learning new processes (even if more efficient) can slow down Boomers, which is often why they resist new methods.  Balance new technology with helping everyone master it at their own pace. Ask with curiosity why processes or workflows are the way they are. Millennials text more than talk, which can cause communication breakdowns. They can learn from Boomers the soft skills of having difficult conversations. Ghosting at work happens when uncomfortable conversations are avoided. Conflict-avoidant behavior negatively impacts team culture because it stops constructive feedback.  Blue Tick Anxiety happens when two blue check marks show that a text message has been received and read, but there is no response. The sender may waste time worrying what they did wrong instead of being patient or just picking up the phone.  Be clear about norms and expectations for communication, including response times. Older generations may have a “Toxic Badge of Honor” where they discount workplace complaints because they felt they had it so much worse when they were younger. All problems should be heard and honored. Always strive towards better work conditions.  mamie@mamieks.com instagram.com/mamieks

Teams are the backbone of organizations. When functioning well, team members feel a sense of belonging, while maximizing their collective resources and skills to accomplish the organizations’ goals. In addition, effective teams will enable organizations to become more efficient and productive. Therefore, the leader of every team must ask: Is my team performing effectively? If not, where do they need to improve, and how can I guide them to success? Today’s guest is Dave Gloss. Dave is the Head of Team Effectiveness at AIIR Consulting, leading a global practice dedicated to building high-performing and inclusive company cultures. As an expert Team Consultant, Dave has worked with hundreds of Senior Leadership Teams to assess their companies and identify the root causes of underperformance and low engagement. As such, he is the go-to partner when you need to integrate cultures following complex mergers & acquisitions, design thriving hybrid workforces and cascade new "ways of working" across your teams.  Dave and I talk about team effectiveness - what it is, the components of what makes for strong team performance, how you can use operating principles to help your team more quickly adopt better behaviors and so much more.  Members of the Modern Manager community get access to 2 bonuses this week. The first is a free assessment: AIIR Team Effectiveness Survey. This assessment will help you get a better understanding of your team’s strengths, weaknesses, and ways of working. The second bonus is 50% off the AIIR Team Effectiveness Certification, where you will learn to quickly diagnose the root causes of any team challenge. Get these when you join the Modern Manager community.   Get FREE mini-sketchnotes with the big idea from the week’s episode delivered to your inbox when you subscribe to my weekly email.   Read the related blog article: How to Improve Your Team’s Effectiveness   KEEP UP WITH DAVE LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidkgloss/ Website: https://aiirconsulting.com/   Key Takeaways: Team Productivity + Team Culture = Team Performance.  Team productivity measures how efficiently and effectively the team gets work done. Team culture measures how team members interact and relate to one another. Team performance is a team’s ability to maximize its potential and fulfill its purpose. Strong culture + high productivity = high performing team. Strong culture + low productivity = comfortable (but not as effective) team. Weak culture + high productivity = a team with high turnover and burnout.  There are six components to team performance, three in each category of productivity and culture. Teams need shared clarity and alignment on why they specifically exist. This sets the stage for everything else.  To build a stronger culture, consider goals of trust and belonging before strategy and tactics (events).  Get collective and individual feedback via assessments to see how everyone feels about the team’s effectiveness. Often there isn’t a shared experience across the board. Include personality assessments to gain insight into why things might not be working. Boil insights  from assessments into manageable, actionable steps.  Create shared shorthand language - terms or phrases - to disrupt old, ineffective ways of working and quickly shift into more productive habits.  Clarity of purpose and culture will build a strong foundation for when team dynamics shift after losing/adding people.  mamie@mamieks.com instagram.com/mamieks

