Are People Unmanageable? (with Jack Skeels)

Product Agility

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When you get Jack, you get complex management research converted into often humorous yet humbling management insights and practice. His journey: failed plumber becomes college professor, with stops along the way as the lead for Sapient’s Los Angeles office, a senior management sciences analyst at RAND Corporation, and a trained restaurant chef.
Drawing from over a decade working with 200+ client organisations, Jack authored "Unmanaged: Master the Magic of Creating Empowered and Happy Organisations." In this episode, we went DEEP into the challenges and misconceptions surrounding management in the agile and product contexts.

1. Introduction and Background:
   • Jack’s journey from a software developer to becoming a manager.
   • The realisation of the inefficiencies and challenges in traditional management roles.
2. The Concept of Unmanaged:
   • Less managing can lead to more productive and empowered teams.
   • The importance of creating a belief system and movement around this concept.
3. Challenges of Traditional Management:
   • The inefficiencies and costs associated with over-management.
   • How traditional management practices can stifle innovation and productivity.
4. The Role of Managers:
   • Redefining the role of managers in modern organisations.
   • The importance of developing and empowering team members rather than micromanaging.
5. Cultural Change and Organisational Dynamics:
   • How to engage leadership and align them with new management philosophies.
   • Practical steps for managers and leaders to start making changes within their organisations.
6. Practical Tools and Techniques:
   • Practical advice and tools from Jack’s book to help managers adopt a less intrusive management style.
   • The significance of measuring managerial effectiveness by team growth and development.

Links and Resources:

• Connect with Jack Skeels on - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackaskeels/
• Visit the book’s website at unmanagedbook.com

Host Bio

Ben is a seasoned expert in product agility coaching, unleashing the potential of people and products. With over a decade of experience, his focus now is product-led growth & agility in organisations of all sizes.
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Ben Maynard

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Chapters

1. Are People Unmanageable? (with Jack Skeels) (00:00:00)

2. Unmanaged Teams: A New Movement (00:06:51)

3. How To Measure A Manager (00:15:00)

4. The Manager Tax (00:25:26)

5. Empowering Teams (00:32:21)