Ali Merchant

All-In Manager

👉🏼 My mission is to help ambitious managers become better leaders. 

I can help your managers in three ways:

1️⃣  Leadership workshops: 60-90 minute monthly workshops depending on your company's needs. Popular workshops include: 

1. Remote productivity, performance, and resilience
2. Building Psychological safety in a remote world
3. Delivering, asking, and receiving feedback virtually
4. Learning to become an effective coach.


👉🏼  "This is the best feedback training I have attended on this topic. I really like Ali's style and how he goes thru examples and breaks it down" - Sales leader


2️⃣ First-time manager training: A 5-week virtual program designed to get your first-time managers up and running. Topics include:

1. Understanding the role of leader
2. Building one on one connections 
3. Building Psychological safety
4. Delegate or DIY
5. Understanding feedback mechanics
6. Learning to become a coach.


👉🏼 “With becoming a manager recently, these sessions have really helped” - Engineering manager


3️⃣ Director and VP level coaching: Your leaders want someone who's a coach + consultant + mentor. Having coached for a decade, I know when to play each role.


👉🏼 "Ali's dedicated his career to developing leaders and it shows in his ability to effectively coach me." - Customer support leader.

Founder

Digestive Health Foundation

Board Member

Everwise

Advisor and Mentor to Managers in Saas organizations

Mentor

Marin Software

Head of Learning and Development

Forbes Coaches Council

Contributing Writer 

Gap Inc.

Senior Manager, Learning & Development, Supply Chain

iProspect

Director, Training and Development North America

Client Services Manager

Training and Innovation Manager

Training and Innovation Specialist

Search Marketing Specialist

Microstrategy

Production Consultant

WebMD

Software Engineer

I help managers become leaders in 12 weeks or less.

There are 1 of 2 reasons you're reading my profile.


Reason 1: You're a manager who wants to become a better leader.

OR

Reason 2: You're a senior leader looking for leadership training for your managers.


If you're looking to become a better leader. I offer training and coaching services:
▪️ Training: https://www.allinmanager.com/Lead-confidently-in-six-weeks
▪️ Coaching: https://www.allinmanager.com/leadership-coaching


If you're a senior leader looking to bring me in to train your teams. This page will help:
▪️ Training: https://www.allinmanager.com/corporate_cohort


Two more things:

1. I write about leadership daily. (500+ posts with 44,000+ followers). You can hit follow, and I'll show up in your feed.

2. I also write a weekly newsletter that goes to 10,000+ leaders. You can subscribe here: https://www.allinmanager.com/leadership-newsletter. 

If you're wondering who's this guy?

I'm the founder of All-In Manager: https://www.allinmanager.com/

We're a boutique leadership development company.

I started AIM for one reason — To help ambitious managers become leaders. We do that through training, coaching, and content.

Before starting AIM. I spent 16 years running Learning & Development departments for public companies, iconic technology brands in Silicon Valley, and the biggest Ad agencies on the planet.

Feel free to DM me and say 👋.

When you become a senior leader, you'll notice something strange around you. 
 
The same words you used before as a manger will now carry more weight as a senior leader. 
 
A simple "pls look into this" can be easily misinterpreted as: 
 
"Drop everything and look into this" 
 
One way to overcome this communication challenge is to spend a couple of minutes to set context. 
 
A boss of mine had a simple system to minimize confusion. 
 
Most of his emails came with a "flag" in the subject line: 
 
Examples: 
 
- "Action requested by 10PM" 
 
- "Just FYI. NO action required" 
 
- "[Time-sensitive]- Please read + respond" 
 
- "[Feedback needed] - Don't spend more than 10 minutes on this" 
 
The flags were designed to increase signal and reduce noise (confusion) 
 
This boss of mine knew even a whisper from him could be misinterpreted a 1000 ways. 
 
So he spent 30 seconds clarifying and saving us 30 minutes of busy work and stress.

===
PS: If you want to lead at a hight level, check out my leadership quick start course. I'll send you one leadership lesson daily for 6 days: Subscribe here: 
https://lnkd.in/gyN6NubG

Something I've noticed about *very* successful people.

They respond to emails/text/slack faster than most.

I've seen it over and over again.

I used to think it's a coincidence.

It's not.

If you don't believe me, start paying attention to people who are highly responsive.

You'll see what I'm seeing. 

Executive coach | Leadership advisor | Former Head of L&D

I used to work with with a *very* demanding boss who expected great work all the time. 
 
He also didn't shy away from letting you know if you messed up.  
 
But he did something most managers don't.  
  
It was normal for him to reach out after a tough conversation and say:  
 
"Ali - I wanted to check in with you. How are you feeling after our last conversation?"  
 
He made sure you knew he expected a lot from you and his job was to push you to bring out your best.  
 
 He taught me 2 lessons I'm sharing with you:  
 
1. Don't avoid tough conversations with your people.  
 
2. Don’t forget to follow up after a tough conversation with your people.  
 
Steal my boss’s playbook. Stay tough on the problem, but tender on the person.

