Being a new manager requires a new mindset:  the way you think about your role, responsibilities, and challenges.  There are three mindsets that new managers often adopt, that can be unintentionally limiting:  1) Do more of the same, 2) Do the opposite of what you've seen a bad manager do, or 3) Do what works best for you, personally.  These will get in your way because:  1) What got you here won't get you there, 2) You don't want to base your management style on a bad experience, and 3) People vary, so what works great for you might not work as effectively for others.  Instead, you want to take an intentional approach to change -- while realizing there may be some growing pains along the way.  Let's discuss! After the episode: Book a consult to work with Kim 1:1:  https://calendly.com/kimnicol/consultation

Reflection Questions are not about having the "right" answer, or giving an answer that will gain the approval or praise of someone else.  The beauty of Reflection Questions is they help you to think a bit differently about your own experience, so you can see your inner wisdom and gather your personal insight.  In this episode I share 6 Reflection Questions that will help you think about your work and life, to prepare you to make strategic decisions as you move towards the end of the year.  Let's discuss! After the episode: Book a consult to talk with Kim about 1:1 coaching:  https://calendly.com/kimnicol/consultation Visit her website to learn more:  https://kimnicol.com/

Managing people isn't just about managing tasks and work -- it includes managing personalities, shielding your team, and more.  There's a new level of emotional labor that comes with being a leader and people manager.  It's also common to feel more isolated and lonely as you gain more responsibility, and feel like you have to be more guarded about what you share and who you can talk with.  Let's discuss! After the episode: For 1:1 coaching, book a consult: ⁠https://calendly.com/kimnicol/consultation⁠ Join the email list: ⁠https://kimnicol.com/newmanagers/⁠ Learn more and join the mailing list:  https://kimnicol.com/

Great managers learn how to be present.  It helps you build trust, and stay grounded and calm so you can be responsive instead of reactive.  Let's discuss! After the episode: Book a consult for 1:1 coaching:  https://calendly.com/kimnicol/consultation

"What do other people think of me?"  If you have a tendency to be a perfectionist (and, thus, very self-judging), high empathy or people-pleasing, this question may pop up a lot in your mind.  It may activate your anxiety, and have you holding yourself back as a way to play it safe.  But there's another way to look at this -- a small shift in perspective that can grow your confidence and focus.  Let's discuss! After the episode: Book a consult to work with me 1:1:  https://calendly.com/kimnicol/consultation

Where does confidence come from?  And if you receive feedback about being more confident at work, how do you do that?  In this episode you'll learn the difference between Performative Confidence and Authentic Confidence, and why knowing where the basis of your confidence is, is so important.  Let's discuss! After the show: For 1:1 coaching, book a consult: ⁠https://calendly.com/kimnicol/consultation⁠ Join the email list: ⁠https://kimnicol.com/newmanagers/⁠

Bonus episode!  "You don't get what you don't ask for."  Learning how to ask is a skill.  You can get better at it.  Even if you're an introvert, conflict-avoidant, or just don't like asking anyone for anything.   If you want to learn how to speak up for yourself at work, come to my free workshop on Monday October 3rd.    Self-Advocacy 101:  How to Speak Up for Yourself at Work. Sign up here:  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/self-advocacy-101-tickets-427575879967 

Think you're in competition with a colleague?  In this episode, a listener writes in to ask for guidance when they and their coworker are both up for promotion.  And, as a manager, you might find yourself in a similar situation -- where two people on your team want a promotion, and you'll have to (1) make a decision about who and when, and (2) communicate the news.  Let's discuss! After the show: Work with me 1:1, book a consult to get started: https://calendly.com/kimnicol/consultation Submit your request for a specific topic for the podcast:  https://kimnicol.com/contact/

As a new manager, you might feel a tendency to people-please flare up.  It can get in the way by causing you to overwork (by having no boundaries), communicate poorly (by avoiding conversations or not being direct), or creating more pressure and anxiety (by ruminating).  In this episode, you'll see what creates the impulse to people-please, and what to do instead.  So you can be intentional in making decisions, and use your people-pleasing awareness for the best.  Let's discuss! After the show: For 1:1 coaching, book a consult: ⁠https://calendly.com/kimnicol/consultation⁠ Join the email list: ⁠https://kimnicol.com/newmanagers/⁠

