Listen Now

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 is reframing? Why reframing matters? Some reframing examples. Using reframing to deal with a very difficult situation; How to use reframing in your day-to-day work; You always have the option of reframing your experience and lead your team through difficult times.   The one take away from this episode: When your team faces an incredibly difficult situation, try reframing it see different perspectives so you can get better results.   Links & Tools from this episode: Listen to more episodes: https://rodrigocaetano.com/podcast Connect with Rodrigo Caetano: Contact me! Subscribe and Get my best work: Practical Management Tips  

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 delegating can make things worst; What to do when you delegate, delegate and delegate and nothing happens; When you can't figure out what needs to be delegated; What to do when delegating important stuff; News from our community;   The one take away from this episode: What you should watch out, if you are delegating and things are not getting done.   Links & Tools from this episode: Listen to more episodes: https://rodrigocaetano.com/podcast Connect with Rodrigo Caetano: Contact me! Subscribe and Get my best work: Practical Management Tips  

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: Projects change! At 4:30’, Why it’s important to review your plan. At 7:20’, My advice on getting your project reviewed. At 8:40’, Going the extra mile on managing your project. At 9:45’, Intrinsic engineering bias you will find when brining changes;   At 11:17’, A personal example on how the context affected and changed the project we worked for; At13:34’, A few takeaways when dealing with strategic changes in your project;   At15:50’, News from our community!     THE ONE THING TO TAKE AWAY FROM THIS EPISODE: Take time to do a strategic reviews of your project, so you can incorporate strategic changes and adjust your plan.     LINKS & TOOLS FROM THIS EPISODE Learn more: https://rodrigocaetano.com/podcast Connect with Rodrigo: Contact me! Get my best work: Practical Management Tips  

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 to avoid being interrupted and limit your availability; At 5:20’, learn how to say no!; At 7:15’, avoid time wasting meetings; At 9:17’, check your emails only a couple times a day; At 11:40’, turn off distracting alerts; At 13:45’, stop answering your phone; At 13:45’, stop answering your phone; At 15:50’, wear earphones; At 17:20’, work from home; Do you have a strategy to limit your availability, share that with me through the email podcast@strategciwhat.com. I’d love to hear from you.     THE ONE THING TO TAKE AWAY FROM THIS EPISODE: Get less interrupted to get more work done.     LINKS & TOOLS FROM THIS EPISODE Learn more: https://rodrigocaetano.com/podcast/ Connect with Rodrigo: Contact me! Get my best work: Practical Management Tips  

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 considerations on signing any type of paperwork At 2:50’, Mike Grella: "Stop treating the NDA you signed like a used napkin." At 3:40’, The increasing requirements for secrecy in the corporate world At 7:20’, Why should you care about what you sign? At 9:45’, Implications of breaking contract terms At 11:40’, Examples where confidential information was exposed At 14:10’, Contracts that involve intellectual property can bite you At 17:35’, Read what you are signing and make sure you understand what you are committing to At 18:00’, My main considerations when signing paperwork     THE ONE THING TO TAKE AWAY FROM THIS EPISODE: You may think that signing confidentiality contracts might not be a big deal... but IT IS a big deal.     LINKS & TOOLS FROM THIS EPISODE Learn more: http://www.rodrigocaetano.com/podcast Connect with Rodrigo: Contact me! Get my best work: Practical Management Tips  

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 you are overwhelmed. At 5:15, finding out if what you need to do is really important. At 8:15, how to get the project unstuck. At 11:00, what is the best approach to get the planning done. At 13:50, additional advanced tips on how to see the big picture. At 19:00, the importance of your first working draft of your strategic plan. At 20:30, the big mistake people do when trying to see the big picture.     THE ONE THING TO TAKE AWAY FROM THIS EPISODE: When your projects are getting out of your control, decide what’s important and take some focused time to work on your plan. Not everything needs to be done. Not everything will get done.     LINKS & TOOLS FROM THIS EPISODE Learn more: https://rodrigocaetano.com/podcast/ Connect with Rodrigo: Contact me! Get my best work: Practical Management Tips    

