Author, public speaker, and coach for managers and leaders across the tech industry.
Tag: Leading Through Crises
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Resources for leading through crises
My blog post from 2017, “Managering through terrible times,” continues to (sadly) be relevant for folks leading teams through the tumultuous times we find ourselves in. Since first writing that post, I’ve developed a bunch more resources to help you and your teammates as you navigate the frightening impact of world events. read more
How To Share Complex Company News With Your Team And Build Trust
There are a number of pitfalls leaders can fall into when organizational changes or world events start impacting our teams. By responding poorly, leaders will create a lot more strife down the line. So, when a fraught issue arises, how can we help our organization move forward in a way that actually builds rather than breaks trust? read more
What to do when your employees are in crisis mode
Years ago, Paloma Medina—whose name you may be familiar with, since she’s the person who developed the BICEPS core needs acronym—taught me how to quickly spot when someone’s amygdala has been hijacked. Folks in fight-or-flight mode will commonly display one of these five forms of resistance: read more
We need to talk about your Q3 roadmap
As people complete their vaccination schedule, as the world around us continues to burn, and as the product roadmap chugs along, something’s gotta give. And I think it’s going to be your feature plans—because the humans behind them need time to recuperate. read more
Handling the Emotional Weight of 1:1s
As the anniversary of the first pandemic lockdowns loom, I am sharing a round-up of resources to help you lead and support your teammates as they deal with continued grief and burnout—and resources to help you navigate your own emotional workload as a manager or leader. read more
How to say no right now
We are in an absolutely bananas season. read more
Managers: what do you do when your teammate shares their grief?
Most of us aren’t taught how to respond when someone shares with us a really heavy piece of information. read more
How to learn about someone's core needs
The 6 core needs that humans have at work (BICEPS) are on my mind all of the time. In the past, I’ve talked about how to use the BICEPS core needs list to: read more
Easy check-in questions for your 1:1s during times of crisis
Here are the questions I’ve been asking in coaching calls with managers and individual contributors alike, to get a gut check on how folks are feeling during this awful, strange season—without making the conversation too heavy. read more
3 steps for leaders to take in emergencies
I’ll keep this intro short, because I know your energy and attention are precious resources during this season. read more
Creating predictability and stability in times of rapid change
A few years back, spurred by the effects of the 2016 election, I published a blog post called “Managering in terrible times”. It begins: read more
Communicating big news to your team
As a manager, you’ve probably already been responsible for communicating a message from senior leadership to your team. Maybe you’ve had to give them a heads-up about company policy changes like a new performance review process, scary news like a reorg, or happy news like bonuses. read more
Managering in Terrible Times
These are terrible times. You may be facing these events head-on as a member of a marginalized group or as an ally, and if you’re a manager, you likely have direct reports who are doing the same. read more