my coworker keeps bossing me around by Alison Green on March 9, 2016 A reader writes: One of my coworkers is constantly telling me what to do, and it’s driving me crazy! She does not give suggestions; she gives orders. She also disagrees with me on everything and insists on always having her way, both for things directly related to my work and things that are indirectly or […] Read the full article →
my boss wants to talk about her feelings all the time by Alison Green on March 9, 2016 A reader writes: My team is currently under a ton of stress — and will be for the duration of the special project we’re working on through the fall — and it’s turned my boss into a crazy person. Let’s put aside that she’s lost the ability to organize, schedule, or remember anything she’s been […] Read the full article →
employee came in with blue hair, boss is circumventing HR, and more by Alison Green on March 9, 2016 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Employee came in with blue, green, and purple hair I wanted to ask how I tell a sweet younger employee, who dyed her hair from a rather unassuming brown to black with blue/purple/green highlights over the weekend, that it is unprofessional for the workplace. It is […] Read the full article →
how to handle customers who just want to chat by Alison Green on March 8, 2016 A reader writes: I am the “lead” of a customer service team (not in a supervisory or managerial role; I report to the manager, but report to her with ideas, problems and how reps are performing) of a company that provides services to older senior citizens. Part of our training is to teach our reps […] Read the full article →
how to turn bad ideas into good ones by Alison Green on March 8, 2016 You want a staff that generates new ideas, but you’re not going to be able to say yes to every new idea someone comes up with. But if you say no enough, you risk shutting down the flow of creativity. Sometimes, though, you can turn bad ideas into good ones, with a little effort – […] Read the full article →
what to do when you’re the boss’s favorite — and coworkers resent it by Alison Green on March 8, 2016 A reader writes: This feels like a weird question to ask, but I’m having issues with favoritism at work…except that I’m the favorite. My boss CLEARLY favors me over other members of the team, and I benefit from great opportunities as a result. I try to be worthy of these opportunities – I always complete […] Read the full article →
should you call in sick for a cold, saying no to after-hours work activities, and more by Alison Green on March 8, 2016 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Should you call in sick for a cold? I’ve always read (I’m sure including advice from you) that you should call in sick if a) you’re too sick to be productive or b) you’re contagious. Does this mean you should call in sick for a […] Read the full article →
am I being stingy with my contacts? by Alison Green on March 7, 2016 A reader writes: Four years ago, I worked at a company that hired a junior person to assist an adjacent department. She was never my assistant and I did not work closely with her; in fact, she only touched one project for my group. We were not close, but we were friendly and I think […] Read the full article →
what you need to know if your job search skills are rusty by Alison Green on March 7, 2016 If you’re gearing up for a job search but haven’t pulled out your resume much in the last decade, brace yourself for some changes: Job searching has changed in some significant ways in the last 10 years, both in terms of what the experience is like for candidates and in terms of which strategies are […] Read the full article →
how do I choose a career path? by Alison Green on March 7, 2016 A reader writes: How do you choose a career path? I’m a recent grad as of last May, and I currently have a pretty decent job (in terms of pay and benefits) as an admin at a university library. I like my job most days, but a lot of times I feel like it’s not […] Read the full article →