And when you're ready to lead, these 6 emails will get you there:
https://lnkd.in/gyN6NubG


Most managers waste their 1:1s and it bothers me.

Your 1:1 is unlike any meeting on your calendar. It's more than an update. It's supposed to unite two people. You and your employee.

I've done over 2500 1:1s. I've seen everything in these meetings. Work, stress, hopes, dreams, struggles.

I've seen people cry in them.
I've seen people beaming with joy.
I've heard people tell me about their kid's first day.
I've heard people talk about their upcoming surgery.
I've heard people tell me they want to change careers.
I've had people tell me how much I've disappointed them too.

If you don't have 30 minutes to meet with your employee, either find the time or you'll need to find another employee soon.

PS: If you want to have great 1:1s, here's a free leadership quick start course for you. You'll get 6 leadership lessons. 

The first lesson is on great 1:1s:
https://lnkd.in/gyN6NubG

Don't just be a nice boss.

Be a kind boss.

There's a difference...

Nice is avoiding difficult conversations.
Kind is confronting difficult conversations.

Nice is not giving difficult feedback because it's hard.
Kind is giving difficult feedback no matter how hard.

Nice is making popular decisions because they're easy.
Kind is making unpopular decisions because they're right.

Nice is about me.
Kind is about we.

Nice can sometimes be selfish.
Kind is always selfless.

Nice sounds good.
Kind is good. 


PS: If you're ready to be a kind leader...I've put together a free leadership quick start course for you...Think of it as your how-to recipe.

Get your first lesson here:
https://lnkd.in/gyN6NubG

Your employees should NOT have to *guess* if they're performing to your standards. 
 
They should know. 

If you haven't told them yet, this post is your sign to do it. 
 
Here’s how. 
 
1. Share your expectations with your employees: 
↳ Share what *good* looks like. 
↳ Communicate *clear* outcomes. 
 
 
2. Share how they're performing against expectations: 
↳ Be generous with your positive feedback. 
↳ Be thoughtful with constructive feedback. 
 
You can't win, if you don't help your team win.  
 
If you want your team to win, tell them what winning looks like.

(and doesn't)

PS: If you’re ready to lead at a high level, check out this leadership quick start course: 

Get your first lesson here:
https://lnkd.in/gyN6NubG

I used to sugarcoat my feedback all the time. 
 
I thought I was helping my employees. 
 
I wasn't.
 
I was confusing them more. 

Here's a better approach for you (and your employees)
 
If your employee drops the ball, simply talk to them. 
 
Be kind. Be clear. Be specific. 
 
Sugarcoating your message won’t protect your people. 
 
It’ll confuse them. 
 
If you really want to protect your people. 
 
Tell them the truth. 
 
You don't have to be *brutally* honest. 
 
You just have to be honest. 
 
Your employees deserve to know the truth. 
 
They won't resent you. They’ll respect you (even more) 
 
Besides that's your job as their leader — To tell the truth no matter how hard or uncomfortable.


PS: If you're ready to give feedback with confidence (and without the awkwardness)...Check out the workshop I'm doing this Friday....There's still time to register: 
https://lnkd.in/gbuU_mf3

I've said this in the past:

"People quit bad bosses."

I'm evolving my thinking now. 

While I generally agree, employees quit bad bosses, I think employees are *actually* quitting poor cultures. 

Let me explain.

>>> A poor culture tolerates a poor manager <<<

How?

By not supporting the manager through training and coaching. By not helping the manager succeed. 

In absence of training, coaching, mentorship, you're going to see managers struggle and fail.

When managers struggle, employees bear the brunt.

....and they quit...

So are employees quitting a bad manager or the culture that enabled it?

What do you think?  

What am I missing? 

Saying the quiet part out loud today.

I don't like the phrase "servant leadership"

I get the meaning.

I appreciate the meaning.

But the word "servant" doesn't sit well with me.

Am I the only one?

If you're tempted to reschedule your 1:1 this week...

Please think twice.

Here's why.
 
Your 1:1 is unlike any meeting on your busy calendar. 
 
It's more than an update. It's supposed to connect you with your employee.

It's supposed to help both of you build a better relationship which will lead to better results. 
 
If you can't find time to connect 1:1 with the people you lead, how will they trust you to lead them? 

(They won't)

Your 1:1 is a sacred meeting. Treat it as such.

You'll be happy. Your employee will be happier. 

PS: If you want to have great 1:1s, here's a free leadership quick start course for you. You'll get 6 leadership lessons in 6 days. 

The first lesson is on great 1:1s:
https://lnkd.in/gyN6NubG

Don't fight the person.

Fight the problem. 

Here's how.

If you need to give constructive feedback this week, do the following: 

- Keep an open mind.
- Listen to the other person.
- Instead of being vague, be specific.
- Learn to build next steps together.

You'll fail miserably if all you're doing is talking and not listening.

The best leaders are tough on the problem, and tender on the person. 

Now you can too.

===
PS: If you want to lead at a hight level, check out my leadership quick start course. I'll send you one leadership lesson daily for 6 days: Subscribe here: 
https://lnkd.in/gyN6NubG


Your employees change best by feeling good.

