Episodes

  • How New Managers Can Navigate Their First Performance Review Cycle

    How New Managers Can Navigate Their First Performance Review Cycle
    Jun 29 2026
    Lucas and Luna break down what new managers need to know ahead of their first performance review cycle as a reviewer. They cover three specific pitfalls: the recency bias trap, the anchoring effect from your own rating history, and the danger of averaging good work into a mediocre score. Lucas shares a concrete framework from a tech company's calibration session where managers revised initial scores after forced ranking. Luna asks about self-reviews and whether managers should coach their reports before they submit. The episode closes with a practical checklist: read past reviews for patterns, write in batches to avoid drift, and always run your ratings past a peer before calibration. No fluff, just the mechanics of getting reviews right the first time. #PerformanceReviews #NewManager #Careers #Management #HR #Feedback #Calibration #RecencyBias #Leadership #ManagerTips #PerformanceManagement #CareerGrowth #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #MistakesToAvoid #PeopleManagement #FirstTimeManager #Coaching Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    8 mins
  • How New Managers Can Protect Their Team from Organisational Chaos

    How New Managers Can Protect Their Team from Organisational Chaos
    Jun 29 2026
    In this episode, Lucas and Luna dive into one of the hardest new-manager challenges: shielding your team from organisational chaos without becoming a bottleneck. Using the example of a director at a fast-growing SaaS company who lost her best engineer because she protected him from every distraction, they explore the difference between 'covering for your team' and 'buffering strategically'. Lucas introduces the 'porous umbrella' framework — where you filter noise but let through enough signal for your team to stay aligned — and walks through a concrete decision tree for when to absorb, when to delegate, and when to push back upward. Luna pushes back with a real story about a manager who over-filtered and ended up blindsided. They close with a practical script for the 'protective no' — how to say no to a request from above without sounding defensive. This is episode 81 of New Manager Conversations with Fexingo. #NewManagers #Leadership #OrganisationalChaos #ShieldingYourTeam #Buffer #SaaS #SayingNo #ManagingUp #PorousUmbrella #DecisionTree #Bottleneck #CareerAdvice #First90Days #ManagementBasics #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #Careers #LeadershipSkills Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    11 mins
  • How New Managers Can Fire Someone With Respect

    How New Managers Can Fire Someone With Respect
    Jun 28 2026
    Episode 80 of New Manager Conversations tackles one of the hardest tasks a new manager faces: terminating a team member. Lucas and Luna walk through a real-world scenario—a manager at a 50-person SaaS company named Maya who had to let go of a low-performing employee who was also well-liked. They discuss pre-termination documentation, the actual conversation script, and how to handle the aftermath with the remaining team. Specific advice: have three written performance conversations before considering termination, and deliver the news in under 90 seconds. They also cover emotional preparation and avoiding wrongful-termination pitfalls. A must-listen for any first-time manager facing this uncomfortable but sometimes necessary step. #NewManager #Termination #DifficultConversations #Leadership #Management #Careers #FiringWithRespect #PerformanceManagement #SaaS #Maya #EmployeeTermination #Documentation #WrongfulTermination #TeamMorale #ManagingOut #FirstTimeManager #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    9 mins
  • How New Managers Can Handle a Team Member in Career Transition

    How New Managers Can Handle a Team Member in Career Transition
    Jun 28 2026
    Episode 79 tackles a tough new-manager scenario: when a high-performing team member tells you they're exploring a move — either internally or to another company. Lucas and Luna break down a real situation where a first-time manager at a mid-size SaaS company learned that her senior engineer was interviewing elsewhere. They walk through how to respond without overreacting, how to keep the conversation productive, and how to use the moment to strengthen the relationship rather than damage it. The episode covers three specific moves: asking the right diagnostic questions, offering to be a reference or connector, and setting a follow-up cadence that respects the employee's timeline. No guilt trips, no forced retention pitches — just practical steps for leading through uncertainty. The hosts also touch on how these conversations reveal gaps in your own leadership, and why a candid transition talk can sometimes turn a leaver into a stayer. #CareerTransition #NewManager #Retention #Leadership #ManagingLeavers #EmployeeDevelopment #FirstTimeManager #TeamDynamics #ConversationSkills #TrustBuilding #SaaS #PeopleManagement #CareerMoves #ManagerTips #FexingoBusiness #Careers #BusinessPodcast #LeadershipBasics Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    10 mins
  • How New Managers Can Set Boundaries With Their Team

