Getting your team locked in starts with connecting every person to a goal they actually care about, not just telling them to work harder. Lia walks through how to set a rallying goal, show each team member why their role matters, and use a simple weekly wins practice to sustain momentum through year-end. This episode is especially useful for owners and leaders who feel their team coasting after summer.
This episode is part of the Communication, Vision & Buy-in series. Browse all episodes →
Mic drop moments
“…sometimes it’s that we’ve said too much. We maybe are getting defensive or we’re kind of apologizing for making a change that was aligned with the business strategy.”
“…when your team members are on board and they’re fighting against it, there is nothing that costs you more time than having to keep having the same conversation over and over and over.”
“…a huge part of team whispering is listening to people, is really being in tune and taking those few minutes to understand what is actually going on.”
Episode highlights
The communication gap nobody wants to admit
When work slows down or a team feels disconnected, the instinct is to blame effort or attitude. Lia pushes back on that immediately. Most of the time, the problem is a communication gap: what a leader says and what team members actually hear are two different things. A Team Whisperer sits between those two realities, names what each side is experiencing, and closes the distance.
Why owners end up solving every single problem
One of the clearest signs a Team Whisperer is needed: people two layers beneath you are still escalating to you for everything. You become the default problem solver for issues you should never be touching, which drains the bandwidth you need to grow the business. Lia works directly with team members and project leads to wrestle through issues at the right level, so decisions only reach the owner when they genuinely require that authority.
When the team is too casual to take direction
Smaller teams and businesses where an owner manages former friends run into a specific version of this problem. The relationship has drifted into something so casual that delivering feedback becomes awkward, and team members feel comfortable ignoring direction. Lia acts as a bridge to reset communication norms and rebuild the space a leader needs to be taken seriously, without demanding respect, but by deliberately repositioning the dynamic.
The pricing change that made the whole team flip out
Lia shares a client story that captures how even a well-researched, strategically sound decision can land badly. A CEO raised prices after extensive competitive analysis, with strong reasons. Her team revolted because they were the ones facing customers and had never been given the framing they needed to feel confident.
The fix was not sharing more information across the board. It was identifying the right level of detail for each audience. Customer-facing team members needed to know how to explain the change confidently in a conversation. Senior leaders needed the revenue and client-value rationale. One message does not serve both. Tailoring takes more thought upfront, but it eliminates the repeated, exhausting conversations that follow when people are not on board.
Getting under the surface to find the real resistance
Resistance from a team member is rarely actually about the work. Lia tells the story of a designer who created friction every time a new assignment came in. When Lia sat down and asked what was really going on, the answer had nothing to do with the work itself: the designer was worried about evening commitments and not feeling confident presenting to executives. A few targeted conversations later, the same person who had been dreading new assignments was saying “let’s bring it on.”
The lesson is direct: throwing work over the fence and hoping for a different reaction is not a strategy. Asking what is actually going on is.
What a Team Whisperer actually does in practice
The role combines one-on-one coaching with team members, strategy sessions with owners, and hands-on work like SOPs and communication plans, deployed wherever the gap is right now. Lia describes it as a Swiss Army knife for team management and operations, available in real time rather than as a fixed program. The shifts required are usually not complicated. They may not be easy and they take repetition, but they are simple, and they do not require rebuilding the business from scratch.
Related episodes in this cluster
- Ep 234: How to get your team to actually adopt any new process or tool. When a new tool or process stalls, the problem is almost never the tool. It is the framing. Lead with what each person specifically gets out of it, and adoption follows. This episode is most useful for owners and team leads who have introduced something new only to watch their team keep doing it the old way.
- Ep 211: How to communicate vision so your team actually buys in. Teams disengage from vision not because the strategy is wrong, but because the message is only delivered once, from one person, without connecting to daily work. Lia breaks down the cascade problem, the repetition principle, and how to equip every level of your leadership chain to carry the message. This episode is essential for founders, executives, and team leads heading into a new planning cycle.
- Ep 204: What your team is really asking for when requests feel frustrating or confusing. When a team member’s request feels entitled or annoying, there is almost always a deeper need underneath, usually around recognition, clarity, or belonging. Lia’s move is a two-minute pause to ask what the person actually means before deciding how to respond. This episode is most useful for founders and operators navigating the contradictions of growing a team.
- Ep 196: How to get your team locked in and finish the year strong. Getting your team locked in starts with connecting every person to a goal they actually care about, not just telling them to work harder. Lia walks through how to set a rallying goal, show each team member why their role matters, and use a simple weekly wins practice to sustain momentum through year-end. This episode is especially useful for owners and leaders who feel their team coasting after summer.
