Tuesday Dispatch: Issue #89
The Owl and The Beetle
This week we learn about being a manager today, twenty-five thinking tools, and managing toxic team members. As well as Artificial Intelligence and Audiopen.
Let’s get going!
3 Droplets of Leadership
What Does It Mean to Be a Manager Today?
Previously, managers were chosen and promoted based on their ability to manage and evaluate the performance of employees who could carry out specific tasks. Over the last five years, HR executives have started to recruit and develop managers who have the potential to be great coaches and teachers. However, the idea that coaching should be the primary role of management has been questioned since the start of the pandemic.
Normalization of remote work has increased the asynchronous nature of manager-employee relationships. According to Gartner, this shift has resulted in more than 70% of such relationships having at least one party working remotely at any given time.
Employees' changing expectations have shifted the relationships between employees and their managers to be more emotional and supportive. Knowledge workers now expect their managers to be part of their support system, assisting to improve not only their employee experience but also their life experience.
Organizations that equip managers to be empathic by holistically addressing the three common barriers—skill, mindset, and capacity—will reap significant rewards in terms of performance in the post-Covid-19 era.
Read this great article on HBR. Don't miss it!
Twenty-Five Useful Thinking Tools
Many individuals consider intelligence to be synonymous with the accumulation of facts. Popular trivia-based programs, such as Jeopardy!, exemplify this notion of knowledge. As a result, the most astute individuals have many names, dates, and places stored in their memory.
Knowledge, rather than facts, is the most important and helpful part of learning. In addition, having a wide range of knowledge provides more ways to approach different problems.
Check out these 25 helpful thinking tools!
Managing Toxic Team Members: A First-Time Manager's Guide to Escalation Processes
Handling a toxic team member is hard even for experienced leaders, and it can be the test of fire for new managers.
However, following a straightforward escalation process, it’s possible to handle the situation effectively.
Check out this recent essay I wrote on the topic:
Managing Toxic Team Members: A First-Time Manager's Guide to Escalation Processes
Handling a toxic team member as a first-time manager can be daunting. Let’s dive into a clear escalation process to ensure the situation is handled effectively and efficiently. This essay will discuss the escalation process that a first-time manager should follow
2 Grains of Technology
How Artificial Intelligence Will Transform the Workday
Artificial Intelligence has been present for years, yet rarely has it been discussed as much as it is today.
Despite some apprehension towards AI, experts suggest it can potentially enhance workers' daily lives, skills, and the work economy.
Don't miss this great article!
Audiopen
The easiest way to convert jumbled thoughts into clear text. Just hit "record,” then start rambling. AudioPen will clean things up when you're done.
1 Atom of Reflection
I recently had an argument that made me upset. It was super intense, and I had to resort to a recent essay about receiving feedback. Here it is, just in case you missed it. I hope it will help you:
Finding Gems In The Rubble: How to Keep Listening During Upsetting Conversations
As a director of product engineering, I overviewed over 30 people in five teams and had countless feedback conversations with my reports. In my career, I received multiple performance reviews that puzzled me on how to improve and grow. Most of the time, they appreciated my work without giving me enough elements for improvement. Other times they pointed out areas of improvement but in ways that made them impossible to elaborate effectively.