The Manager's Desk with Evan D. Baltz

A Little About Me From the People Who Know Me

A podcast about my work experience and history. Key themes emerging from the recommendations include: * Leadership and People Management: Evan is repeatedly described as an empathetic, humble, and supportive leader who prioritizes team growth, fosters psychological safety, encourages collaboration, and promotes professional development. Reviewers highlight his ability to rebuild teams during challenging periods, navigate interpersonal dynamics with emotional intelligence, and empower individuals to excel while maintaining calm under pressure. * Project Management and Agile Expertise: He is praised for effectively implementing Agile methodologies, adapting processes to organizational needs, explaining complex technical concepts clearly to non-technical stakeholders, and ensuring timely, high-quality project delivery. Several note his success in shifting priorities smoothly and driving innovation. * Technical and Strategic Acumen: Contributors emphasize his deep technical knowledge (particularly in web development, digital solutions, and marketing technology), strategic thinking, and ability to align IT initiatives with business objectives, resulting in improved performance metrics and organizational growth. * Interpersonal Qualities: Evan is characterized as approachable, compassionate, collaborative, and professional, with a focus on building trust, valuing diverse perspectives, and creating positive work environments. Many express eagerness to work with him again and recommend him highly for senior or executive roles. Overall, the recommendations reflect unanimous positive regard, underscoring Evan's reputation as a transformative leader, mentor, and technical expert who consistently delivers results while nurturing team success. The endorsements demonstrate sustained excellence across multiple roles and years.

The Myth of the Emergency

I worked at a large organization some time back, and when I started, I asked what the existing issue resolution plans were. I got a lot of blank stares. “What do you mean?” said one employee. I explained, “What do you do when there is a problem or critical issue?” “Well, you mean other than leadership running around with their hair on fire?” “Yes, other than that.” “Oh well, then nothing.” This got a good chuckle out of the other team members around the conference table. “Yikes. Okay, well, I think we can improve that.” The first problem in issue management is not having a plan. And by a plan, I mean an actual thought-through, written-down, executable series of actions that are used to respond to any and all situations. You’d be amazed at how many organizations do not have one.

The Myth of Managing Up

I’ve got another myth in mind today. Big Foot? Aliens? The Bermuda Triangle? And by the way, whatever happened to the Bermuda Triangle? When I was a kid, it seemed like every show had some kind of reference to it. Now, no one ever talks about it anymore. I think some of you won’t agree with my characterization of this as a myth. You will say, “Oh, but Evan, it is very real.” Well, yes, it is real, in the sense that there are many leaders who believe in this; in fact, some might think it is the most important aspect of your work life. But I’m going to explain why it isn’t a real thing, and shouldn’t be a real thing. The myth of “managing up”.  Let me explain. Have you heard this phrase before? Have you used this phrase before? First, let me say that this isn’t about judging, it’s about awareness and helping leaders improve…without, as the subtitle of my book says, losing your soul. Most organizations are structured pretty similarly. There are the people who DO the work (in my world, that would be the programmers and developers). They DO 90% of the work. Then there are the managers and directors, those who, hopefully, help those who do the work remove roadblocks, care for their day-to-day needs, ensure they have the support and tools they need to do the work efficiently, etc….Then you have the VPs who hopefully take care of the managers and directors and see that they have good goals and support toward those goals, and the resources they need to accomplish those goals. Then you have executive leaders who should be setting strategy and high-level goals and overall roadmap for the organization. Right? Isn’t that essentially how most companies are structured? So here is where things, in my opinion, go wrong. When anyone above the DOer group starts to believe the people under them exist to serve their own needs. If I, as a manager, believe that my team’s job is to serve me and do things to make me look good and appease me, we have a broken system. The same is true at each level. So if a VP demands of a director or manager that they “manage up” rather than manage down, it’s a sign of a broken system, a broken culture, one that is essentially driven by the concept that I’m more important than you are, and you must understand that and capitulate to my importance.

The Progression of the Workplace

Evan interviews guest Jay Brummett. They explored the evolution of the workforce and the impact of AI on knowledge workers, examining how AI can complement human skills while highlighting its limitations. The conversation concluded with discussions about team management challenges, the importance of creating safe work environments, and the significant costs associated with poor management practices and employee turnover. Leadership and Employee Voice Evan and Jay discussed the challenges of creating a safe environment for employees to speak up and the importance of leaders demonstrating humility and openness to feedback. They highlighted how quickly people can recall a "bad boss" experience, emphasizing the psychological and productivity impacts of poor management. Jay shared insights from Agile methodologies and a game called "Needs and Wants" to illustrate the value of autonomy and employee input. They also discussed the need for leaders to balance technical expertise with the ability to guide teams collaboratively, drawing parallels to historical examples like George Washington's approach to leadership. Bad Management's High Cost Impact Evan and Jay discussed the significant impact of bad managers on employee turnover and its associated costs. Evan shared alarming statistics, including that 50-52% of voluntary quits are due to bad managers, resulting in an estimated $500 billion in losses annually for American companies. They explored the reasons behind employee departures, highlighting the role of culture and management style, and discussed the myth of the $25,000 average replacement cost, suggesting it is much higher. Evan questioned what actions are being taken to address this issue, emphasizing the need for better management practices and cultural improvements.

3 Very Important Words

I’ve got 3 very important words for you today. In America, you have probably heard the popular saying, “The customer is always right.” It is supposed to reflect our culture of customer satisfaction and experience. In Germany, there is a twist on that saying which pokes fun at Germany’s own perceived approach to customer service. The saying goes, “In Germany, the customer is King…and he shall be punished for his arrogance.” Ha! Sometimes words go along with philosophy in how you view or treat people. Sometimes those words are accurate and meaningful, other times they are not. I’ve got 3 very important words for you today. Words, as a manager or leader, you should be saying to your people at least weekly, if not daily. What are they? Some of you might think the words are “job well done.” But that is related to their word tasks. They might be okay, but those words, ultimately aren’t particularly fulfilling as a human being. Others of you might think, “I love you.” Well, yes, those are important words, but probably more appropriate for your family and closest friends. Still others might think 3 important words are, “Paid vacation days.” or “Friday half days” or even “Work from home”. Those are good, but I have something else in mind. What we probably hear most often at work though is, “Resend that email.” or “Make it pop” or “Is that done?” Those words don’t usually help. No, these three important words can go a long way to building relationships, encouraging others, and making work life more fulfilling and meaningful. But, sadly, not that many people use these words regularly. But you should. Not saying the 3 words can be frustrating to others, just like you are now frustrated because I have waited so long to tell you what they are. Well, without further delay here they are.