Studio: Mike Auzenne & Mark Horstman
Category: Careers
What It Is
A couple of business experts talk pragmatically about the realities of being a manager and how to become a better one.
Technical Details
Show’s been around for a whopping ten years now; the iTunes page has the last five years. The show drops an episode a week, typically around thirty minutes in length or so.
What About It
This, I think, actually a pretty good podcast. I’m not a manager so it isn’t exactly the case that I can get anything really “useful” out of this show, though there are certainly principles that work for anyone. The hosts are intelligent and articulate if not particularly compelling. They talk about real topics and often spend weeks at a time really refining things, like giving an entire month (four episodes) to the topic of clearing space on your calendar. It’s a show that I feel like has genuine insights, but it’s not one I can afford to give the time to, especially since it isn’t exactly in my wheelhouse. If you’re a manager though, I’d certainly recommend giving it a shot.
2 ½ stars.
Essential If
You’re a first time manager with a staff of complete psychos.
Avoid Like the Plague If
You think the baby Jesus was born in a manager.
Best Entry Point
I’ll actually recommend one this time. It functions as a good entry point for two reasons. First, it’s really good; second, it’s actually a really old episode that they reposted as part of their Hall of Fame series. Anyway, it’s Hall of Fame: One on Ones – Part 1. As someone who has been managed a lot, I know one of my great frustrations is the lack of one on ones; this episode makes a strong case for them, which I liked.