Want to go deeper?
The New Manager Playbook. Lia’s bestselling guide to leading a team for the first time.
Full transcript (click to expand)
Where do we not have to overcommunicate? And this is a really nuanced area. Any of us that feel like, well, I’ve been telling my team members everything and I’m so transparent. Actually, sometimes it’s that we’ve said too much. Welcome to the Managing Made Simple podcast. I’m Leah Garvin, your host and team operations consultant. Through this show and my signature Ops Playbook, I condense a decade of experience driving team operations in some of the most influential companies in tech to save you time, money and stress.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a business owner who realized that running a team isn’t as easy as you thought it would be, or a new manager looking to learn the ropes, or a seasoned manager ready to up their game. Everyone is welcome to hang out with Managing Made Simple. From conflicts to feedback to delegating and more, we leave no stone unturned when it comes to what makes us love managing, kind of hate it, and everything in between.
Let’s go. Welcome back to the show. If you’ve been following my content for a while, you might have noticed I call myself The Team Whisperer. And today I want to talk about what that is and how that kind of mindset can add so much value to your team. So when we talk about Team Whisperer, well, this is that translator between you, that business owner or team leader, and your team members. And I will tell you, a lot of times, I would want to say all the time maybe, when something isn’t getting done in the way that we wanted, when work’s slowing down, when we feel like we’re just not connecting with our teams, it’s a communication gap, right?
I mean, what else would it be? And it can be really, really helpful to have an objective kind of third party there to say, hey, you know, taking a step back, I’m seeing that this is what you’re saying, and this is what people are hearing. So let’s bring the two things together. And that’s really what I do as Team Whisperer. I have a deep understanding of the context that the business owner or the executive has, right?
I’ve had many, many roles in the corporate world working as chief of staff and working really hand in hand with executive leadership to understand organizational change and strategies and prioritization at that top level. And I’ve also had deep experience on the ground. So in the trenches with product teams, planning how work’s going to get done, really understanding, well, what’s getting people stuck? Where are they confused? Because a lot of times, when work isn’t getting done, again, it’s not that the people aren’t smart enough.
It’s not that they’re not motivated enough, not dedicated enough. It’s that they don’t quite understand the expectations of them, or they don’t quite understand what success looks like, or they didn’t quite understand what was a priority over another. And that’s where it can really help, again, to have someone connecting those dots. Now, you know, when we think about this, I think there’s a couple areas that I wanted to say that can really, really help where communication can break down.
So first, I think when we feel as a business owner or team leader that, gosh, I’m in too deep, I’m solving every single problem, okay? They’re coming to me for everything. People, maybe a layer of hierarchy or two beneath you are coming to you. So you’re sort of managing everyone, and that means you’re really a key problem solver in the weeds, in the details. And when you’re running a business, this is not the best place to be because you really need to have a lot of your bandwidth left over to work on growing the business, to reaching out to clients, to doing whatever it is that you need to do to scale and grow.
And so one of the things that’s really, really helpful is to have a person that can work through these things with your team. Maybe you have managers and you’ve trained them to be able to really problem solve with team members, wrestle through the issues so that only things become escalated to you when it’s really critical. And that’s one of the things that I do with teams that don’t quite have managers yet, right? Is, hey, let me sit down with folks that are running a certain project in the area or feeling stuck.
Let’s figure out how to move forward, and then let’s come back to you only when we really need that decision or approval or when it’s something that really, really needs you. So it’s a really great way to get space from being in the weeds and being in the details. I think it’s also when you feel like you’ve had a little bit too of a casualness with your team. And this is something that shows up a lot, I think, with smaller businesses or maybe in a team where you were managing former friends, that the interactions between you and your team members, it’s our kind of more casual and friends.
So it becomes really hard to deliver feedback. And your team members think like, yeah, yeah, I’m just going to do it this way. And that’s something, if that’s going on in your team, you’re not alone. This is something I hear about a lot. And as Team Whisperer, I can start to kind of become that bridge that says, hey, we’re going to kind of wrestle through this this way. And let’s come back, kind of create some space between you and your teams so that you can reestablish that authority and recenter around that respect that you need to have as a business owner.
Now, I did an episode a few weeks back on earning respect of your team. So this doesn’t mean telling them you must respect me, go through this intermediary. No, it’s about as we’re figuring out how to really situate you as that leader and as that person that’s really setting the direction, creating some space for you and resetting on communication norms. So that’s something that is really helpful to have, again, some support on, because it can feel like, well, shoot, I’m in too deep.
