Ep 49: Manager Material: Built, Not Born

Guest Bio:

Jill Felska is the Founder of Want To Work There and the creator of Training for the Modern Manager. She's spent the last 15-years learning everything under the sun about building better workplace cultures and is on a never-ending mission to get practical, actionable tools into the hands of as many passionate culture creators as possible.

Follow Jill Felska on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillfelska‍

Episode Highlights

Jill Felska, Founder of Want to Work There, delves into why good people management is so important. The way managers lead has a big impact on keeping employees and on a company's financial success. 

Bad management isn't just frustrating for employees; it costs companies real money. A major issue is employee turnover – people often leave because of their managers, and replacing them is expensive. Research-backed studies show that companies with good managers see better financial results over a five year period. Focusing on good management is a smart business move.

What does a good manager look like according to Felska? Emotional intelligence is high on the list, meaning being able to understand and manage your own emotions and respond well to others'. She also emphasized that managers don't have to be the smartest person on the team; it's more important for them to coach and support their people. Another key trait is curiosity, which helps managers listen better, ask good questions, and be open to different ideas.

Management styles have changed over the years. It used to be all about "command and control," where managers had all the knowledge and gave orders. Now, especially in jobs where people use their knowledge and skills, a coaching approach works much better. This means empowering employees to find their own answers. Sometimes a direct approach is still needed (like in surgery!), but finding the right balance is important, especially when things are moving fast and managers need to trust their teams.

Final advice to managers: 

1. Think like a coach instead of a player. 
2. Always work on self-awareness.
3. If you're upset or tired, it's often best to put off tough conversations until you're calmer.

If you're a manager looking to improve, explore more in the additional resources below.

Additional Resources:

Main Website: Wanttoworkthere.com

Management Training: https://www.wanttoworkthere.com/managementtraining‍

Podcast: https://www.wanttoworkthere.com/podcast‍