Episode 231
Ramona Shaw, The Confident & Competent New Manager (with Susan Sutton)
Maybe you just got promoted. Maybe you're a new manager, you finally got the promotion you've been asking for three years.
And so now you say, What do I need to do as a new manager? What are some of the tools I need to add from being an individual contributor to being a leader of a team?
Today, we discuss these topics with our guest today, Ramona Shaw, stamping our creative passport in San Francisco. We've also got a special guest, Susan Sutton, who's one of Ramona's leadership program and managerial workshop participants.
Here are some highlights of our discussion:
· People often become managers because they are good at their jobs, but this is not always the right fit for them.
· Most people feel unprepared when they are promoted into their first leadership role.
· Leaders can improve their skills by taking leadership training courses.
· The self-leadership mindset enables people to focus on new management core competencies and skills.
· The program is designed to help participants make a big transformation and provides personalized support.
Susan Sutton was preparing for a promotion when she met Ramona and went through her program. Ramona was a helpful guide to Susan during a difficult time. One of the things Ramona teaches is that you can't expect everyone to do things like you would. She reminded Susan of the importance of curiosity and communication. People often unintentionally give advice that is counterproductive because they are trying to help.
Ramona says leaders often feel overwhelmed with new responsibilities, but this is something that can be managed by looking at the facts. People can get overwhelmed with stress when they focus on the emotion of a situation rather than the facts.
Ramona believes that before managing people, it is important to manage your mind. She even says that people working for a micromanager might try to create a “hardship” for themselves, in order to make the boss feel engaged. She feels that their boss does not trust them, and this is causing them to disengage from their work. You can't control your boss, but you can try to influence them and make them feel comfortable.
Now let's look ahead: People are setting different goals in light of current situations.
Mark said, “By the time we're listening to this podcast, we're into the first quarter of 2023, which is that kind of mind-boggling anyway, but it seems we've said all the things about the “great something,” -- there was a resignation, now a restart, a re-engagement mindset. I don't think since 2019 have we had the normal goal setting. We need to make these numbers or we need to get these goals in place because there's always been, something we are reacting to.”
Ramona said goals are fluid and can change, but the direction and end goal stay the same. Companies need to continually check in and realign on goals with employees in order for them to feel engaged and aligned. Experiment with different communication modes to find what works best for her students.
Our podcast will continue to have conversations with creative managers and practitioners to help individuals make an impact on a bigger team.
@ramona.shaw.leadership on Instagram
Ramona Shaw is a Certified Professional Leadership Coach, podcast host, and best-selling author of “The Confident & Competent New Manager: How to Rapidly Rise to Success in Your First Leadership Role.” She is passionate about helping new and midlevel managers become leaders people love to work for by strengthening their leadership and communication skills, raising their confidence and resilience, and increasing their focus and emotional intelligence. After graduating with a Masters Degree in Finance, Ramona entered the field of private equity and ultimately led strategic projects and international teams as a VP of Client Services at a renowned global private equity firm. She now specializes in delivering coaching and training programs for leaders at fast-growing startups and companies such as Twitch, UBS, Google, Dropbox, Lionsgate, Asana, Stitch Fix, Sequoia Capital, and dozens of others.
