what to do if you’re stuck working today by Alison Green on December 24, 2015 If you’re at work today, you’re probably in a half-empty office, with most people away for the holidays, and might be finding it hard to stay focused and productive. Here are five things to do today that don’t require a ton of concentration but that will help your team, rather than just giving in and […] Read the full article →
my team bikes to off-site meetings, and I’m dreading it by Alison Green on December 24, 2015 A reader writes: I recently started a job at a nonprofit with a young and fast-moving team of four (myself included). To give you a sense of the dynamic, I am the only woman and the only non-veteran on the team. Our office is downtown in a major city, but it’s kind of inconveniently located […] Read the full article →
should our office stop cake collections, disclosing a wage garnishment, and more by Alison Green on December 24, 2015 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Should our office stop collecting money for cards and cakes when people leave? In my office, there is a custom that when a colleague leaves, folks in the office contribute a few dollars towards a card, a farewell cake, or similar. It used to be […] Read the full article →
update: our manager periodically flips out and jams her authority down our throats by Alison Green on December 23, 2015 Remember the letter-writer whose manager flipped back and forth between trying to be friends and being angry and overly authoritative? Here’s the update. After the initial situation, I decided it was necessary for me to have a difficult conversation with my manager to at least let her know my take on the situation and its effect on the […] Read the full article →
4 big productivity traps for managers by Alison Green on December 23, 2015 If you’re a manager, you probably struggle mightily with time management; it’s pretty common for managers to feel like there are more demands on their time than time to meet them. But what if you’re inadvertently making choices that are undoing your best time management efforts? Some common managerial practices can look like the right […] Read the full article →
how to convince an interviewer I’m okay with admin work, even with a master’s degree by Alison Green on December 23, 2015 A reader writes: I’m wondering about how to reassure interviewers that I am able and willing to perform administrative tasks despite the fact that I have a master’s degree and have some higher-level work experience. Some background: I’m in my mid-twenties and have done a lot of internships, part-time jobs, and AmeriCorps, and am looking […] Read the full article →
everyone knew I was fired before I knew, losing a bonus, and more by Alison Green on December 23, 2015 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Everyone knew I was fired before I knew I recently got into trouble at work, where I took complete blame for it. I was called into the office, where I was told I would be suspended for five days (two of them being non-business days) […] Read the full article →
update: my coworker was arrested for DUI and hasn’t told our employer by Alison Green on December 22, 2015 Remember the letter-writer whose coworker was arrested for DUI but hadn’t told their employer, despite driving being a big part of the job? Here’s the update. I wanted to thank Alison for answering my letter and for the insight of the AAM community. I will start off by saying that the MYOB crowd was absolutely way off […] Read the full article →
where are they now: 3 more updates from letter-writers by Alison Green on December 22, 2015 Here are three updates from letter-writers who had their questions answered here this year. 1. I’m sick of being the office therapist I did see your call for updates and to be honest, felt a bit ashamed. My progress here is not where I want it to be and this continues to be a struggle. […] Read the full article →
how honest should we be about why we’re transferring a client (who sent a creepy, inappropriate email)? by Alison Green on December 22, 2015 A reader writes: I’m in a helping profession. Yesterday, I met with a new potential client who was just released from jail after a significant amount of time for rape. We spoke about his skills and education and I gave him some tasks to complete (required by our grant). An hour and a half after […] Read the full article →