One on one meetings, 1:1s, 1 2 1s, one on ones, 1 on 1s, check-ins. Whatever you call them, they’re one of the most powerful tools you have as a manager. Many managers have one on one meetings with their teams, but too often, they waste them. Status updates, awkward silences, and frequent cancellations are […]
Pressure makes diamonds. It can also make a puddle of mush. The difference is how well you adapt to crisis leadership versus leadership in good times. Over communicate, over communicate, over communicate. When you face a crisis, communication becomes even more important. Your team will have questions, concerns, wild thoughts, and mistaken assumptions. The only […]
How do I look good to my boss? How do I stay on the same page as them? What do I do to avoid unwanted surprises with my manager? What are the best approaches to managing up well? These are common questions mid-level leaders and individual contributors alike ask themselves when they start working on […]
“I’m pretty confident in my ability to be a good manager, but a lot of it is instinct…I don’t know how to teach that to others.” Sound like something you’d say? Many of the senior leaders I’ve spoken to find that they face a whole new set of challenges when they become a manager of […]
Are you ready to transition to remote work today? With the Coronavirus spreading rapidly, many companies are making the tough, but necessary decision to have their team move to working remotely. The risk is too great with the ease with which this virus is spreading between people. Death to the open office. There’s been a […]
Are you ready to start to managing remote employees? You may be excited to take on your first remote team members– maybe an existing employee is going remote or you were hired to manage a fully distributed team– but are you familiar with the challenges that come with it? According to prolific angel investor and […]
How often do you see your manager? How often are you their primary focus? As an employee, there’s a lot your manager doesn’t know about your day-to-day. Like anyone at your company, they’re busy with their own responsibilities, meetings, and tasks. The same way they only get a narrow view of your world, your understanding […]
Are you having one on ones? Many of the top leaders in business swear by the value of regular one on one meetings. Ben Horowitz considers one on ones so important he was willing to fire a senior leader who wasn’t having regular one on ones with their direct reports. Former Intel CEO Andy Grove […]
Ever worked with an unhappy manager? Seen them frazzled, frustrated, or run down? Chances are, their team felt the same way. There’s even a name for this: the Cascade Effect. According to Gallup’s “State of the American Manager” report “Employees’ engagement is directly influenced by their managers’ engagement — whose engagement is directly influenced by […]
“I’m leaving. My last day is next Friday.” I still remember the surprise when one of my old coworkers announced that to the company. He was one of the longest-tenured members of the team and seemed content on the job. Little did I know he had a number of motivations for wanting to make a […]
