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Managing Made Simple

Lia Garvin
Managing Made Simple
Latest episode

247 episodes

  • Managing Made Simple

    The person you just hired didn't bring the ROI? Here's what to do.

    08/04/2026 | 17 mins.
    You took a real risk and made that hire. 90 days later, you're wondering if it was the wrong call. Before you assume it's the wrong person: nine times out of ten, it isn't. In this episode, Lia Garvin breaks down what the hiring hangover actually is, why it happens across businesses of every size, and the specific shift that turns extra pairs of hands into owners who actually drive ROI.
    In this episode you will learn:
    What the hiring hangover is and why it shows up at the 90-day mark
    The difference between hiring an extra pair of hands and hiring an owner
    Why being in the same meetings as your team member is costing you more than you think
    What handing off a project end to end actually looks like in practice
    How to shift your current team into owner mode even if you didn't start there
    Resources mentioned:
    The Ops Playbook: liagarvin.com/contact
    Download my FREE guide to making hard conversations with your team easier at liagarvin.com/convo
    Looking for support for yourself of your team? I've got you covered.
    Explore manager training, leaders keynotes & offsites, and 1:1 advisory, or my 90-Day-COO program for business owners who want simple systems that actually work.
    I transform teams from cost centers to profit centers with practical tools and research-backed strategies that make managing EASIER.
    Get all the details at: www.liagarvin.com
    Contact: liagarvin.com/contact
    Email: hello@liagarvin.com
    Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lia.garvin
    Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Lia.Garvin
    --
    © 2026 Lia Garvin / Managing Made Simple
  • Managing Made Simple

    Why your team can't be your friends (and where the line actually is)

    07/28/2026 | 17 mins.
    You thought she was a friend. Then the reorg came out and she found out with everyone else. What felt like a betrayal was a clarity problem. In this episode, Lia Garvin breaks down the difference between being friendly with your team and being their friend, what self-management really means before any other management tool can work, and the one thing to say upfront that changes the entire dynamic.
    In this episode you will learn:
    Why the betrayal your team feels when hard news hits is almost never about what you did, and what it actually is
    The kinds of things you will always know as a leader that your team cannot know yet, and why that is the job
    Where the friendship line quietly blurs: lending money, bending policies, venting, inviting one person and not all
    What equitable management looks like and why it protects everyone, including you
    The one sentence to say when you hire someone that sets the dynamic from day one
    Resources mentioned:
    Free conversation guide (5 scripts for your stickiest leadership conversations): liagarvin.com/convo
    Reach out: liagarvin.com/contact
    Download my FREE guide to making hard conversations with your team easier at liagarvin.com/convo
    Looking for support for yourself of your team? I've got you covered.
    Explore manager training, leaders keynotes & offsites, and 1:1 advisory, or my 90-Day-COO program for business owners who want simple systems that actually work.
    I transform teams from cost centers to profit centers with practical tools and research-backed strategies that make managing EASIER.
    Get all the details at: www.liagarvin.com
    Contact: liagarvin.com/contact
    Email: hello@liagarvin.com
    Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lia.garvin
    Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Lia.Garvin
    --
    © 2026 Lia Garvin / Managing Made Simple
  • Managing Made Simple

    Where AI fits on your team today

    07/21/2026 | 18 mins.
    The headlines said AI would be cheaper than your team. The receipts say otherwise. If you jumped in fast and are feeling the cost, or you've been holding back wondering if you're already behind, this one is your reset. Lia breaks down how to figure out where AI actually fits on your team — without an arms race, a Chief AI Officer, or a plan to replace the people who make your business run.

    In this episode you'll learn:

    - Why AI isn't the wholesale cost savings you were promised — and why that's actually good news
    - How to tell whether your business really needs a "Chief AI Officer" (most don't)
    - The tool mindset that separates teams who benefit from AI from teams who just spin their wheels
    - Where AI genuinely claws back hours — and where a team conversation solves it faster
    - Why the hard part was never the tech, and the people conversations to have first
    - How to start with foundations so AI augments your team instead of replacing it

    Resources mentioned:
    - Grab Lia's free guide with 5 scripts to make any hard conversation easier: liagarvin.com/convo
    - Send Lia the AI challenge you're wrestling with (she'll cover them on the show): hello@liagarvin.com
    - Snippets — stay in the know of what your team is working on without having to micromanage: liagarvin.com/snippets
    Download my FREE guide to making hard conversations with your team easier at liagarvin.com/convo
    Looking for support for yourself of your team? I've got you covered.
    Explore manager training, leaders keynotes & offsites, and 1:1 advisory, or my 90-Day-COO program for business owners who want simple systems that actually work.
    I transform teams from cost centers to profit centers with practical tools and research-backed strategies that make managing EASIER.
    Get all the details at: www.liagarvin.com
    Contact: liagarvin.com/contact
    Email: hello@liagarvin.com
    Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lia.garvin
    Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Lia.Garvin
    --
    © 2026 Lia Garvin / Managing Made Simple
  • Managing Made Simple

