Toyota Kata Starter: What are the main management aspects you should consider when implementing this methodology? I’m starting a new series on manufacturing and operations management. In this first episode of the series, we will talk about some management aspects of implementing Toyota Kata Starter. We will discuss: What you should consider when im…

What’s the best way to make a presentation to executive management? You frustrated you are dragging your feet to prepare presentations to upper management, even though you never procrastinate anything else in your to do list. You hate PowerPoint, and is sure everyone else does the same. I’m here to provide you some tips on what to consider when cre…

In this episode, we'll be talking about how hard is to change. We always want to change something in our lives, to get to a new place. But from the point of view of where we currently are, any change seems impossible. Sometimes it's just easier to think about quitting and just give up. We are at the top of a mountain looking away to the distance, t…

In this episode, we discuss how to deal with an extremely appeasing boss, often called overly democratic or even conflict adverse leader. This is the boss who struggles with conflict and often tries to manipulates his team to achieve his own objectives. This type of manager believes that they need to have approval and consensus of their team to imp…

In this episode, we're going to talk about the need to know that the things you do can be achieved in different ways. In the technical field, there is a great tendency towards perfectionism when trying to find solutions. It's as if there's only one solution to be found on anything we do. It also seems that we can't afford to make mistakes and learn…

In this episode, I’ll discuss three productivity books I read recently and my opinion about them. Here it goes the good, the bad and the ugly: 1) The Only Thing– by Gary Keller e Joy Papasan. https://a.co/d/gbAUiVR 5 Stars! Highly recommended! 2) Stolen focus – by Johann Hari https://a.co/d/1b30RB5 Average... 3 stars! 3) How to win friends and mana…

Making everyone talk to each other is enough to coordinate your team? A scenario that is way too common. A team doesn’t communicate internally and needs to deal with external teams in the organization. When a client outside of your team asks you: “Are you talk to each other there?” When you try to do some internal communication and they say: “Do I …

How to deal with a overwhelmed boss at work? First things first, you can’t change anyone. Don’t try to change your manager. Understand your objectives and what you want to take out of the situation. Look at the situation from a broader perspective. Are you the only one who is perceiving this situation or others in the organization are being impacte…

Are you feeling overwhelmed managing your team? In this episode I’ll give you some things you should considered when you feel overwhelmed at work. IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN The paradox of competency Reorganizing your team Resetting your expectations as a manager THE ONE TAKE AWAY FROM THIS EPISODE Feeling overloaded and overwhelmed could be a …

How to Lead Through Layoffs? Recently, Google, Microsoft, Amazon and Meta announced the layoff of tens of thousands of technology workers. Now you are the one who should deal with the mess created by these changes. You need to motivate a team deeply affected by the cuts, left behind without direction and overwhelm with work... The bucket stops ther…

Many times we set objectives and forget about them. We end up never doing them, but we start to feel frustrated we can’t get anything accomplished. In this episode, I discuss three different things you should know about dealing with objectives that will help you overcome this feeling of frustration. IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN What happens when …

In this episode I provide you a way to develop a repository of processes in your organization. I discuss what I would do specifically if I were to start from scratch creating processes in a new organization. IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN - The difference between policies, processes and procedures; - Categories of processes you can create and examp…

What should you about quiet quitting in your organization? In this Monday’s brief, I provide you some quick tips on how to deal with the quiet quitting trend, when people are silently quitting their work in your organization. Listen to learn why they do so and how to avoit this situation. Schedule a mentoring session with me: https://rodrigocaetano…

Looking for a way to create a skill development plan to further develop competencies in your organization? In this episode, I discuss the big myths about developing skills and provide a step-by-step approach on how to create a comprehensive skill development strategy. Remeber to download the template below! Download my Skill Development Plan templa…

How to reframe difficult situations? Reframing is changing an experience by putting another frame around it. It's like seeing things from a different perspective. As a manager, you will need to lead through difficult situations. You can use reframing as a tool to help you overcome difficulties and overcame obstacles. In this episode you will learn:…

What should you not delegate? There are situations when delegating will makes things worst. Most of the time you will be the one who will be making the call if something needs to be delegated and should know if you are getting results. In this episode you will learn: Everyone tells you should delegate, e-ve-ry-thi-ng; There are situations where del…