This is the way we communicate. And my team members kind of push me around and I don’t know how to get out of it. So that’s another thing that it can really help to sort of create some space. I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve been talking with a business owner or manager and they’ve said, I want to be a better manager. I just don’t know the steps. Tell me what to do and I’ll do it.
And frankly, I’ve felt that way too, even when I had been managing people for a while, because this stuff is hard and it changes all the time. So the last time someone asked me for the steps, I made a cheat sheet. Head to liagarva.com slash scorecard for 20 things you can do this month to be a better manager. This is literally your tell me what to do and I’ll do it steps to motivate your team and get better results.
There’s no time like the present. Grab the scorecard or write freaking out liagarva.com slash scorecard. Another thing that can kind of break down on teams is when we feel like we’re so clear on the vision as that business owner, as that team leader, we feel like we’ve been thinking about it forever. We know the values, we live and breathe them. The priorities are so clear to us or some change we’re implementing is so clear because we’ve thought about it for months.
And then we communicate that to our team and they’re like, I don’t get it, or they’re not on board with it, or they’re disagreeing, or they’re actually working against it. These are all things that I’ve seen with teams. For example, I have a team that I work with that changed some of their pricing on one of their most popular services, and they raised the pricing so that they could create a new model that actually better supports their clients.
So it was really, really thought through. The CEO did a ton of competitive research and analysis and really found, oh, wow, this price change actually allows us to deliver a better service, more comprehensive. But when she shared that with her team members, they flipped out. They said, how can you do this? We’re the ones that have to speak with the clients. I don’t agree. And it was a really frustrating situation for her. And what we did was we went back and said, okay, what is all the context that would be really helpful to set for the team?
And then where do we not have to over-communicate? And this is a really nuanced area. Any of us that feel like, well, I’ve been telling my team members everything, and I’m so transparent. Actually, sometimes it’s that we’ve said too much. We maybe are getting defensive or we’re kind of apologizing for making a change that was aligned with the business strategy. So what I love to do with business owners and team leaders is think, what is the right level of detail of communication for each of your different team members, or maybe for the managers and the individual contributors or whoever, and then figure out, okay, what do they need to know to feel like they can effectively implement this change or get on board?
So it’s not always one message. It’s not always given everything under the hood, but it’s being thoughtful about how am I going to communicate this so that it lands. Now, with the team members that in this case that were dealing with customers, the message really would have been more effective. It was like, hey, we made this change. I know you are right here working with customers. So let’s talk about how you are going to feel confident explaining it to them.
With other leaders, it’s like, hey, we’re all focused on revenue growth. So here’s why we’re doing this. And here’s how it better serves our clients. So it’s very different. And I think when we are implementing a change, it can feel exhausting. It can feel too time consuming to set these different levels of messaging. But when your team members are on board and they’re fighting against it, there is nothing that costs you more time than having to keep having the same conversation over and over and over.
And so that’s something that has been really, really powerful to work through is, what is our messaging strategy? How are we going to get people on board? And then I jump in and talk directly with the team members and say, hey, let’s talk about this. Where are you getting stuck? Where are you getting frustrated? Because you as a business owner don’t always have time to have those kind of micro coaching conversations that surface issues that maybe we didn’t think about.
And that’s something that is really, really powerful is going under the surface, is figuring out what are your team members not saying? Maybe I’m afraid to be in a sales conversation. I don’t like talking about money. I don’t know how to do this. There’s things when people have a resistance that they’re often not telling you. It’s usually about something else in life in general. It’s usually about something else. And so the part of this team whisper is getting under the surface and saying, OK, what’s really going on here?
Let’s figure out why you’re feeling stuck and how to get you the support on that so that you’re not actively working against the goals of the business. Because if you’re actually working against the goals of business, you’re probably not a fit long term. But that’s probably not what this is about. It’s probably about some fear that you have. So I help uncover that. And then people feel like, OK, we actually are way more aligned than we thought.
Now, years ago, I was working in a design team in a big tech company, and we had a designer that was whenever she would get work assigned, she was worried about it. She said, how do you make this done? It was like always a big thing. And folks started to become afraid to ask her to do stuff because it was always going to be a big situation. And I went and I sat down with her. I said, hey, like, you know, you’re a powerhouse of this work.
You’re always delivering everything you do. Turns out great. Like, but when we ask you to do something, there’s so much resistance. I’d love to know, like, what’s going on? How can I better support you? And she shared, you know, she was really worried that, you know, she had something going on in the evening so she would be able to stay late. And she shared that she, you know, didn’t always feel confident presenting. It means there was all this other stuff that had nothing to do with getting the work assigned.
