how to manage during a crisis by Alison Green on September 17, 2015 If your team is going through a reorg, losing key staff, having its budget or a popular program slashed, or battling negative PR, it can be tough to rally your team to stay productive. When it’s not business as usual, how can you effectively manage your (probably distracted and anxious) team? 1. For starters, be […] Read the full article →
my friends and family are warning me not to hire employees for my small business by Alison Green on September 17, 2015 A reader writes: My consulting business is finally picking up after years of being stagnant. I’m getting to the point where I’m getting more work and more clients than I can handle, and I’m thinking it might be time to look towards bringing someone on board to help me. This person would be another professional […] Read the full article →
how to tell a freelancer not to stop by in person, my boss keeps asking how much I paid for things, and more by Alison Green on September 17, 2015 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. My boss keeps asking how much I paid for things My boss is very friendly with all of us who work under her. Boundaries don’t really get crossed — none of us socialize with her — but we have “water cooler” chit-chats about personal things, like […] Read the full article →
my manager wants us to IM each other to reduce email by Alison Green on September 16, 2015 A reader writes: I’m a work-at-home contractor who is part of a small team (under 10) with folks located in two different cities. Some work from home, others go into the office. We all work for a very large corporation that has contractors and employees scattered throughout the world. My manager wants to reduce the […] Read the full article →
how to ask an employee to address a body odor problem by Alison Green on September 16, 2015 A reader writes: A new secretary in my office has body odor. The other staff members have asked me to talk to her about it since I’m the acting manager. Should I tackle this, and if so, how? You can read my answer to this question over at Inc. today, where I’m revisiting letters that have been buried in the […] Read the full article →
my boss told me to write the same sentence 500 times as punishment for a mistake by Alison Green on September 16, 2015 A reader writes: I’m a currently an office manager, and I recently messed up and did not submit some health insurance forms that were required and cost my boss $1,000. I have been here for four years and never made a mistake, but for some reason my boss wants me to write 500 sentences stating, […] Read the full article →
my coworker is annoyed that I read out loud, taking an admin job to get a foot in the door, and more by Alison Green on September 16, 2015 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. I read my work out loud, and it’s annoying a coworker I recently started a job in a place where there’s like 50 cubicles. I have the bad habit of reading my work out loud/whispering/whatever you want to call it. My coworker asked me to […] Read the full article →
can I ask to see the interview questions ahead of time? by Alison Green on September 15, 2015 A reader writes: Would it be considered rude or off-putting if I asked to either hear or glance through the questions, either in person or on the phone, at the beginning of the interview? Typical interview questions are disjointed. If I knew the questions up front, it would help me to think of answers beforehand […] Read the full article →
your emotions impact your staff’s productivity, what a manager’s schedule really looks like, and more by Alison Green on September 15, 2015 Over at Intuit QuickBase’s Fast Track blog today, I take a look at several interesting work-related stories in the news right now: how manager’s emotions can impact employees’ productivity, the difference between a manager’s schedule and a “maker’s” schedule, and more. You can read it here. Read the full article →
my manager doesn’t defend me from mistaken complaints by Alison Green on September 15, 2015 A reader writes: I have a great supervisor who is also somewhat of a people-pleaser. She likes to see the bright side of everything and give people the benefit of the doubt, which is great, but lately I am wondering if she is going to hurt my reputation by refusing to defend me against other […] Read the full article →