Essays from Rob Catalano on employee experience, culture and leadership.https://www.robcatalanospeaks.com/https://www.robcatalanospeaks.com/writing/your-newest-hire-is-an-ai-agent/https://www.robcatalanospeaks.com/writing/your-newest-hire-is-an-ai-agent/Teams are adding AI agents every quarter, and most of what goes wrong with them is what goes wrong with a new employee who was never properly onboarded, briefed or reviewed. Managing agents is a management skill, not a software skill.Thu, 15 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.robcatalanospeaks.com/writing/from-jobs-to-judgment-why-the-future-of-work-isn-t-about-doing-it-s-about-deciding/https://www.robcatalanospeaks.com/writing/from-jobs-to-judgment-why-the-future-of-work-isn-t-about-doing-it-s-about-deciding/For decades, we’ve designed jobs around tasks. Do this. Then this. Then this again tomorrow. AI just broke that model. Not because it is smarter than people, but because it is faster at repetition. It doesn’t get tired. It doesn’t complain. It doesn’t ask why. It simply executes. And that changes everything. The most dangerous mistake leaders are making right now is trying to use AI to make people faster at old work, instead of helping them learn how to do new work. We are automating tasks, but leaviMon, 19 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.robcatalanospeaks.com/writing/i-created-a-company-without-company-values/https://www.robcatalanospeaks.com/writing/i-created-a-company-without-company-values/When you start a company (and wow, I can’t believe it was 10 years ago), there are a lot of decisions that are required. Some decisions come second nature based on experience, and quite honestly, most aren’t second nature and you research and navigate your way there.  Usually, I find the best approach is to lean on the shoulders of giants, find out what other experienced leaders or companies have done, and make them your own. But with so many decisions, and the world of business being so fast paSat, 27 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.robcatalanospeaks.com/writing/nine-ways-to-build-employee-resilience/https://www.robcatalanospeaks.com/writing/nine-ways-to-build-employee-resilience/Employee productivity and performance levels ebb and flow. It’s human nature. Leaders minimize downward blips by knowing their people, understanding each individual’s motivators and building mutually trusting, respectful relationships. The challenge is that it’s not easy supporting individual and team resilience when the world around us seems to be falling apart. Uncertainty and change are chaotic influencers. What upsets the applecart and sends employees scattering? Change management of all shapeSat, 20 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.robcatalanospeaks.com/writing/7-strategies-to-combat-employee-burnout/https://www.robcatalanospeaks.com/writing/7-strategies-to-combat-employee-burnout/Have you ever felt burned out at work? If so, you're not alone. In fact, a whopping 77% of employees indicate that they have experienced burnout at their current workplace, according to a recent Deloitte study featuring over 1,000 professionals. When it comes to workforce burnout, leaders have an especially important role to play. As the person setting deadlines, prioritizing initiatives and checking in (or not) with every team member, leaders and managers can unintentionally have an outsized impSat, 13 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.robcatalanospeaks.com/writing/3-strategies-to-keep-good-employees-without-a-hefty-pay-raise/https://www.robcatalanospeaks.com/writing/3-strategies-to-keep-good-employees-without-a-hefty-pay-raise/Employees are motivated by more than money. Support, purpose, and opportunities for improved engagement are now just as significant. Consumers are feeling the burden of rising costs for everyday products. And with inflation at a 40-year high, companies are starting to see more and more requests for big pay increases. Raising every employee’s salary by 10% probably isn’t an option. So how can employers boost retention? The simple reality is that people leaders must get creative to maintain worker sSat, 06 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.robcatalanospeaks.com/writing/the-employee-engagement-benchmark-fallacy/https://www.robcatalanospeaks.com/writing/the-employee-engagement-benchmark-fallacy/Author Naomi Klein’s 2007 book The Shock Doctrine dug into how periods of crisis have been used to advance radical change. The global duress we’ve been under since the start of 2020 is no exception. As a result, building a fantastic employee experience through the rapidly changing state of the workplace is challenging. That’s why it makes sense to pause and ask ourselves how these tumultuous times and associated changes impact legacy business practices. Take comparing employee engagement scores wSat, 29 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.robcatalanospeaks.com/writing/amplifying-purpose-and-values-in-the-workplace/https://www.robcatalanospeaks.com/writing/amplifying-purpose-and-values-in-the-workplace/In today's rapidly changing work environment, purpose-driven organizations stand out. They attract and retain top talent, foster a sense of belonging among employees, and drive better business outcomes. But how can companies amplify their purpose and values to create a truly engaged workforce? Why Purpose and Values MatterResearch shows that employees who believe their work has a higher purpose are more committed and likely to stay with their company. This translates to improved talent retention Sat, 22 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMT