Business Skills Episodes

Summary In this episode of Ask Christa!, Christa answers a listener question about working in a startup where team goals keep shifting, priorities are repeatedly changed, and progress seems impossible. She explores the difference between healthy flexibility and chronic instability, why constant swings drain morale and productivity, and how employees can raise the issue in a way that stays focused on business outcomes rather than understandable frustration. Christa then shares practical strate...

Summary In this episode of Ask Christa!, Christa answers a listener question about a manager who gossips constantly and creates an uncomfortable, unprofessional work environment. She explains what habitual workplace gossip often signals about insecurity, control, and team culture, why it damages trust and psychological safety, and how employees can respond without getting pulled into the behavior. Christa then offers practical guidance for setting boundaries, documenting harmful patterns, and...

Summary In this episode of Ask Christa!, Christa answers a listener question about a manager who keeps asking different people the same question until he hears the opinion, number, or client story he wants. The episode explores why this behavior damages trust, undermines expertise, creates ethical risk, and teaches teams to go silent. It also offers practical steps for documenting patterns, responding with clarity, protecting data integrity, and escalating concerns when necessary. Key Takeawa...

Summary In this episode of Ask Christa!, Christa Dhimo addresses how to handle workplace overload caused by a manager demanding excessive reporting tasks, despite available tools and organizational focus on client success. It offers strategies for setting boundaries, understanding organizational structures, and maintaining performance and engagement. Key takeaways · Set clear boundaries with your manager about your role and responsibilities. · &nb...

Summary In this episode of Ask Christa!, Christa Dhimo discusses strategies for managing a chaotic boss, focusing on creating structure, aligning goals, and understanding underlying behaviors and personality patterns to improve workplace dynamics. She also offers practical tips and resources for employees dealing with disorderly and disruptive leadership styles. Key Takeaways · Force structure by connecting your boss's goals to team work through weekly status meeting...

Summary In this episode of Ask Christa!, Christa Dhimo addresses how to handle a boss who belittles and demeans employees, focusing on strategies for emotional relief, understanding power dynamics, and seeking resources. Key Takeaways · Power dynamics set the groundwork for abuse in the workplace · There are strategies for emotional relief and support · Understand your resources and policies for addressing toxic beh...

Summary This episode of Ask Christa!, Christa Dhimo explores how to manage stress caused by a stressed-out boss, emphasizing the importance of self-care, recognizing stress signals, and organizational support strategies. Key takeaways · Understanding the importance of recognizing stress signals early · The role of HR in supporting stressed employees and managers · Practical steps to help teams ma...

Summary In this episode of Ask Christa!, Christa Dhimo discusses how to handle a perfectionist boss, exploring the impact of perfectionism on team dynamics and providing practical strategies for employees to manage such challenging workplace relationships. Key takeaways · Perfectionism is about unattainable standards that can harm team morale. · Managing expectations and setting boundaries is crucial when dealing with perfectioni...

Summary In this episode of Ask Christa!, Christa Dhimo explores the challenges of effective listening in the workplace, especially when dealing with managers who do not seem to listen. She provides practical strategies to improve active listening, enhance communication, and foster better understanding at work. Topics include: the importance of active listening in the workplace, common barriers to effective listening and how to overcome them, practical techniques to improve listening and being...

Summary In this episode of Ask Christa!, Christa explores the challenges of being underemployed while also having more management training than your boss. It offers practical strategies for leveraging your skills, realigning expectations, and turning frustration into constructive action. Key topics include underemployment and its impact on career satisfaction and strategies to leverage management training in a lower-level role. Key takeaways · Leverage your managemen...

Summary In this episode of Ask Christa!, Christa Dhimo addresses a listener's question about managing a likable but ineffective boss. This episode is focused on ways to enable a manager to support growth and development for the team’s career paths. Christa emphasizes the importance of effective feedback and offers actionable strategies for employees to initiate coaching discussions with their boss so the boss can improve. Christa highlights the significance of leveraging the manager's likeabi...

Summary In this episode of Ask Christa, Christa Dhimo addresses a listener's concern about their manager's poor feedback skills. She emphasizes the importance of effective feedback in management and discusses the challenges of coaching a manager. Christa outlines the art and science of feedback, providing practical advice on how to approach the situation and improve communication. She also shares valuable resources for further learning and development in feedback skills. Key Takeaways · ...

