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Let Me Speak To A Manager

Let Me Speak To A Manager

Ian Mathews and Frank Cava 188 Episodes Jul 20, 2026

Let Me Speak To A Manager is a business podcast hosted by Frank Cava and Ian Mathews, focusing on management training, career navigation, and high-stakes negotiation. The hosts share actionable strategies from their combined 50 years of experience in Fortune 500 executive leadership and entrepreneurship. Each episode covers topics like career advancement, leadership, culture, sales, and persuasion.

Episodes

Why Managers Promote People They Like
Why Managers Promote People They Like Jul 20, 2026 2124 Everyone says they hate office politics, but what if they’re misunderstanding the game? In this episode, Ian and Frank argue that likability isn’t manipulation or brown-nosing; it’s one of the most valuable career skills you can develop. Through stories from corporate America, professional sports, entrepreneurship, and their own careers, they explain why talented people often plateau while equally
The Career Audit Everyone Should Do
The Career Audit Everyone Should Do Jul 13, 2026 3131 Ian and Frank explore one of the biggest career questions people face:How do you know when it’s time to stay…and when it’s time to move on?Using stories from football, business, parenting, entrepreneurship, and decades of leadership experience, they discuss how to evaluate whether your work still energizes you or has become a constant source of frustration.They introduce practical tools like audit
The Pratfall Effect: Why “Perfect” Managers are the Worst
The Pratfall Effect: Why “Perfect” Managers are the Worst Jul 6, 2026 2065 Why Being Perfect Makes You a Worse Leader | The Prattfall Effect ExplainedShould leaders always have the answers?In this episode, Ian and Frank dive into one of psychology's most fascinating concepts: The Prattfall Effect. The idea that highly competent people actually become more likable when they occasionally reveal imperfections.Through stories about Adele's Grammy performance, Elon Musk study
Do Your Salespeople Negotiate with Ghosts?
Do Your Salespeople Negotiate with Ghosts? Jun 29, 2026 3342 Are you negotiating against real objections or imaginary ones?In this episode, Ian and Frank break down one of the biggest mistakes salespeople make during uncertain markets: negotiating with ghosts.Drawing on experiences from GE engineering sales, real estate investing, homebuilding, and sales management, they explore how fear, assumptions, and lack of confidence cause sales professionals to disc
Advice that Changed Our Careeers
Advice that Changed Our Careeers Jun 22, 2026 3961 Advice can change your life, but only if you're listening to the right people.In this episode, Ian and Frank explore the best advice they've ever received, the worst advice they ignored, and the lessons that completely changed their careers.They share personal stories about turning down traditional career paths, walking away from secure executive positions, leaving engineering and management track
Nice vs. Kind: The Truth About Candor at Work
Nice vs. Kind: The Truth About Candor at Work Jun 15, 2026 2157 In this episode, Ian and Frank tackle one of the most uncomfortable challenges in leadership, business, and relationships: telling people what they need to hear instead of what they want to hear.Using the famous confrontation scene from Jerry Maguire as a launching point, they explore the difference between being “nice” and being truly “kind.” The conversation dives into why so many workplace conf
911 vs. 411: How to stop running your business like it is on fire.
911 vs. 411: How to stop running your business like it is on fire. Jun 8, 2026 3538 In this episode, Frank and Ian unpack one of the biggest productivity killers in business and life: confusing 911s (true emergencies) with 411s (information only).Using stories from parenting, business leadership, sales management, real estate, and even Greek mythology, they explore why so many teams operate in a constant state of urgency and how that creates anxiety, inefficiency, and poor decisi
How To Change Anyone's Mind
How To Change Anyone's Mind Jun 1, 2026 3519 How do you change someone's mind when you don't have authority over them?Ian and Frank break down the psychology of persuasion, influence, and leadership by examining stories from Steve Jobs, Apple, corporate leadership, sales, entrepreneurship, and their own careers.They explore why smart people resist new ideas, how ego impacts decision-making, and practical techniques for influencing bosses, ex
Do You Maximize or Satisfice?
Do You Maximize or Satisfice? May 25, 2026 4176 People tend to fall into two categories as decision-makers. The first group is maximizers, those who strive to make choices that will return the maximum benefit. Then there are the satisficers (made-up word blending satisfy and suffice), those whose choices are determined by more modest criteria and nothing more. In this episode, we look at both approaches' ramifications and reflect on critical de
How Smart People Get Fooled by Randomness
How Smart People Get Fooled by Randomness May 18, 2026 3837 Why do smart people make terrible decisions?Because humans are wired to mistake randomness for patterns.In this episode, Ian and Frank break down:• Why one bad month doesn’t mean someone is failing• How managers overreact to short-term results• The psychology behind “hot streaks” and panic decisions• Why great leaders focus on process instead of emotion• The dangers of survivorship bias, recency b
Backward Induction: How to Reverse Engineer Any Goal
Backward Induction: How to Reverse Engineer Any Goal May 11, 2026 3036 In this episode, Ian and Frank break down the real difference between goals and resolutions, and why most people never achieve the things they say they want.Using stories from sports, business, leadership, sales, fitness, and personal growth, they unpack how elite performers reverse engineer success by focusing on measurable actions, process goals, and momentum instead of vague ambition.From John
Can You Work 40 Hours a Week and Still Be Considered Ambitious?
Can You Work 40 Hours a Week and Still Be Considered Ambitious? May 4, 2026 2339 Ian and Frank tackle one of the most uncomfortable truths in business and life: success still requires hard work, and most people simply aren’t willing to do it.Through personal stories, brutal feedback from real-world marketing, and examples from figures like Dana White and Seth Rogen, they break down why “hustle culture” has gotten a bad reputation and what’s actually true about winning in today

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