    How to make managing former peers easier

    07/14/2026 | 15 mins.
    You got promoted. Your closest work friend is now your direct report. And what felt like it would be easy is now the most uncomfortable relationship in your professional life. This episode is for you. Lia shares her own worst management experience -- managing someone who was her best friend at work -- and the 30-minute conversation she wishes she'd had from day one.
    In this episode you will learn:
    Why managing someone you already know tends to go wrong faster than managing a stranger
    The assumption that skips the most important conversation -- and how to have it even when you're already in the mess
    The Sit Down: a 30-minute, three-step framework for turning around even the most difficult working relationship
    What to say first (most leaders get this backwards)
    How the same conversation keeps your best people before they send you a resignation email
    Chapters
    00:00 Navigating Friendships in Management
    05:45 Taking Responsibility in Leadership
    11:51 Proactive Conversations for Team Retention
    Resources mentioned:
    Free guide -- 5 Conversations We're Avoiding (with word-for-word scripts): liagarvin.com/convo
    DM "convo" on Instagram to receive the guide
    Download my FREE guide to making hard conversations with your team easier at liagarvin.com/convo
    Looking for support for yourself of your team? I've got you covered.
    Explore manager training, leaders keynotes & offsites, and 1:1 advisory, or my 90-Day-COO program for business owners who want simple systems that actually work.
    I transform teams from cost centers to profit centers with practical tools and research-backed strategies that make managing EASIER.
    Get all the details at: www.liagarvin.com
    Contact: liagarvin.com/contact
    Email: hello@liagarvin.com
    Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lia.garvin
    Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Lia.Garvin
    --
    © 2026 Lia Garvin / Managing Made Simple
  • Managing Made Simple

    How to fix it when delegating fails - 5 min feedback script

    07/07/2026 | 17 mins.
    Host Lia Garvin breaks down exactly what to do in the first five minutes after delegated work comes back wrong. Learn why taking work back stalls team growth, a practical 5‑minute feedback script to correct the task without micromanaging, and clear steps to restore accountability and prevent repeat mistakes — phrasing you can use immediately.
    In this episode you will learn:
    Why taking work back without feedback keeps your team stuck -- and you stuck in the weeds
    The question to ask yourself before you give corrective feedback
    What it sounds like to name the gap specifically without making it personal
    How to turn a bad first delivery into a real learning moment
    Why the goal isn't "done my way" -- and how that reframe changes everything
    Resources mentioned:
    Free guide - exact scripts for how to have 5 tricky conversations with your team: liagarvin.com/convo
    DM "convo" on Instagram to receive the guide
    Download my FREE guide to making hard conversations with your team easier at liagarvin.com/convo
    Looking for support for yourself of your team? I've got you covered.
    Explore manager training, leaders keynotes & offsites, and 1:1 advisory, or my 90-Day-COO program for business owners who want simple systems that actually work.
    I transform teams from cost centers to profit centers with practical tools and research-backed strategies that make managing EASIER.
    Get all the details at: www.liagarvin.com
    Contact: liagarvin.com/contact
    Email: hello@liagarvin.com
    Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lia.garvin
    Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Lia.Garvin
    --
    © 2026 Lia Garvin / Managing Made Simple
More Business podcasts
About Managing Made Simple
Managing Made Simple is a weekly leadership and management podcast for people managers, business owners, and founders who want to lead high-performing teams without falling back into the work themselves.Each week, host Lia Garvin- 3x bestselling author and former team operations leader at Google, Apple, and Microsoft- breaks down the real, everyday challenges of leading teams, giving feedback, delegating, creating team accountability, high performing culture, retention, and more with performance with practical strategies you can implement immediately. Lia’s work has been featured in Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, The Wall Street Journal, and Fortune.With Lia, you get real talk and actionable leadership insights that make it easier to manage your team and get better results from your people. If you’re asking leadership questions like:• How do I get my team to take ownership and accountability for their work?• Why do I have to repeat myself constantly as a manager?• How do I know if I hired the wrong employee?• How do I delegate effectively without things falling apart or micromanaging?• How can managers tell if team members are overusing AI at work?• What actually motivates employees today?• How do I give feedback that actually moves the needle?• How do I communicate vision, expectations, and strategy clearly?• What are best practices for performance reviews, compensation, and growth conversations?How do you lead a team through change, uncertainty, and rapid growth with confidence?You’ll find the tools, frameworks, and leadership strategies you need to lead your team better, starting today.Managing Made Simple:✔ Corporate managers navigating continual change✔ Founders & Business Owners scaling teams without burning people out✔ Entrepreneurs balancing business strategy and people leadership✔ Experienced leaders ready to modernize how they manage teamsNew episodes drop every Tuesday, delivering leadership lessons, people management tools, and team-building strategies you can apply immediately.Learn more at liagarvin.com
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