How do you make your team members feel truly seen and heard at work?
It’s a common struggle for many managers, but this week’s guest says there’s something even more powerful than praising your team.
Joining me today is Dr. Caroline Fleck. Caroline is a licensed psychologist, corporate consultant, and an Adjunct Clinical Instructor at Stanford University. She is the author of Validation: How the Skill Set That Revolutionized Psychology Will Transform Your Relationships, Increase Your Influence, and Change Your Life.
In this episode, Dr. Fleck explains that validation isn’t just about acknowledging someone’s work; it’s about showing genuine understanding and acceptance of them as individuals.
She also shares simple techniques that managers can use to validate their team members, especially when navigating difficult conversations or conflicts.
Plus, in the extended episode available to Podcast+ members, Dr. Fleck breaks down how validation can support behavior change.
Join the conversation now!
Conversation Topics
- (00:00) Introduction
- (01:51) Validation vs. praise: what’s the difference?
- (04:54) The three components of validation
- (06:37) Techniques for validating when empathy is difficult
- (09:12) The impact of intuition in understanding others’ feelings
- (10:49) How to recover when you get validation wrong
- (13:09) Why validation is the most crucial quality in relationships
- (14:54) An example of validation strengthening a manager-employee relationship
- (19:06) How to validate without agreeing
- (28:02) A great manager Caroline has worked for
- (29:24) Keep up with Caroline
- (30:07) [Extended Episode Only] How to use validation to support behavior change
- (36:20) [Extended Episode Only] The power of validation in meetings
Additional Resources:
- Read the full transcript
here- Follow me on Instagram
here - Visit my website for more
here- Subscribe to my YouTube Channel
here- Check out these 20 Best Team Building Podcasts
here
Keep up with Caroline Fleck
- Grab a copy of her book
here- Visit her website for more information
here
Discount on Validation: How the Skill Set That Revolutionized Psychology Will Transform Your Relationships, Increase Your Influence, and Change Your Life
Caroline is providing members of Podcast+ with a discount on her book Validation: How the Skill Set That Revolutionized Psychology Will Transform Your Relationships, Increase Your Influence, and Change Your Life.
Full of captivating stories, laugh-out-loud moments, and actionable takeaways, Validation reveals how the science of seeing and being seen is the key to inner and interpersonal transformation.
---------------------
The Modern Manager is a leadership podcast for rockstar managers who want to create a working environment where people thrive, and great work gets done.
Follow The Modern Manager on your favorite podcast platform so you won’t miss an episode!
What is The Modern Manager?
Practical management skills you can use this week. Host Mamie Kanfer Stewart helps managers close the gap between knowing what good management looks like and actually doing it.
Each week brings either a short solo lesson with one tool you can use right away, or a conversation with an expert on topics like feedback, difficult conversations, delegation, meetings, strategic thinking, team culture, collaboration and using AI at work.
Get new episodes and one-page takeaways by email: https://www.themodernmanager.com