People Management: Not Just a Step Up, A Career Shift

04/09/25 • 28 min

Being good at your job doesn’t automatically mean you’ll be good at managing people. So why do so many companies treat management as the default next step?

In this episode, Indra and Amanda dig into the myths and realities of people management—why some folks are promoted before they’re ready, what actually makes a great leader, and why management isn’t just a promotion but an entirely different job. They explore the essential skills needed to succeed, the emotional labor of leadership, and alternative career paths for those who want to grow without managing people.

Thinking about stepping into management? Already dealing with a less-than-stellar boss? Either way, this episode is for you!

Useful Links

Register for the May/June So Now You’re a Manager (SNYAM) Workshop with Jen Dary: https://www.beplucky.com/pluckyevents/so-now-youre-a-manager-may-june-2025/
Coaching with Indra: https://www.peopleprocessthings.com/coaching
The Messy Middle Matters Glossary: www.themessymiddlematters.com/glossary
Feedback for The Messy Middle Matters: www.themessymiddlematters.com/feedback

Being good at your job doesn’t automatically mean you’ll be good at managing people. So why do so many companies treat management as the default next step?

Thinking about stepping into management? Already dealing with a less-than-stellar boss? Either way, this episode is for you!

Useful Links

Register for the May/June So Now You’re a Manager (SNYAM) Workshop with Jen Dary: https://www.beplucky.com/pluckyevents/so-now-youre-a-manager-may-june-2025/
Coaching with Indra: https://www.peopleprocessthings.com/coaching
The Messy Middle Matters Glossary: www.themessymiddlematters.com/glossary
Feedback for The Messy Middle Matters: www.themessymiddlematters.com/feedback

Previous Episode

Feedback Fatigue

These days, feedback is everywhere. But are we benefiting from it, or are we just drowning in a sea of unsolicited opinions and HR-driven surveys?

In this episode, Indra and Amanda dive into the feedback frenzy: how social media and corporate feedback tools have fueled a culture of constant evaluation, the unintended consequences of feedback overload, and the real cost of all these mandatory feedback programs.

They also break down practical ways to filter out the noise, differentiate between helpful and unhelpful feedback, and give feedback in a way that supports growth.

If you’ve ever rolled your eyes at yet another feedback request, this episode is for you!

Useful Links

Five questions to ensure your feedback is a gift https://medium.com/@indrapendence/five-questions-to-ensure-your-feedback-is-a-gift-11063f69c925
Brené Brown’s talk featuring Teddy Roosevelt’s Man In the Arena quote: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-JXOnFOXQk
The Messy Middle Matters Glossary: www.themessymiddlematters.com/glossary
Feedback for The Messy Middle Matters: www.themessymiddlematters.com/feedback

The Messy Middle Matters - People Management: Not Just a Step Up, A Career Shift

Transcript

Indra Klavins00:00:06.240

I'm Indra,

00:00:08.160

Amanda Jane Lee: and I'm Amanda,

Indra Klavins00:00:10.619

and we'd like to welcome you to the messy middle matters. Hey, Amanda, how are you? Amanda Jane Lee: I'm good. How are you, Indra? Good, good, good, good. Today we gotta, we see we got a good topic, like, as people management. It's people management, you know. And because that's like a it's there are certain, l