Management Material

Catherine Van Der Laan

Welcome to Management Material.
My name is Catherine Van Der Laan. I started my career at the bottom as an assistant and worked my way up to become the boss’s boss in 8 years. If there’s anything I’ve learned, it’s that what got you to where you are now won’t get you to where you want to be.
This podcast is for top performers who want to be amazing managers. I’ve coached lots of talented people to get them from entry-level to recognized top performers to new managers to seasoned executives. I challenge deeply held beliefs and change how people see the world.
Management is all about leadership. The best managers were developed leaders long before they had any direct reports.
Here's one thing that most people won't tell you: Management is a skill. Management is a skill you can learn, just like the hard skills that got you to where you are now.
Management Material is about developing you into the best manager you can be. Let’s turn YOU into management material.

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Top 10 Management Material Episodes

Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Management Material episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Management Material for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Management Material episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

Don't Sacrifice Your Work-Life Balance: Work Back Down to 35 Hours Per Week

Management Material

11/22/21 • 21 min

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Most of us have what is called a 40 hour per week job. That’s what we’re paid for and sometimes that really exists. But we all know that changes with job expectations, work flux, and how well we spend our time.
If you want to take on extra projects that will stretch you and develop your PROVEN skill set, then you need the time in your schedule to take on those projects.
Your options are:

make your job more efficient,
ask for a re-evaluation of your workload, or
ask for some of your job responsibilities to be reassigned to a colleague.

Your last option is what I consider your last resort: work more than 40 hours per week.
In this episode, we talk about how to make time for those extra projects that PROVE that you should be the obvious choice for your next role.

Book a complimentary management coaching conversation at https://calendly.com/catherine-vanderlaan/free-60-minute-leadership-consultation
Email me at [email protected] to ask a question or get in touch.
Join our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/managementmaterialcoaching
Find out more about Management and Leadership Coaching at https://managementmaterialcoaching.com/

Managing Up Easily

Management Material

08/18/21 • 16 min

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In this episode, we talk through how to manage up, so you can become management material and stay management material.

Get a New Full-Time Job: Find Your Full-Time Fit

Management Material

05/29/24 • 13 min

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We're starting a 7-part series entitled "Get a New Full-Time Job."
This series mimics the more in-depth group program called "Get a New Full-Time Job." You can find out more about the group program here: https://www.saverstreet.com/service-page/find-a-new-ft-job-group-coaching-session
Class 1: Find Your Full-Time Fit

Class 2: Create an AI-Proof Resume and Cover Letter

Class 3: Cultivate a Professional Online Presence

Class 4: Network Without Desperation

Class 5: Interview Like a Boss

Class 6: Negotiate Your Salary Offer

Class 7: Set Yourself Up for Success
This podcast episode includes a few stories about finding the best full-time fit for your industry and department.
Finding your fit is about marrying your personality, skills and future skills, and passions. Let's talk about what that looks like and how to find your next best-fit job.

Thriving in Your Career Despite a Micromanaging Boss: Strategies for Growth and Visibility

Management Material

11/24/21 • 19 min

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Struggling with a micromanaging boss? You're not alone.
Join me, Catherine Van Der Laan, as we tackle the pressing issue of staying afloat and excelling in your career despite an overbearing supervisor.
Through the story of Linda, a financial analyst hampered by her manager's tight reins, we delve into the art of being 'excellent out loud' and strategically building a network of allies to keep your achievements in the spotlight.
This conversation is about equipping you with the tools to find projects that beam your potential across the company and securing your growth and visibility, irrespective of who's calling the shots.
It's a jungle out there, but seizing the right opportunities can be your path to career evolution.
If you're eyeing a management role, you'll appreciate our discussion on a special development group and the significance of connecting within your company for those career-boosting projects. We're breaking down the walls of restraint by taking initiative and aligning with company goals—sometimes without explicit permission.
My door at Management Material Coaching is wide open for those looking for a more personalized map to navigate these waters. Let's make your next career move bold, and don't forget to hit us with your feedback on iTunes—it's the compass that guides our journey.

Servant Leadership: Humility is a Key Trait of Amazing Managers

Management Material

11/01/21 • 17 min

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Lots of people think that you need to be intimidating or the smartest nut in the carton to be a respected leader. That’s not true.
I’ve worked for really intelligent, horrible people who clearly only cared about their reputations and themselves.
I’ve also worked for really intelligent, humble people who you wouldn’t know at first glance were leading a billion-dollar company. Which one would you want to work for?
If you were a leader, which person would you promote?
The one who couldn’t be bothered to help out, because he thinks it’s beneath him or the one who gladly lends a hand when there’s something that needs to be done?
If you want to be a people manager, you’re signing up for a big job. You’re signing up to lead a group of people, not just strategically and as a liaison between individual contributors and senior management, but also as the #1 person who cares for the needs of that group of people.
You need to have the company’s priorities as your priorities, but it means seeing what isn’t seen.
Managers need to see what’s missing, what’s not being done, and figure out a way to fill that in.
Senior leaders know that. They also know that an amazing manager is one who genuinely cares about the people they’re leading.
So be that person now and PROVE that you have those qualities by being a servant leader in your sphere. Help out when it’s needed. Do the grunt work that might be beneath your station. Help people.
Pair servant leadership with some other amazing skills I’d be happy to teach you, and you’ll be well on your way to being thought of as management material.
If you're looking to get some KEY VISIBILITY while working remote, then join our exclusive webinar, Networking for Visibility While Remote.
Sign up at the link below. We're meeting on Thursday, November 11 at 11 AM Eastern.
http://www.wixevents.com/viewEvent/b7853328-0997-4745-ae80-a806c3d4d5e3