How to deal with strategic changes in your project? The world has changed, but your plan is still the same. That’s what normally happens when you came with your first strategic plan. In this episode, I’m going to discuss how to keep your plan relevant, when things in the real world change. IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN: At 1:20’, Here is the news:…

How can you limit your availability to get more work done? If you are tired of being interrupted at work, learn 8 ways you can limit your availability to take control of your deliverables. IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN: At 0:40’, how does it feel to be the center of the universe; At 1:50’, why you should limit your availability; At 4:50’, 8 ways t…

Do you think these corporate confidentiality contracts can really bite you? Yes, they can and you should be aware of the implication of signing them. NDAs, employment contracts, general confidentiality agreements, you name it. Read and understand everything first, before signing them. IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN: At 1:15’, Street Smart considera…

How to see the big picture when things are going down the drain? Learn how you can recover when one of your most important projects is going down the drain and you are spinning your wheels. IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN: At 0:44, How to see the big picture when your projects are going down the drain? At 3:30, the most important step to take when y…

How to work with someone who is grieving? In this episode, I reflect about how to help someone in your team who is grieving and is coping with loss. IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN: At 3:36, what to do when you have someone in the office who has lost a loved one; At 5:29, each culture has a different way to dealing with losses; At 6:56, what to expe…

At work, do you feel more like fish outside the water? Or do you feel you are someone who is fully engaged on what you are working on? In this episode, I’ll share a story about someone who inspired me how to deal with situations where you don’t feel you are in the right place. In This Episode You will Learn: At 0:57, An important question I want to…

Do you think problems can solve themselves? In this episode I share a story from my development days regarding an intermittent problem that taught me a great lesson. There are different ways you can deal with problems in your organization. One is to merely disregard them, thinking they will solve themselves. In reality, the most difficult problems,…

If you are managing change, listen to this episode. Some people are afraid of changing things. I know... In this episode, I share a story that happened early on in my career. This was a big lesson about building something new and completely changing how people worked. We often forget the impact we bring when we build something new. When you build s…

Can you believe we’ve reached our 50th episode? In this episode, I have a special guest. This person always wanted to know more about my work. So, we put some questions together and let her do the interview. Let’s celebrate! 50 episodes is a big milestones and I’m super excited about what’s coming next. It’s been really fun to be with you in this j…

Do you think pressuring people will get more done in your project? When something doesn’t get done, you may think that pressuring people may help you get more results. You may think this is a good way to get things done. However, there are better ways to deal with this problem. In this episode I’ll share my advice on how to deal with this situation…

What’s the best way to create a transition plan? In this episode, I’ll share my experience undergoing transitions and provide my advice on how to minimize issues during the management changes.By Rodrigo Caetano

Are you rushing through decisions and causing your own problems? Decision making in management – In this episode, learn how to deal with pressure and make decisions that will have a positive impact in your team.By Rodrigo Caetano

How can you stop sounding like a broken record? You’ve probably been to that situation where you are trying to avoid a major issue, but now one is listening to you. It seems everyone is focussed on their own issues and don’t realize that if they don’t act immediately, they will be dealing with a big fire down the road. Yes, it’s frustrating to not …

Hi! I’m Rodrigo Caetano and I’m a technology strategist and advisor. I care deeply about how you manage your team. From a virtual location around the globe, here is my new advice podcast. Strategic What?! Podcast The way you lead will not only affect your life, but also the lives of all who report to you and are around you: your family, friends and…

What’s the most important skill you need to learn as a manager? The biggest misconception people have as new managers is that they need to learn new ways to do everything they are asked to. In this episode, you’ll learn that dropping the ball is as important as doing everything people throw at you.By Rodrigo Caetano

What to do when your project spreadsheets are getting too complicated? Learn what to do when you are managing and things start to get complicated. In this episode, I’ll share my approach to dealing with Excel spreadsheet in projects. References: Wrike https://www.wrike.com/ Scoro https://www.scoro.com/ Proworkflow https://www.proworkflow.com/ Subsc…

