my staff collaborates so much that I can’t evaluate their work individually by Alison Green on August 18, 2016 A reader writes: I have a team of two, each with distinct roles, but they run our social media effort together. I’m all for collaboration, and the output is very good, but my issue is that I have no idea who is doing what. I just gave an important social project to one (“Fergus”) and asked […] Read the full article →
the danger of back-up plans, your email is out of control, and more by Alison Green on August 18, 2016 Over at QuickBase’s Fast Track blog today, I take a look at several interesting work-related stories in the news right now, including whether having back-up plans might actually undermine performance, how the Zappos CEO’s invention of “yesterbox” could change the way you deal with email, and more. You can read it here. Read the full article →
how can I get other managers to stop giving my team last-minute work they knew about in advance? by Alison Green on August 18, 2016 A reader writes: I’m a new manager who heads up a team of 12 employees, and I’m having an issue with the other groups that we work with. My problem is that the other groups have developed a nasty habit of not including my team on work to be performed, then dropping it on us […] Read the full article →
I don’t speak French but my job requires it, do I have to tell my boss I’m writing about astrology, and more by Alison Green on August 18, 2016 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. I don’t speak French but my job requires it A few months ago I applied for a job with a large multinational which required French language skills. I met all the other requirements for this role, and made it clear in the cover letter that […] Read the full article →
how can I say “I don’t know” without saying “I don’t know”? by Alison Green on August 17, 2016 A reader writes: I am in a scientific field in a project management role. I have been at my company for just over a year and it’s my first job after getting my PhD (I had an entry level position as a bench chemist for three years before going back to grad school). There have […] Read the full article →
what’s your boss doing reading your emails? by Alison Green on August 17, 2016 A reader writes: I’ve been having trouble at work. I went on medical leave from September to December, during which time my boss started to receive my email. When I returned to work, she decided to keep reading my email. I know this because frequently she comes to my office to ask me questions about […] Read the full article →
I’m in charge of assigning work to my manager, but he won’t do it by Alison Green on August 17, 2016 A reader writes: When I first started my job two years ago, I was on a design team with one other man, “Frank,” who had started a few months before me. For the first six months, both of us reported directly to the director of marketing, “Rebecca.” At six months, Frank pushed hard for a […] Read the full article →
coworker might be napping in the lactation room, interviewer asked “love to win or hate to lose?” and more by Alison Green on August 17, 2016 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. My coworker might be napping in the lactation room The lactation room at my company is located within a keycard access HR space, so it’s in a secure suite with low traffic. In additional to the basics required by law, it has some additional amenities including […] Read the full article →
whoever told you to be creative in your cover letter has led you horribly astray by Alison Green on August 16, 2016 A reader sent me this real-life cover letter that she received from a job applicant: Hi. This very professionally-beginning cover letter should immediately alert you to my easy-going and comprehensive approach to task completion while making it strikingly obvious that I am both interested in and capable of performing HR duties with sophisticated exactitude. The […] Read the full article →
I’m getting stuck with extra work because I don’t have a kid by Alison Green on August 16, 2016 A reader writes: I joined my current team as an event coordinator about four months ago and am the sole events person on the team. The way our team is structured, we have two project managers who work on different events, managing associates who assist them with the programs, and both project managers work directly […] Read the full article →