Listen now:
Priyamvada Srivastava, former Vice President & Country Manager at Procter & Gamble, is an ICF certified leadership coach. Priya started her career at P&G after pivoting from academia to sales, and faced a tough first year that fundamentally reshaped how she approached her work.
In this episode, Priya candidly shares:
Why her first year was a disaster: the critical conversation she never had with her manager (but you should)
The three habits of top-performing new hires: based on Priya's years leading P&G’s new hire onboarding
Why your manager is one of three people in life you don’t get to choose—and practical steps to make that relationship thrive
If you’re transitioning from student life to working life, or if your career didn’t start the way you hoped, or if you’re trying to find your rhythm with your manager, this episode is for you.
In The Career Clinic, Priya answers your career questions on how to manage your manager, including:
The "ways of working" conversation every new hire must have—setting clear goals and expectations from day one
The three-bucket method for giving smart updates: show what’s under control, where you need some guidance, and where you're completely blocked
When you get over your fear of judgement, leadership reviews become less scary and more useful
How to get real, useful feedback from your manager: Directly ask, “please tell it to me straight, don’t sugarcoat it. I'll handle it better if I know the truth.” …and so much more
Some key takeaways:
1. Doing well in school doesn’t prepare you for doing well at work: “I knew how to ace exams. I didn’t know how to align with a manager.”
2. Not aligning with your manager can undo your effort: “I thought hitting the target was enough. But I’d never even had a goals discussion.”
3. A bad start can fuel long-term growth: “If I hadn’t had that rough start, I’d never have learned the habits that helped me grow for the next 20 years.”
4. Be open to hard truths—feedback isn’t judgment: “I tell my manager: Don’t sugarcoat it. I’ll feel bad for 30 seconds, then I’ll get better.”
5. Your manager is one of three people in life you don’t get to choose—so make the equation work: “Don’t wait for them to change. Adapt to their style to get what you need: goals, feedback, teaching, resources.”
6. Use the three-bucket method to give updates that build trust: What’s on track (just FYI); Where you need input; Where you’re blocked and need help
7. Courage isn’t the absence of fear—it’s speaking up despite it: "“My ears would go red. My heart would race. I still said it. Because if you don't ask, the answer is definitely no. If you ask, there's still a chance.”
8. Get your hands dirty to learn fast: “Spend less time on Excel. Be on the ground. Go where the action is.”
9. Have a working styles conversation upfront: “Figure out how your manager likes to work—printouts, weekly syncs, Slack pings. Don’t assume.”
10. Reflection is your growth multiplier: “Pain plus reflection equals growth. Write down what worked. And what didn’t.”
Where to find Priyamvada Srivastava: https://www.linkedin.com/in/priya-leadership-coach/
In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) Introducing Priyamvada Srivastava
(03:39) Choosing her field: From academia to sales
(05:15) Prep Mode on: How to land your dream job
(07:15) My first year was a disaster—here’s what I learned
(11:16) Your manager: single most important relationship at work for young professionals
(14:00) Four steps to managing your manager
(15:15) “This is what you’re not good at” – when feedback hits you
(19:05) Get to the heart of sugar-coated feedback
(20:33) Three habits of high-impact new hires
(23:15) FJPs: Tool to focus on most impactful work
(25:15) Courage at work: “If you don’t ask, the answer is definitely no”
(29:59) Work-life integration starts with your calendar
(33:23) Last in my batch to get promoted: what it taught me
(35:45) Why she left a VP role to become a coach
(38:10) The Career Clinic: Real questions, real advice
(38:25) The “ways of working” chat every new hire should have
(38:56) Updates your manager actually wants: The 3-bucket method
(42:18) Don’t freeze in meetings—here’s what to say
(44:00) Leadership reviews without the panic spiral
(46:10) Learning to grow at work: how to go about it
(50:22) Fast Track: Rapid-fire insights to bookmark
(53:20) Book and blog recommendations
Referenced:
The First 90 Days by Michael D. Watkins https://www.amazon.in/First-90-Days-Watkins/dp/1422188612/ref=monarch_sidesheet_title
Adam Grant on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/adamgrant/?hl=en
Principles: Life and Work by Ray Dalio https://www.amazon.in/Principles-Life-Work-Ray-Dalio/dp/1501124021/ref=monarch_sidesheet_title
Indra Nooyi’s Five Cs of Leadership
Editing and production: GreyLabs Media https://www.instagram.com/greylabsmedia/
Recording: https://riverside.fm/
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