And when I talked to her about it, we were able to really prioritize what had to get done. You know, we didn’t really need to introduce evening work. There was plenty of time during the day. We started practicing, you know, how is she going to present the information in meetings where she feels confident in front of executives. And one of the other producers a couple of weeks later came to me, said, hey, you know, how did you get through to her?
Like she used to be every freaking out every time we had new work assigned. And now she’s like, yeah, let’s bring it on. And I said to him, well, I went and I talked to her. I asked her what was going on. I didn’t just throw stuff over the fence and then say, oh, I hope she doesn’t complain this time. And I think if there’s one lesson that you can take away from this, a huge part of team whispering is listening to people, is really being in tune and taking those few minutes to understand what is actually going on.
Why is there resistance? What is this fear about? What is the disconnect about? Have I made assumptions? And again, as a business owner, as a leader, you are moving so fast. The vision is like tattooed to your brain, but it’s not always the case for our team members. And so, again, that’s why sort of figuring out, well, what is the right level of communication? How do I bring in that support where I need it so that I don’t have to be managing all this communication?
Because it can be a lot. And that’s why this is one of my favorite ways to support clients is because you literally have someone with my team whisper monthly consulting. You have a Swiss army knife of all team management, ops, all this stuff, coaching, whatever in your back pocket where I can be deployed to help wherever you need. So I do one-on-one coaching with team members. I do strategy sessions with business owners. I create SOPs and status reports and whatever.
I just say, okay, what is the exact thing this team needs at this moment? And then we work on that right away. So if you’re feeling like, gosh, I really could use some support bridging this gap between myself and my team members, let me know. I mean, this is something that can be game changing and create results right away because the shifts are often so simple. I know I always say it’s managing made simple. The things that are getting in the way, they are often, you know, they’re not that complicated.
They might not be easy to solve. They might take time, but they’re simple shifts that need to be made that we need to do over and over again and really getting a better rhythm around. But it’s not like you have to rebuild your whole business or get a whole nother team or change your strategy. They’re simple shifts. And I really want to help you identify those to bring ease back into your business. All right. See you next time.
That’s all I have for today. Thank you so much for tuning in to the Managing Made Simple podcast, where my goal is to demystify the job of people management so that together we can make the workplace somewhere everyone can thrive. With that said, let’s spread the word. If you love this episode, please pass it along to someone who might benefit from it. See you next time.
Questions this episode answers
What is a Team Whisperer and what do they actually do?
A Team Whisperer is a translator between a business owner or team leader and their team members. When work slows down, deadlines slip, or communication feels off, the gap is almost always a communication breakdown, not a people problem. A Team Whisperer steps in as an objective third party to identify what the leader is saying versus what the team is actually hearing, then bridges those two things. They also handle micro coaching conversations, surface hidden fears or blockers, and create messaging strategies so the owner does not have to manage every layer of communication personally.
Why does my team keep coming to me to solve every little problem?
When team members escalate everything to you, it usually means there is no system in place for solving problems at a lower level. As a business owner, staying in the weeds costs you the bandwidth you need to grow the business. The fix is to have someone, whether a trained manager or an outside consultant, sit with the team to work through issues and only bring things to you when a real decision or approval is needed. The goal is to protect your time while making sure your team still gets the support they need to move forward.
How do I get my team on board with a change they are pushing back against?
Resistance to change is almost never about the change itself. It is usually a fear or a gap in understanding. Before communicating a change, think about what each group actually needs to know to implement it confidently, not just the full strategy behind it. A team member who talks to customers needs to know how to explain the change to clients. A manager needs to know how it connects to revenue or company goals. Giving everyone the same message, or oversharing every detail, often makes resistance worse. Tailor the message to the audience so it lands clearly the first time.
What do I do when a team member resists new assignments or always pushes back?
Go talk to them directly and ask what is actually going on. In most cases, the resistance is not about the work itself. It is something else, like a fear of presenting to executives, a scheduling conflict, or a lack of confidence in a specific skill. When you take a few minutes to ask and listen, you often find the real blocker is small and solvable. Ignoring it and hoping they come around costs far more time because you end up having the same conversation repeatedly instead of solving it once.
Is being too transparent with my team ever a problem?
Yes. Over-communicating can be just as damaging as under-communicating. When owners share every detail behind a decision, it can come across as defensive or apologetic, which actually signals to the team that the decision is up for debate. The better approach is to think carefully about what each person or group needs to know to feel confident and move forward, then stop there. Being thoughtful about the right level of detail for each audience is what gets people aligned, not dumping everything under the hood all at once.