What if you're a new manager who is managing people who are older than you, or who have more experience than you?  One of my listeners wrote to me asking about this, and it's such a good question.  In this episode I talk about the pressure you might feel, the importance of being clear on what the job actually is, and a simple process to help you navigate the situation and relationships.  Let's discuss! After the show: For 1:1 coaching, book a consult: ⁠https://calendly.com/kimnicol/consultation⁠ Join the email list: ⁠https://kimnicol.com/newmanagers/⁠

Many new managers get feedback to be more assertive.  What does that mean?  How do you do it?  Let's discuss! After the show: For 1:1 coaching, book a consult: ⁠https://calendly.com/kimnicol/consultation⁠ Join the email list: ⁠https://kimnicol.com/newmanagers/⁠

Being a human means you have access to all the emotions -- as does everyone you work with!  Becoming a manager will bring up everything from self-doubt, fear of failure, and frustration. . . to connection, inspiration, and confidence.  The best part of work is when we feel proud, valued, and respected.  The worst is when we feel a lack of trust, discouraged, or chronically frustrated.  Understanding emotions are important for every manager (and human, lets be honest.)  In this episode we walk through the very basics of understanding emotion as an experience, so you can begin to work with them more effectively.   To work with me 1:1, schedule a consultation here:  https://calendly.com/kimnicol/consultation To contact me, go to:  https://kimnicol.com/

When you start managing people, you will be making new decisions about how you use your time.  Some of your time will be in strategic thinking and planning, some will be in execution, some in communicating, and other relationship management tasks.  You must learn how to use your time well, rather than letting yourself feel overwhelmed -- which leads to avoidance, reactivity, and never feeling like you have a handle on things.  Each week, take a moment to pause and ask yourself:  What am I spending my time on?  And why?  What am I avoiding?  And why?  Taking a little time to regularly reflect, assess, and decide how to use your time will ensure you use the rest of your time intentionally, rather than reactively.  Let's discuss! -- I'm taking new clients!  To work with me 1:1, schedule a consultation and let's talk about where you are, what desired outcomes you want, and how coaching can get you there.  Book a time on my calendar here:  https://calendly.com/kimnicol/consultation

You're not managing people yet, but it's the next step and you want to start preparing.  In this episode we'll talk about how you can start developing your mindset, before you shift from IC to people manager. After the episode: For 1:1 coaching, book a consult: ⁠https://calendly.com/kimnicol/consultation⁠ Join the email list: ⁠https://kimnicol.com/newmanagers/⁠

As a manager, part of your job is to speak up.  But as a human, you might feel anxious or reluctant to do so.  What holds us back from speaking up at work?  And how can you learn to have more authentic confidence to speak up?  Let's discuss.   -- I'm taking new clients!  To work with me 1:1, book a consult and we'll talk about where you are, where you want to be, and how we can work together to get you there.  Sign up here:  https://calendly.com/kimnicol/consultation Or go to my website for more:  https://kimnicol.com/

One reason we hold on to anxiety and perfection is because of an underlying belief that you need them to be successful.  You might think that perfection makes you detail oriented, and anxiety motivates you towards achievement -- and you may have been rewarded for them!  In this episode, you'll get some ideas for how to think differently, so you can achieve what you want but in a new way.  It will make you a better manager, and you'll become more authentically confident.  Let's talk about it. -- I'm taking new clients.  To work with me 1:1, book a consult here:  https://calendly.com/kimnicol/consultation https://kimnicol.com/

Having friends at work makes our work experience much more rewarding.  In this episode, learn four things that great work friendships have.  And learn how to think about balancing friendships with people who report to you. --- I'm accepting new clients!  Book a consult here:  https://calendly.com/kimnicol/consultation  

There are three skills every manager needs:  Advocacy, Giving Feedback, and Boundaries.  Today we explore how they all connect.  When you know what you want, the next step is to consider how to go about making happen.  Is it something you need to advocate for?  Do you need to give someone feedback, to create a desired change?  Or is this a boundary issue that requires you to clarify an agreement with yourself?  Let's discuss. After the episode: For 1:1 coaching, book a consult: ⁠https://calendly.com/kimnicol/consultation⁠ Join the email list: ⁠https://kimnicol.com/newmanagers/⁠

Being human means going through highs and lows.  Let's talk about what that means for you as a manager.  And:  what happens when you realize you don't love what you do?  In this episode you'll learn how a small shift in perspective can help you're feeling discouraged. To work with Kim 1:1, go to https://kimnicol.com/

