Management Muse

When Empathy Backfires at Work and How to Fix It

In this episode of Management Muse, hosts Cindi Baldi and Geoffrey Tumlin dive into the complexities and unexpected challenges of empathy in the workplace. They explore how empathy, while important to connect people during challenging times, can sometimes backfire. EMpathy’s errors include unintentionally sidelining an employee’s concerns, downplaying the true pain of our experiences, and jumping too quickly into problem-solving mode. Through compelling stories and examples, Cindi and Geoff talk about how well-intentioned  empathy can go astray and they offer practical strategies to get our empathy back on track.
 
Episode Highlights:
Understanding when sharing our stories can unintentionally take the oxygen our of conversations and ways to prevent it.
The importance of sense-making and listening in delivering empathy.
Common empathy missteps and how to avoid them.
Practical advice for managers on providing the right level of support.
How to improve our empathetic responses to build trust and cohesion.
 
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Ep 35 Ethical Sensitive People at Work

In this episode, hosts Cindi Baldi and Geoffrey Tumlin delve into the challenges of having ethically sensitive individuals at work and the impact they have on teams. Through an engaging story about a friend who almost blew-up an important work relationship over a perceived ethical breach, Cindi and Geoff illustrate the challenges that come with highly ethically sensitive people. They explore why ethically sensitive people are important for maintaining organizational integrity, but they also require extra patience and consideration.
Tune in to this episode for actionable insights on managing ethically sensitive people and for tips on building a culture of integrity.
Episode Highlights:
Real-life examples of how ethical sensitivity can create workplace challenges.
The role of ethically sensitive colleagues as early detectors of potential issues.
Strategies for managers to support the strengths of ethically sensitive people.
Advice for ethically sensitive people to constructively voice their concerns.
Tips on maintaining balance between high ethical standards and workplace harmony.
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Ep 34 The Dark Side of Similarity and How Hiring for “Likeness” Can Hurt Team Success

In this episode of Management Muse, hosts Cindi Baldi and Geoffrey Tumlin explore the dark side of similarity and its surprising impact on team dynamics and workplace culture. They reveal how hiring for similarity can sometimes backfire, creating unexpected obstacles to growth, trust, and innovation. Through thought-provoking insights and real-world examples, Cindi and Geoff unpack the importance of balancing shared values with diverse perspectives to drive creativity and problem-solving.
Tune in to this episode to learn how to build a culture that thrives on both unity and diversity, setting the stage for organizational growth and resilience.
 
Episode Highlights:
The unexpected ways similarity can create conflict within teams.
How social identity and psychological group membership influence behavior.
The benefits of prioritizing value-based similarity over surface-level traits.
Real-life examples of how diversity in experience can help solve problems and spark innovation.
Practical advice for leaders on balancing diversity and similarity to cultivate a thriving work environment.
 
Resources:
Kacmar, K. Michele, et al. "Surface-level actual similarity vs. deep-level perceived similarity: Predicting leader-member exchange agreement." Journal of Behavioral and Applied Management 10.3 (2009): 315.
Guillaume, Yves RF, Felix C. Brodbeck, and Michael Riketta. "Surface‐and deep‐level dissimilarity effects on social integration and individual effectiveness related outcomes in work groups: A meta‐analytic integration." Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology 85.1 (2012): 80-115.
Negative effect of similarity. Thompson, Maryah E., "Black Sheep Effects on Juror Verdicts" (2018). Theses and Dissertations. 369. https://csuepress.columbusstate.edu/theses_dissertations/369
Haslam, S. Alexander, Stephen D. Reicher, and Katherine J. Reynolds. "Identity, influence, and change: Rediscovering John Turner's vision for social psychology." British Journal of Social Psychology 51.2 (2012): 201-218. 
 
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Ep 33 Too Many Cooks: The Chaos of Co-CEOs

In this episode of Management Muse, hosts Cindi Baldi and Geoffrey Tumlin dive into the challenges of co-leadership, where two bosses manage the same people or department. With insights from their 19 years of consulting, they share real-life stories of co-CEO arrangements gone wrong, revealing how role conflict, ambiguity, and lack of clear responsibilities create inefficiency and division. Learn why these setups rarely work, how they lead to inefficiency, and why employees often end up placating the more demanding boss.
 Whether you're an organizational leader or part of a team, this episode offers valuable advice on navigating and improving co-leadership dynamics.
 
Episode Highlights:
See how co-CEO and co-boss setups often lead to unforeseen challenges that seriously harm organizations.
Learn why unclear responsibilities in co-leader roles create confusion that slows down team efficiency.
Discover why employees gravitate toward the stricter boss in shared leadership situations and how that impacts team dynamics.
Get actionable strategies to prevent management overlap and keep your team functioning smoothly.
Explore how having two bosses in charge can trigger lasting organizational dysfunction and conflict.
 
