Managing Made Simple

I'm going to tell you something you might not want to hear...

Being a "well-liked" manager doesn't make you a GOOD manager.

Many managers think that being someone who loves people, loves mentoring, and loves developing their team members makes them a good manager all by itself, and while that's a huge portion of the job...that's not enough.

Luckily, the other pieces of the puzzle CAN be learned!

Not everything a good manager does makes us feel great. Things like giving difficult feedback or holding people accountable can be hard when we want our team members to like us.

But we can't shy away from hard conversations or less-pleasant pieces of management just because we want to be liked.

And in reality, the things you're so afraid of doing can actually strengthen your team members' trust in you.

Download my FREE guide to making hard conversations with your team easier at liagarvin.com/convo

Looking for support for yourself of your team? I've got you covered.
Explore manager training, leaders keynotes & offsites, and 1:1 advisory, or my 90-Day-COO program for business owners who want simple systems that actually work.

I transform teams from cost centers to profit centers with practical tools and research-backed strategies that make managing EASIER.

Get all the details at: www.liagarvin.com
Contact: liagarvin.com/contact
Email: [email protected]

Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lia.garvin
Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Lia.Garvin

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© 2026 Lia Garvin / Managing Made Simple

This week on the pod, I'm thrilled to announce the launch of my new book, The Unstoppable Team. In this episode, we dive into the inspiration behind the book and how it offers practical solutions for business owners, managers, and team leaders. Drawing from my experience working with business owners and leading team operations in big tech, I share insights on simplifying team management and driving business growth.

The Unstoppable Team serves as a go-to guide to streamline team operations, align individual roles with company goals, and create a positive work environment. Join me in harnessing the power of team management to propel your business to new heights.

Grab a copy of The Unstoppable Team on Kindle for a the special price today of only $0.99, and let's embark on this journey of demystifying people management together.

ORDER THE BOOK HERE

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WORK WITH LIA:

Want a checklist of things you can do THIS week to become a better manager (and make your job easier)? Check out my Thriving Team Checklist for a list of quick actions you can take right away with your team: liagarvin.com/scorecard

Book your Scale-up strategy call to dive into where you're getting stuck with your team and learn more about how we can work together: calendly.com/liagarvin/scaleup-strategy 

CONNECT WITH LIA:

Website: https://www.liagarvin.com/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/liagarvin/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lia.garvin/

Download my FREE guide to making hard conversations with your team easier at liagarvin.com/convo

Looking for support for yourself of your team? I've got you covered.
Explore manager training, leaders keynotes & offsites, and 1:1 advisory, or my 90-Day-COO program for business owners who want simple systems that actually work.

I transform teams from cost centers to profit centers with practical tools and research-backed strategies that make managing EASIER.

Get all the details at: www.liagarvin.com
Contact: liagarvin.com/contact
Email: [email protected]

Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lia.garvin
Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Lia.Garvin

--

© 2026 Lia Garvin / Managing Made Simple

Do you have an emergency plan in place that your team can "break the glass" on when you are absent from the office?

If not, then you need a coverage plan!

If you aren't familiar, a coverage plan is something you put together to make sure that if you can't make it into work for any reason and for any amount of time, your team will be able to function as normally as possible.

Coverage plans include which of your tasks need to continue to get done on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis; who on your team will be performing those tasks; who will be in charge of making decisions while you're gone; and much, much more.

The goal here is to make sure that when life happens—whether you get sick, you want to go on vacation, or have any other reason for being absent—your business doesn't miss a beat.

But where do you even begin with a coverage plan? Let's go over it together!    

WORK WITH LIA:

What if you could keep a management and team operations Swiss Army Knife in your pocket? Now you can with my Team Whisperer 3-month consulting sprint: https://www.liagarvin.com/monthly-consulting

Want a checklist of things you can do THIS week to become a better manager (and make your job easier)? Check out my Thriving Team Checklist for a list of quick actions you can take right away with your team: https://www.liagarvin.com/checklist

Book your Scale-up strategy call to dive into where you're getting stuck with your team and learn more about how we can work together: calendly.com/liagarvin/scaleup-strategy 

CONNECT WITH LIA:

Website: https://www.liagarvin.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lia.garvin/

Download my FREE guide to making hard conversations with your team easier at liagarvin.com/convo

Looking for support for yourself of your team? I've got you covered.
Explore manager training, leaders keynotes & offsites, and 1:1 advisory, or my 90-Day-COO program for business owners who want simple systems that actually work.