What to do when you are promoted? You did a great job and got promoted. The celebration is over and you are now back to your cubicle realizing what you got into. In this episode, I share with you my strategy on how to start in a new position after being promoted.By Rodrigo Caetano

What to do when you feel stuck in the trenches working for a manager who doesn’t want to grow? You are an innovator. You enjoy your job. You wan to grow. However, you’ve been working for a manager who makes you feel stuck in the trenches doing the hard work without perspective of growth. Listen to this podcast to learn a strategy on how to dig your…

Who is your backup? Learn why having a succession plan is important for your team and your career. In this episode, I provide some of my experience dealing with succession planning and what happens when you don’t have one.By Rodrigo Caetano

Do you really need to do everything they ask you for? Learn a few tips on how to avoid burning out with your workload. In this episode, I share my experience dealing with burnout and how I manage my rest. Keep listening…By Rodrigo Caetano

Should you get better at delegating and delegate everything? The short answer is “No!”. There are specific tasks you should never delegate and you should do yourself. Knowing what to delegate will make a huge difference for you as a manager. Keep listening to learn more…By Rodrigo Caetano

Feeling unlucky? When something happens to you, what is your reaction? Do you feel lucky? Unlucky? Listen to this episode and learn that being lucky or unlucky is just a point of view and everything in the world is relative. Start to take facts of life as they are: just experiences. Keep listening…By Rodrigo Caetano

Heraclitus used to say that you can’t cross the same river twice. So, you can’t walk into the same door, cross the same bridge or do the same things twice. No matter how hard you try. Life will move on. Time will pass. People will change. This is a very liberating thought, since you will evolve and gain more experience as you progress in your life …

How to deal with high conflict managers? In this episode, you will learn how to identify if you are working to someone who is merely a bad boss or someone who has a social disorder. I’ll also give some tips based on my personal experience dealing with this type of managers. References: This episode was created using the following book as a referenc…

How to deal with perfectionism? Being a perfectionist manager will be a very painful experience and won’t get you far in your managerial career. Try prioritizing your work and focus on creating results. In this episode, I share my approach to dealing with perfectionism. Keep listening…By Rodrigo Caetano

Do your really need to be always an assertive manager? Someone may have told you in the past that managers need to be tough, hard and threatening to get things done. However, is that true? In this episode, I explore one of the real quality of a great manager: flexibility. You will need to have different styles of leadership to achieve results in di…

What to expect when you lead a team in real life? Many people think that they will be leading their teams for many years and get to know each person in a very deep level. The reality shows us that as we progress in our management careers we end up having to lead new teams with people we never worked before. In this episode I share my strategy on ho…

What is the most relevant advice I could give on project management? In this episode, I’ll share you one could change the way you manage your projects. Not many project managers do this well and you could differentiate yourself if you do it consistently. Keep listening. References: UDEN (Utah Digital Entertainment Network) - https://www.utahden.org…

How to create a training manual for a company program? In this episode, I provide you insight on how to create a best practices or training manual to any type of program in your organization. Learn the best way to put together content that will make a difference in your organization. References: Training Manual Template - download here.…

Why you shouldn’t simply delegate work and trust that things will get done. Managing requires a lot of work. An important element of your work is how you delegate tasks. An even more important element is how you check if things were done. In this episode, I discuss why you need to trust, but also verify if the work has been done.…

How to manage your team during crisis? Learn how to deal with difficult situations and deliver results. In this episode, I discuss the most important aspects of your work when you are under extreme pressure and dealing with difficult issues.By Rodrigo Caetano

Learn how to be a leader, stop spreading negative vibes in the office. When people come to you complaining about other people, be the person who can raise the game and provide a positive attitude in your organization. Listen to this episode to learn how I deal with negative comments about other people.…

Is there a better way to communicate with difficult people? Learn a strategy I use to communicate in difficult situations. When working in the office, you may not be able to choose with whom you’d like to work with. However, you need to get results. In this episode, I share a communication strategy I use personally use to get results.…

What should you to get things done? Learn to communicate better, to get better results. You can’t chance people, but you can change the way you relate to people and how you communicate to them. In this episode, I provide you simple tips on how to do a better job communicating and getting better results.…