Management Muse

EP26 Confidence: Legal Legend Lynne Liberato Helps us Get in Over our Heads

Super-lawyer Lynne Liberato talks with Management Muse about the importance of expertise and genuineness in building our confidence. In this discussion, we explore overconfidence, bluffing, and how confirmation bias can impact confidence.Managers build confidence in their employees through feedback and mentorship. By walking them through situations and highlighting how key decisions were made, staff can build their own confidence through the acquisition of knowledge.This episode also covers the importance of body language, speech patterns, and appearance, as well as the crucial difference between confidence and arrogance.Episode Highlights:• Your confidence builds confidence in other people.• Without knowledge and experience, it’s bull, not confidence.• Mentoring helps managers instill confidence in younger workers.• Managers also build confidence in their staff by providing feedback. Be timely, be honest, and be encouraging.• Lynn shares a story about an incredibly skilled lawyer who had to overcome credibility issues because she didn’t look confident.Quotes:“You have to have credibility before you can say I don't know without a penalty. Don’t walk in unprepared. – Cindi Baldi “The best thing to do is to be confident, but have the facts and the work to back it up.” – Lynne Liberato“I always believed if I tried hard enough and I was prepared as I possibly could be I had earned the right to be confident.” - Lynne Liberato“When you cease to be open, to even consider other positions, perspectives, and arguments you then cross the line from being confident into counterproductive arrogance.” – Cindi BaldiAbout:Lynne Liberato is a legendary Texas lawyer. Pray to your maker that she’s on your side.Keywords: Confidence, Confirmation Bias, Mentoring, Feedback, Arrogance

EP25 Unwinding Stress: No Edibles Required

In this episode, Cindi and Geoff dive into the myth that a little bit of stress helps your performance. The conversation touches on the idea of procrastination and deadlines, where the stress of a time constraint can encourage task completion but may degrade performance. Cindi and Geoff also look at individual stress sensitivity and expertise as intervening variables that allow people to handle challenges without flipping out.Finally, the hosts play a parlor game to see if they can track every habit back to a stressor and talk through strategies for managers to help employees unwind performance-draining work habits.Episode Highlights:• Stress in any dose can degrade performance, even though stress is ubiquitous. The same goes for deadlines, even though they are essential.• Managers can help prevent people from excessively inflating stress and anxiety.• Most habits form as a response to stress and anxiety.• Managers require tools to help employees manage their stress so performance and quality of life aren’t negatively impacted.Quotes:“You have to be careful about high-drama people in organizations because they run around cranking up everyone’s anxiety.” – Cindi Baldi“We want to encourage managers to build the kind of organizations where people feel like they're able to relax more into very challenging work.” – Geoffrey TumlinResources: Malcolm Gladwell, The Art of Failure. New Yorker, August 13, 2000. Judson Brewer (2021). Unwinding Anxiety. New York: Avery.Keywords: Stress, anxiety, habits, performance

EP24 Strong Families: Superguru Larry Allman Blows up the Wall between Work and Home

On this episode of Management Muse we talk to the extraordinary family therapist Larry Allman. Since no one can fully separate home from work, it’s important for managers to know strategies for building strong families.Home problems create work issues and vice versa, so it’s prudent to think through pitfalls and obstacles to building resilient, thriving families. Master mentor Larry Allman helps us maintain families that last.Episode Highlights:• Larry proposes that organizations are not only hiring the individual but should provide something for the family so they feel nurtured by the institution.• Managers need to remember that employees are people with feelings and families, and those feelings and families will impact how employees interact with others.• How you interact with your family impacts how you interact with your employees.• A compassionate work environment leads to healthier employees. • Managers need to identify why they are having a strong reaction to others. Self-reflection is key to improving relationships.Quotes:“If people can't resolve differences with their family, they're probably going to have trouble resolving conflict at work.” – Larry Allman“Anybody who believes that family life doesn't impact work performance hasn't ever been at work.” – Geoffrey Tumlin“There’s no such thing as a normal family. Everybody's struggling with family issues, everybody.” – Larry AllmanResources:David Cantor (2012). Reading the Room. Hoboken, NJ: Jossey-Bass.Jennis T. Jaffe (2020). Borrowed from your Grandchildren. New York: Wiley.George E. Valliant (2015). Triumphs of Experience. Boston: Belknap Press.Daniel Goleman (2005). Emotional Intelligence. New York: Random House.James S. Gordon (2019). The Transformation. San Francisco: HarperOne.Key words: Family resilience, boundaries, performance, work-life balance

