how to build a culture of mentorship on your team by Alison Green on January 7, 2016 There are huge advantages to establishing a learning culture on your team: When your team members all share a commitment to continuous improvement, you’re not only going to get better and better at what you do (individually and as a group), but you’ll also build a pipeline of people able to grow into higher level […] Read the full article →
how can I have accomplishments when I do the same thing every day? by Alison Green on January 7, 2016 A reader writes: I have to do my yearly self evaluation, which asks me to list my accomplishments with defined goals. I do payroll processing for a large company. I have been with the company 36 years, and I do the same job day in and day out; there are no accomplishments or defined goals […] Read the full article →
You Need a Budget by Alison Green on January 7, 2016 And now a break to talk about a sponsor… Over the years, I’ve heard loads of people recommend You Need A Budget as a program that didn’t just give them a budgeting tool, but totally changed how they thought about money. So I was really excited when the folks there reached out and asked me […] Read the full article →
urgent bathroom runs, applying for too many jobs, and more by Alison Green on January 7, 2016 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Explaining urgent bathroom runs post-cancer I had advanced colon cancer a few years ago with aggressive treatment–surgery, radiation, chemo. I’m lucky to be alive and I’ve been pretty upfront about my experience. My problem is that all this treatment resulted in some problems which are […] Read the full article →
my manager told my coworker I complained about her work — but I didn’t by Alison Green on January 6, 2016 A reader writes: Can I/should I confront my manager for telling my coworker that I complained about her work — when I didn’t? My manager, Ann, is extremely reactive and has a tendency to focus on one person or project and basically fly off the handle at the slightest thing. At other times, she’s very […] Read the full article →
my coworker accidentally complained about me … to me by Alison Green on January 6, 2016 A reader writes: I recently had a very strange situation at our office. Could I ask how you might handle the following situation? Let’s say you call a coworker on his or her extension during office hours. You think you are talking with someone who is a friend, and you whisper something about another coworker. […] Read the full article →
my staff doesn’t like it that I use the Socratic method with them by Alison Green on January 6, 2016 A reader writes: I’m a fairly new manager (two years) of a small team and recently received some feedback from an employee that I don’t know what to do about. A previous employee had also given me the same feedback so I’m starting to see a pattern. When team members come to me with questions, […] Read the full article →
current employee is job-searching, negotiating with an old boss, and more by Alison Green on January 6, 2016 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. I received the resume of a current employee who appears to be job-searching I received an email update from Indeed today announcing an updated resume from a potential candidate for a job we have posted. The candidate is one of our current employees. Do you […] Read the full article →
no, it’s not ever “impossible” to fire people by Alison Green on January 5, 2016 Periodically I hear someone complain about a coworker or an employee and say “but it’s impossible to fire anyone here, so we’re stuck.” It’s not true. No sane organization truly forbids firing people. At worst, it usually means “we have lots of hoops to jump through in order to fire someone, but it can be done.” […] Read the full article →
how to teach people to bring solutions, not problems by Alison Green on January 5, 2016 Every manager wants a team that suggests solutions rather than just raising problems; employees who bring solutions play a crucial problem-solving role, take more ownership in the success or your team, and free you up to stay focused elsewhere. But if your team isn’t in the habit of proposing solutions when they identify problems, how […] Read the full article →