The Modern Manager

Atif Rafiq, a seasoned leader in Silicon Valley and Fortune 500, discusses the importance of upstream work for effective execution. He introduces decision sprints, explores psychological safety, and emphasizes the role of questions in innovation. Maintaining organizational culture, alignment, and shared understanding are crucial in upstream work. Achieving alignment in decision making and execution requires working from the same information and resolving areas of disagreement. Check out the episode for more insights on improving decision making and execution.

Your business is only as strong as your employees. So, if you want to build a strong and thriving business, you need to hire top-notch people. But hiring them is only a part of the equation. You must bring them together and transform them from high-performing individuals to high-performing teams. This is where successful team building comes in.Team building comes in all shapes and sizes, and whether you love spending time building relationships with and amongst your team or find it a bit silly or inefficient, doing team building right can significantly impact your team's productivity and morale. How can you maximize the power of team building?Today’s guest is Michael Alexis. Michael is the CEO of teambuilding.com, an industry leader in virtual, hybrid, and in-person team-building experiences. He has been leading remote workforces for almost a decade.Michael and I talk about all things team building–its various forms and why it's important. We also explore how you can incorporate it into your regular workday, how to do amazing events virtually and in person, and so much more.Join the conversation now!Get FREE mini-sketchnotes with the big idea from the week’s episode delivered to your inbox when you subscribe to my weekly email.Conversation Topics(00:00) Intro(01:39) Is team building really fun and engaging?(03:09) How important is team building(05:20) The different types of team building(08:32) Incorporating team building into the regular workday(11:30) How to do team building virtually(15:49) Examples of fun and quirky  team building events(19:32) Factors to consider when planning a team building event(23:19) Is polling your team necessary when planning for such an event?(25:48) Should managers and senior leaders give their team time to bond without them?(28:13) A great manager Michael has worked for(29:33) Keep up with Michael(30:40) [Extended Episode Only] What do you do when something goes sideways during a team building activity?(34:57) [Extended Episode Only] Benefits of hiring an outside expert to plan your team building (39:08) [Extended Episode Only] What are the things not to do in a team building event?Additional Resources:- Get the extended episode by Joining The Modern Manager Podcast+ Community for just $15 per month- Read the full transcript here- Follow me on Instagram here - Visit my website for more hereKeep up with Michael Alexis- Follow Michael on LinkedIn here- Check out his website for more hereFree Download: “How to Run a Great Virtual Icebreaker: The Ultimate Cheat Sheet”Download a PDF with tips for running great icebreakers, an extensive (but not exhaustive) list of icebreaker questions, and links to other resources, including blog articles and example icebreaker games.Get this guest bonus and many other member benefits when you join The Modern Manager Podcast+ Community.---------------------The Modern Manager is a leadership podcast for rockstar managers who want to create a working environment where people thrive, and great work gets done.Follow The Modern Manager on your favorite podcast platform so you won’t miss an episode!

Learn how to effectively deal with workplace conflict with expert Carol Bowser as she shares insights on healthy conflict dynamics, emotional responses, and the importance of embracing diverse perspectives and risk management. Discover practical strategies for resolving conflicts and promoting collaboration in the workplace.

This podcast explores effective goal setting, emphasizing the need for clarity and specificity in defining success. It discusses the importance of aligning visions, setting clear goals to avoid confusion, and adjusting goals to fit available capacity. It also emphasizes brainstorming potential obstacles and identifying unintended consequences in achieving strategic goals.

Ranjay Gulati, author of Deep Purpose, shares insights on how organizations can unlock their potential through purpose. Topics include the power of purpose, translating purpose into the organization, managers creating purpose, finding meaning in work, and the importance of clear organizational purpose.

CEO of Career Contessa, Lauren McGoodwin, debunks the dream job myth and advocates for a 'good enough' job. They discuss creating a happy work environment, manager's role, supporting struggling team members, and more.