How to Be a Leader When Your Employer Asks You to Come Back to the Office

Management Material

09/06/21 • 15 min

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Managers recognize rules they can break and rules they can’t break. They toe the company line with a smile on their face (as painful as that is!), then work behind the scenes in small conversations to sway leadership’s opinion and change policies. Keeping morale up and making sure that unity is a top priority is a manager’s job. Remember - always make your boss look good. That’s part of this.
But it’s dangerous. I hear you. You’re right. If you think it’s too dangerous to go back to the office for you, then either wear a mask, get a doctor’s note, talk to you boss about a special WFH arrangement, or find another job. Those are your options. They’re making a stupid, ill-informed decision. You might be right there. But do you think you’re the smartest person in the room? Do you think they have reasons that you might not know about? Let me burst your bubble a bit. Managers have reasons they don’t discuss with you. Maybe the actions right now aren’t as sensitive or safe as you want, but you have to live with it. AND they might have different reasons for it. You might not agree with their reasoning if you knew what those reasons really, truly are, but that’s what one-on-one conversations are for. Understanding. Speak up if you can get those leaders by themselves and ask to understand. Don’t ask to accuse. Ask to understand.
I work better at home. Lots of people do. Talk to your boss about it and maybe you’ll be allowed to work from home a day or two each week.
Bottom line: You need to be a leader here. Within a large company, leaders DON’T undermine their senior leaders. They follow whatever emotionally charged rules are out there and they lead people through it. A lot of leadership is listening to the fears of others and helping them through following the rules, then bringing those fears and objections to senior leadership one-on-one.

Leadership vs. Management: What's the Difference Between a Manager and a Leader?

Management Material

04/29/24 • 18 min

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"People don't leave jobs; they leave managers." - a common managerial proverb
Getting the title of "manager" doesn't automatically qualify you as a leader. Most managers (at least 58%, according to one study) are so bad at leadership that their employees call them "toxic" and leave.
If that doesn't sound an alarm for you, I don't know what would.
In today's podcast episode, we'll tackle the distinct difference between being a manager and a leader. I go into my first foray into management and the stupid stuff I did right out of the gate.
Don't do what I did. Listen to this podcast episode so you can dodge some of the most common management mistakes and grow as a leader before you fail as a manager.

Rebuilding Trust and Mastering Transparent Communication in Leadership

Management Material

04/22/24 • 23 min

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Ever wondered how to piece back together the fragile puzzle of trust once it's fallen apart? That's what we conquer on today's Management Material, as I share the transformative journey of a leadership development client navigating the treacherous waters of office politics and slander.
You'll be privy to our intense discussions on accountability and the power of transparent communication, all vital in stitching the seams of broken professional relationships.
It's like reconstructing a bridge while crossing it, and you'll gain invaluable insights on how to hold the hammer.
Fears of vulnerability often handcuff leaders, but we're snapping those chains. Listen as I recount the story of a client who embraced their boss's challenge to improve communication, only to unearth leadership potential they never knew they had.
You'll get a front-row seat to an honest look at the role ego plays in our professional engagements, setting the stage for a revealing tale about a confrontation with my own boss that's coming up in a future episode.
It's not just about talking the talk; it's about walking the walk with your head held high and your communication lines wide open.

Mastering the Art of Feedback: A Leadership Journey to Support and Success

Management Material

04/16/24 • 24 min

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In this episode, we cover the fine-tuned art of giving feedback so it's received well.
It's not easy to give feedback. Most of us have had at least one experience with giving feedback and seeing it blow up in our faces.
If you like to avoid conflict, like me, it might seem like giving feedback to a colleague is a lose-lose situation.
Let's turn giving feedback into a win-win situation.
This podcast episode puts the "sandwich" method where it belongs (in the trash) and dives into what it takes for your feedback to be received well and acted on.
Let's make you a better leader - a leader people want to follow. Let's turn you into management material.

Communicating with Executives: Point First, Explanation Later

Management Material

10/03/22 • 14 min

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At one point in my career, I started giving presentations to senior management - GMs, SVPs, and occasionally our Chief Product Officer.
When I first started giving those presentations, I would present my data, decision-making process, and the whole story before getting to the potential options for how we could move forward. These were usually strategy presentations and I thought the leaders needed to know basically everything I knew before they could help make an informed decision.
WRONG.
After a few months of this - and a few frustrated executives, some meetings that ended poorly, and complete confusion on my part - my boss took me aside and explained that executives think a little differently than someone on the ground.
You see, they do a lot of homework - usually. They’re caught up on the high points of the strategy. They know or don’t need to know all the details. They can ask if they want to know the details, so let’s just get to the point first.

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FAQ

How many episodes does Management Material have?

Management Material currently has 61 episodes available.

What topics does Management Material cover?

The podcast is about Corporate, Management, Career, Leadership, Company, Woman, Podcasts, Leader, Business, Manager, Coaching and Careers.

What is the most popular episode on Management Material?

The episode title 'Leadership vs. Management: What's the Difference Between a Manager and a Leader?' is the most popular.

What is the average episode length on Management Material?

The average episode length on Management Material is 18 minutes.

How often are episodes of Management Material released?

Episodes of Management Material are typically released every 6 days.

When was the first episode of Management Material?

The first episode of Management Material was released on Jul 27, 2021.

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Management Material

Catherine Van Der Laan

Top 10 Management Material Episodes

FAQ

How many episodes does Management Material have?

What topics does Management Material cover?

What is the most popular episode on Management Material?

What is the average episode length on Management Material?

How often are episodes of Management Material released?

When was the first episode of Management Material?

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