my mentor gives me terrible advice and berates me when I don’t follow it by Alison Green on August 31, 2020 A reader writes: I just graduated from college and am now in a full-time position in my field. I was assigned a mentor, John, who I worked with while I interned at this same company last summer. Last summer, he frequently made me feel overwhelmed by saying that I needed to complete all the projects […] Read the full article →
how can I get my employees to be better managers? by Alison Green on August 31, 2020 A reader writes: I recently moved into a role where some of my direct reports also have direct reports. In my first few weeks, I had meet and greets with every person in the department, and a recurring theme that I uncovered was that it seems like my direct reports aren’t very good managers: they […] Read the full article →
am I an underachiever? by Alison Green on August 31, 2020 A reader writes: I am in my late 20s and have been working professionally for about four years, plus a handful of co-ops/internships during my education. I work in a field that’s known for attracting overachiever types, and also for somewhat poor/outdated working environments that are stressful on employees and tend to result in burnout […] Read the full article →
coworker wants to be called “Doctor,” paid job trials, and more by Alison Green on August 31, 2020 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Coworker wants us to call her “Doctor” I have a coworker who is very weird, and she recently completed an online doctorate in business administration from a for-profit University of Phoenix sort of situation. Since obtaining her degree, she insists that we refer to her as […] Read the full article →
weekend open thread – August 29-30, 2020 by Alison Green on August 29, 2020 This comment section is open for any non-work-related discussion you’d like to have with other readers, by popular demand. Here are the rules for the weekend posts. Book recommendation of the week: The House in the Cerulean Sea, by TJ Klune. A caseworker in charge of magical children travels to an island to investigate an orphanage that’s home to […] Read the full article →
it’s your Friday good news by Alison Green on August 28, 2020 It’s your Friday good news, with more accounts of success even in this weird time. Just one today instead of our usual three since this one is a little longer. While I was in law school, I clerked at a firm where I thought I had a future. Worked there for 2 years and was […] Read the full article →
open thread – August 28-29, 2020 by Alison Green on August 28, 2020 It’s the Friday open thread! The comment section on this post is open for discussion with other readers on anything work-related that you want to talk about. If you want an answer from me, emailing me is still your best bet*, but this is a chance to talk to other readers. * If you submitted […] Read the full article →
we got weight loss tips for Women’s History Month, interviewer thought I was lying, and more by Alison Green on August 28, 2020 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. We got weight loss tips for Women’s History Month This happened months ago but it’s still bugging me. I work for a large corporation that promotes diversity in the workplace. In celebration of Women’s History Month, we received an email with info on women’s health […] Read the full article →
my employee keeps getting deadnamed by a coworker by Alison Green on August 27, 2020 A reader writes: I have managed “John,” a transgender man, for about two years. John does not keep his transgender status a secret, but he also doesn’t go out of his way to tell people, so some people know and some don’t. “Lizzy” recently transferred to a department that works closely with ours. She previously […] Read the full article →
updates: getting sick at a new job, condescending employee, and more by Alison Green on August 27, 2020 Here are three updates from people who had their letters answered here in the past. 1. I was late my first week — and now I need to call out sick When I called my boss to explain the situation, she was completely understanding. It probably helped my case though that I was still hacking, coughing, […] Read the full article →