management minutes team

Paula Lowe

Paula has worked in the field of management and leadership development for over 30 years. She was a management trainer, the Director of Training for Nasdaq/FINRA and has been a coach for over 15 years. Paula has coached over 500 leaders and managers and holds a certificate in Leadership Coaching from Georgetown University and an MA from George Washington University. She is a PCC (Professional Certified Coach) from the International Coaching Federation. She earned a SHRM-SCP, Senior Certified Professional designation from the Society for Human Resources. www.PHLoweCoaching.com

“Creating Management Minutes has been a labor of love. I have been able to provide a unique resource to help managers and I have been able to do this with my daughter who is living in Australia, 16 time zones away!” Paula

KAREN LOWE

Karen (the second voice in the Management Minutes episodes) earned a BA from Brandeis University and an MBA from Portland State University. She contributed her performance and audio background to the production of Management Minutes. By day, she works in sustainable procurement. She is also Paula’s daughter.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

• WHY DON’T YOU SELL INDIVIDUAL EPISODES?

  Today you might have a challenge with feedback but tomorrow it will be something else. I want to help you be the best leader you can be. So, I want you to be able to access resources, quickly, when you need it. People are complex; leading them is hard.

• HOW DO I GET THE MOST OUT OF THIS PRODUCT? IS THERE A PARTICULAR ORDER TO LISTEN?

  I recommend accessing the relevant episode whenever you have a real challenge or question. The episodes are short but dense. Listen more than once to an episode and take notes. Research shows that taking notes helps you internalize the learning. If you are a new manager, you would profit from listening to most episodes as early as possible in your new role and then access them again as you need them.

• HOW CAN YOU ASSERT THAT THE METHODS YOU PRESENT ARE THE BEST OR RIGHT ONES?

  I don’t assert that! There is no one right way. Management Minutes presents “best practices” based on research and based on what my experiences have taught me. These are all suggestions to help you choose your best approaches. You must find a way that makes sense for you and is consistent with your style and personality. The best leaders are authentic! In Management Minutes you will hear examples of what I might say in a particular situation. Examples are provided because unfortunately lots of people have not had good role models of how to be firm, direct and caring at the same time. Your job is to hear these examples and then find the words that are right for you.

• THERE IS A TON OF FREE STUFF ON THE INTERNET AND IN BOOKS. WHY IS THIS ANY BETTER?

  Management Minutes saves you enormous amounts of time from weeding through all the reference material on the internet. Some of the material on the internet is excellent, some not so good! More than most resources you will find anywhere, Management Minutes delivers in record time the practical suggestions you can use immediately.

• SAY MORE ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE.

  I have an MA in counseling and managing people really does require an appreciation of the uniqueness of people and their psychology. I began as a management trainer before I ever managed anyone, so I studied management best practices. From there I became Manager of Management Training for Crum and Foster, a commercial insurance company owned by Xerox. At that time I was able to reflect on my book learning of management and add to that the practical and political realities leaders face. From there I went on to direct the training function of Nasdaq/FINRA where I worked with the executives to change the culture of the organization through developing the leadership skills of top, middle and new managers. In the last 20 years I have worked one on one with leaders as their executive coach.

• 30 YEARS IN THE SAME CAREER FIELD IS A LONG TIME. WHAT HAS KEPT YOU INTERESTED?

  I know that when people have a strong emotion or a passion for something, it’s connected to something very personal. Good management is personal for me. I was very lucky in my first professional position to have a very supportive, empowering manager. (Shout out to Gordon Gray!). That gave me such a boost to my confidence and the belief that I could have a positive impact through work and enjoy myself doing it. Several years later, I had a manager who, for whatever reason, didn’t think much of me. My confidence and work performance dropped to the lowest point my career. I really understood at a personal level the importance of good management. While I believe that almost all managers want to be empowering and supportive, some inadvertently cause lots of pain, real pain for the people who work for them. If I can help one manager at a time I will feel that I have made an important difference.