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Handled by The Y Variable

Handled by The Y Variable

By: itstheyvariable
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Handled by The Y Variable, hosted by Yaa-Hemaa Obiri-Yeboah — founder of workplace consultancy The Y Variable — bridges the generational divide at work. Each episode translates cross-generational perspectives into practical strategies, helping both seasoned managers and emerging professionals navigate communication, collaboration, and career growth together.

Copyright 2025 All rights reserved.
Career Success Economics Management Management & Leadership Personal Development Personal Success
Episodes
  • Episode 21: Why Management Is a Lonely Job — And What to Do About It
    May 20 2026

    Management looks and feels different when you're doing it alone. In the third part of the “Leading from the Middle” series, we're talking about something organizations rarely name: the fact that management is a lonely job and isolation isn't something you just push through. You need to build something that takes you out of that isolation.

    In this episode, we break down the three circles of your workplace village as a manager: the internal peers who give you different generational perspectives, the external network that helps you calibrate what's actually new versus what's occurred before, and the mentors and sponsors who help you see the patterns beneath the noise.

    We also get honest about the competition question. What's the right posture to take when your colleagues are also - potentially - your competition?

    If you're a manager leading from the middle in a multigenerational workplace, this episode is for you.

    Subscribe for weekly episodes on multigenerational workplace dynamics, practical management systems, and building teams that actually work.

    WAITLIST and FREE RESOURCE: The Workplace Translation Starter Guide Decode vague workplace phrases, clarify expectations, and communicate with impact, so nothing gets lost in translation. Your first look at the tools inside the Workplace Village Method Toolkit. Sign up for the free resource and join the waitlist for early access and exclusive bonuses: https://variable.gumroad.com/l/dwylk

    Connect with Yaa-Hemaa: Website: https://theyvariable.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yaa-hemaa-obiri-yeboah-3231659/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itstheyvariable/

    Find me on Instagram: @handledshow @itstheyvariable. TikTok: @itstheyvariable

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    10 mins
  • How to Manage Up When Your Boss Won't Listen (Middle Manager Guide)
    Apr 28 2026

    In this episode of Handled by The Y Variable, we're tackling one of the more frustrating positions a middle manager can be in: you can see the problem, your team can see the problem, but the people with the power to fix the issues aren't interested, or just don't care.

    This is the second part of the Leading from the Middle series. In today's episode, the generational challenge isn't coming from your team. It's coming from your boss above you.

    We break down the three types of resistant leadership you're likely facing:

    • The Traditionalist who genuinely believes the old way still works;
    • The Dismissive Leader who is unable to see the problem because it doesn't affect or impact them directly;
    • The Protector who agrees change is needed but has chosen not to be the one to bring about the change.

    You'll also get two core principles for managing up effectively: how to lead with leadership's priorities (not yours), and why you need to build your coalition before you even walk into the room.

    We'll talk about how to translate what your team needs into language leadership will actually hear and (hopefully!) galvanize behind.

    This is leading from the middle and it is one of the most underrated, underacknowledged leadership positions in any organization.

    Subscribe for weekly episodes on multigenerational workplace dynamics, practical management systems, and building teams that actually work.

    WAITLIST and FREE RESOURCE: The Workplace Translation Starter Guide Decode vague workplace phrases, clarify expectations, and communicate with impact, so nothing gets lost in translation. Your first look at the tools inside the Workplace Village Method Toolkit. Sign up for the free resource and join the waitlist for early access and exclusive bonuses https://stan.store/theyvariable/p/workplace-translation-starter-guide

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    10 mins
  • When You’re the Youngest Leader in the Room: Managing Up the Age Ladder
    Apr 14 2026

    You got the title and then you looked around the room during your first team meeting and realized: some of these people have been doing this longer than I’ve been working!

    This episode is for the younger manager navigating dynamics with team members with more experience. This is for the millennial manager, the younger Gen X leader and the older Gen Z professional stepping into their first leadership role. If you’ve been trying to figure out how to lead people who are older, more experienced, or maybe quietly (or not so quietly) skeptical that you should be in charge, then this episode will resonate. We break down: • The three types of experienced colleagues you’re likely managing - The Ally, The Skeptic, and The Resistant Colleague - and how to approach each one; • Why your organization probably never prepared you for this specific dynamic (and what to do about it); • The “confidence tax” younger managers carry and how you can quiet the noise; and, • The posture you can take in order to lead with authority AND respect.

    This is leading from the middle and it is one of the most underrated, underacknowledged leadership positions in any organization.

    Subscribe for weekly episodes on multigenerational workplace dynamics, practical management systems, and building teams that actually work.

    WAITLIST and FREE RESOURCE: The Workplace Translation Starter Guide Decode vague workplace phrases, clarify expectations, and communicate with impact, so nothing gets lost in translation. Your first look at the tools inside the Workplace Village Method Toolkit. Sign up for the free resource and join the waitlist for early access and exclusive bonuses https://stan.store/theyvariable/p/workplace-translation-starter-guide

    Connect with Yaa-Hemaa: Website: https://theyvariable.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yaa-hemaa-obiri-yeboah-3231659/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itstheyvariable/

    Find me on Instagram: @handledshow @itstheyvariable. TikTok: @itstheyvariable

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    12 mins
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