I transform teams from cost centers to profit centers with practical tools and research-backed strategies that make managing EASIER.

Get all the details at: www.liagarvin.com
Contact: liagarvin.com/contact
Email: [email protected]

Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lia.garvin
Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Lia.Garvin

--

© 2026 Lia Garvin / Managing Made Simple

If you've ever wondered, "why can't I get through to my team?" - the issue might not be you, and it might not be your team - there's just a disconnect in the message where things are getting lost in translation. But there are ways to bridge this gap so you can get back on the same page, AND people who specialize in just that. 

If you've been following along for a while, you've probably heard me call myself a Team Whisperer before. But what exactly does a Team Whisperer DO...and how can having one help you fix just about any communication breakdown in your business?

You might be surprised by just how many answers there are to that question...and how many problems in your business can be solved with just one additional team member.

WORK WITH LIA:

What if you could keep a management and team operations Swiss Army Knife in your pocket? Now you can with my Team Whisperer 3-month consulting sprint: https://www.liagarvin.com/monthly-consulting

Want a checklist of things you can do THIS week to become a better manager (and make your job easier)? Check out my Thriving Team Checklist for a list of quick actions you can take right away with your team: https://www.liagarvin.com/checklist

Book your Scale-up strategy call to dive into where you're getting stuck with your team and learn more about how we can work together: calendly.com/liagarvin/scaleup-strategy 

CONNECT WITH LIA:

Website: https://www.liagarvin.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lia.garvin/ 

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/liagarvin/

Download my FREE guide to making hard conversations with your team easier at liagarvin.com/convo

Looking for support for yourself of your team? I've got you covered.
Explore manager training, leaders keynotes & offsites, and 1:1 advisory, or my 90-Day-COO program for business owners who want simple systems that actually work.

I transform teams from cost centers to profit centers with practical tools and research-backed strategies that make managing EASIER.

Get all the details at: www.liagarvin.com
Contact: liagarvin.com/contact
Email: [email protected]

Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lia.garvin
Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Lia.Garvin

--

© 2026 Lia Garvin / Managing Made Simple

"How do I make my team members respect me as a manager?"

Spoiler alert...you can't.

Respect isn't automatic, and it can't be forced. Your team isn't going to respect you just because you're "in charge"...but there are things you can do to earn that respect! We want to show our team members that we aren't out of reach or out of touch.

We want to show we understand their jobs and want to support them...

And all it takes is a willingness to get our hands dirty...and a bit of accountability.

WORK WITH LIA:

Get your very own Ops Playbook, tailored to YOUR business and team, to simplify your team ops: https://www.liagarvin.com/playbook

Want a checklist of things you can do THIS week to become a better manager (and make your job easier)? Check out my Thriving Team Checklist for a list of quick actions you can take right away with your team: https://www.liagarvin.com/checklist

Book your Scale-up strategy call to dive into where you're getting stuck with your team and learn more about how we can work together: calendly.com/liagarvin/scaleup-strategy 

CONNECT WITH LIA:

Website: https://www.liagarvin.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lia.garvin/ 

Download my FREE guide to making hard conversations with your team easier at liagarvin.com/convo

Looking for support for yourself of your team? I've got you covered.
Explore manager training, leaders keynotes & offsites, and 1:1 advisory, or my 90-Day-COO program for business owners who want simple systems that actually work.

I transform teams from cost centers to profit centers with practical tools and research-backed strategies that make managing EASIER.

Get all the details at: www.liagarvin.com
Contact: liagarvin.com/contact
Email: [email protected]

Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lia.garvin
Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Lia.Garvin

--

© 2026 Lia Garvin / Managing Made Simple

What if I told you that one of the people costing you the most money in your business...is you?

What are you doing to cost yourself all that cash? Are you not doing enough? Do you need to work harder? Do you need to be more involved with the team’s work?

