A reader writes: I work for a nonprofit and have been there for two years. I am part of a three-person team — me, my counterpart, and our boss, who is the department director. The director is meant to be a technical expert and has an important role in guiding organizational strategy. I was involved […]
Read the full article →Here are updates from three people who had their letters answered here recently. 1. Interviewing a candidate who lied to my company five years ago My boss was really eager to meet this candidate based on her cover letter, and when I let her know what I had discovered about the candidate’s involvement on our […]
Read the full article →A reader writes: My boss doesn’t care about me personally or professionally, and I no longer feel motivated at my job as a result. Is it just best to move on, even if I don’t have anything lined up, because the relationship is affecting my mental health? On the personal end, it ranges from not […]
Read the full article →It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. My boss pushes MLM products on me and comments on my looks I’m the admin assistant to the vice president of the company. The former vice president retired six months ago. I worked for her for over three years and never had any problems. My […]
Read the full article →My book is now available for pre-order! Ask a Manager: How to Navigate Clueless Colleagues, Lunch-Stealing Bosses, and the Rest of Your Life at Work will be published by Random House/Ballantine on May 1, but you can pre-order it now at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, Powell’s, and more. It’s nearly all new content that you haven’t read […]
Read the full article →A reader writes: The company I work for is significantly off budget, and I have known for about a week that a particular manager (who’s basically a peer) is being considered for layoff as the company is looking to make major cuts. I was brought into the conversation because of the effect his separation will […]
Read the full article →A reader writes: We’re a dog-friendly workplace, and employees can bring in their dogs even if they’re not service animals. The rules are simple, of course. They can’t be aggressive, bite, or bark excessively. One coworker has just such a dog. He’s small, but barks at any dog that passes by. I’ve been told he’s […]
Read the full article →It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Correcting coworkers when they use the wrong words I’m seeking advice on how to correct coworkers when they misuse words. Whenever I notice this, it’s often in a group setting, and I don’t want to come across as obnoxious and rude if I speak up. […]
Read the full article →A reader writes: I’ve put a staff member on to a formal performance improvement plan, but despite me providing feedback and taking multiple approaches to get through to him, he doesn’t seem to be able to grasp just how poorly he is doing. I do want him to succeed and have supported many conversations, participation […]
Read the full article →A reader writes: I’m a programmer who is in my eighth month at my current job. I’m a woman in my late 20s and have never held a job for a full year before–while most of the jobs I’ve had have been internships or temp/contract jobs, I’ve quit one that made me miserable and been laid […]
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