Why does your team exist? What is the deeper purpose behind the list of tasks you accomplish each day? Without a clear, defined purpose, teams will lack inspiration and focus. This can lead to team members feeling unmotivated, reducing productivity and morale. Furthermore, how can you set goals and develop strategies to achieve them when you don’t have a vision for your work?  Today’s guest is Ranjay Gulati. He is the author of the book Deep Purpose: The Heart and Soul of High-Performance Companies. As an educator and researcher, he is passionate about how to unlock organizational and individual potential. Ranjay and I talk about Purpose. What organizational purpose is and isn’t, why it's so powerful when done right, how to connect individual purpose to the organization and the magic that happens when you go from satisfied employees to truly inspired ones. Members of the Modern Manager community get a chance to win 1 of 3 free copies of Ranjay’s book, Deep Purpose: The Heart and Soul of High-Performance Companies. A revolutionary approach to business exists, one that delivers game-changing results for companies of all sizes: the serious and deep pursuit of purpose. This book shows the possibility of embedding purpose as a radically new operating system for your business. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community.    Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: What It Really Means To Have a Company Purpose   KEEP UP WITH RANJAY Website: Deeppurpose.net LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ranjay-gulati   Key Takeaways: A purpose is an intention to accomplish something meaningful to the self that has consequences for the world beyond the self. While the idea of individual purpose has been around for thousands of years, company purpose is a relatively new concept.  A company purpose is the “why” behind your mission statement: why you exist, who you’re impacting, and the strategy to accomplish it.  A deep company purpose trickles down to all areas of the office, including strategies, resource allocation, hiring and promotion, DEI, and measuring success.  Purpose is not “charity”, but a long term value that should include profitability. Make sure all your stakeholders benefit from your purpose.  By making decisions aligned with your purpose, you may have to make short term trade-offs that will lead to long term success.  Your team needs to understand how what they’re doing matters and contributes to the company purpose.  To help your team understand their own purpose and how it connects to the company’s, you first need to know them. Focus on “caring leadership” by building trust and connection over time.  mamie@mamieks.com instagram.com/mamieks

A positive workplace culture can be the difference between a thriving and barely surviving team; between people staying because they love their job and people eagerly searching to work somewhere else. When managers create an environment that is welcoming, trusting, and encourages creativity and feedback, people will find more overall satisfaction in their work. But how does a manager actually create this type of culture, especially on remote teams?  Today’s guest is Abhishek Nayak. As a co-founder and CEO of four startups, one of which was funded by Sequoia Capital, Abhishek is well-versed in the art of starting and scaling a business. But during a stint as an entrepreneur-in-residence at Accel, he discovered how much time engineers spend building internal applications, so he and two co-founders created Appsmith to put customizable app tools directly into developers’ hands. The once-small, open-source project is now used by over 10,000 teams, employs people in sixteen countries, and has raised over $51 million in capital. Abishek and I talk about how he’s built an incredible team and culture for his fully remote business. He shares the lessons he’s learned and steps he’s taken to support his people along the journey from a small co-located team, through the disruption of COVID, to a fully remote, global company with over 120 employees. Members of the Modern Manager community get a Template and Guidelines for Requesting Feedback. This internal document is used by Appsmith to guide employee feedback. Outlining feedback guidelines and questions for specific feedback outcomes, this resource can help any manager give and receive more valuable feedback. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Read the related blog article: Do These Five Things to Effectively Manage a Remote Team   KEEP UP WITH ABHISHEK Website: Appsmith.com Twitter: twitter.com/arey_abhishek LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/abhisheknayak/ Email: abhishek@appsmith.com    Key Takeaways: Know the advantages of remote work, including more focus time, a larger talent pool, and better customer service availability. Invest in technology that provides the ability to virtually collaborate and takes advantage of the benefits of virtual work such as anonymous input and democratized participation in meetings.  If possible, help your team members set up a home office or provide a stipend for an office co-working space.  Give your team members autonomy, and hire for self-directedness.  Let your staff choose projects they enjoy and set their own deadlines. Review their plans and check in regularly to ensure accountability. Discuss post-project what could have been done differently to foster additional accountability and long-term continuous improvement.  Create an atmosphere of honesty by being receptive to your team’s dissenting or critical feedback. Share publicly when feedback has changed your mind.  Your organization is an organism that is constantly evolving. With each new team member, expect the dynamics to shift. Observe your teammates' communication and cultural style to understand ways to create a more accepting culture.  mamie@mamieks.com instagram.com/mamieks