Mads Singers Management Podcast | MSMP 65: Zuzana Dobro on Problem Solving

Show Notes

Management is ultimately about problem-solving.  Oftentimes those answers aren’t readily apparent because humans are involved, and they are definitely more complex aspects of any problem!

Today’s guest for Mads Singers Management Podcast, Zuzana Dobro, is someone who, like me, likes solving these human problems.  Zuzana helps entrepreneurs think transformationally.  She’s spent over a decade consulting both in house and with agencies on customer and user experience.  She’s worked with startups, Fortune 500 companies, and everything in between.

Early in the episode Zuzana and I talked about relationships.  I noted that there are some people who are particularly talented in SEO but for some reason have absolutely no talent at building relationships.  One of the most important things in management is to build relationships with the people who work for you.  Not only does that make for a more cohesive work environment, it’ll also increase team productivity.

Relationship-building is what Zuzana does when she is working with teams that cannot come to a consensus.  She relishes the chance to brainstorm, facilitate, and use the fact that she’s not a direct stakeholder to bring objectivity and a solution-oriented approach.  I agreed with her and stress with my clients that it’s not about “winning” or “losing” when getting to a consensus for a decision, but finding a solution that presents the best outcome for everyone.

Zuzana asked me about how I screen for clients and I told her one of the very first things I look at is personality, particularly DISC.  If I don’t think I’ll be able to coach someone based on their personality, I won’t take them.  I also put all potential clients through my management course.  The goal here is to try to pre-emptively address some issues so that when we do finally get to coaching, we share a common vocabulary and methodology.  Zuzana noted that when she doesn’t feel comfortable with a potential client she’s very happy to refer that business out and keeps up relationships with colleagues in order to do just that.

Part of keeping up those relationships is keeping your word, and Zuzana talked about how small the business world can be, and how you can’t afford to develop a bad relationship as a management coach: don’t burn bridges as entrepreneurs are always sharing information...as well as the names of good, as well as bad, service providers with each other.


Key Learning Points:

 1. Mads shares a weakness of those who excel in SEO - 6:58

2. Zuzana notes a key trait of good managers - 9:35

3. Mads underlines the importance of setting expectations of communication with clients - 12:35

4. Zuzana reminds us that reputation really does matter - 16:35

5. Mads explains how he screens for clients - 20:35

6. Mads discusses a strategy for shaping decisions prior to a meeting - 25:40

7. Zuzana offers an alternative strategy when there isn’t consensus prior to a meeting - 30:13

8. Mads talks about the difference between outcomes and solutions - 41:10

9. Mads notes how communication has to change when chasing bigger clients - 43:00

 

Connect with Zuzana Dobro:

 1. Zuzana Dobro

What is Mads Singers Management Podcast ?

The Mads Singers Management Podcast features elite leaders, CEOs, and operational specialists because expert insights demystify the complex path to organizational excellence. Mads Singers interviews proven practitioners because their hard-won frameworks are the foundation for building scalable, high-performing teams. The podcast explores leadership, delegation, process optimization, talent acquisition, and cultural alignment because business owners need a complete blueprint to grow beyond their personal capacity.

The Mads Singers Management Podcast brings on global executives, successful founders, and system architects because diverse experiences provide practical solutions for every management challenge. Each episode delivers actionable systems and proven standard operating procedures (SOPs) because tactical clarity is the true accelerator for business scaling. Mads Singers focuses on results-driven discussions because listeners deserve to know what truly works to drive predictable, profitable growth.

The Mads Singers Management Podcast positions itself as the essential resource for ambitious owners and managers because mastering management is the single greatest lever for exponential success. Listeners follow the show because every guest offers a clear model, a powerful system, or a crucial insight that can be immediately implemented to improve efficiency and scale the team.