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Ep 32 Navigating Family Dynamics in Business with Barry Couch

In this episode of Management Muse, hosts Cindi Baldi and Geoffrey Tumlin dive into the challenges of running a family business with management legend Barry Couch. Barry shares his experience of building a company with his son, Brant, and his lessons learned from blending family and work. From setting boundaries to earning respect and managing different leadership styles, Barry offers practical insights for navigating the complex dynamics of family in a professional setting.
Whether you’re part of a family business or interested in leadership, this episode provides valuable takeaways for balancing personal relationships with business success.
Episode Highlights:
Discover how Barry and his son Brant transformed their family business while maintaining a strong personal bond.
Learn the crucial boundaries that kept their family relationships intact while scaling the company.
Explore how contrasting leadership styles can sometimes create a powerful force for positive change.
Find out how role-playing tough scenarios helped Barry and Brant avoid common family business pitfalls.
Barry Couch is the Chair and Founder of HealthSure, a company specializing in insurance, risk management, and quality programs for healthcare organizations. With decades of experience, Barry has redefined self-insurance through innovative strategies, helping hospitals and medical groups across America manage complex risks. Known for his strategic thinking and people skills, Barry is a sought-after consultant and speaker on leadership and effective management. His expertise has guided companies across the United States.
 
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Ep 31 Beyond Likability: Expert Tips for Effective Management with Barry Couch

In this episode of Management Muse, hosts Cindi Baldi and Geoffrey Tumlin explore the essentials of people skills with their friend and people guru, Barry Couch. Barry, an experienced business leader and entrepreneur, shares his expertise on navigating interpersonal dynamics, emphasizing trust-building, personal connections, and managing complex people issues. He also discusses the critical role of communication and adapting your management style to meet your team's evolving needs. Whether you're an experienced manager, a new supervisor, or are just aiming to improve your people skills, this episode offers actionable strategies for fostering an inclusive, growth-oriented work culture. 
Tune in for insights to become a more empathetic and effective leader in today’s diverse workplace.
Episode Highlights: 
Discover the importance of meeting people where they are to foster genuine connections.
Learn how building trust can enhance management effectiveness and interpersonal relationships.
Explore strategies for strengthening workplace relationships through active listening.
Hear insights on managing the delicate balance between retaining talent and preserving a positive workplace culture.
Understand the value of flexibility and diverse perspectives for improving leadership and decision-making
Barry Couch is the Founder and Chair of HealthSure a company specializing in insurance, risk management, and quality programs for healthcare organizations. With decades of experience, Barry has redefined self-insurance through innovative strategies to help hospitals and medical groups across America manage complex risks. Known for his strategic thinking and people skills, Barry is a sought-after consultant and speaker on leadership and effective management across the United States.
Resources Mentioned: 
Peters, T. J. (1982). In search of excellence: Lessons from America's best-run companies. Harper & Row.
 
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Ep 30 Innovation Through Diversity: How Women Are Reshaping the Investment Landscape with Marla Shapiro

In this episode of Management Muse, hosts Cindi Baldi and Geoffrey Tumlin explore the crucial role of innovation, diversity, and women in entrepreneurship with Marla Shapiro, the visionary founder of HERmesa. Marla shares her inspiring journey from the corporate world to startups, where she launched an angel investment group to support women-owned businesses. Marla highlights how diversity fuels successful innovation in all companies and addresses complex challenges, stressing the need for more women in early-stage investing to break the male-dominated status quo. This episode offers valuable insights and practical advice for managers and entrepreneurs on fostering a culture of innovation, embracing risk, and amplifying diverse voices. Through real-world examples of startups like Byway Travel and Code First Girls, Marla provides vital wisdom on how to solve pressing problems and drive meaningful change in today’s business landscape.
 
In this episode you will learn / Episode Highlights: 
Discover how diversity fuels successful innovation in startups and established companies.
Learn why increasing women's participation in early-stage investing is key to finding unconventional founders with unique solutions
Understand the importance of fostering a culture that embraces risk-taking and tolerates failure to fuel innovation.
Gain insights on how to identify and solve "hair-on-fire" problems that address urgent customer needs.
Learn practical strategies for managers to elevate diverse perspectives and create lasting impact within their organizations.
Marla Shapiro is the founder of HERmesa, an angel investment group investing in women led startups in the UK & Europe.  After a career spent in male dominated spaces such as Wall Street, MIT, and tech startups, Marla resolved to change the status quo and give women a seat at the table as investors and founders
Her work with HERmesa has created a thriving community of operators-turned-angels that bridges the gender gap in early stage investing and fosters innovation in the startup ecosystem.
Learn more about HERMesa here - www.hermesa.co.uk
 
Resources: 
Culsure - www.culsure.com
On-Demand Leadership - https://www.ondemandleadership.com/
 
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EP 29 Why Failing Is the Secret Ingredient to Winning Big

In this episode of Management Muse, hosts Cindi Baldi and Geoffrey Tumlin explore the value of failure with academic and author Spencer Fraseur. Spencer shares insights from his book Failing Upward and his dissertation research, emphasizing how failure is a crucial part of success and the significance of resilience, passion, and continuous learning. He offers actionable strategies for reframing failure as an iterative process, much like engineers approach problem-solving. Whether you're navigating setbacks in work or life, this episode provides tools for using failure as a stepping stone to growth and innovation.
Tune in for actionable strategies on how to embrace failure, pivot with purpose, and ultimately find success through perseverance and self-awareness.
 
