197. Do HR Managers work?
Mon Feb 02 2026
We compare hands-on craft with hands-on leadership and ask whether the best managers must be able to do the job. Stories of bad HR-only management, better coaching habits, and how trust plus context beat micromanagement every time.
• tradeoffs between art, craft, and making a living
• repair culture vs modern tech and subscriptions
• practitioner managers vs HR-only managers
• why context matters in software and product work
• how micromanagement kills learning and autonomy
• using a 30-60-90 reset when inheriting teams
• when HR models work in unions and first response
• sales as a domain that demands expert lineage
• interview questions to spot supportive managers
• outcomes, trust, and stepping in only when needed
Join our Discord: scroll to the show notes, hit the Discord button, and hop in
You can be completely anonymous, lurk, or play our AI image challenge
Support the show: Buy us a coffee or grab some swag
Share this with coworkers, friends, family, and neighbors
Click/Tap HERE for everything Corporate Strategy
Elevator Music by Julian Avila
Promoted by MrSnooze
Don't forget ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ it helps!
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We compare hands-on craft with hands-on leadership and ask whether the best managers must be able to do the job. Stories of bad HR-only management, better coaching habits, and how trust plus context beat micromanagement every time. • tradeoffs between art, craft, and making a living • repair culture vs modern tech and subscriptions • practitioner managers vs HR-only managers • why context matters in software and product work • how micromanagement kills learning and autonomy • using a 30-60-90 reset when inheriting teams • when HR models work in unions and first response • sales as a domain that demands expert lineage • interview questions to spot supportive managers • outcomes, trust, and stepping in only when needed Join our Discord: scroll to the show notes, hit the Discord button, and hop in You can be completely anonymous, lurk, or play our AI image challenge Support the show: Buy us a coffee or grab some swag Share this with coworkers, friends, family, and neighbors Click/Tap HERE for everything Corporate Strategy Elevator Music by Julian Avila Promoted by MrSnooze Don't forget ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ it helps!