Questions Managers Ask (and why they're wrong)

An interview from December 2016.   HIGHLIGHTS Networking - How bills get passed at the gym rather than inside the walls of Congress The importance of one's inner circle who have been through trials and tribulations similar to yours, The importance of having complimentary skills with those you work with The importance of sticking to a strategic plan and resisting the temptation to do "X, Y, and Z." How to cultivate a team (hint: tend it like a garden) The importance of recruiting rather than putting out a job description and waiting for the right person to come in How making decisions in politics requires the same listening skills of a jazz performer How Steven combined passion and practice to build his public speaking skills How extraordinary leaders like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr faced the same anxieties than any founders faces, including, “How do I make sure we’re raising enough money to meet payroll?"

Our guest today is Patty McCord of Patty McCord Consulting. For over 12 years she served as Chief Talent Officer at Netflix, where she helped create the Netflix Culture Deck – which has been viewed nearly 15 million times. Sheryl Sandberg said it "may be the most important document ever to come out of Silicon Valley." We spoke with Patty about how a company's shifting needs affects its hiring decisions. Rather than focus on keeping people, Patty says we should be focusing on keeping the right people for as long as they are valuable. And if someone will be out of a job in six months, management needs to communicate that.   Key Takeaway: "It's not about keeping people. It's about finding the right fit."   Full Show Notes can be found at www.questionsmanagersask.com/retention

  Our guest today is Charles Thornburgh, Founder and CEO of Austin-based startup Civitas Learning. The company – which has 200 employees and $89 million in funding – uses data science and design thinking to help educators achieve better results. We spoke with Charles about how to manage an ever-growing workload; what he does when the 'white space' in his calendar disappears; and how he uses his strengths to become a force multiplier. Key Takeaway: "Too many people try to mitigate their weaknesses rather than doubling-down on their strengths." Full Show Notes can be found at www.questionsmanagersask.com/time-management    

Our guest today is Mike Triplett, who oversees 7.2 million customers, $9.8 billion in revenue and 1,300 employees as the Regional Segment President at Cigna Corporation. We spoke with Mike about how by focusing on the career growth of others and encouraging employees at all levels to hold one another accountable, teams can help one another reach their career goals.   Key Takeaway: "When you cross the bridge, you want to make sure other are right there with you. If you're constantly leaving everyone else behind –that's a problem."   Full Show Notes can be found at www.questionsmanagersask.com/career-goals

This episode is a bit different and brings together the perspectives of several voices and industries. The top fear of managers an executives is not missing the numbers, but rather looking incompetent. This fear keeps people in a state of inaction. But as we discuss so often, it is only through focused action that you will achieve results. Today's episode is a bit different. We interviewed people from a variety of industries and put together an episode around their thoughts and fears – and how they've learned to overcome them.    Key Takeaway: "You can let fear hold you back, or you can use it as fuel for the fire. It is only through embracing your fears that you learn to overcome them."   Full Show Notes can be found at www.questionsmanagersask.com/fear

It often seems that certain conversations will inevitably be a disaster. But we think that instead of wasting energy and focus avoiding or agonizing over an upcoming conversation, you can ask yourself a few simple questions to make it constructive. It's a simple perspective shift that will make you approach the other person looking for solutions (rather than winning, avoiding confrontation, etc).   Key Takeaway: "Approach potential confrontations as constructive conversations, and start by assuming the other has nothing but the best intentions."   Full Show Notes can be found at www.questionsmanagersask.com/conversations

Today's episode is about what to do in the face of pressure to deliver a seemingly unlimited list of needs. Instead of setting limits, we recommend creating ways to open communication so that executives' ideas can be put into practice. By assessing what your team needs to fulfill, and communicating those clearly to key decision makers, you can manage expectations and deliver tangible results. Key Takeaway: "Change your perspective from 'we can't' to 'if we could, what would we need?'" Full Show Notes can be found at www.questionsmanagersask.com/limits

In our first episode, we discuss the thorn in everyone’s side: Meetings. They’re easy to complain about but difficult to avoid. We’ll cover a few questions you can ask to make your next meeting more effective and dare we say, fun.   Key Takeaway: "It’s everyone’s responsibility to make sure meetings are effective. If they aren’t, speak up and do something about it by changing your team’s approach."   Full Show Notes can be found at www.questionsmanagersask.com/meetings

We started this project because despite working in different cities – Anne is in Miami and Austin in LA – we continued to hear the same questions from our clients. So we surveyed dozens of clients, peers and leaders in a variety of industries to uncover the top concerns of executives. What emerged were seven key questions that served as the framework for our seven episodes. Our aim is for you to walk away with new tools and perspectives that make the 'big' stuff at work a whole lot more manageable. We'd love to hear what you think.   Your coaches, Anne Molina and Austin Bauer   www.questionsmanagersask.com   We uncover issues in business, management, leadership, coaching, and development for managers and executives.