All in Manager

Do you fall in love with your own ideas? I see leaders make this mistake frequently. They fall in love with their own ideas.  In… Read More > The post 3 practical ways to improve your ideas and get buy-in first appeared on Ali Merchant.

I’ve been working since 1997. I’ve yet to meet a good leader who wasn't good at influencing others. Pretty sure that person doesn’t exist. If… Read More > The post Good leaders are great influencers. Here's how to become one. first appeared on Ali Merchant.

Managers make this mistake frequently. They “push” their solution instead of “pulling” in their employee’s wisdom. Today’s episode shows you how to avoid this mistake… Read More > The post Are you making this mistake? first appeared on Ali Merchant.

Now more than ever, your employees need your help. Today’s podcast will show you step by step how you can help your employees prioritize their… Read More > The post How to coach your employees to prioritize first appeared on Ali Merchant.

Good leaders ask good questions. Here are 5 of my favorite questions 1. The trade-off question:“If you say yes to this, what will you say… Read More > The post 5 powerful coaching questions. first appeared on Ali Merchant.

I made this mistake as a new manager. I was careless with my language. Here’s what I did:

Recurring meetings and tasks are stubborn creatures. When they get on our calendar, they tend to stay awhile. The only way to get rid of… Read More > The post How to do a Meeting Audit in 4 steps. first appeared on Ali Merchant.

I’ve managed teams at small companies. I’ve led teams at big companies. I’ve noticed this on every single team: Every single team had some form… Read More > The post How to find (and reduce) friction on your team. first appeared on Ali Merchant.

Saying “I’m not sure” won’t kill your career. But this will: When you don’t know the answer to something and you BS your people. They… Read More > The post How to build credibility as a leader first appeared on Ali Merchant.

Today’s episode is my favorite. My podcast guest is a cognitive scientist who literally wrote the book on how to give feedback. Therese Huston is… Read More > The post Make Feedback Your Superpower. first appeared on Ali Merchant.

Pre-pandemic, Sarah and I would commute in the cold Chicago winter on the train. I hated it, but now I’m kinda missing it. The commute… Read More > The post 3 “shutdown” rituals to beat stress. first appeared on Ali Merchant.

I love a good team ritual. Team rituals help us connect, they help us bond and they give our team a personality. Team rituals could… Read More > The post Three Team Rituals to build connection. first appeared on Ali Merchant.

I’ve been speaking, researching, and writing about burnout for the last year. In that time, only one thing has been consistent — Burnout has been… Read More > The post We need to rethink burnout. first appeared on Ali Merchant.

Most meetings are failing. This trend is going to exacerbate in a “Hybrid World”.  In today’s episode, I share 5 specific steps to make your… Read More > The post Are your meetings failing? first appeared on Ali Merchant.

My podcast guest literally wrote the book on how to work remotely. David Burkus is an organizational psychologist, one of the world’s leading management thinkers,… Read More > The post Lead From Anywhere first appeared on Ali Merchant.

Wouldn’t it be great if you knew what your teams thought of you. Most managers would absolutely love to know what their employees think of… Read More > The post How to draw out difficult feedback from your team first appeared on Ali Merchant.

Burnout and exhaustion aren’t slowing down. In 2019, 11% of Americans reported having symptoms of anxiety. In April 2020, that number had gone up to… Read More > The post 3 underrated ways to connect with your team. first appeared on Ali Merchant.

Most of us have a hard time hitting our goals, both professionally and in our personal lives.    Why? We’re doing goal-setting all wrong.  Setting meaningful… Read More > The post Traditional Goal-setting is broken first appeared on Ali Merchant.

Most managers don’t ask enough questions. We tend to default to answers instead. Having the right answer might work in the short term. However, it… Read More > The post Are you a micromanager? Try this question to find out first appeared on Ali Merchant.

Most first-time managers fail to realize the value of individually connecting with their direct reports. On the other hand. Great bosses go to great lengths… Read More > The post The three ingredients of a great 1:1 meeting. first appeared on Ali Merchant.

Imagine you’re in a meeting with your manager, and you hear the words, “I have some feedback…”. Do you initially tense up, or feel anxious… Read More > The post How to deal with difficult feedback. first appeared on Ali Merchant.

45% of teams in the workplace are feeling less connected Under Covid-19. If you’re like any leader out there, you’re trying everything to keep your… Read More > The post Should my camera be on for all meetings? It depends first appeared on Ali Merchant.

Every time I’m cooking pasta, I ask my wife, “Is this done?” and she gives me immediate feedback: ​ “Hmm, missing some salt.” ​ “Too… Read More > The post How to get "real" feedback in 4 steps first appeared on Ali Merchant.

I’ve been spending a lot of time this week, going through some really interesting data and research on how employees are feeling in the workplace. Here are three overarching findings that the data is  clear on : The first insight we’re seeing is that managers need more help than they’re getting right now. Managers are struggling […]

Your weekly (or bi-weekly) team meeting is one of the most important meetings on your calendar. Most leaders are wasting this opportunity by under-leveraging these sessions. Having done a gazillion team meetings over the last decade, I can definitively say there’s no one winning formula. All meetings have a life of their own. Today’s podcast […]

The day I became VP, my boss pulled me aside and said the following: “The higher up you go, the more trade-offs you’ll need to make” Most employees struggle with saying no, not because they don’t want to, but because they don’t know how to. Today’s podcast talks about two frameworks that will help you […]

Now more than ever, your employees need your help. Today’s podcast will show you step by step how you can help your employees prioritize their projects and get back on track. Step 1️⃣ Make the ask Step 2️⃣ Give clear instructions Step 3️⃣ Demonstrate trust Step 4️⃣ Inform and clarify Step 5️⃣ Align and Agree […]

As a manager running a remote team has become much more complicated, and chances are either you or your team is starting to feel the pain. A number of leaders have reached out to me asking “How do I manage a struggling employee?” Today I’m sharing two strategies and one mistake managers make when it comes to […]

As a manager running a remote team has become much more complicated, and chances are either you or your team is starting to feel the pain. By the end of our time together, you’ll have three strategies in your pocket that will help you and your teams get motivated again. These three remote working best […]

In this episode, I share 4 signals of a failing 1:1 meeting and how you can get them back on track.

In this episode, I share a 3-part framework to help you give feedback with confidence. I also share guidelines on when, where and how to give difficult feedback plus the 5 biggest mistakes managers make when giving feedback. I also answer three listener questions.

If you’ve heard any of my previous episodes, you know I’m a big fan of managers truly connecting with their direct reports. Today, I want to take it a step further and give you all the specifics of how you can start individually connecting with your direct reports in what Is typically called a 1:1 […]

Today podcast is all about 1:1s - Why it's important to start doing them AND how you should introduce the idea to your team.

5 quick ideas to help you connect with your team.