January 2014

my manager is incredibly irritating and I’m ready to snap

This post was originally published on September 12, 2007, just four months after I started Ask a Manager. A reader writes: I’m working at my first full-time job, and I’ve been here for just over a year. The company is pretty small, only about 20 people, but still much larger than my last job where […]

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how to find a mentor at work

You’ve probably read plenty of advice telling you to find a mentor – someone who can advise you on career decisions, help you navigate tricky politics, and generally help you succeed professionally. But how are you supposed to find this magical mentor? While you might have access to a formal mentoring program, or be courageous […]

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4 more reader updates

Four more reader updates: 1. The reader whose new boss was worried she might be too high-energy (#2 at the link) I was lucky enough to have you answer one of my questions in late 2012, after I had just accepted a new job. Thanks very much to you and your readers for your advice – […]

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update from the reader managing a lying sister-in-law

Remember the reader who was stuck managing her sister-in-law, who was planning to call in sick in order to go on a trip (#1 at the link)? Here’s the update. So here’s how things have been going supervising my sister-in-law. The day in question rolled around and, much to my relief, she showed up to […]

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confession: I used to suck at firing people

This post was originally published on March 21, 2008. I’ve written in the past about how firings should be done — and believe me when I tell you that that’s learned from hard experience. Hard, awful experience. In fact, one of the first times I had to fire someone, I really messed it up — largely because […]

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