Simple beliefs about management, Plucky-style
Fundamentally I believe managing is like parenting. You never graduate. You will continue to hone these skills for your entire career – delegation, patience, managing UP, building trust, etc.
One Plucky Blog
Thoughts on Adult Development in the Workplace by Jen Dary
Career Planning Guide for 2018
Download it, print it, go find a mug of something warm and spend some time figuring out where you’re going. A year is going to pass either way; far better that you have your hands on the wheel!
Four Years of Plucky
Businesses, though they are believed to have been started in garages, basements and backyard sheds, are started over coffee. At least, that’s true about Plucky.
Manager training: behind the music!
Every day I coach emerging leaders as they move into managerial roles and I hear the same themes in all of our conversations: – How do I know if I’m doing well? – I miss being in the weeds of the work. – Humans are exhausting me. – I hear about the problems but I…
On Managing Millennials
Dear Plucky, There are a variety of junior employees on my team. It’s been a joy to mentor them, but I’ve noticed that they interpret feedback in a very different way than I do. A small dose of constructive feedback can lead to a tailspin of anxiety, negative self-talk or even tears. Often, these conversations…
A Human Disappointed Me.
Dear Plucky, A human disappointed me today. What should I do? Love, Everyone — — — Dear Everyone, Oh, friend. Want to come sit for a few minutes? Let’s walk over here to this bench, the one that overlooks some nature. I like looking at nature when I’m having trouble with humans. Nature has…
On Managing Your Friends
“If you don’t talk about what’s awkward, you either seem stupid or dishonest… But inviting conversation about how it’s tricky for both of you opens the conversation enough to recommit to the next phase of your friendship.”
Beyoncé vs. Ballads (Know Yourself)
“So what’s #PluckyWomen?” I was standing at the bar, ready to order. I looked up from the drink menu at the dude next to me and in that second a song started playing over the speakers — the song I listen to when I’m writing big SOWs or prepping ambitious new pitches. Maybe it…
How to Quit a Job
My son’s beloved preschool teacher unexpectedly quit before Christmas. We live in an expensive area of the country and, understandably, it turns certain industries into revolving doors of employment. Who can live in the Bay Area on small salaries? Not many. Though this is a really logical problem, her departure was a total shock to…
Diversifying the Career Race
I’m training for a 5k. I told my 4-year-old a month ago that I was starting to practice running so I could run a race before the summer.“Are you going to win the race?” he asked. I told him no, that I wasn’t going to win and he looked sad. “Maybe you’ll win, mom! Maybe…
Stuff the Envelopes
In my first job out of college, I worked for a non-profit school. As part of my role I had to produce a quarterly newsletter that would be mailed to all 500 families. This meant that once a quarter, I picked up boxes (upon boxes) of the newsletter at our printer, labeled big envelopes and…
Retention and Plastic Eggs
I coach employed people all week. I also coach employers. And all those hours of human talking has led me to a fundamental belief about the nature of employment: individuals and companies are like two sides of a plastic Easter egg. Healthy companies use managers to pay attention to the way they CLICK. (Stay with…