EP23 Risk: Moonshots and Smart Gambles with Space Cowboy Joe Guzman

In this episode of Management Muse, outer space expert and Earthling extraordinaire Joe Guzman shares his unique perspective on managerial risk and decision making. Uncertainty looms large in risk taking, since decisions with certain outcomes aren’t risky at all. The good news is that managers can often take risks incrementally by experimenting with small decisions and running pilot studies to see what happens before going all in. Risk, reward, and failure are usually interconnected, but with some forethought and wisdom from experiences managers can learn when to most appropriately turn smart risk on. Strap into your chair because in this episode space cowboy Joe Guzman takes us on a lively ride.Episode Highlights:• Joe emphasizes the importance of failure and humility in understanding risk and highlights timeless lessons from Stoicism, including embracing failures as part of the growth process.• Cindi, Joe, and Geoff discuss the significance of calibrating risk when possible, and talk about the dangers of too much success leading to a bulletproof gambler illusion. Good feedback and reflection processes also help us learn practical and important lessons from failures.• Geoff, Cindi, and Joe discuss some key factors the impact risk-taking, including openness to experience, the situation, our personal strategy, our age, and Kahneman and Tversky’s prospect theory (which states that individuals may take bigger risks after experiencing losses).• The gang discuss the importance of morals and principles as guideposts for risky decisions.• Cindi, Joe, and Geoff talk about what fear can and can’t teach us about our decisions.• When possible, experiment and start small to reduce some uncertainty and test larger decisions. • Without risk, too much of our potential is left on the table. A fulfilling life requires risk, failure, reward, and learning.Quotes:“Every challenge in your life makes you into the person you are now.” -Joe Guzman“You’ve got to be willing to fail if you're going to take risks.” -Cindi Baldi“A meaningful life has a well-calibrated acceptance of risk.” -Geoffrey Tumlin“You're going to get into trouble if you don't fail and if you are missing feedback mechanisms.” -Geoffrey Tumlin“A lot of times we don't have to predict. We should just experiment.” -Geoffrey TumlinAbout Joe Guzman:Joe Guzman is the founder of Space Cowboy. He also went to high school and college with Geoff. He retired from the Army's Space Force as a Colonel.Resources:Selected works from Nassim N. Taleb:Taleb, Nassim N. (2017). Skin in the game. Penguin Books.Taleb, Nassim N. (2013). Antifragile. Penguin Books. Taleb, Nassim N. (2008). The black swan. Penguin Books.Ryan Holiday’s Daily Stoic Podcast: https://dailystoic.com/podcast/ Amor Fati is Latin for “the love of fate” https://dailystoic.com/amor-fati-love-of-fate/Selected work from Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky (and Paul Slovic):Kahneman, D., Slovic, P. & Tversky, A. (1982). Judgment under Uncertainty: Heuristics and Biases. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Kahneman, Daniel. (2011).Thinking, fast and slow. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Principles by Ray Dalio: Dalio, Ray. (2017). Principles: life and work. Simon and Schuster.Key words: Risk, fear, risk management, failure, feedback, decision making

