Hey fellow managers and leaders 👋
We’ve mentioned it before, but we’re sooooo excited we can’t help but bring it up again… Our team has been working hard on Fellow version 3.0 and all the new product features that YOU requested! All I can say is… you don’t want to miss the big reveal happening on June 23rd. 🤩
Now, back to the usual programming. In today’s newsletter, we’re covering…
- Meeting ground rules
- A manager’s guide to employee termination
- 25 Habits of highly effective managers
- SaaS Sales meetings
- and more…
Let’s get into it.
❌ Employee termination: A manager’s guide to getting it right (7 min read), Fellow Blog
TLDR: One of the most challenging things you might have to do during your career as a Manager is fire an employee. However, before terminating an underperforming employee, take a step back and consider a few things…
- Consider a Performance Improvement Plan: PIPs are action plans designed to outline goals and steps for improvement within a certain period of time.
- Look for a skills mismatch: Is the employee truly underperforming, or are they struggling with the skills and tasks for this particular position?
- Document, document, document: Whether you’re taking notes in a 1:1, providing specific feedback, or having performance-related conversations, it is a best practice to document your conversations.
Shockingly, 75% of those terminated reported that their Manager never met with them to discuss any concerns before firing them, and 59% said they had not received a recent performance review. “When it comes to career stagnation, everyone is different and every situation is unique. Figuring out how to dig yourself out of that professional rut may indeed take some time and a lot of effort. But whatever you do, don’t give up. Keep moving forward, keep growing, ask for help if you need it, and keep searching for opportunities and work that bring you excitement and joy.”
💪 25 habits of highly effective managers (20 min read), First Round Review
TLDR: Holding regular 1:1s and delivering feedback are crucial aspects of being a great manager. However, the following little daily actions can quickly form a strong link between managers and direct reports, too.
- Be a team captain, not head coach: Acting as a coordinator of priorities allows managers to see their team members as equally responsible for success.
- Find the connective tissue: The best managers provide context for decision-making and are able to answer questions while also finding teaching moments that tie in with the broader goals of the organization.
- Pause before offering feedback: Ask your new report how they prefer to receive feedback early in the onboarding process to be the most impactful later on.
“When we move too fast, our development areas tend to get amplified and we gloss over our strengths and impact. Without taking time to reflect regularly, we don’t adjust our behaviour fast enough — and bad patterns start to emerge and we forget to celebrate our wins.”
✅ 11 meeting ground rules that aren’t made to be broken (6 min read), Fellow Blog
TLDR: Setting meeting ground rules for your meetings can make all the difference between staying on track or going off the rails! Having a guideline sets a standard for all meetings and allows them to be as productive as possible! Here are some ground rules you can share with your team:
- Start on a positive note: Nobody wants to dive into bad news off the bat! Consider celebrating wins, shouting out a coworker, or simply chatting about summer plans at the beginning of the meeting.
- Come prepared: It goes without saying that a ground rule you should have in place for your team to follow is to come prepared for every meeting. In general, each meeting should have an agenda, including talking points and potential questions.
- Create an inclusive environment: In order to have productive and thought-provoking conversation, the meeting needs to be an inclusive and safe place for everyone. Value everyone’s inputs and make time for everyone to participate.
“We’ve all been guilty of, at one point or another, letting our minds wander when attending a meeting. However, it’s important to remain as present as possible in meetings. This means not letting your mind wander, listening attentively, being ready to answer questions, and not interrupting others when it’s their turn to speak.“
👀 The next great disruption is hybrid work – are we ready? (18 min read), Microsoft
TLDR: Microsoft is sharing how they will be evolving their hybrid strategy to over 160,000 employees around the world to incorporate the best of both worlds, retain top talent and overcome obstacles! Here are some of our key learnings:
- Rethinking workspace: Investing in technology that bridges the physical and digital world is crucial. Consider what you will need to equip all employees to equally contribute.
- Authenticity helps: Bringing your ‘whole self’ to work, before the pandemic, was tough to embrace. But with working remotely, people are less likely to feel embarrassed when their home life shows up at work.
- High productivity is masking an exhausted workforce: As we look to create a better future of work, addressing digital exhaustion must be a priority for leaders everywhere. Consider how to reduce employee workloads, embrace a balance of synchronous and asynchronous collaboration, and create a culture where breaks are encouraged.
“With over 40 percent of the global workforce considering leaving their employer this year, a thoughtful approach to hybrid work will be critical for attracting and retaining diverse talent.”
🗓 Meeting Template of the Week
You don’t have to start from scratch. We’ve distilled everything you need to know about meetings into ready-to-use templates.
Dan Martell’s SaaS Sales Meeting Template 🚀
Ensure alignment, collaboration, and ongoing growth across your Sales team.
🎙 New on the Supermanagers podcast
We interview leaders from all walks of life to tease out the habits, thought patterns, and experiences that help them be extraordinary at the fine craft of management.
Episode 53: Hareem Mannan, Head of Design at Segment, shares how to build a portfolio of influence that can impact an entire organization and how to pay attention to potential.
Episode 54: Eugene Eric Kim, Principal at Faster Than 20, tells us why we always need to be looking for our replacement and how impactful a person in power can truly be.
… and that’s a wrap! We hope that the content we curated inspires you to continue growing as a leader!
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Thanks for being part of our community,
Kamela & the Fellow.app team
