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Management Material
Welcome to Management Material.
My name is Catherine Van Der Laan. I started my career at the bottom as an assistant and worked my way up to become the boss’s boss in 8 years. If there’s anything I’ve learned, it’s that what got you to where you are now won’t get you to where you want to be.
This podcast is for top performers who want to be amazing managers. I’ve coached lots of talented people to get them from entry-level to recognized top performers to new managers to seasoned executives. I challenge deeply held beliefs and change how people see the world.
Management is all about leadership. The best managers were developed leaders long before they had any direct reports.
Here's one thing that most people won't tell you: Management is a skill. Management is a skill you can learn, just like the hard skills that got you to where you are now.
Management Material is about developing you into the best manager you can be. Let’s turn YOU into management material.
Episodes
64 episodes
Lead with Vision
Welcome back to Management Material with Catherine Van Der Laan! In this episode, Catherine discusses the critical importance of leading with a clear and inspiring vision, especially in today's rocky and inconsistent world. She shares insights ...
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Getting Hired and Social Media: Your Digital Footprint
In this episode, host Catherine Van Der Laan discusses the critical role your social media plays in getting hired. She explains that many hiring managers now scrutinize candidates' online presence to determine if they are an asset or a liabilit...
Building an AI-Proof Resume and Cover Letter
This video provides an in-depth guide on creating an AI-proof resume and cover letter. The speaker, Catherine Van Der Laan, shares insights on how AI and recruiters typically screen job applications, emphasizing the importance of tailoring your...
Get a New Full-Time Job: Find Your Full-Time Fit
We're starting a 7-part series entitled "Get a New Full-Time Job." This series mimics the more in-depth group program called "Get a New Full-Time Job." You can find out more about the group program here: https://www.saverstreet.com/serv...
Leadership vs. Management: What's the Difference Between a Manager and a Leader?
"People don't leave jobs; they leave managers." - a common managerial proverbGetting the title of "manager" doesn't automatically qualify you as a leader. Most managers (at least 58%, according to one study) are so bad at leadership tha...
Rebuilding Trust and Mastering Transparent Communication in Leadership
Ever wondered how to piece back together the fragile puzzle of trust once it's fallen apart? That's what we conquer on today's Management Material, as I share the transformative journey of a leadership development client navigating the treacher...
Mastering the Art of Feedback: A Leadership Journey to Support and Success
In this episode, we cover the fine-tuned art of giving feedback so it's received well. It's not easy to give feedback. Most of us have had at least one experience with giving feedback and seeing it blow up in our faces.
Steering Through Uncertainty: Strategies for Inspiring and Re-Engaging Your Team
Unlock the secrets to revitalizing your team's passion and productivity with me, Catherine Van Der Laan, as we navigate the storm of today's workplace challenges. In this episode, I share my personal journey and the strategies that...
Leading After Your Company Has Experienced a Layoff
There's a right way and a wrong way to lead after a layoff. When RIFs shatter company morale and rewrite the organizational chart, people can do really weird and stupid things. Let's talk through what it means to be a ...
How to Get Back on Your Feet After Being Laid Off
If you've been through a RIF or know someone who has, this episode is here to help you get back on your feet. I'm sharing a six-step lifeline for anyone treading in these choppy waters—all to help you find a new job, position yourself w...
Leadership: Take the Blame, Lend the Credit
Today’s topic is about real leadership that inspires people but is super hard on the manager. Taking the blame and lending the credit is a tough thing. That means taking the fall when a project doesn’t go well or your team doesn’t ...
Gaining the Respect of Your Team as a New Manager
This topic came up because a career coaching client of mine got a new job recently as a manager. She has a team of people that she inherited from the company. That means that she didn’t get to hire her own people; they were a team the company g...
How to Handle It When Someone Else Takes Credit for Your Work
If you're on your way to being known as the next up-and-coming manager or management material, you might have some haters.The world is full of people who want to get credit and don't want to put in the effort. You'll probably f...
How to Get Promoted or Get a Better Job
OOPS! The right file is now uploaded. Sorry, everyone! I uploaded the next episode for my other podcast, The Money Minister, but now the right episode for Management Material is up. ___________________________________________________
How to Protect Yourself from a Layoff
The economy is in a little bit of trouble. When interest rates go up, businesses that rely on loans have to balance their budgets, so they tend to lay people off. Let’s take this episode to learn how to protect yourself from being...
Leading Around Indecisive Leaders: A Lesson in Tact
A few years ago, I was a defacto leader on a team and I had a boss who was super indecisive. I’m not sure I blamed him, because his boss was indecisive as well and it was a VERY political company. Our guy in charge - our guy in the...
How to Lead a Hybrid or Remote Team: Running Effective and Inclusive Meetings
Someone recently asked me about being a leader or peer leader for a team that’s half in the office and half working from home. To be clear, he’s not their boss but is a kind of peer leader at work, and he wanted to get better at helping everyon...
Communicating with Executives: Point First, Explanation Later
At one point in my career, I started giving presentations to senior management - GMs, SVPs, and occasionally our Chief Product Officer. When I first started giving those presentations, I would present my data, decision-making proce...
Getting Close With Your Team: Build Trust Over Time
Joining a new team can feel exciting, terrifying, inspiring, overwhelming, and stressful. Most people will focus on building relationships with their new team members... which can sometimes go wrong. In this podcast ep...
Answering Management Interview Questions: Communicate Wisdom in Action
A friend of mine came up to me last Sunday at church and asked how I would answer an interview question since I’ve managed larger teams before. He was sitting in an interview for a senior-level position and was asked how he’d manage the team. N...
Focus on What's Good, Not What's Fair: Stop Being Bitter and Be Better
Focusing on getting what's fair to you will make you bitter. Bitter people don't get promoted.Bitterness is poison to careers. Bitter people think they deserve more than they get in life. They’re never satisfied with what ...
Work When You're at Work
Guys. Stop stealing from your company.You might think, "I'm not stealing from the company!" Yeah, so did I. Give this a listen. You might just change your mind, change your work life, and change your timeline f...
What to Do When You Have an Underperforming Team Member
Underperformers can plummet a team's enthusiasm and morale. They can kill projects, suck motivation, and make their colleagues look bad.So - if you're trying to become a people manager - what do you do?In this episode, we talk t...
Integrity is the Key Characteristic of a Strong, Long-Lasting Leader
Even the most honest person can work on their integrity.Integrity is more than just telling the truth.Integrity is about doing what you say you'll do when you say you'll do it.Senior leaders only promote leaders they bel...
Managers Use Strong Language, Not Weak Language
When you use weak words or you kneecap your sentences, people notice - either subconsciously or consciously - and they treat you as someone who’s not confident and doesn’t deserve to be a people manager. They treat you like someone who isn’t su...