EP22 Ideas: Good Idea Machine Dan Schmisseur Helps Us Create New Things

Where do good ideas come from? In this episode, entrepreneur Dan Schmisseur shares his experience generating and exploring ideas to find gems worth pursuing. Dan shares how the best ideas often come from connecting the dots to what may seem like unrelated information. The ability to create the space to think, explore, and learn broadly all aid in coming up with unique and valuable ideas. Additionally, relationships are key to bringing your ideas to life. In this episode, managers will learn to foster a culture of idea generation by encouraging employees to deeply explore their industry, share their interests and experiences with each other, and build an atmosphere where people share ideas without fear of being immediately shot down.Episode Highlights:• Great ideas are often ahead of the time other people are ready for them.• Support and relationships are crucial for helping good ideas become great.• Sometimes thorny problems lead to creative solutions. Occasionally, this is out of desperation.• Never be afraid of looking stupid. Don’t shoot down ideas. People are much more willing to share their ideas when first reactions aren’t criticism.• Outside perspectives can sometimes offer the necessary vantage point for meaningful change.Quotes:“Never be afraid of looking stupid because of your ideas.” - Dan Schmisseur“It’s a weakness for managers to always be constantly busy, which may not be the best use of their time. When endlessly busy, there’s no time for developing people under them, and they are also making it so they have no time to think about new ideas.” – Cindi Baldi“One of the myths of entrepreneurs is that they go all for broke when the truth is that most successful entrepreneurs have safety nets.” -Dan SchmisseurAbout Dan Schmisseur:Dan Schmisseur is a serial entrepreneur who is half of the brains behind the consulting firm Cromwell Schmisseur. Resources:Adam Grant (2016), Originals: New York: Viking.Adam Grant (2013), Give and Take: New York: Viking.Clayton Christensen (1997), The Innovator’s Dilemma: Boston: Harvard Business School Press.Scott Shane (2008), Illusions of Entrepreneurship: New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.Sehgal, Kabir. "Why you should have (at least) two careers." Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from https://hbr. org/2017/04/why-you-should-have-at-least-two-careers (2017).Keywords: Ideas, idea generation, relationship building, networking, creativity

EP21 Habits: Cindi and Geoff Help Us Dump Bad Habits Like a Nasty Ex

In this episode of Management Muse, Cindi and Geoff discusses habits and how to change the ones that are not serving you well. They discuss the trigger-action-reward habit loop and then dive into the power of feelings as a way to encourage habit change. Managers care about habit loops because they care about focusing energy where the greatest contributions can be made. And habits can inhibit or enhance focus and energy. Cindi and Geoff discuss common issues managers face with daily habits and the ways those habits impact productivity. In order to break a habit, it’s necessary to update the reward value associated with it. This involves paying attention to how the habit makes you feel, because some habits are no longer as rewarding as they used to be. Cindi and Geoff also discuss starting with small habits to build momentum for larger behavior change and to avoid procrastination.Episode Highlights:• The value of rewards associated with habits often change over time. Managers should explore the feelings associated with habits to more effectively change behaviors. Sometimes, breaking a habit is easier than we think because the reward is outdated.• Strategies for improving work habits include isolating triggers, implementing small changes, and finding alternative behaviors that offer similar rewards.• New managers sometimes develop bad habits due to the uncertainty of the role, which encourages action. Reflection and deliberation about the urge to act can help reduce early missteps.Quotes:"Our feelings about rewards have a lot more to do with habit than we think and those feelings are often outdated. This can actually help us make new and better habits." -Cindi Baldi "Our advice: pay attention to how you're feeling about what you're doing and see if that doesn't lead you to stop things that aren't working as well as you thought and increase things that bring you more satisfaction, joy, and fulfillment." – Geoff Tumlin Resources:Brewer, Judson. (2021). Unwinding anxiety. New York, Avery.Clear, James. (2018). Atomic habits. New York, Avery.Duhigg, Charles. (2013). The power of habit. New York, Random House.Fogg, B.J. (2020). Tiny Habits. Boston, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.Morgenstern, Julie (2005). Never Check Email in the Morning. New York CityNewport, Cal (2016). Deep Work. New York: Grand Centralwww.culsure.comwww.ondemandleadership.comwww.managementmuse.comKey words: Habits, rewards, emotions, reinforcement

