MSMP 122: Renata Porter on Understanding and Communicating with Your Employees

My guest today for the Mads Singers Management Podcast, is Renata Porter, the Founder of Renata Porter Limited and a motivational speaker. Renata calls herself a "serial fixer" because she is the one people call when their teams or managers are not working how they intend to. She also helps small business owners and non-profit youth sports clubs accomplish their goals. Renata and her team's in-depth knowledge and experience with their "people focus" help clients take intentional and meaningful approaches to lead in their respective fields and organizations.

Contrary to popular belief, managers, business owners, or any person who manages people or has people report to them perform better when not in their area of expertise. When people are in their area of expertise, they tend to interfere with the natural flow of things and micromanage their staff or processes. 

An essential aspect of being a manager or business leader is not about the perks, power, or money you take home. Still, it's about being able to communicate with your employees so you can get them motivated to work by putting their best performance forward. Take the time to get feedback from them. If they don't give you feedback, consider it a lesson learned, as it will quickly tell you which employee is having problems and needs helps or who has something to say. However, this doesn't mean you have to be their best friend but rather have a good enough relationship with them to be told if they need to render extra hours or pick up some slack if they are falling behind at work.

As a manager and business owner, you need to be aware of how you approach people because not everyone is on the same wavelength as you: some are naturally more inclined to start independently. In contrast, others may prefer to be given direction. While some fear that management styles may change or revert to their old ways, I don't believe that will happen because you will encounter fewer of those kinds of problems when you hire well. We cannot communicate enough. It's okay to share a lot because communicating effectively isn't just about talking but also listening, clarifying, understanding, and not jumping into decisions or conclusions hastily.

Key Learning Points:

1. Mads says that one of his favorite things is when people work in an area/expertise that they don't know well because it allows them to work more efficiently than when working on their area of expertise. After all, they tend to interfere with the processes. - 03:18
2. Renata says that many managers tend to get sucked in the "doing" part instead of focusing on the leadership roles - 03:45
3. Renata says that she is the kind of person who will sit down and discover why someone feels a certain way with their tasks or projects. - 05:22
4. Renata believes that business owners, managers, or anyone who handles and manages people should connect with them on some level. - 07:09
5. Mads says that the most important thing a manager will do is build relationships with their staff. - 08:30
6. Renata says that most companies don't spend time training someone to be a manager, but when they do, their employees' training is high, making it harder for employees to relate to. - 10:14
7. Mads says that managers and business owners need to develop their staff as the people they will need for the future- 13:57
8. Mads says that companies should have a more holistic approach when it comes to planning where the whole organization is involved - 15:37
9. Renata says that the perception of people in management is often skewed. That's why it's essential to build a bridge between management and the staff. - 21:32
10. Mads shares that networking is the best way to find the best people before you hire them - 37:19

Resources Mentioned:

Leadership and Self-Deception: Getting Out of the Box by the Arbinger Institute

Connect with Renata:

LinkedIn

Website

Non-profit Sports Club Website

Email

Instagram