Transitioning from Individual Contributor to People Manager: Five Key Tips

transitioning from individual contributor to manager

Moving from an individual contributor role to a people management position can be both exciting and challenging. As a new manager, your success depends not only on your hard skills but also on your ability to lead and inspire your team.   I am glad this was a topic that was raised in our Mental Fitness Graduate reconnect session tonight.   Here are five essential tips to help you transition smoothly and become a great people manager. ...  read more

5 Tips – How to Manage a Remote Team During Covid 19

It’s day 24 of our “self quarantine.” Thankfully, I still get to work full time, as do my team. I am writing to share 5 tips on how to manage a remote team during our new covid 19 reality. Prior to this, only 2 out of 10 of my team members were remote. While the sudden change has been jarring, we have learned to adapt, stay connected, support each others and still make progress. Hope these tips can help you continue to be a great manager during this difficult time.  ...  read more

How to Handle a Difficult Situation as a New Manager

New manager

A member asked me this question recently and agreed that I can share. Let’s call this member – Alex. I really appreciated how much detail Alex shared in his questions. I was able to better guide him toward how to best resolve this difficult situation as a result. Here is Alex’s situation and our email exchanges. Thank you Alex for agreeing to share this. ...  read more

5 Tips to Becoming a Great Manager of High Performing Teams

Becoming a great manager

I think only 50% of managers today are any good.  Of these only about 20% are truly great.  There are many benefits to being a great manager.

  • Talented people want to work for you
  • You can build a high performing team who loves to learn and thrive together 
  • You receive high job satisfaction from helping others develop in their career.  
  • You also get to learn from your team and achieve amazing results together 

Do you want to achieve all these things and become a great manager?  If so, here are five tips to help you. 

Tip 1: Know your work.  You cannot become a great manager if you are not good at the work you own.  You must be the example for your team.   This doesn’t mean you need to know more than all of your team.   What it means, however is that you need to continue to hone your craft and lead from the front. For example,  ...  read more

5 Starting Tips to Be More Strategic at Work

“To get to the next level in your career, you need to be more strategic.” Have you heard this feedback before? If so, read on. It’s one of the most common pieces of feedback given to upcoming professionals as well as the least explained.

“Strategy” is one of the most overused words in the business world. Many professionals use it purely to sound smart but actually have no idea what it means. Here are some good definitions of “strategy.” ...  read more

How to Hire the Right Talent for Your Team – 4 Tips

Hiring good talent is hard. It’s more of an art than a science. You usually have to do it on top of a full time job. Just asking behavioral questions do not work. And there is usually little time to evaluate each candidate.

When done right however, hiring the right talent for your team is one of the most critical skills for a manager. The right talent can ramp up quickly and save you time. He or she can also increase team performance and morale. The right talent will in turn hire high quality people. On the other hand, if you hire the wrong talent, work can become a nightmare not just for you but also for your team. This is why no matter how busy you are, you must invest time and energy in hiring.  ...  read more

The Power of Words – Speak Wisely at Work and at Home

My husband sent me this video last week and I was blown away by its message.  It Is < 5 minutes, but carries a powerful reminder for us all – the power of our words and why we should speak wisely.  Here is the video and what it meant for me.   I look forward to hearing your reactions.

It’s ironic.  We often focus so much on wanting to be heard that we forget we are already heard by many today.  Below is what this video meant for me.

Reminder 1: Speak wisely to my kids – be patient and be there.   I have two girls – 6 and 9 years olds.  I am blessed that they still think mommy is awesome.  I love my kids but I know I can be more patient with them.  This video reminds me that a hard day at work is no excuse to yell at my kids even if they are fighting yet again.  They are so impressionable at this age.  It is my responsibility to nurture their growth with care as well as set a good example.

What was shared in the video about Nassar is so sad. Many of us may not be that heartless, like his father, but lesser actions can still have a big impact on our kids.  There are two things I always tell my kids

  • When they accomplish something great, “I ask them how they feel?” instead of just tell them I am proud of them.  This help them build self confidence. A good friend shared this tip with me a few years ago.
  • I also tell them “you can tell me anything no matter what happens.” It’s easy now as the worse trouble they can get into is still so innocent.  I have to remember to honor that promise and their choices when they are tennagers and young adults.   What I can best hope for is that they talk to me when they are confused and especially in trouble.   I must be there for them first and foremost without judgement.
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