Is there such a thing as a bad question? Asking questions is essential at work, and knowing how to ask better questions can help improve conversations with your team members.While it may sound like an easy concept, asking better questions is a craft that takes time and effort to master. Today’s guest is Deb Calvert. Deb is the author of DISCOVER Questions® for Connections, Clarity & Control, and two previous bestsellers. As the founder of People First Leadership Academy and president of People First Productivity Solutions, Deb’s work focuses on leadership development and team effectiveness. She’s a Certified Master of The Leadership Challenge® and a certified executive coach. Deb was named one of the "65 Most Influential Women in Business" and was formerly an HR Director with a Fortune 500 company. In addition, Deb’s research and methodologies have been published globally in academic journals.In this episode, Deb and I talk about the art of asking better questions. She shares the eight types of questions we should be asking, what happens when we ask sub-optimal questions, and provides alternatives to some common questions managers ask that really aren’t helpful. Join the conversation now!Get FREE mini-sketchnotes with the big idea from the week’s episode delivered to your inbox when you subscribe to my weekly email.Conversation Topics(00:00) Intro(01:57) The problem with asking poorly-crafted questions(03:24) What a sub-optimal question looks like(06:29) 8 types of questions that managers should be asking(18:10) A better alternative to a why question(21:19) Alternatives to some common questions managers ask that aren’t helpful(27:57) A great manager Deb has worked with(29:21) Keep up with Deb(31:03) [Extended Episode Only] Benefits of asking good questions and why you should put more thought into it(34:55) [Extended Episode Only] How managers can help team members ask better questions(36:48) [Extended Episode Only] How to encourage people to step out of their comfort zone and ask questions(40:00) [Extended Episode Only] The best model for presenting information and asking questions to accommodate different personality typesAdditional Resources:- Get the extended episode by Joining The Modern Manager Podcast+ Community for just $15 per month- Read the full transcript here- Read the related blog article here- Follow me on Instagram here - Visit my website for more hereKeep up with Deb Calvert:- Follow Deb on LinkedIn here- Check out her company’s website here- Learn more about her training programs and courses here- Grab a copy of Deb’s book hereGuest Bonus: Discounted 3-Part Masterclass and Signed BookMembers can get an autographed copy of DISCOVER Questions® for Connections, Clarity & Control and access to a 3-part masterclass series to amp up your conversational skills for a total of $35. This is a savings of almost $100 compared to their individual list prices!Get all of these guest bonuses and many other member benefits when you join The Modern Manager Podcast+ Community.---------------------The Modern Manager is a leadership podcast for rockstar managers who want to create a working environment where people thrive, and great work gets done.Follow The Modern Manager on your favorite podcast platform so you won’t miss an episode!

Key mindset shifts for individual contributors transitioning to management roles discussed by guest Ramona Shaw. Transition from self-centered to team-focused approach, empowering team members, coaching vs. providing answers, promoting team productivity, challenges of delegation, and developing tolerance for mistakes. Transitioning from directive leadership to coaching approach, promoting coaching mindset in advising team members, and transitioning from manager to friend emphasizing trust and advocacy.

"283: 7 Types of Rest and How to Practice Them to Avoid Burnout" is a podcast episode where Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith discusses the different types of rest and how to incorporate more restorative practices. The podcast explores the impact of rest on energy levels and work-life balance, and provides a rest assessment tool to determine areas of energy depletion. It also emphasizes the importance of thought partnership with colleagues and rest for managers.

Whether we acknowledge it or not, power is at play in the workplace. The key is to understand your own power and the power dynamics so you and your team can accomplish great things together. But how do you start a conversation on such a sensitive and often awkward topic? Today’s guest is Catherine Bell. Catherine is a Professional Certified Coach, facilitator, and nonprofit consultant who has spent two decades working collaboratively with people to unleash their power as change-makers. She specializes in coaching for antiracist leadership, as well as career development, navigating challenging interpersonal and team dynamics, and nonprofit leadership and management. Catherine and I talk about power in the workplace–what the sources of power are, where power dynamics show up and how we can navigate power differences, how we can own and expand our power while helping our team members own and grow theirs, and so much more.Join the conversation now!Get FREE mini-sketchnotes with the big idea from the week’s episode delivered to your inbox when you subscribe to my weekly email.Conversation Topics(00:00) Intro(02:08) What is power, specifically power in the workplace?(07:33) Various types of informal power(11:31) Does power depend on context?(17:36) How to help your team understand the power they hold (23:29) How to reduce the risks of power differential(27:14) A great manager Catherine has worked for(28:27) Keep up with Catherine(29:22) [Extended Episode Only] How to navigate the uncomfortable dynamics of unearned power(31:32) [Extended Episode Only] Catherine’s first-hand experience in acknowledging unearned power and how it played out(35:31) [Extended Episode Only] Navigating the power dynamics with unearned powerAdditional Resources:- Get the extended episode by Joining The Modern Manager Podcast+ Community for just $15 per month- Read the full transcript here- Read the related blog article here- Follow me on Instagram here - Visit my website for more hereConnect with Catherine:- Follow Catherine on LinkedIn here- Visit her website for more information hereFree 2-Pager PDF: “Resources for Understanding Power in the Workplace”Download a free PDF that has resources and tips for learning about and navigating power in the workplace. It also includes links to helpful articles to help you learn even more.Get all of these guest bonuses and many other member benefits when you join The Modern Manager Podcast+ Community.---------------------The Modern Manager is a leadership podcast for rockstar managers who want to create a working environment where people thrive, and great work gets done.Follow The Modern Manager on your favorite podcast platform so you won’t miss an episode!