Claim OwnershipThe New Manager Playbook with Lia Garvin
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Tired of feeling like the old tools for motivating your team no longer work? Productivity is dipping, engagement is at an all-time low, and you are being asked to get more done with fewer people. The workplace has changed, and managers need a different playbook to lead effectively.
The New Manager Playbook podcast gives you practical, actionable, real-world strategies that help you navigate the messy realities of managing people today. No theory. No fluff. Just things that actually work.
Hosted by Lia Garvin, known as the “Team Whisperer,” the show blends her experience at Google, Microsoft, Apple, and Bank of America with hands-on work supporting small businesses from homebuilding to MedSpas. Every episode helps you answer the real questions managers are searching for, including:
• How do I manage former friends or peers?
• How do I give feedback without people getting defensive?
• How do I get out of the weeds as a leader?
• How do I motivate my team when I cannot pay them more?
• How do I oversee a remote team without micromanaging?
• How do I improve my team’s productivity without burning people out?
• How do I set priorities when everything is important?
• How do I lead effectively in an AI-driven workplace?
Whether you are a first-time manager feeling overwhelmed, a founder who never signed up for “management,” or a seasoned leader ready to break old habits, each Tuesday episode delivers tactical playbooks you can use the same day.
No more guessing. No more stress. Just clear, proven strategies that help you lead with confidence.
About the Host: Lia Garvin is a 3x bestselling author, TEDx speaker, and team management consultant. Known for her practical approach to building high-performing teams, she brings more than a decade of experience driving team operations at Google, Microsoft, Apple, and Bank of America. Her work has been featured in Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, The Wall Street Journal, Fortune, and more.
Join thousands of managers who have discovered a new way to lead. Subscribe to The New Manager Playbook today.
Learn more: www.liagarvin.com
210 Episodes
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Everyone is taking about AI and automation in the workplace right now, and many of us are wondering how to strike the right balance on our teams. In this episode of The New Manager Playbook, I dig into a question every leader and founder is asking: as AI becomes capable of doing more, from scheduling meetings to drafting documents, how do we make sure we don’t lose what matters most: people. I walk through the power of automation for repetitive tasks, but when oversimplify the value a p...
We all know the saying: People don't leave companies, they leave managers. So, if I’m the biggest factor causing turnover, shouldn’t I be the biggest factor in retention? What if I became the manager people *want* to work for? In today's episode, I’m digging into why this intentionality is non-negotiable right now. Being that leader creates resilience, innovation, and psychological safety, but getting there isn't easy, especially when the workplace feels like a pressure cooker. I challenge ...
Your top performer didn’t get the raise. Your high-potential hire is still waiting on that promotion. It seems like all of the incentives you have at your disposal are gone- so what do you do? In this episode of The New Manager Playbook podcast, I share how to lead and motivate your team when traditional rewards aren’t available. We first talk about the importance of incentives and why even in a tough job market "you're lucky to have a job" doesn't work, and what to say when your team i...
You know that moment. An email drops, a meeting gets scheduled, and your stomach sinks. As a manager, it’s not just your reaction that matters, it’s what your team sees, hears, and absorbs. This week, we get into: Why your team mirrors your reaction to frustrating people and situationsHow to avoid dragging your team into a commiseration spiralThe power of naming what’s hard without making it worseOne quick conversation that shifts your team from reactive to readyEvery team hits roadblocks. Th...
We’re in a moment of weird contradictions in the workplace: you’re supposed to set clear expectations, but not micromanage; delegate, but not let things spin out; do more with less. It’s exhausting—and it’s why so many leaders feel stuck. In this week’s episode of The New Manager Playbook, I walk you through three real‑world questions that landed in the “r/Managers” subreddit and how to turn each one into a manager skill you can use: A new employee asking for more visibility and wondering, “W...
When a top performer leaves, the line often sounds the same: “I just wanted something different.” But the truth is, they probably didn’t see what was possible here. In this episode of The New Manager Playbook, I walk through how one conversation, done right, can be the reason someone stays. We’ll talk about: Why engagement is down (and what that really means for you as a manager)What makes a career conversation different from a performance reviewThe delegation trap: how giving away the right ...
As managers, we’re trained to look downward (at our team) and outward (at the organization), but if you’re not also managing up, you’re missing a huge part of the job. In this episode of The New Manager Playbook, I unpack: Why your team’s burnout isn’t enough to justify more resources (and what is)The exact shift that helped one manager secure 3 additional headcountWhat to say when your own boss starts micromanaging your delegationHow managing up actually protects your team, not just your rep...
When it comes to talking about all of the change going on at work right now, many of us get so worried about saying the wrong thing, that we don't say anything at all. Or... we say everything is going to be fine, or belittle how people are thinking, or fall into one of the many traps of the "wrong" way of talking about change. Not anymore. In this episode I dive into why falling into these traps can be so detrimental on your team, and share a simple framework for talking about change so...
