A Manager's Guide to Optimism # 303

Investing in Your Career # 304

What if you had an extra $5 to spend on your career? An extra $100? $1000?! Our Good to Know panel offers their take on how to invest 5, 100 and 1000 dollars in a career. 0:07 Introductions 1:26 Jason believes every good career starts with caffeine 2:00 Jessica visits with a mentor 3:36 Steve want to pay it forward 5:38 Jessica has great tips for free or low-cost investments 6:24 The panel goes off the rails talking about Little Caesar's  9:05 Jason recommends starting a project to enhance your skills 10:24 Jessica is a proponent of gaining knowledge, anyway you can 12:14 Our buddy Doug buys a bag 15:30 The value of certifications 18:35 Join a group or enroll in a class 21:43 The panelists discuss their best investments

A Manager's Guide to Optimism # 303

Note: during the podcast, the panel [read: Steve] incorrectly refers to Martin Seligman, Ph.D. as Leo.  His name is Martin Seligman and the panel (primarily Steve) apologizes for any confusion. (it was totally Steve)  :07 Intro 1:30 defining optimism 13:35 a deeper dive into Martin Seligman’s philosophy (not Leo, sorry!) 18:32 why you need a good mix different levels of optimism for different positions 20:30 Steve rates the panel’s degree of optimism 27:47 How the panel re-energizes their optimism 32:42 Things to avoid to maintain your optimism 36:32 Can a pessimist become optimistic? 37:40 What is a manager’s role in developing optimism?

3 Smart Tips to Start Your Day Off Right # 302

How do you stage your day for success?  Our panel shares their personal tips for having a successful day by starting off on the right foot! 00:13 Intro 01:25 Morning people vs night owls 02:57 Jason starts his day with a coffee break 04:02 Having a routine can help structure your day 04:33 A positive orientation helps guide your mood 05:09 Steve doesn’t “start” his day until he’s in the office 07:15 Have what you need, handy and available 07:36 The early bird really does get the worm 08:09 Jessica needs her tea to geared up 08:43 Start working from bed?!  Works for some! 10:35 Your stage of life also determines your work-life balance 13:33 Tips specific for managers and supervisors 14:28 Steve agrees with Jessica, where you’re at in life impacts your time management 15:11 Helps not to catastrophize things, keep a good perspective 17:14 How you define productivity can influence your time management too 18:40 Good tips to end the day?  Clean yo desk! 19:35 Power down your machines! 20:25 Steve cleans out his in-box 21:04 Change into your play clothes!

Successful Delegation # 301

Welcome to Season 3!  Join us as we discuss the merits of delegating; why we do it, what to consider, when not to, and special tips for new managers.  00:13 Introductions 1:00 Some delegate to refocus, make better use of resources, make opportunities or because there’s too much to do. 1:35 Steve can also see delegation as “dumping.” 4:21 Jason sees managers both never delegating and always delegating 5:45 Jessica recognizes the nature of the group impacting the nature of delegation 8:25 Delegation may be more than specific tasks 9:38 The importance of delegating with clarity 13:35 Delegation can also add collaboration, ownership 15:50 The difference between delegating a task vs. talent 17:47 The value of projecting forward when delegating 19:40  When do you never delegate? 21:48 When the panelists benefited from having projects delegated to them 27:35  What should a new manager know about delegating?

The Year in Review # 218

The Good to Know Panel sit down one last time for the 2016 season and reflect on the year while having a laugh among friends at the same time.  0:24 Introductions 2:36 What was your resolution? 4:58 What was your biggest professional challenge? 14:28 How do you slow down time (in a good way)? 27:34 Saying goodbye and giving thanks 29:14 How well do you know each other, The Game! 35:19 How to win your won awesome prize!