Episode Highlights: 
Learn how failure is a stepping stone to success rather than a stopping point.
Discover how personal failures can lead to significant growth and new opportunities.
Understand why success often requires learning through multiple failures.
Explore when quitting may be the right choice based on passion and adaptability.
See how career pivots can be guided by valuable lessons learned from setbacks.
Find out why having a "sparring partner" for constructive feedback is essential for progress.
Learn the importance of documenting failures to avoid repetition and uncover unexpected opportunities.
 
Spencer Fraseur is an academic and author of Failing Upward, a book that challenges the traditional views of failure and offers a new framework for embracing it as part of the journey toward success. Spencer is currently preparing to defend his dissertation at the University of Texas at Arlington, where he continues to explore themes of resilience, learning, and personal development. His passion for teaching and helping others reframe their setbacks into opportunities makes him a sought-after speaker and mentor. His first book, The Irrational Mind, won the Royal Dragonfly Book Award in 2020.
 
Order Spencer's Books: https://www.amazon.com/Spencer-Fraseur/e/B08BKSFTFX
Connect with Spencer:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencerfraseur
 
Resources Mentioned: 
Fraseur, S. (2023). Failing upward: The secret ingredient to success. Great Failure Press.
Mark Rober's quote: "Failure is not a bug; it’s a feature."
Dweck, C. S., & Molden, D. C. (2005). Self-theories: Their impact on competence motivation and acquisition. In A. Elliot & C. Dweck (Eds.), Handbook of competence and motivation (pp. 122-140). The Guilford Press.

EP28 Meaning and Performance: People are Unruly. Manage them Anyway with Kent Keith

In this episode, we continue our conversation with Renaissance man Kent Keith, exploring the relationship between meaning, motivation, and performance.Managers can often help their employees find meaning in the work they do and should take time to help others see the bigger picture or reimagine their work, when possible, as meaningful. This matters because people are usually more motivated and better when they feel connected to their work.In this discussion, Kent also encourages managers to share the meaning they find in their work as an example for others to do the same.Episode Highlights:• People rise to the challenge if they see meaning in their work.• Managers can motivate their employees by highlighting how the work they do impacts others. Communicating the greater impact or the bigger picture can also help others see meaning they may have overlooked in their work.• Meaning at work can boost motivation and performance.• Prosocial motivation (desire to help others) + intrinsic motivation (enjoyment of the work itself) = highest levels of persistence, performance, and productivity (This is Kent’s summary of Adam Grant’s research finding in his book, Give and Take.)• Managers may need to redesign work, where feasible, so it is more meaningful to employees.Quotes:“People will rise to almost any challenge if it is meaningful to them.” – Kent Keith“There’s a lot of meaning in helping other people to find meaning.” – Kent Keith“We need more people who, as leaders and managers, are aware of the meaning they find and share the example of that.” – Kent Keith“Managers care about meaning because it tends to unlock internal motivation, and usually that leads to better performance.” – Geoffrey TumlinResources:Kent Keith (2021). The paradox of personal meaning.Adam Grant (2013). Give and take. Viking.Fredrick Herzberg (1968). One more time: How do you motivate employees? HBR Press.Alfie Kohn (1993). Punished by rewards. Houghton, Mifflin and Company.Daniel Pink (2011). Drive. Canongate Books.Key Words: Personal meaning, servant leadership, intrinsic motivation, work-life balance

EP27 Meaning and Performance: The Story of the Paradoxical Commandments with Kent Keith

What does a meaningful career and a fulfilling life look like? Kent Keith is an author, a university president, and a businessman who has thought deeply about what makes a meaningful life. In this episode of the Management Muse podcast, Kent helps us build a more fulfilling life, one decision at a time.Episode Highlights:• As a college student who wanted to encourage his peers, Kent wrote the Paradoxical Commandments, which went viral long before the Internet age.• Success involves identifying how your work matters and finding the personal meaning in what you do.• The symbols and trappings of success, like power, wealth, fame, and prestige don’t provide lasting happiness.• Kent’s research shows that the source of meaning for most people comes from living your values, being in relationship, and serving others.Quotes:“If you have the meaning, you don’t have to have the glory.” – Kent Keith “Our lives are shaped by a degree to what the world does to us, but they are really shaped by how we respond to what the world does to us. And the response is always up to us.” – Kent Keith“We can find meaning in adversity, and the way that we choose to respond is a large part of our legacy.” – Geoffrey Tumlin“I think unconditional love is what can hold our families and communities together. There’s just not enough of it in the world.” – Kent KeithAbout: Kent Keith is an author, a university president, and a businessman. He's also the kindest person you'll ever meet.Resources:Kent Keith (2021). The paradox of personal meaning. Kent Keith resources and writing here: https://www.kentmkeith.com/Key Words: Personal meaning, servant leadership, work-life balance