December 2015

my manager keeps exaggerating about my stress level

A reader writes: I’m in a new position, which I enjoy. Of course, no job is perfect, and there’s a curious issue I’m not sure how to handle: What do you think is the line between exaggerating and lying? And, when does it need to be addressed in a “managing up” situation when it’s a […]

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job candidate got company name wrong, makeup at work, and more

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Job candidate got our company name wrong in a presentation My company is currently conducting interviews for an upper-level management position. As part of the interview process, candidates give a presentation to staff. Recently, we had a candidate who got the name of our organization […]

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weekend free-for-all – December 12-13, 2015

This comment section is open for any non-work-related discussion you’d like to have with other readers, by popular demand. (This one is truly no work and no school. If you have a work question, you can email it to me or post it in the work-related open thread on Fridays.) Book Recommendation of the Week: Straight […]

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update: my boss has banned hot take-out food at lunch

Remember the letter-writer whose boss had banned all hot take-out food in the office because of his own desire to be healthier? We saw one update on the situation in May, and here’s the latest. After starting my job search from March of this year and attending some questionable interviews, I finally have a new role! […]

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4 more updates from letter-writers

Here are four updates from letter-writers who had their questions answered here this year. 1. My employee asked me not to give him any feedback At our next meeting, I was prepared to have a hard discussion about the necessity of feedback. Instead, as soon as I brought it up my team member said he’d love […]

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2 housekeeping notes (ads, and a new commenting feature)

Two housekeeping notes for you: 1. Ads I’ve been experimenting with some different ad formats over the last week (taking advantage of the fact that December traditionally has lower traffic, so it’s the least bad time to do it). You’ll notice, for instance, that there’s a new ad box above the comments section (except on mobile […]

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how to interview your potential new boss

A reader writes: Our department was asked by our director to have an informal-type “interview” with two of the finalists in line to fill our manager position (the current manager is retiring).  We are a small department of eight people, and we are tasked with “being unemotional” and to have “facts” as to why we […]

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open thread – December 11, 2015

It’s the Friday open thread! The comment section on this post is open for discussion with other readers on anything work-related that you want to talk about. If you want an answer from me, emailing me is still your best bet*, but this is a chance to talk to other readers. * If you submitted […]

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