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 expect from the person who is grieving; At 9:06, understand what the person may need to do after they lose someone; At 11:03, who should you contact if you need help managing someone who is grieving; At 11:46, how to be a supportive manager during these difficult situations;   THE ONE THING TO TAKE AWAY FROM THIS EPISODE: Be a manager someone can fully rely on: understand the grieving process the person is going through and respect their feelings.   LINKS & TOOLS FROM THIS EPISODE Learn more: rodrigocaetano.com/podcast Connect with Rodrigo: Contact me! Get my best work: Practical Management Tips    

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 ask you; At 2:55, A story of a friend who didn't think he was on his element; At 6:04, How the story impacted me; At 7:02, What happens if you don't say anything; At 7:26, What should you do when you don't feel you are in your element;   The One Thing to Take Away from This Episode: Are you not on your element? Do something about it! Don’t wait for things to change.     Links & Tools from This Episode: Learn more: rodrigocaetano.com/podcast Connect with Rodrigo: Contact me! Get my best work: Practical Management Tips

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, commonly related to cross-organization integrations, are those that are neglected and have a huge effect on your deliverables. Do you want to learn my take on this? Listen to this episode…   In this episode you will learn: I share a personal story that helped me understand the value of fixing broken things; I tell why this story was important for my managerial career; I give you six things you can do to find and fix issues in your organization;   The one take away from this episode: You need to be open and confident to learn what isn’t working in your organization. Unless you act, these problems will never be solved.   Links & Tools from this episode: Listen to more episodes: https://rodrigocaetano.com/podcast Connect with Rodrigo Caetano: Contact me! Subscribe and Get my best work: Practical Management Tips    

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 something that really works, people will never miss the old system or approach. Keep listening...   In This Episode You will Learn: At 1:05, a big lesson I’ve learned early on my career; At 7:13, the point I want to make with this story; At 8:02, no one misses the dinosaurs;     The One Thing to Take Away from This Episode:  No one will care about the old system when you implement something that works really well and help them in a tremendous way.     Links & Tools from This Episode: Learn more: rodrigocaetano.com/podcast Connect with Rodrigo: Contact me! Get my best work: Practical Management Tips  

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 journey.   In This Episode You will Learn: At 0:47, a behind the scenes look at my work in my consulting company and the type of work I do; At 7:35, a tip on how to become a better manager; At 9:04, a tip on where to start when you are struggling with your team; At 13:00, learn how I became a podcaster;   The One Thing to Take Away from This Episode: It’s really great to be producing this podcast and it is a pleasure to get in touch with you. Let’s start a conversation. Send me an email at podcast@strategicwhat.com    Links & Tools from This Episode: Learn more: rodrigocaetano.com/podcast Connect with Rodrigo: Contact me! Get my best work: Practical Management Tips 

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…   References: 5 Mistakes When Setting Goals Serieshttps://rodrigocaetano.com/goal-series  

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.

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.   

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 be listened. However, there are a few things you can do to get a different result. In this episode, I’ll discuss alternatives and what to do when you are not being heard. Keep listening…

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 work colleagues. If you do it well, you will inspire your team as well as everyone who interacts with you. I’ve been on your shoes. Having transitioned from a highly technical position into a management role, I know how difficult it is. I feel your pain. Managing can be frustrating, difficult and overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Managing can be fun and exciting! In my podcast, I’ll provide you tips on how to become more productive as a better manager, innovator and planner. My show is structured to address specific questions, such as: “What should I never delegate?” “How do I avoid burn out?” “How do I avoid getting stuck in the trenches?” I’ll give you my best answer, as if we were in a real-life consulting session. My goal is to keep it really short, simple and practical. That way, you can listen to the podcast on the way to work and put the advice into practice as soon as you get to the office. Do you need help? Just fire me a message at podcast@strategicwhat.com   My name is Rodrigo Caetano and I help innovators become better leaders and take control of their projects. Visit my site at: rodrigocaetano.com

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.  

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/ Subscribe to my newsletter at rodrigocaetano.com

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.

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 yourself out of the trenches and grow on your career.