August 2013

nose-picking interviewers, calling in sick for insomnia, and more

It’s seven short answers to seven short questions. Here we go… 1. My boss gave my assistant a raise without discussing it with me The executive director of our organization gave my assistant a raise without discussing it with me. I am very conflicted about this because on one hand she totally and completely deserves […]

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can I ask how many other people are being interviewed for the job?

A reader writes: When the interviewer opens up the floor for questions, is it appropriate to ask approximately how many other people the manager is interviewing for the position? I would not ask this in interviews for administrative/office positions since the company would presumably have received a couple hundred applications for one position. However, I’m […]

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10 things bad managers say

Managers’ words carry enormous weight with the people they manage – and the wrong words can destroy employee morale and motivation. Yet bad managers go on saying the wrong things over and over again. Here are 10 of the most common phrases you’ll hear from bad managers – and why they’re wrong. 1. “You’re lucky […]

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I promoted one employee and now her former peer is unhappy

A reader writes: I have two employees who have been long-time friends. They were going out to lunch on a regular basis, had the same job title, came up through the same industry, and were basically a complimentary pair to the work they were doing. However, the time came when I needed to promote one […]

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