Actually, it’s exactly the opposite: you need to be less involved. Because when you’re too hands-on with your team’s projects, you might find yourself becoming the dreaded "B" word: a bottleneck.

When you have a bottleneck in business, it means something—or someone—is causing work to slow down. And oftentimes, that someone is us.

But don't panic! I have three simple strategies you can use to break that bottleneck wide open and get things flowing again, and I'm sharing them with you today.

WORK WITH LIA:

Book an SOS call with me: https://www.liagarvin.com/sos

Get your very own Ops Playbook, tailored to YOUR business and team, to simplify your team ops: https://www.liagarvin.com/playbook

Want a checklist of things you can do THIS week to become a better manager (and make your job easier)? Check out my Thriving Team Checklist for a list of quick actions you can take right away with your team: https://www.liagarvin.com/checklist

Book your Scale-up strategy call to dive into where you're getting stuck with your team and learn more about how we can work together: calendly.com/liagarvin/scaleup-strategy 

CONNECT WITH LIA:

Website: https://www.liagarvin.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lia.garvin/ 

Download my FREE guide to making hard conversations with your team easier at liagarvin.com/convo

Looking for support for yourself of your team? I've got you covered.
Explore manager training, leaders keynotes & offsites, and 1:1 advisory, or my 90-Day-COO program for business owners who want simple systems that actually work.

I transform teams from cost centers to profit centers with practical tools and research-backed strategies that make managing EASIER.

Get all the details at: www.liagarvin.com
Contact: liagarvin.com/contact
Email: [email protected]

Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lia.garvin
Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Lia.Garvin

--

© 2026 Lia Garvin / Managing Made Simple

I've got an exciting announcement...

This episode marks the accomplishment of a truly mind-blowing milestone: today, we're celebrating 100 EPISODES of Managing Made Simple! WOOHOO!

We're going to kick this celebration off by revisiting some of our "top plays" of the podcast, featuring advice on leadership from six of our favorite interviews from MMS.

These incredible mentors, experts, and coaches—all leaders in their own right—brought some nuggets of wisdom that even blew MY mind. And trust me, once you're done listening...you're not going to be the same manager you were at the start.

Let's get this party started!  

WORK WITH LIA:

Want a checklist of things you can do THIS week to become a better manager (and make your job easier)? Check out my Thriving Team Checklist for a list of quick actions you can take right away with your team: https://www.liagarvin.com/checklist

Book your Scale-up strategy call to dive into where you're getting stuck with your team and learn more about how we can work together: calendly.com/liagarvin/scaleup-strategy 

CONNECT WITH LIA:

Website: https://www.liagarvin.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lia.garvin/

Download my FREE guide to making hard conversations with your team easier at liagarvin.com/convo

Looking for support for yourself of your team? I've got you covered.
Explore manager training, leaders keynotes & offsites, and 1:1 advisory, or my 90-Day-COO program for business owners who want simple systems that actually work.

I transform teams from cost centers to profit centers with practical tools and research-backed strategies that make managing EASIER.

Get all the details at: www.liagarvin.com
Contact: liagarvin.com/contact
Email: [email protected]

Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lia.garvin
Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Lia.Garvin

--

© 2026 Lia Garvin / Managing Made Simple

Have you ever looked at all the projects your team is working on and realized that you have absolutely no clue how any of them are going...but you're afraid to reach out and ask for an update?

You're not alone. Many managers struggle with the fear of becoming a micromanager, or being perceived as one, because they've had a micromanager themselves. I know I've been micromanaged before...and I know how demoralizing it can be.

However, we can't let this fear keep us in the dark on the status of our team's projects.

Luckily, there are three simple changes you can make to ensure you get regular updates on project status...WITHOUT being overbearing. Let's go over them together!

WORK WITH LIA:

Book an SOS call with me: https://www.liagarvin.com/sos

Get your very own Ops Playbook, tailored to YOUR business and team, to simplify your team ops: https://www.liagarvin.com/playbook

Want a checklist of things you can do THIS week to become a better manager (and make your job easier)? Check out my Thriving Team Checklist for a list of quick actions you can take right away with your team: https://www.liagarvin.com/checklist

Book a FREE Scale-up strategy call to for strategies to scale your team and get time back for yourself: calendly.com/liagarvin/scaleup-strategy?back=1&month=2023-08    

CONNECT WITH LIA:

Website: https://www.liagarvin.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lia.garvin/

Download my FREE guide to making hard conversations with your team easier at liagarvin.com/convo

Looking for support for yourself of your team? I've got you covered.
Explore manager training, leaders keynotes & offsites, and 1:1 advisory, or my 90-Day-COO program for business owners who want simple systems that actually work.

