How much of your week is spent "firefighting"?

If you’re like most managers, you start the week with a strategy, but by Tuesday afternoon, a "drop everything" request from senior leadership has derailed your entire team.

The result? Change Fatigue. Your best people are drained, silos are hardening, and "alignment" feels like a corporate buzzword rather than a reality.

In this week’s episode of the Manager Track Podcast, I sit down with executive coach and organizational strategist Betsy Kauffman. Betsy has spent decades in the C-suite helping leaders cut through the noise to build what she calls an "Execution Rhythm."

We dive deep into:

The 3-Priority Rule: Why having 5+ priorities is the same as having zero.
The "First Team" Mindset: Why your peers are actually more important than your direct reports.
The Tiny Book of Questions: Why you need to stop asking "How can I help?" and start asking the 3 questions that actually unblock your team.
The Negotiation of "Urgent": How to push back on senior leaders without sounding like a bottleneck.

If you’re tired of the "reorg of the month" and want to get your team rowing in the same direction, this conversation is a must-listen.

Listen now on our Website, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.

— RESOURCES MENTIONED —

Betsy Kauffman's website: https://crossimpact.co/
Connect with Betsy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/betsykauffman/
Check out her TedTalk: https://www.ted.com/talks/betsy_kauffman_4_tips_to_kickstart_honest_conversations_at_work
Schedule a Leadership Strategy Call with Ramona HERE.
Grab the free New Manager Toolkit mentioned in the episode: archova.org/freetoolkits
Learn how to turn your 1-on-1 meetings from time wasters, awkward moments, status updates, or non-existent into your most important and valuable meeting with your directs all week. Learn more at: http://archova.org/1on1-course
Grab your copy of Ramona's best-selling book 'The Confident & Competent New Manager: How to Rapidly Rise to Success in Your First Leadership Role': amzn.to/3TuOdcP
Link to video by Patrick Lencioni: https://youtu.be/BjE_mPoZPSg?si=Z-I_T8ETpqNUTnYT
More about team building based on Patrick Lencioni's work: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ou9nrWEMwQc6Y7wX6p41ZwbmuZT2uPju/view?usp=drive_link

— OTHER EPISODES YOU MIGHT LIKE —

Episode 282 - Leadership Lessons from a CEO Who Built Cultures by Design - With Lawrence R. Armstrong
Episode 132 - How to Increase Employee Engagement & Team Alignment - With Steve Curtin

— WHAT’S NEXT? —

Learn more about our leadership development programs, coaching and workshops at archova.org.

Grab your copy of Ramona's best-selling book 'The Confident & Competent New Manager: How to Rapidly Rise to Success in Your First Leadership Role': amzn.to/3TuOdcP

Want to better understand your leadership style and patterns? Take our free quiz to discover your Manager Archetype and learn how to play to your strengths and uncover your blind spots: archova.org/quiz

Are you in your first manager role and don't want to mess it up? Watch our FREE Masterclass and discover the 4 shifts to become a leader people love to work for: archova.org/masterclass

Love the podcast and haven’t left a review yet? All you have to do is go to ramonashaw.com/itunes and to our Spotify Page, and give your honest review. Thanks for your support of this show!

If this episode inspired you in some way, take a screenshot of you listening on your device and post it to your Instagram Stories, and tag me @ramona.shaw.leadership or DM me on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/ramona-shaw

* Disclaimer: Shownotes may contain affiliate links. That means that I am awarded a small commission for purchases made through them, at no added cost to you.

Creating Leadership Alignment When Priorities Are Unclear - With Betsy Kauffman (Ep. 302)