my coworker thinks she trained me more thoroughly than she did by Alison Green on May 9, 2019 A reader writes: I started a new job three months ago. I’ve worked for this organization for about a year now, the first nine months being in a temp role in a different department. One of my new coworkers has the same job title as me, so it was her job to train me. I’m […] Read the full article →
updates: afraid to show weakness, remote work bait and switch, and more by Alison Green on May 9, 2019 Here are updates from three people who had their letters answered here in the past. 1. I’m afraid to show any weakness at work I wanted to send in an update, since it’s been a year. I appreciated the comments more than I can say!. Everyone helped me see another perspective, and by re-framing my […] Read the full article →
what’s the pettiest thing you’ve done at work (or seen done)? by Alison Green on May 9, 2019 One thing that’s funny about work is that people can really, really worked up about things that they’d be far better off just letting go — think, for example, of 12-paragraph rants about office supplies or the person who threw away a coworker’s mug as an act of revenge over work assignments. I want to […] Read the full article →
my employee gives me too many status updates, staff asked me to fudge their sick leave, and more by Alison Green on May 9, 2019 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. My employee gives me constant unnecessary status updates One of my employees tells me about everything she’s working on. For example, she is planning a community-wide event and she spent a day making phone calls to community partners. After each call, she came and gave […] Read the full article →
how can I back out of disagreements with my boss? by Alison Green on May 8, 2019 A reader writes: I am looking for phrases or approaches to gracefully back out of discussions/disagreements with my boss. My boss is someone who needs to “win” and has a very competitive mindset for pretty much everything. Inevitably items will come up where we disagree, and my boss has certain words and phrases which they […] Read the full article →
how to ask to resign instead of being fired by Alison Green on May 8, 2019 A reader writes: I’ve been put on a performance improvement plan after about eight months at my job. My manager says that she doesn’t think I have the skills to perform the job to her standards. After three months on the plan, my manager said she hasn’t seen the improvement she’s been looking for and […] Read the full article →
my boss trash-talks my coworker to me by Alison Green on May 8, 2019 A reader writes: I graduated college last May, and I am new to the corporate world, so your podcast has helped me learn how to deal with many workplace issues that I have encountered. However, I have a pretty big issue that has been bothering me for months regarding the dynamic of my job. I […] Read the full article →
my coworker is pushing me to hire her daughter, my office is too quiet, and more by Alison Green on May 8, 2019 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. My coworker is pushing me to hire her daughter I am the hiring manager for an entry-level position. The daughter of the front desk manager applied for the position. Her resume was great, but her cover letter had two words misspelled, including in the organization […] Read the full article →
I babble nervously when giving my staff feedback by Alison Green on May 7, 2019 A reader writes: I see in the archives that you have answered questions about dealing with nervousness as a job candidate or in conversations with higher-ups, but I am writing because I have discovered that I am kind of a nervous supervisor. Whenever I have to give any challenging feedback to someone I supervise, I […] Read the full article →
is my coworker trying to sabotage me? by Alison Green on May 7, 2019 A reader writes: A little over a year ago, a friend asked if I could help one of her colleagues, Amanda, find a position in my region. After speaking with her, I found Amanda to be smart, capable, and very much aligned with my professional values and interests. I alerted her to several opportunities and […] Read the full article →