Mamie Kanfer Stewart created The Modern Manager podcast to help managers to become the "rockstar boss of a thriving team." Stewart had optimized companies since age eight when she started her first business. She knew she could run a summer camp better than the one she attended. Stewart created schedules and brochures and hired counselors. It was a huge success. The business expert later founded the collaboration company Meeteor. She's also the author of Momentum: Creating Effective, Engaging, and Enjoyable Meetings.
A self-described "collaboration and productivity nerd," Stewart shares her strengths here. The podcast offers lessons and strategies. It also includes guest interviews that help listeners activate those concepts.
On The Modern Manager podcast, Stewart interviews bestselling author Erik Qualman. He explains how focus yields greatness. He purports doing less, better, and trusting teammates. He recalls a coffee shop owner unfamiliar with the game Pokémon Go. Her employees suggested a promotion for customers who dropped Pokémon incense at her shop. It sounded like a bad tradeoff. Customers invested $0.99 and got a free $5.00 cup of coffee. She trusted her team. It increased sales by 77 percent.
Stewart interviews David Wood. He created the world's largest coaching business and authored The Mouse in the Room. Wood describes "mice" as unspoken things people need to address. An "elephant in the room" is something everyone notices, like not wearing a shirt to work. "Mice" are subtler things like feeling anxious at work. Wood says on the podcast that naming the "mouse" is often enough and explains the artful way to name issues. This connects people rather than upsetting them.
Executive functioning coach and neurodiversity teacher Genie Love also visits. She describes workplaces that support neurodiversity. Love offers insight for revealing difficulties to coworkers. The podcast guest told a colleague that tech concepts don't "sit with my brain for a long period of time." She asked for occasional reminders. This respectful advice can help many.
The Modern Manager podcast helps managers optimize time, cultivate teams, and achieve goals. But her effective meeting, time management, and communication skills are useful for everyone.
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