EP20 Work-Life Balance: Pacing Ourselves with CEO and Triathlete Jon Calvin

How do you slay your to-do list and knock out key priorities? In this episode on work-life balance, Jon Calvin, the CEO of Lone Star Circle of Care, joins Cindi and Geoff and gets real about a balanced life. Importantly, Jon notes that everyone's path to balance is different. What may seem unbalanced to others may enable someone to live the life they love. And sometimes, we need the help and support of others to pull off a balanced life. To help us strike a balance, managers can periodically log their time and write down priorities. Lifetime learning and maintaining a growth mindset can also help managers keep their lives in balance and make their time more productive and meaningful.Episode Highlights:· Jon stresses the importance of support systems and a strong team at work.· Managers should take personal inventory of their goals, consider their schedules, and redirecting energy towards what matters most.· Exercise boosts productivity, energy levels, and provides long-term health and cognitive benefits.· A supportive work environment is essential, especially during times of intense and challenging work.Quotes:"You're always working on balance. It's a process." – Geoff Tumlin"I rely heavily on my team and their areas of expertise and I try to focus on the higher-level issues I need to work on." – Jon Calvin"I think people have more opportunities in their schedules than they may think and they can turn some bad habits into some good habits." – Jon Calvin“I think if people periodically logged where their time was going and wrote down their priorities they might see where they're out of sync.” – Cindi Baldi"Wake up early to get ahead. It's much easier to protect your time when most people are sleeping." – Jon CalvinAbout Jon Calvin:Jon Calvin is the CEO of Lone Star Circle of Care and is a competitive triathlete. He moves fast and doesn't break things. Resources:For a full Q&A with Jon Calvin and his post-episode thoughts visit www.managmentmuse.comAdam Grant (2013), Give and Take. New York: Viking.James Clear ( 2018), Atomic Habits. New York: Avery.Lewis Hamilton speaking about Nelson Mandela: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Av-tn2Oao_4Texas Mamma Jamma Bike Ride: https://www.mammajammaride.org/www.culsure.com www.ondemandleadership.com www.managementmuse.comKey words: Work-life balance, habits, priorities, stress, burnout, resilience

EP19 Nonverbal Communication: Stop Staring at My Mustache with Darrin Griffin

What you say and how you say it matters. In this episode of Management Muse, author and researcher Darrin Griffin discusses the importance of nonverbal communication. As managers, we should be master noticers and to pay attention to how nonverbal cues like dominance behaviors, body language, and timing impact those around you. This episode also covers importance of perception checks to reduce miscommunication.Episode Highlights:• Paying attention nonverbal behavior can help identify others’ interests and conversational goals and aid in better communication.• Nonverbal communication varies significantly from person to person. Translation: people are often quirky.• Nonverbal communication can help build trust and make people feel understood.• Because miscommunication is common, and feedback and perception checks are essential.Quotes from Darrin Griffin:“When you send a message nonverbally, you send it to someone and they receive it. But it may not be the same message that you intended, so somewhere in there you got to align your perceptions.”“If you're going to hone your nonverbal skills, you do it in a way that is goal driven and mutually ethical between you and your interactants because you're not doing it just to benefit yourself, right? You want to better understand people so you better understand them and then you can react to them more accurately.”“We know how to communicate. But nonverbal communication as managers is often challenging when you're doing it with a lot of people with different perspectives.”“Don't try to interpret nonverbal behavior with certainty. Be tentative and reality check what you are seeing.” “It's okay to be wrong. And by acknowledging that you might have been wrong, misunderstood, or the source of miscommunication, you'll build trust and rapport. People will like you more. They'll think you're human.” About Darrin Griffin:Darrin Griffin is the communication department chair at the University of Alabama and is a prominent author and researcher. His academic expertise is in nonverbal communication and deception and his practical expertise is in BBQ and motorcycles.Resources:Lying and Deception in Human Interaction by Mark Knapp, Billy Earnest, Darrin Griffin, Matthew McGlonewww.culsure.com www.ondemandleadership.com www.managementmuse.comKey words: Nonverbal communication, body language, self-presentation, influence, power