I transform teams from cost centers to profit centers with practical tools and research-backed strategies that make managing EASIER.

Get all the details at: www.liagarvin.com
Contact: liagarvin.com/contact
Email: [email protected]

Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lia.garvin
Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Lia.Garvin

--

© 2026 Lia Garvin / Managing Made Simple

It's a new year. That means a new quarter, new goals, new ideas...

And, for many people, it may mean a new job.

When a team member leaves abruptly, it can throw us all for a loop. And as much as we want to support that team member in their transition and celebrate them flourishing in their career...we also have to immediately begin working on damage control.

Our other team members will be looking to us to see how to respond to this departure. So the first thing to do? DON'T PANIC.

Handling a team member's sudden departure can be much easier and calmer than you think. Here are three things you need to do first when you lose a team member...

WORK WITH LIA:

Book an SOS call with me: https://www.liagarvin.com/sos 

Get your very own Ops Playbook, tailored to YOUR business and team, to simplify your team ops: https://www.liagarvin.com/playbook 

Want a checklist of things you can do THIS week to become a better manager (and make your job easier)? Check out my Thriving Team Checklist for a list of quick actions you can take right away with your team: https://www.liagarvin.com/checklist 

Book a FREE Scale-up strategy call to for strategies to scale your team and get time back for yourself: calendly.com/liagarvin/scaleup-strategy?back=1&month=2023-08  

CONNECT WITH LIA:

Website: https://www.liagarvin.com/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lia.garvin/ 

Download my FREE guide to making hard conversations with your team easier at liagarvin.com/convo

Looking for support for yourself of your team? I've got you covered.
Explore manager training, leaders keynotes & offsites, and 1:1 advisory, or my 90-Day-COO program for business owners who want simple systems that actually work.

I transform teams from cost centers to profit centers with practical tools and research-backed strategies that make managing EASIER.

Get all the details at: www.liagarvin.com
Contact: liagarvin.com/contact
Email: [email protected]

Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lia.garvin
Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Lia.Garvin

--

© 2026 Lia Garvin / Managing Made Simple

One of the most difficult parts of managing a team is trying to implement a change to team operations.

When you want to make a shift in how work gets done, no matter how beneficial it may be for the team, people are going to resist it.

No one likes change. But if we can simplify the process of implementing changes and finally get our operations shifted the way they need to be...getting work done suddenly becomes SO FREAKING EASY.

Once you actually complete the change, everyone will quickly see the benefits and hop on board...the challenge is getting to that point.

Luckily, I have three simple solutions for getting past obstacles to change within your team. Let's work together to make this shift happen!

WORK WITH LIA:

Wrestling with an issue with your team? Schedule an hour-long SOS call with me: https://www.liagarvin.com/sos 

Want a checklist of things you can do THIS week to become a better manager (and make your job easier)? Check out my Thriving Team Checklist for a list of quick actions you can take right away with your team: https://www.liagarvin.com/checklist 

Book a FREE Scale-up strategy call to for strategies to scale your team and get time back for yourself: calendly.com/liagarvin/scaleup-strategy?back=1&month=2023-08

CONNECT WITH LIA:

Website: https://www.liagarvin.com/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lia.garvin/ 

Download my FREE guide to making hard conversations with your team easier at liagarvin.com/convo

Looking for support for yourself of your team? I've got you covered.
Explore manager training, leaders keynotes & offsites, and 1:1 advisory, or my 90-Day-COO program for business owners who want simple systems that actually work.

I transform teams from cost centers to profit centers with practical tools and research-backed strategies that make managing EASIER.

Get all the details at: www.liagarvin.com
Contact: liagarvin.com/contact
Email: [email protected]

Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lia.garvin
Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Lia.Garvin

--

© 2026 Lia Garvin / Managing Made Simple