Join us on this week’s podcast as we look back at key takeaways on the priorities and strategies of managers who make a meaningful difference in the lives of the people they lead.

Cultivate Positive Relationships
Relationships are the foundation for everything managers do, and individualized relationships are the key to managing to make a difference. We’re hitting key points in this week’s podcast. Dive deeper with these specific podcasts from earlier in the year:

Go Ahead, Get Close to Your People

Accept People as They Are

Make People Significant

Prioritize One-on-Ones

Accelerate People’s Growth
From the foundation of individualized relationships, managers help people self-actualize when they optimize fit, set the right expectations and empower people to achieve. Listen to our overview and consider diving deeper on these topics:

Help People Self Actualize

Optimize Fit

Set the Right Expectations and Ask the Right Questions

Empower Your People

Build Extraordinary Teams
Managers who have great relationships with their people and who intentionally invest in those people’s growth are well on their way toward building extraordinary teams. In this week’s podcast, we focus on the importance of recruiting continuously and ensuring the right fit. A couple of very important topics we didn’t have time to review include:

Bet on Talent

Invest Your Time with Top Performers

Shape Your Culture
At its core, “culture” is simply defined as, “the way we do things around here.” It’s more than who we say we are. It’s who we really are. Culture is the walk – not the talk. As a manager how can you shape a culture where people can perform at their best? In this week’s podcast, we focus on stories and recognition and their power to reinforce cultural values and expectations. We encourage you to listen to these two episodes to unpack those suggestions further:

Emphasize the Why

Shape a Culture of Recognition and Appreciation

Emotionally Rehire People and Celebrate Successes

Embrace Change
Finally, we spend time on this week’s podcast addressing one chapter in the book that has raised more than a few eyebrows – Tolerate Undesirable Behaviors. Are we suggesting all undesirable behaviors should be tolerated?   NO!  In fact, there’s another chapter in the book entitled Address Bad Behavior, and these two chapters don’t contradict one another. Listen in as we clarify the difference.

On all our podcasts and blog posts, you have an opportunity to talk back to us through comments and emails. We hope to hear from you! Until next time, manage to make a difference every day!

+ Larry Sternberg, J.D. and Kim Turnage, Ph.D.

This post highlights portions of Managing to Make a Difference (Wiley), a handbook for hitting the sweet spot of middle management. Connect with Kim Turnage and Larry Sternberg on LinkedIn to see their latest updates.