    How New Managers Can Set Boundaries With Their Team
    Jun 27 2026
    Lucas and Luna tackle one of the trickiest transitions for new managers: moving from peer to boss while maintaining relationships. They discuss the 'friendship-to-authority' spectrum, share concrete language for setting boundaries without damaging trust, and walk through a real scenario involving a former teammate who keeps texting after hours. Lucas cites a 2025 study from the Center for Creative Leadership showing that 62% of first-time managers struggle with boundary-setting in their first six months. The episode also covers how to handle requests that fall outside your team's scope, and why clear boundaries actually increase team autonomy. Whether you're managing former friends, older colleagues, or just need to stop being everyone's go-to for non-work chatter, this episode gives you scripts that work. #NewManager #Leadership #Boundaries #ManagingPeers #First90Days #WorkLifeBalance #TeamAutonomy #CommunicationSkills #ManagerAdvice #CareerGrowth #ProfessionalDevelopment #LeadershipBasics #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #Careers #RemoteWork #HybridWork #BoundarySetting Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    12 mins
  • How New Managers Can Handle a Team Member Who Knows More Than Them

    How New Managers Can Handle a Team Member Who Knows More Than Them
    Jun 27 2026
    In this episode, Lucas and Luna tackle a situation every new manager dreads: leading someone who is more technically skilled or experienced than you are. They explore why this dynamic is common, especially for first-time managers promoted from within, and discuss practical ways to shift from being the expert to being the orchestrator. Using the example of a software engineer turned team lead at a mid-sized SaaS company, they walk through how to leverage the senior team member's expertise without losing authority. Lucas shares a framework he calls 'delegating up' — giving the expert ownership over key decisions while you manage scope and stakeholders. They also address the psychological pressure of feeling like a fraud when your team knows more than you do, and how to reframe your role as a multiplier rather than a contributor. By the end, listeners will have a concrete three-step plan for turning a knowledge gap into a leadership advantage. #NewManager #Leadership #ManagingFormerPeers #FirstTimeManager #TechnicalLeadership #ImposterSyndrome #Delegation #TeamDynamics #CareerGrowth #ManagementSkills #ExpertiseGap #TransitionToManager #TrustBuilding #FeedbackCulture #OneOnOne #PeopleManagement #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    12 mins
  • How New Managers Can Handle Feedback From Their Own Team

    How New Managers Can Handle Feedback From Their Own Team
    Jun 26 2026
    Episode 76 of New Manager Conversations tackles a subtle but defining challenge: receiving feedback from the people you now manage. Lucas and Luna break down a 2024 study from The Journal of Applied Psychology showing that managers who solicit upward feedback in their first 90 days retain team members at 40% higher rates. They walk through the concrete script for asking 'What should I stop, start, or continue?' in a one-on-one, and why the impulse to defend yourself is the single biggest trust-killer. No theory — just the specific language and timing that makes the difference between a team that tells you the truth and one that tells you what you want to hear. #NewManager #LeadershipBasics #First90Days #UpwardFeedback #FeedbackCulture #ManagingFormerPeers #TrustBuilding #OneOnOnes #CommunicationSkills #CareerGrowth #PeopleManagement #PsychologyOfFeedback #JournalOfAppliedPsychology #StopStartContinue #Defensiveness #TeamRetention #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    12 mins
  • How New Managers Can Run a One-on-One That Actually Matters

    How New Managers Can Run a One-on-One That Actually Matters
    Jun 26 2026
    Episode 75 of New Manager Conversations with Fexingo dives into the single most underused tool in a first-time manager's kit: the weekly one-on-one. Lucas and Luna walk through a concrete case: a new engineering manager at a mid-size SaaS company who inherited a team of six and initially treated 1:1s as status updates. They break down why that fails, the three-question framework that replaces it, and the specific ratio of listening to talking that changed the team's retention. No generic advice. Real numbers: the manager's team saw a 40 percent drop in escalations within eight weeks. If you're a new manager spending your 1:1s reciting project timelines, this episode will show you exactly what to do instead. #NewManager #OneOnOne #Management #Leadership #FirstTimeManager #CareerAdvice #TeamBuilding #EmployeeRetention #ManagerTraining #Coaching #SaaS #EngineeringManager #CommunicationSkills #WorkplaceCulture #Careers #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #LeadershipBasics Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    8 mins