Why do many people underestimate the value of 'people skills' vs. technical skills? Why do we shy away from the difficult conversations that could actually benefit our careers? In today's episode I talk with former engineer and author Farnoosh Brock about the practical importance of people skills, why technical/engineering professionals might not prioritize them as much (especially new graduates), and a wide range of real examples and tips that you can use in your job today.
 
About Farnoosh: Farnoosh Brock went from electrical engineer and rising leader at a Fortune 100 company to a speaker, author, and trainer in 2011 when she started her coaching & consulting company.  Today she helps aspiring professionals and future leaders choose their mindset and transform their world one powerful conversation at a time. In addition to her book, The Serving Mindset: Stop Selling and Grow Your Business, she is the creator of several leadership & advancement courses. Learn more at www.farnooshbrock.com

Highlights:

[4:30] What held back Farnoosh in her career, communication skills and her story
[9:00] The beef with "soft skills" and why Farnoosh prefers people skills
[10:15] Why people don't think people skills are important; the tendency for STEM/technical professionals to devalue people skills
[13:00] Elon Musk, Steve Jobs, and extreme genius exceptions vs. the rest of us

[16:00] Engineers who don't understand marketers
[21:00] Practical tips: using different voices and the power of your voice
[26:15] Connecting the dots at work, transitioning from academic environment to corporate, and connecting larger circles within orgs
[33:00] Role playing, setting context, how to tell a story and getting feedback on it

[37:00] Self-record your own video and get feedback on it : https://app.yoodli.ai/
[40:00] How to slow down a manager who is in a rush in a respectful, firm way without being bossy
[45:00] How to say no and why Farnoosh loves saying no!
[47:00] Why most people don't see themselves as leaders

Questions comments or feedback?

Drop me an email at misha@carrus.io!

In today's conversation we talk about what it means to be a new manager, expectations, and advice to set yourself up for success. Jiovanni manages a small at Amazon and shares his insights in the last few months, what has gone well and what he would have done differently. 

Jiovanni is an Amazon Engineering Manager, Coding Bootcamp Instructor, and Coach. Book a call with Jiovanni here —> https://app.carrus.io/s/jiovanni-rosario

Note: Opinions of Jiovanni are solely his own and are not in any way representative of the views and opinions of Amazon.

Show notes and highlights

[4:00] Jiovanni's career path
[11:10] Why Jiovanni chose to be a manager  - Book recommendation: Making of a Manager by Julie Zhou
[16:00] The advantages/disadvantages of the IC path vs. Management path. Book recommendation: Managing Humans by Michael Lopp
[18:30] The #1 question to ask yourself before becoming a manager

[20:00] The first day being a manager - how does it feel?
[22:30] How to address the elephant in the room
[26:00] Psychological safety / Management styles that don't work anymore
[28:00] Micromanagement and letting people make their own mistakes

[29:00] Alternatives to micromanagement / how to make sure everyone is heard
[31:00] The art of casual conversations and relationship building
[33:07] Spending time talking to peers and understanding processes and your own responsibilities
[39:00] How your relationships change with teammates

Quotes, comments or feedback?

Drop me an email at misha@carrus.io

Why does burnout happen? How do you know when you're just a little bit tired vs. when it's really time to take a break? What actions can you take to test whether your job is the right one before calling it quits? Former tech recruiter Kerri McKinney shares her own story of burnout, the warning signs and lessons learned from taking on too much. Chat with Kerri here —> https://app.carrus.io/s/kerri-mckinney-1

About Kerri:

Kerri has had the opportunity to work for incredible organizations career including PayPal, Indeed.com and Amazon, as well as some amazing start-ups. She's recruited for many different types of roles from tech to sales and marketing.

You can visit her site at www.kerrimckinney.com and reach out to her directly at me@kerrimckinney.com

Show notes and highlights:

[3:30] Kerri's career story, chasing titles and dealing with workaholism
[7:45] Why a mission-driven role didn't solve the burnout problem
[10:15] The danger of measuring your value / self-worth by what your job is

[13:20] Warning signs : frustrations, temper, disengagement, more days where you just can't work
[17:12] The #1 way to know if you're getting to the point of burnout (paying attention to your energy)
[21:45] Red flags: is it easy or is it sucking your energy?

[23:30] Judging whether it's the little things or the big things
[25:15] How to set boundaries at work
[31:30] Differences in roles and respecting other people's schedules

[36:40] Why you shouldn't check your phone in the morning
[42:00] Questions to ask yourself if you don't feel good after a meeting. The power of the Pause.
[52:00] The power of full engagement book https://www.amazon.com/Power-Full-Engagement-Managing-Performance/dp/0743226755 and the Presence Process https://www.amazon.com/Presence-Process-Journey-Present-Awareness/dp/1897238460

Questions, comments and feedback?

Email me at misha@carrus.io