management Archives - The Grassy Road

What impression are you leaving once you leave?

It can be a strain to be aware of your actions 24/7 but as a leader it is critical. You leave an impression every time you interact with anyone, and if you are a busy person you may be leaving the impression in a few seconds. Think about when you enter a meeting room, realize you are in the wrong room and leave. What did you say? Did you come across as simply having read the wrong room on your calendar, or as a disorganized ditz. How about when you [...]

By Penny Herscher|2019-01-04T09:56:57-08:00January 3, 2019|Leadership|Comments Off

Startup or large corporate – which is best for you?

Everyone has an opinion of whether you should work for big companies or small, startup or corporate, but the answer is very personal. I was coaching a group earlier this week and the question came up as "I am working for a startup but everyone is telling me I should go work for a big corporate now for my resume - what do you think?" I believe there is no right way, no right answer. But there are dimensions to consider as you map out your next step. Are you [...]

By Penny Herscher|2019-01-04T09:57:47-08:00November 16, 2018|Career Advice|Comments Off

Managing the switchbacks of your career

A successful career is rarely a straight line up the slope. It is so often a weaving up through experiences and it's important to recognize how and when to weave. I did a coaching session yesterday where just this question came up. This time the individual had years of engineering, both as a stellar software engineer and also as a manager and can feel he wants to do more - can do more - and knows he needs to broaden his skillset. I have a handful of principles which can [...]

By Penny Herscher|2019-01-04T10:01:14-08:00July 18, 2018|Career Advice|Comments Off

Management screws up – what do you do?

Something is wrong and management has messed up again, how do you react? One of the ways people react and hurt themselves in the process is by being immediately negative. Cynically: “well this is just the norm for this effed-up company” or “yet again we are going to screw our customers”. Maybe with resignation: “I’ll have to work more hours now to correct their mistakes”. Maybe as a victim: “I have no power and I can’t take the risk of saying anything”. Maybe on the attack: "We need to get [...]

By Penny Herscher|2019-01-04T10:01:56-08:00May 1, 2018|Career Advice|Comments Off

Why being kind as a leader trumps yelling every time

Are you conscious of how you react as a leader when someone makes you angry? With an attack or with kindness? I once worked with a head of sales who, when things were not going his way, would curse out anyone not on his team who he thought didn’t appreciate how hard his job was. Unkind, unnecessary accusations of incompetence or intentionally obstructing sales. Engineering, customer success, marketing - you name it - they all got yelled at instead of constructively engaged. But unpredictably so everyone walked on egg shells [...]

By Penny Herscher|2019-01-04T10:03:43-08:00February 10, 2018|Career Advice|Comments Off

2 ways to completely destroy trust with your manager

It’s always nice to talk about all the things you can do right in your career and in the office, but sometimes it’s worth focusing on what you should not do because it’s so hard to recover. There are two ways I have seen people break trust in the office that are almost always fatal. They are not the only two, of course, but when they happen it’s always a surprise to me because these mistakes are always visible - whether you think they are or not. 1. Make, and [...]

By Penny Herscher|2017-12-13T11:05:43-08:00May 12, 2016|Career Advice|0 Comments

Top 3 things to look for in your first job

It can be hard to find that first job, and sometimes you need to take whatever you can get to start your career. But whether it is your very first job or a job search in the first five years of your career, there are three critical things you should not settle without. 1. A great manager Having a great manager early on will by far create the strongest impact toward your long-term growth. Working for someone who is talented, generous with their time, and willing to teach you can [...]

By Penny Herscher|2017-12-06T09:44:53-08:00December 17, 2015|Career Advice|0 Comments

5 Reasons to Put Yourself in the Line of Fire as a Leader

My post in Inc a week ago: While sitting at a restaurant in London Heathrow airport yesterday, I found myself between the unfortunate cross hairs of a helpless server and his useless manager. At noon, while the restaurant was full of customers from around the globe, the credit card machine stopped working. Many patrons, myself included, did not have enough British pounds to pay for our meals as we were on our way out of the country. The waiter explained that I would need to pay my tab in cash. [...]

By Penny Herscher|2017-12-06T09:45:15-08:00December 1, 2015|Leadership|1 Comment

5 Practical Ways You Can Keep More Women On Your Team

Published in Inc on Oct 5, 2015 At long last, the world is paying attention to the issue of gender diversity. In May 2014, top tech companies started reporting the dismal numbers of women in their workforces. When these statistics were released to the public, a spotlight shone on this disparity, sparking a conversation on the need for gender equality amongst corporate America. While this conversation has been discussed at length in the media and exhausted by panels at conferences all over the world, the fact remains that little change [...]

By Penny Herscher|2017-12-06T09:45:35-08:00October 9, 2015|Equality|0 Comments

Speaking Truth to Power

My Inc post - August 14 What is it is that prevents us from speaking truth to those in power: Fear of punishment? Fear of attack? Fear of being noticed? There are many reasons we don't deal in the truth, but great teams, whether a small company leadership, a public company board, or a political team, learn to speak and deal in the truth. Knowing the truth about whatever situation you are in, or the problem you are solving, is absolutely critical, and yet so often people can't overcome their [...]

By Penny Herscher|2017-12-03T02:44:23-08:00August 28, 2015|Career Advice|0 Comments