(Not by feeling bad)

Meaning?

If you see something good, say something good.

Catch your people doing good things and tell them.

Life is short. Don't wait. Make someone's day today.

I’ve followed this roadmap for 16 yrs.
 
It’s served me well. 
 
7 simple (not easy) ways to lead.
 
1. Listen more, talk less.

2. Apologize when you’re wrong.

3. Get to know the person behind the title.

4. A good question beats a good answer.

5. Being kind beats being nice. 

6. Treat trust like oxygen. 

7. Remain tough on the problem and tender on the person.
 
Life is short. Lead with ❤️

And when you're ready to lead, these 6 emails will get you there:
https://lnkd.in/gyN6NubG

(Sometimes) when your direct report asks for your feedback there's a decent chance they're asking for something else. 
 
Sometimes they're asking for your validation.  
 
So how do you figure out what they're asking for? 
 
Do your due diligence. 
 
A simple: 
 
 "What type of feedback would be most helpful to you?" is a good starting point. 
 
Have them guide you before you guide them.

I become a new manager in '07. 

I made alot of mistakes.

Here are 3 big ones:

1.  I treated 1:1s as status updates
2.  I didn't do a good job of listening to my team
3.  I jumped in all the time, even when I didn't need to

1/
I treated 1:1s as status updates.

I spent too much time asking about project updates and too little time asking about the person.

Lesson for you: If you don't get to know the person behind the project, no amount of project updates will help.


2/ 
I didn't do a good job of listening to my team.

I thought my job was to "tell-tell-tell". I was always giving answers and directing people. I should've balanced asking-with-telling.

Lesson for you: When you ask Qs, you give your team ownership of the problem. You give them confidence. 


3/ I jumped in all the time, even when I didn't need to.

I thought my job was to "fix" everyone's problems. I was wrong.

Lesson for you: A leader's job is to help everyone fix their own problems. The goal is to give people tools to build their house. Not build it for them.

Why am I telling you this?

I'm telling you this because every successful leader you know and admire makes mistakes. 

You will too. 

And when you do, give yourself grace and learn from your mistake. Extract the lesson and keep moving forward..

I'm rooting for you...

PS: Here's a 6 day leadership course for you. 100s of leaders have taken advantage of it. It's free (for now)
https://lnkd.in/gyN6NubG

Your job isn't to fix your employees' problems.

Your job is to help them fix their own problems.

Confused?

Here's what I mean.

If your employee comes to you with a problem and you're dying to give your solution.

STOP 🛑

Try this first.

ASK: 
"What have you tried so far?"

✅ Listen to them. 
✅ Ask follow-up questions 
✅ Coach them to come up with a suggestion

WHY?
Doing this teaches your employees to take ownership of their problems vs. making you the owner of their problems.

And...

When you coach employees to solve their problems, they become more confident versus always relying on your to solve their problems.

Your job as a leader is to give your employees the correct tools and training to build their house. Your job isn't to build it for them.


===
PS: If you want to lead at a hight level, check out my leadership quick start course. I'll send you one leadership lesson daily for 6 days: Subscribe here: 
https://lnkd.in/gyN6NubG


This CEO wrote 30,000 hand-written thank you notes.

I'm pretty sure you've heard of his company.

I'm pretty sure you're a customer too.

Doug Conant is the former CEO of Campbell soup. 

Here's Doug in his words:

"I have sent roughly 30,000 handwritten notes to employees, from maintenance people to senior executives. I let them know that I am personally paying attention and celebrating their accomplishments."

You don't have to write 30,000 thank you notes.

Just start with one.

Because one is better than none.

PS: Are you a fan of hand-written notes or Email? Tell me in the comments.


Yes, everyone knows trust is important.

This data shows just how important it is.

This is wild!

As a leader you have to practice saying what you're thinking. 
 
Nothing good comes out of keeping things bottled up. 
 
Here's just one example: 
 
Too often managers shy away from a tough conversation. 
 
This week, do the opposite. 
 
Instead of running away, run towards it.  
 
If someone drops the ball... find out what's going on and help them pick it up.   
 
Don't just talk to them, talk *with* them.  
 
Help them see what you're seeing.  
 
But whatever you do, don't ignore the conversation, thinking it'll go away.  
 
It won't. 
 
Your best bet is to practice saying what you're thinking.  
 
Do it kindly, do it with compassion, but do it. 
 
That's the job. That's leadership

PS: If you're ready to lead...I've put together a free leadership quick start course for you...Think of it as your how-to recipe.

Get your first lesson here:
https://lnkd.in/gyN6NubG

99% of comments I get on Linkedin are positive.

1% not so much.

Guess what I remember?

The 1%

Why? 

That's how our brains work. Our brains are constantly scanning for danger (to keep us out of danger). This is a feature, not a bug. 

What's that's got to do with leading your team?

When you give positive feedback *and* you add a little bit of constructive feedback to it, no one remembers your positive message.

Everyone fixates on the constructive part.

Next time you give positive, stick to positive feedback. 

You'll be happy. Your employee will be happier. 

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