Influence at work is about focus, not force

How to have incredibly productive 1:1s with your manager

Those “boring” weekly 1:1s with your manager? They matter a lot more for your career than you think. Because what you choose to focus on shows how “ready” you are for the next level. If you’re like many Chinese professionals I coach, you walk in with a checklist: “I finished X, I’m working on Y, I’ll start Z next week.” Showing your progress line by line feels like you’re showing your value. But in fact, all you’re showing is that you’re obsessively focused on tasks, not outcomes. When I led a team of 20, I constantly had to remind my junior direct reports: stop using 1:1s for status reports. Our time together is valuable, and status reports are the equivalent of flushing it down the toilet. They’re the feeling of “this could have been an email”, personified. When you focus on tasks, the real goal of a 1:1 gets completely ignored. That goal is alignment. And without alignment, trust quietly erodes. What you’re missing is alignment in four areas: Expectations, Priorities, Resources, and Development. In this episode, we'll cover how to align on each area. —Links— Career Coaching: https://www.mrjonathanoffice.com/career-coaching [https://www.mrjonathanoffice.com/career-coaching] Job Search Coaching: https://www.mrjonathanoffice.com/job-search-coaching [https://www.mrjonathanoffice.com/job-search-coaching] Read my letters: https://mrjonathanoffice.substack.com/ [https://mrjonathanoffice.substack.com/] —Socials— Xiaohongshu: https://www.xiaohongshu.com/user/profile/5fc40fdf000000000100a66b [https://www.xiaohongshu.com/user/profile/5fc40fdf000000000100a66b] Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanrhyzli/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanrhyzli/] —Like and Review— If you enjoyed this episode, the greatest compliment you could give me is to like and review this podcast. Let’s support free career podcasts for Chinese professionals on the internet.

Your Career KPI changed, that's why you're stuck

If you’re a high-performing Chinese professional, at some point in your career you’re going to feel frustrated with your lack of growth. You realize the same strengths that helped you grow in your career don’t just stop working… They start working against you. And that’s not because you’re not hard working enough or not smart enough. It’s because your career KPI changed, and nobody told you. The most common phases where the KPI changes are as follows: Junior IC, Senior IC, People Manager, and Director (and beyond). We'll cover each of them in this episode. —Links— Career Coaching: https://www.mrjonathanoffice.com/career-coaching [https://www.mrjonathanoffice.com/career-coaching] Job Search Coaching: https://www.mrjonathanoffice.com/job-search-coaching [https://www.mrjonathanoffice.com/job-search-coaching] Read my letters: https://mrjonathanoffice.substack.com/ [https://mrjonathanoffice.substack.com/] —Socials— Xiaohongshu: https://www.xiaohongshu.com/user/profile/5fc40fdf000000000100a66b [https://www.xiaohongshu.com/user/profile/5fc40fdf000000000100a66b] Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanrhyzli/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanrhyzli/] —Like and Review— If you enjoyed this episode, the greatest compliment you could give me is to like and review this podcast. Let’s support free career podcasts for Chinese professionals on the internet.

Influence at work is about focus, not force

Most people spend a big chunk of their careers trying to be heard. If that’s your frustration, at some point you’ve probably come across the words “Influence without authority”. And you probably thought, “That sounds useful. I want that.” But you struggle to actually get influence, because of one problem. Everyone talks about influence. Yet, few explain what it actually costs. In this podcast, we discuss what true influence without authority costs, and how you can achieve it consistently in the Western workplace. —Links— Career Coaching: https://www.mrjonathanoffice.com/career-coaching [https://www.mrjonathanoffice.com/career-coaching] Job Search Coaching: https://www.mrjonathanoffice.com/job-search-coaching [https://www.mrjonathanoffice.com/job-search-coaching] Read my letters: https://mrjonathanoffice.substack.com/ [https://mrjonathanoffice.substack.com/] —Socials— Xiaohongshu: https://www.xiaohongshu.com/user/profile/5fc40fdf000000000100a66b [https://www.xiaohongshu.com/user/profile/5fc40fdf000000000100a66b] Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanrhyzli/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanrhyzli/] —Like and Review— If you enjoyed this episode, the greatest compliment you could give me is to like and review this podcast. Let’s support free career podcasts for Chinese professionals on the internet.

Conflict at work: you have to choose your fighting style.

Workplace conflict is unavoidable in leadership, management, and career growth, but avoiding it comes at a cost. This episode breaks down fight vs flight vs freeze, real feedback conversations, and how strong communication builds trust at work.  —Links— Career Coaching: https://www.mrjonathanoffice.com/career-coaching [https://www.mrjonathanoffice.com/career-coaching] Job Search Coaching: https://www.mrjonathanoffice.com/job-search-coaching [https://www.mrjonathanoffice.com/job-search-coaching] Read my letters: https://mrjonathanoffice.substack.com/ [https://mrjonathanoffice.substack.com/] —Socials— Xiaohongshu: https://www.xiaohongshu.com/user/profile/5fc40fdf000000000100a66b [https://www.xiaohongshu.com/user/profile/5fc40fdf000000000100a66b] Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanrhyzli/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanrhyzli/] —Like and Review— If you enjoyed this episode, the greatest compliment you could give me is to like and review this podcast. Let’s support free career podcasts for Chinese professionals on the internet.

When managing up makes things worse

Most “manage up” advice fails because it assumes your boss is rational.  In this episode, we unpack what to do when power isn’t logical, and how to protect your career anyway. Learn what to do when managing up doesn't work, and how to navigate power without burning out. —Links— Career Coaching: https://www.mrjonathanoffice.com/career-coaching [https://www.mrjonathanoffice.com/career-coaching] Job Search Coaching: https://www.mrjonathanoffice.com/job-search-coaching [https://www.mrjonathanoffice.com/job-search-coaching] Read my letters: https://mrjonathanoffice.substack.com/ [https://mrjonathanoffice.substack.com/] —Socials— Xiaohongshu: https://www.xiaohongshu.com/user/profile/5fc40fdf000000000100a66b [https://www.xiaohongshu.com/user/profile/5fc40fdf000000000100a66b] Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanrhyzli/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanrhyzli/] —Like and Review— If you enjoyed this episode, the greatest compliment you could give me is to like and review this podcast. Let’s support free career podcasts for Chinese professionals on the internet.