If you've managed child care for your family, then you have experience managing people.  You've had to interview, hire, and onboard a new team member.  You've had to manage schedules, evaluate performance, and give feedback.  In this episode, let's talk about the connections between managing child care and being a manager at work. To work with me 1:1, go to: https://kimnicol.com/coaching/

Many folks are uncomfortable setting boundaries because it can feel confrontational, like something you're putting against someone else.  Or boundaries can feel like a rule you set for other people.  But a boundary isn't about controlling other people.  Here's a way to think about it instead.  It may help you create boundaries more easily.

Being overly self-critical and diminishing your skills and accomplishments is one way to keep yourself small.  When you start to take up more space, it might feel weird -- like you're boasting, or being arrogant.  There's another way to think about it.  Rather than making yourself smaller or puffing yourself up into arrogance, this episode will give you a way to think about that let's you be "right" sized. To work with me, go to my website and sign up for my waitlist:  https://kimnicol.com/coaching/

Being ambitious does not mean you need to be great at everything.  And when you focus on what you're not good at, you're more likely to overlook and diminish what you are good at.  In this episode we look at where this story comes from, how it effects you at work, and what to do instead.  We'll talk about three types of family pressure and one common career pressure (especially if you are underrepresented at work), so you can identify these in your own life. To work with me for 1:1 coaching, go to https://kimnicol.com/ and join my waitlist 

One of the first ways we learn to do something new is by observing someone else, and then trying to mimic what we see.  But this always the best approach, and one pitfall is that you'll compare yourself to others and think that your job is to be like them and do what they do.  When you're a new manager, this looks like replicating what you've seen other managers do -- rather than thinking about what is needed in the moment.  It also results in discounting your own judgement and preferences, because if you don't see it modeled around you, you may assume that your own ideas are "wrong."  So let's talk about what to do instead.   To work with me and get 1:1 coaching, go to https://kimnicol.com/

Time Management may seem boring, but to me it is a sacred practice.  Because when you make decisions about what is on your calendar, you are making decisions about how to spend your life.  Making decisions about your time is also tied into bigger topics -- like your values, your fears, and what else is happening in your life right now.  There will always be more things to do than time (or energy) for it.  Let's talk about it.   After the episode: For 1:1 coaching, book a consult: ⁠https://calendly.com/kimnicol/consultation⁠ Join the email list: ⁠https://kimnicol.com/newmanagers/⁠

What if it was possible to have better meetings?  Start to think about meetings as something you can design with intention and care.  Let's talk about it.  If you want individual help to level up as a leader and become a better manager, go to: https://kimnicol.com/coaching/ 

Ambition is what motivates you to succeed.  But when you take a closer look, what's really driving it?  Is it a desire for achievement? Money? Autonomy?  Something else?  In this episode we take a closer look at ambition and how it connects with three distinct stages of career:  Workhorse, Confident Practitioner, and Legacy / Vision.  We'll also talk about why to become a manager -- or not. To work with me, go to: https://kimnicol.com/

Before you manager other people, first you have to manage yourself.  It starts by understanding how your mind works.  For most of us, when faced with uncertainty the mind fills in the blanks with negative creativity.  You think about all the things that could go wrong, or how you're not good enough.  Learning how to manage your mind is something that will help you as a new manager and leader, throughout your career!  Let's talk about it.   To work with me, go to my website:  https://kimnicol.com/coaching/ Through 6-months of 1:1 coaching, you'll learn how to be a better manager and a more confident, authentic leader.

Every problem has two parts:  the outside part, and the inside part.  In this episode, learn how to identify the real problem, and see why working on the inside part always creates more options and solutions for you.  Also:  being a manager is a lot about dealing with emotions.  Let's talk about it.

Wonder what happens in coaching?  Let's talk about it.  Many of my clients have never worked with a coach before coming to me.  Learn why having a plan can get in the way of progress, and how coaching creates positive side effects like getting promoted.  

What's more important that perfection?  Clarity of purpose.  In this episode you'll learn why new managers can get distracted by perfection, and how to look at things in a more useful way.  Start to focus on purpose over perfection, and see what happens.

