The Management Playbook: Tactics from a Seasoned Coach, ex-Bridgewater Associates

✨ Hi, I’m Sara Landi Tortoli, host of the Polyweb podcast. On the show, we explore how we can find meaning in the Technology Era. Join conversations with global tech leaders and entrepreneurs, navigating the intersection of business, life, and technology.

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In this week's episode of Polyweb, I interview Dave Kline, a veteran management coach who shares his playbook for effective leadership.

With over 20 years of experience leading teams, including as an associate at Bridgewater, Dave provides rare insights into creating a strong company culture, giving feedback effectively, and positioning yourself as a leader.

Whether you're new to management or a seasoned leader, this episode is packed with tactics you can immediately apply to improve your skills.

Key Takeaways:

• Ask "Did that meet your expectation?" when delivering feedback. This simple question lets you understand if expectations were aligned and if the person was already aware of mistakes. It also empowers them to acknowledge areas for improvement themselves.

• Structure your first 100 days in a new management role around understanding, synthesizing, and taking action. Move quickly but take time to gather information before instituting major changes.

• Strive for a balance of caring for your team while also challenging them. Employees need support and empowerment along with high standards to reach their potential.

• Learn from Dave's experience implementing candid feedback practices at Bridgewater. Understand when and how to adapt extreme transparency measures to your own organization's culture.

• Build community instead of transactional networking relationships. Approach social media by giving value without expecting anything in return.

• Invest in coaching and courses to develop yourself over time. The payoff of leveling up your skills outweighs the upfront costs.

• Pick a business you can commit to for the long-term, not just what's trendy right now. Success takes years of persistence.

About Dave Kline:

Dave is an accomplished writer, business advisor, executive coach, and co-founder of the MGMT Accelerator - a program dedicated to developing system-focused leaders. With over a decade of experience as the COO of multiple divisions at Bridgewater Associates, the world's largest hedge fund, and a former managing director at Moody's Analytics, Dave brings a wealth of knowledge in growth-focused leadership.

Time Stamps and Resources:

00:00 - Introduction

04:39 - Dave's experience learning from managers early in his career

05:22 - Achieving a balance of caring for your team while challenging them

08:02 - The difference between managing and leading

15:06 - Creating a "playbook" for the first 100 days in a new management role

21:23 - Synthesizing findings from the first 100 days into a plan

25:42 - Adapting the first 100 days playbook for a fast-moving startup environment

30:32 - Managing the transition from existing processes to executing new initiatives

32:18 - Influencing company culture as an individual manager

38:20 - Candid feedback practices at Bridgewater

45:55 - Starting feedback with "Did that meet your expectation?"

52:32 - The value of building community versus transactional networking

59:14 - How investing in your own development can have an asymmetric payoff

01:06:35 - Picking a business you can commit to for 10 years

👉 CHECK OUT THE MGMT ACCELERATOR: http://mgmtaccelerator.com/

📚 OTHER RESOURCES MENTIONED:

The Go-Giver by Bob Burg and John David Mann: https://amzn.to/3QtUtk

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