Summary In this episode of Ask Christa!, host Christa Dhimo addresses a listener's concern about their boss's lack of meetings and the implications of this dynamic on workplace engagement. She emphasizes the importance of purposeful meetings, the need for connection between employees and managers, and the potential consequences of infrequent communication. Christa provides insights into how meeting frequency should align with the employee's role, tenure, and the nature of their work, while al...

Summary In this episode of Ask Christa!, host Christa Dhimo addresses a listener's question about dealing with a difficult boss who belittles a new team member. She emphasizes the importance of documenting such behavior, understanding workplace policies, and knowing employee rights. Christa provides actionable steps for reporting misconduct and highlights various resources available for employees facing workplace bullying. (she also thanks the listener and teammates for looking after a co-wor...

Summary In this episode of Ask Christa!, host Christa Dhimo addresses a listener's concern about her boss assigning her work that belongs to him, highlighting the importance of setting boundaries and recognizing one's value in the workplace. Christa provides actionable steps to shift the mindset, help employees reclaim their roles and navigate the complexities of workplace dynamics, especially when dealing with bad bosses. Key Takeaways · Most people aren't prepared ...

Summary In this episode of Ask Christa!, a listener explains that they do not like their boss and asks how to handle it. Christa discusses the challenges of managing relationships with people you may not like and offers practical advice for those facing these situations. Additionally, she shares valuable resources to help listeners navigate their workplace challenges effectively. Key Takeaways · Most people aren't prepared to become a manager. · &...

Summary In this episode of Ask Christa!, host Christa Dhimo addresses a listener's concern about job boredom and the challenges of waiting for a promotion. She emphasizes the importance of open communication with managers and offers strategies to stay engaged at work while waiting for new opportunities. The episode concludes with resources for further reading on managing workplace boredom and preparing for career advancement. Key Takeaways · Boredom at work is common...

Summary In this episode of Ask Christa!, host Dr. Christa Dhimo addresses a listener's question about feeling ready for a promotion and needing to convince their manager they deserve the promotion. Christa discusses the importance of understanding the promotion process, the role of readiness, and the value of a formal development plan. She emphasizes that promotions should be based on an employee's readiness to succeed in a new role rather than just mastering their current position. Additiona...

Summary In this episode of Ask Christa!, Christa Dhimo addresses the effects of employees being underutilized in the workplace, exploring how it can lead to feelings of disengagement and burnout. She discusses the importance of strategic talent management as a competitive differentiator, and how organizations improve their overall performance by tracking how they best utilize their employees. Christa provides strategies for individuals feeling underutilized, emphasizing the need for open comm...

Summary In this episode of Ask Christa!, host Christa Dhimo addresses the common challenge of speaking up in workplace meetings. She explores the psychological barriers that prevent individuals from voicing their thoughts and ideas, particularly in team settings. Through the listener's question, Christa delves into the complexities of communication dynamics, the impact of workplace culture, and offers practical strategies to overcome anxiety associated with speaking up. She emphasizes the imp...

Summary In this episode of Ask Christa!, Christa Dhimo discusses the significance of workplace friendships and how they impact employee engagement and performance. She addresses a listener's dilemma about managing a close friend's performance issues at work, emphasizing the importance of open, direct, and compassionate communication and support. Christa provides strategies for addressing missed deadlines while maintaining the friendship and highlights the research supporting the benefits of ha...

Summary In this episode, Christa Dhimo addresses a listener's question about managing team dynamics, particularly focusing on the listener’s co-worker, whose exuberance and enthusiasm are overwhelming for others. Christa emphasizes the importance of understanding self-awareness, and the need for adjustments in behavior to foster a high-functioning team environment. Christa provides strategies for improving team dynamics and highlights the significance of effective management and ongoing commu...

Summary In this episode of Ask Christa, Christa Dhimo addresses a listener's concerns about office politics, emphasizing the importance of understanding influence in the workplace. Christa defines office politics, differentiating between toxic and constructive politics, and provides actionable strategies for managing toxic environments. She encourages listeners to focus on company objectives and offers practical exercises to navigate office politics effectively. Additionally, she shares valua...

Summary In this episode of Ask Christa!, Christa Dhimo addresses the common workplace issue of excessive meetings and how to navigate them effectively. She consolidates listener questions about declining unnecessary meetings while maintaining professionalism. She also reviews the cultural dynamics that influence meeting attendance. The conversation emphasizes the need for clarity in meeting purpose and objectives as well as the potential for organizational improvement through better meeting m...