Why do we feel anxious when things are going well?  Let's talk about it.  Every new manager and growing leader will face this as some point.  There will be a time in your life and career when things are going great, and yet you'll feel worried, stressed, guilty, or anxious.  Find out where that comes from so you don't go into success avoidance or sabotage.  Learn how to feel safe being successful.  

When you feel overwhelmed as a manager, come back to the fundamentals.  They can give you perspective and help you focus on the simple things that matter. After the episode: For 1:1 coaching, book a consult: ⁠https://calendly.com/kimnicol/consultation⁠ Join the email list: ⁠https://kimnicol.com/newmanagers/⁠

Being clear about who gets to make what decisions can reduce uncertainty, anxiety, and frustration at work.  In this episode, learn how to think about authority and decision making as a manager.  And begin to notice how it functions around you. After the episode: For 1:1 coaching, book a consult: ⁠https://calendly.com/kimnicol/consultation⁠ Join the email list: ⁠https://kimnicol.com/newmanagers/⁠

Being direct is an effective communication skill that every manager needs.  But it's not always easy!  Learn why we avoid being direct (and why people might not be direct with you), and what to do differently.  You'll grow your confidence as a leader, and use this skill to create more trust in your relationships! After the episode: For 1:1 coaching, book a consult: ⁠https://calendly.com/kimnicol/consultation⁠ Join the email list: ⁠https://kimnicol.com/newmanagers/⁠

Every manager needs to learn now to give effective feedback.  It's ok if it doesn't come naturally -- you can learn how to do it well.  Thinking in terms of "Feedback as a Service" takes the pressure off, and helps you feel like you're on the same team.  This episode will give you a useful way to think about how to give feedback, be human, and create a working relationship that works for everyone.

Effective managers know how to advocate for their team.  Start with learning how to advocate for yourself -- especially regarding professional development.  Learn what holds you back from speaking up, and how to think about it in a new way. After the episode: For 1:1 coaching, book a consult: ⁠https://calendly.com/kimnicol/consultation⁠ Join the email list: ⁠https://kimnicol.com/newmanagers/⁠

When you're a founder or small business owner and your business begins to grow, you create a new job for yourself:  people manager.  Here's what to know when you're a new manager for the first time as a founder.

Everything you do is driven by what you're thinking and how you're feeling.  Learn how to tell when a thought -- "I can do it" -- is helping or hindering you, and know what to do about it.  To work with Kim 1:1, request a consult at https://kimnicol.com/coaching/

Thinking like a facilitator can help you be a more effective manager.

In this episode, learn how to be strategic about why you give feedback.  Hear six different reasons that drive feedback, and learn why your values and identity play a big role in your strategy.

What exactly is strategic thinking?  How do you develop it to be a more effective manager?  Let's discuss! After the episode: For 1:1 coaching, book a consult: ⁠https://calendly.com/kimnicol/consultation⁠ Join the email list: ⁠https://kimnicol.com/newmanagers/⁠

Managing people requires a specific skillset and a different way of thinking.  It's like when you go to drive a car when you've only been a passenger -- there's always a learning curve, even though you've seen others do it countless times.  This episode will give you a productive way to think about it, so you don't feel stuck thinking there's something wrong with you (there isn't).

This will help when you're in overwhelm (which can lead to procrastinating on making a decision).  One turn of phrase that can shift perspective, ease the burden, and help you focus on the present moment.

If you're an introvert you'll really enjoy this episode on communication skills.  Learn the fundamental skills for public speaking, how it connects with giving feedback, and the number one thing you need to put it all together. After the episode: For 1:1 coaching, book a consult: ⁠https://calendly.com/kimnicol/consultation⁠ Join the email list: ⁠https://kimnicol.com/newmanagers/⁠

It's the new year!  Let's talk about the three key skills you need to manage effectively.  These hold true no matter what size organization, or how junior or senior you are.  And, we'll talk about creating your professional development roadmap for the year. After the episode: For 1:1 coaching, book a consult: ⁠https://calendly.com/kimnicol/consultation⁠ Join the email list: ⁠https://kimnicol.com/newmanagers/⁠

If you start to feel stuck in a conversation wondering, "What is happening here?" you might be in Opinion Tennis.  In this episode you'll learn about this common pattern and how it can show up at work and in family gatherings.  And, I'll share two ways to get out of the pattern.

Every new manager needs to develop their strategic thinking.  Here are some ways to do that at the end of the year.