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Managing And Leading Episodes

Nov. 11, 2025

Ask Christa! How Can I Develop When There's No Budget? (S5E55)

Summary In this episode of Ask Christa!, host Christa Dhimo addresses a listener's question about career development amidst budget cuts and organizational uncertainty. She emphasizes the importance of collaboration and creativity in navigating these challenges and provides practical strategies for …

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Oct. 31, 2025

Ask Christa! My Boss Is Stuck. Do I Have to Be Stuck, Too? (S5E53)

Summary In this episode of Ask Christa!, Christa Dhimo addresses a listener's concern about career growth when their manager seems stuck, worried that the listener will become stuck, too. The discussion emphasizes the importance of self-directed growth, exploring opportunities both within and outsi…

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Oct. 28, 2025

Ask Christa! Can My Career Grow If I Don't Want to Manage People? (S5…

Summary In this episode of Ask Christa!, Christa Dhimo addresses a common concern among professionals: lack of career growth if they opt-out of management roles. She emphasizes that career growth is possible without managing people, debunking the myth that management is the only path to advancement…

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Oct. 23, 2025

Ask Christa! Am I Stuck in Middle Management Forever? (S5E51)

Summary In this episode of Ask Christa!, Christa Dhimo addresses the challenges and opportunities faced by middle managers in their career growth. She discusses the perception of middle management as a stagnant role and emphasizes the importance of viewing it as a strategic position within organiza…

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Oct. 13, 2025

Ask Christa! How Should I Be Thinking About Career Growth? (S5E49)

Summary In this episode of Ask Christa!, host Christa Dhimo addresses a listener's question about career growth, emphasizing the importance of adopting a growth mindset. She discusses how career growth is a personal journey that varies for each individual and encourages listeners to define what suc…

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Oct. 9, 2025

Ask Christa! How Do I Stay Engaged When I'm So Underutilized at Work?…

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 or…

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Oct. 6, 2025

Ask Christa! How Do I Get Over My Fear of Speaking Up? (S4E47)

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, Ch…

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Oct. 2, 2025

Ask Christa! How Can I Ask My Work Friend to Meet Deadlines? (S4E46)

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, dire…

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Sept. 30, 2025

Ask Christa! How Can I Ask My Co-Worker to Quit the Chit Chat? (S4E45)

Summary In this episode of Ask Christa!, Christa Dhimo addresses a listener's question about managing social interactions in the workplace, particularly when a coworkers chatty style disrupts focus, flow, and productivity. She discusses the importance of establishing boundaries, effective communica…

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Sept. 22, 2025

Ask Christa! How Can I Ask a Co-Worker to Tone it Down? (S4E44)

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 ad…

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Sept. 18, 2025

Ask Christa! I Hate Office Politics - Help! (S4E43)

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 stra…

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Sept. 8, 2025

Ask Christa! What Are Some Tips to be More Focused at Work? (S4E40)

Summary In this episode of Ask Christa!, Christa Dhimo answers the listener question about tips to stay more focused at work. Christa explores what “focus” really means, then emphasizes the importance of making it personal, understanding how our own definition of focus can transform the way we appr…

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Sept. 4, 2025

Ask Christa! Why do I hate deadlines so much? (S4E39)

Summary In this episode, Christa Dhimo addresses the listener question asking, “why do I hate deadlines so much?” She explores the psychological and environmental factors that contribute to stress and aversion to deadlines, emphasizing the importance of understanding individual perceptions and real…

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Sept. 2, 2025

Ask Christa! How Can I Better Manage Anxiety at Work? (S4E38)

Summary In this episode, Christa Dhimo addresses a listener's concerns about managing anxiety in the workplace, particularly in the context of an upcoming reorganization. She emphasizes the importance of understanding anxiety as a natural response to uncertainty and offers practical strategies for …

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Aug. 28, 2025

Ask Christa! How Can I Improve Collaboration in My Team? (S4E37)

Summary In this episode, Christa Dhimo addresses a listener's question about improving team collaboration amidst growing organizational challenges. She distinguishes between collaboration and cooperation, emphasizing the importance of shared goals and effective communication. Christa provides insig…

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Aug. 18, 2025

Ask Christa! What Do Executives Do? (S3E34)

Summary In this episode of Ask Christa, Christa Dhimo addresses a listener's question about the role of executives in any size organization. She explores the fundamental responsibilities of executives, emphasizing the importance of accountability, communication, decision-making, performance, and ef…

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July 28, 2025

Ask Christa! Business Basics Series (4/6) - Why Do So Many Startups F…

Summary In this episode of Ask Christa!, Christa Dhimo addresses the common question of why so many startups fail. She explores the assumptions about founders, the importance of vision and mission, market fit, business management, and effective leadership in startup success. She discusses how found…

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July 10, 2025

Ask Christa! When Should I Leave? (S2E24)

Summary In this episode of Ask Christa!, host Christa Dhimo addresses a listener's question about the decision to leave a job to pursue career growth. She explores the dynamics of personal engagement and fulfillment in the workplace, the difference between jobs that are merely transactional and tho…

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July 7, 2025

Ask Christa! What Are the Top Skills of Effective Managers? (S2E23)

Summary In this episode of Ask Christa!, Christa Dhimo explores the essential skills of effective managers, emphasizing the importance of self-awareness and the ability to apply learned skills in real-world scenarios. She discusses the challenges of management, particularly in matrix organizations,…

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July 3, 2025

Ask Christa! How Do I Do More with Less?? (S2E22)

Summary In this episode of Ask Christa!, Christa Dhimo addresses the common workplace challenge of being asked to do more with less. She critiques the phrase 'doing more with less' as a misguided approach for austerity that often leads to employee burnout and a scarcity mindset. Christa discusses t…

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June 30, 2025

Ask Christa! How Can We Manage Time If We Have No Control of Time? (S…

Summary In this episode, Christa Dhimo explores the complexities of time management, emphasizing that time is a human construct and that managing time is not the same as controlling it. She discusses the importance of understanding personal perceptions of time without the pressure of control, encou…

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June 26, 2025

Ask Christa! What Does a Healthy Work Culture Look Like?? (S2E20)

Summary In this episode of Ask Christa!, Christa Dhimo explores the complexities of workplace culture, emphasizing the importance of employee engagement over mere satisfaction. She discusses how a healthy work culture is characterized by trust and respect, with a mindset that organizational perform…

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June 23, 2025

Ask Christa! Why Organizational Structure Matters!! (S2E19)

Summary In this episode, Christa Dhimo discusses the strategic role of organizational structures in business success. She explores various organizational structures, explains how they directly impact employee and organizational performance, and how org structures impact decision-making and employee…

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June 19, 2025

Ask Christa! Does Management Training Matter? (S2E18)

Summary In this episode of Ask Christa!, Christa Dhimo discusses the critical importance of management training in today's workplace. She emphasizes that effective management is essential for organizational performance, team success, and employee retention, especially in matrix organizational struc…

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