EP17 Resilience Part One: The Art and Science of Getting the Dings Out

In life, we get dinged up by things that happen to us. Resiliency is the science and art of getting the dings out and continuing on. In this episode on resilience, Cindi and Geoff share strategies on keeping perspective, reframing situations, and taking action to get through challenging hard times. One current management challenge is change fatigue, which can lead to more dings. In adversity, managers can benefit from the 3A’s by acknowledging what the current situation is, adjusting their thinking and taking action.Episode Highlights:Three big insights from resilience research: 1. Resiliency isn't a stable trait. 2. Everybody has a breaking point. 3. Not all adversity causes trauma.Cindi's mom highlights the value of resilience and also shows that resilience varies depending on the individual and the nature of the adversity.Geoff's experience shows how acknowledging the situation, focusing on positive emotions, and avoiding counterproductive emotions can help build resilience.Remember: building resilience is a muscle that requires strengthening over time. Resilience is about growing in the face of adversity, not merely surviving.Before adversity, it is important to build a buffer of emotional and physical reserves to better handle tough times.Doing things that bring balance and recentering are important resiliency tools.Reframing from pervasive negatives (like everyone is lazy) to specific negatives (like Jim is lazy) and permanent hardship (my job seems impossible) to temporary hardship (my job seems impossible this week) can help increase persistence in the face of obstacles.Quotes:“ Not all adversity causes trauma.” - Cindi Baldi (From the research of George Bonanno.)“Resilience is not a stable trait.” - Geoffrey Tumlin“You have to look adversity it in the eye and deal with it the way that it is. Then, you can go forward, plan, and react.” - Cindi BaldiResources:Bonanno, G. (2021). The End of Trauma: How the new science of resilience is changing how we think about PTSD. Basic Books.Duckworth, A. (2016). Grit: The power of passion and perseverance. Scribner/Simon & Schuster.Dweck, C. S. (2008). Mindset. Ballantine Books.Konnikova, Maria. "How people learn to become resilient." The New Yorker 11 (2016).www.culsure.com www.ondemandleadership.com www.managementmuse.comKeywords: Resilience, Reframe, Adjust, Growth Mindset, Positive Psychology

EP18: Resilience Part Two: Building Bouncy People with Cindi Baldi and Geoffrey Tumlin

What do you do after adversity to manage the challenge and build reserves for the future? Geoff and Cindi talk through strategies for deploying resilient responses and decreasing the incidence of adverse events becoming trauma. In this episode, Cindi and Geoff discuss cooling our emotions, how to reflect and not ruminate on adversity, and finding meaning in the hand life deals us. EpisodeHighlights:CRM = three strategies for building resilience: Cool the emotions, Reframe adversity as an opportunity for growth, and find Meaning in the challenge.Cindi shares a story about escalating emotions and how she cooled things down in a tense situation.Finding meaning in adversity is essential to lower the odds that it becomes traumatic. We can do this by identifying a purpose or mission that helps make sense of our difficult experiences and therefore provides value to adversity.Having a growth mindset and an internal locus of control (that is, feeling like we have a hand in our fate) help build resilience.Tendency is not destiny.We can intentionally cultivate a more resilient mindset even if it doesn't come naturally.Homework for building resilience: practice reframing adversity as an opportunity for growth and identify a sense of purpose or meaning in a challenging experience.Quotes:"When faced with adversity, we can decide that we're going to look for where we can make a difference." – Cindi Baldi"Sometimes the manager's job is just to help people ID – what am I actually feeling? And get the right label on it." – Geoffrey Tumlin"The science is pretty clear. An internal locus of control, where we say things to ourselves like I can work through this and There are things I can do help generate more resilient responses." – Geoffrey TumlinResources:• Dweck, C. S. (2008). Mindset. Ballantine Books.• Duckworth, A. (2016). Grit: The power of passion and perseverance. Scribner/Simon & Schuster.• Konnikova, Maria. "How people learn to become resilient." The New Yorker 11 (2016).• Diane Coutu- How Resilience Works https://hbr.org/2002/05/how-resilience-works• Bessel van der Kolk M.D. - The Body Knows the Score• Martin Seligman- Learned Optimismwww.culsure.com www.ondemandleadership.com www.managementmuse.comKey words: Resilience, Adversity, Locus of Control, Growth Mindset, Reframe