Layoffs, reorgs, AI disruption- fear is at an all-time high in the workplace. And managers? They’re caught in the middle. In this milestone episode, I sit down with Megan Karsh to talk about what fear actually looks like at work, how it shows up in our leadership habits, and what we can do to shift from reactivity into resilience. We cover: The VUCA framework and why it matters more than everThe real cost of micromanaging and control-hoardingHow to lead with presence when the path forward isn...
Let’s talk about the thing no one wants to admit: most people hate being managers. And not because they don’t care, but because they weren’t set up to succeed. In this episode, I dig into: Why most people become managers without any trainingWhat makes managing feel so hard, especially when you’re learning in front of your teamWhy burnout is off the charts right now (and what to do if you’re in it)How to stop waiting for support and take one small step to build real confidenceThis is for anyon...
You spent time building an interactive, funny, team-building training—but when the start time arrived… no one showed up. Heartbreak, frustration, and a bit of panic set in. In this episode, I share: Why your team can’t attend, even if they asked for the trainingThe three critical elements that make attendance possible and compellingHow Gen Z’s desire for growth is real, but still gets derailed by burnout and overwhelmExamples from real training programs and simple language you can start using...
There's a battle brewing in the workplace between Gen Z and Gen AI, and if we don't get ahead of it, we might end up with a workforce that can't actually think. In this episode, I break down how this collision is creating three specific challenges for managers and business owners - and why the solution isn't what you think. In This Episode: The real reason entry-level jobs are disappearing (and it's not just automation)Why Gen Z workers are accidentally skipping critical learning momentsHow o...
September is here, and with it comes what Gen Z has dubbed “The Great Lock-In”, a post-summer push to refocus, reenergize, and finish the year strong. But this moment isn’t just a trend, it’s a powerful opportunity for leaders. In this episode of The New Manager Playbook podcast, I share how to use this time to reconnect your team to purpose and progress, without pushing them to burnout. You’ll learn: Why 79% of employees feel disengaged, and what you can do about itWhy problems like low moti...
What if your team isn’t burned out, they’re just over it? In this episode of The New Manager Playbook, I sit down with Grace Lee, our new GenZ brand manager, for a raw, honest conversation about what’s really going on inside today’s workplace. Grace shares what it's like to be a 20-something navigating a job market that’s flooded, unstable, and full of uncertainty, and how that shapes engagement, loyalty, and motivation. We talk about: Why Gen Z sees jobs like dating apps, and what that means...
Feeling like your team member is dropping the ball? Before you rewrite the job description or mentally fire them, hit play on this episode. This week on The New Manager Playbook, we dive into why most performance issues don’t start with a “bad hire”, they start with a feedback vacuum. If your team member doesn’t know what’s expected, how can they meet the mark? In this episode: Why assuming “it should be obvious” is sabotaging your teamThe real reason you’re so frustrated (and how to fix it)A...
Quiet quitting made headlines, but it’s time to talk about a deeper threat: Quiet Cracking. This episode is all about what happens when your most reliable, engaged, high-performing team members start slowly disengaging- not because they want to slack off, but because they’re burned out, spread thin, and overwhelmed. The kicker? They’re still showing up. Still doing the work. But the spark is fading. If you’re noticing your star players stepping back or losing their usual energy, this episode ...
A LinkedIn report says 58% of employees feel underutilized. That’s more than half of your team wondering if they could be doing more somewhere else. In this episode of The New Manager Playbook, I breaks down: Why underutilization is a hidden driver of burnout and turnoverThe signs your high performers are already feeling itHow to address it without overloading your teamYou’ll also hear my own stories of being overlooked for stretch opportunities, and why those were the same moments I started ...
Onboarding can make, or break, a new hire’s success. In this episode of The New Manager Playbook Podcast, I reveal the two biggest onboarding mistakes managers make, and how to avoid them. You’ll learn how to set clear expectations, keep new-hire enthusiasm high, and integrate them smoothly into the team. Whether you lead a small business or a corporate team, these tips will help you turn hiring wins into long-term results. Key Takeaways: The two most common onboarding fails (and how to fix t...
Hiring mistakes are expensive—and avoidable. Learn how to hire well and protect your team. Subscribe for weekly manager tips! In this episode of the New Manager Playbook, Lia Garvin unpacks the three most common hiring mistakes that derail teams and cost businesses time, money, and high-performing talent. You’ll learn why moving too fast, underpaying, or hiring "divas" can wreck your team culture—and what to do instead. Perfect for new managers, small business owners, and HR leads looking to...
Are you using AI in leadership or just hiding behind it? Discover how shortcuts like AI video clones and ChatGPT strategies are killing trust. Subscribe for more real-talk on leadership! What You’ll Learn: Why overusing AI as a leader can damage team trust and engagementReal-world stories about AI video clones, copy-pasted strategies, and feedback gone wrongHow to use AI to elevate—not replace—your leadership presenceSimple tips to stay connected with your team (even when you’re busy!)AI in l...
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