The Inner Strategist

Today's special guest is Andrzej Lawecki a bona fida real middle manager from Poland who is the real deal. We all read how a really good manager 'should' be but very few of us have had that experience. So be prepared to be dazzled by how real managers who care about their team act- how they deal with all the issues a manager has to deal with but from such an interesting perspective it was a pleasure for me to hear. After you've listened to an hour of this man talk, you'll see your role as a manager differently.

Are you a high achiever? and do others recognise that you are too? If so then you will have someone jealous of you and you might be subject to unfair passive aggressive behaviours and unfair treatment. High achievers those who are publicly acknowledged can be easy targets for those who are not doing so well- so what should you do? Well it's not to hold back and try to minimise your accomplishment, so in this episode I talk you through the attitude you need and some things you can do to help you if this is happening to you.

Do your team follow you? Or are you noticing that your the team leader, supervisor and first time manager and some would still rather go to your boss than you? You might think that it's because you are not a good leader, no not that, but there are 3 things it could be and I help you work out which one or ones and how best to handle this situation. There are some pot holes you need to be aware of but adopting a new way of seeing things will really help redress the imbalance.

If I say to you- Office Politics- how does that make you feel? And if I then said you now need to play it, as your career success depends on it- would you say - no way? In todays Episode I try to make the case for why Office politics is not a dirty word, does not have to be underhand, and why you benefit from seeing how it's played, without you turning into a manipulative back stabber.

If I say Office Politics is essential for a successful career - what would you do? Most would groan and say they do not want anything to do with Office Politics- and yet you're already in it. You are already playing office politics but it might be hampering your success without you even knowing it is. In this episode I try and convince you that you need to start seeing the game, and then that will dictate your next move - or suffer at the hands of others.

There is probably not a persona alive who hasn't had one of their ideas stolen by someone else and there was nothing they could do about it. So what do you do, if you say something you'll look childish, if you don't you'll feel resentful. The real question is then, why did you allow your idea to get stolen? What was it about where you are working that you were not taking notice of? This is not to judge but to point your mindset in the real direction of the solution because in this episode I share you my own embarrassing moment of idea giving, and what we can learn from a strategist. Let me know what you think of this episode. and share this with others who have no clue about the real game that's shaping their success.

As a first time manager you have a lot to learn and juggle, not only do you have to do the best for your team, but also for your management team too- get it wrong and you're ignored and get your team wrong and they won't work for you. But what happens when you're ready to roll your sleeves up and do the best and your idea that you cheerfully gave to your management meeting gets ignored and yet that very next meeting someone senior says the same idea, and everyone applauds - what do you do now? What should you do? In this episode I talk through your precarious situation and give guidance on how you should play things.

What does seniority give you? It's supposed to give you Kudos, an easier time at work, higher salary and more respect- but what if despite all the years it's taken to work your way to that level, your manager or boss sees you as a threat? What do you do then? Most of the advice out there will tell you to talk to them, be more assertive, or worse, keep your head down or just put up with it or leave. All bad advice. In this episode I share real event where a senior workers got used by her boss to illustrate how others use you to side-line you or exclude you to try and silence you and of course what you need to do about it.

Have you ever wondered why when you bring up a new idea it gets shut down, or politely ignored or worse it's taken and someone else runs with it and you don't get any attribution? It has something to do with your first time manager role but more to do with how others see you in your role. The common advice is for you to settle in, and eventually you'll be able to direct some of what your team does - but this can take years depending on how generous your leadership team is. There are two stages you need to go through the first is getting your ideas heard and the second is getting them acted upon with full attribution- in this episode I talk about what has to happen before any of this can happen.

If you’re the kind of person who shares credit, helps others, and always plays by the rules, you probably believe that fairness will be rewarded. But what if your commitment to fairness is actually costing you influence, opportunity, and respect-especially when others aren’t playing by the same rules? This is what no one tells you when you’re the only one playing fair: the real game isn’t about changing who you are, but about understanding the dynamics at play. When you start to see these patterns, you gain clarity about why some people rise and others remain invisible, regardless of merit. In this episode I guide you through three of the most common power plays that can be used against someone playing fair- forewarned is forearmed. Let me know what you think