January 2021

weekend open thread – January 9-10, 2021

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: Dreamland, by Nancy Bilyeau. In 1911, an heiress is pressured into spending the summer at Coney Island with her rich family and her sister’s highly sketchy fiancé. […]

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it’s your Friday good news

It’s your Friday good news, with more accounts of success even in this weird time. 1. I just wanted to send you a note thanking you for your amazing advice on adult ADHD. I’d always assumed that I was just late, disorganised, a procrastinator, time blind, and had mistake-ridden work because I was lazy or […]

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open thread – January 8-9, 2021

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 (that includes school). If you want an answer from me, emailing me is still your best bet*, but this is a chance to talk to other readers. * […]

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can we all just keep working from home forever now?

A reader writes: I’ve been working from home for five years. I know that some people currently work from home due to the pandemic hate it, but many love it and will want to continue after the pandemic ends. Their companies or managers wouldn’t allow it in the past. What I am wondering is: are […]

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update: can job-hopping BE my career somehow?

Remember the letter-writer who was wondering if job-hopping could be their career somehow? Here’s the update. So, at least one of the commenters correctly deduced that the name of my sleep disorder is Idiopathic Hypersomnia. Scientifically it is not well understood, but some people think it is related to narcolepsy, and it means that I […]

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really aggressive spam callers are giving me anxiety attacks

It’s the Thursday “ask the readers” question.  A reader writes: Most of my company has been working from home due to the pandemic, like everyone. The only people in the office consistently right now are me, our VP, and occasionally the president. Since I am the most junior person in the office now, I have […]

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how to support a struggling new manager

A reader writes: I manage a newish manager, Jane, who has a team of four. Her team includes Rose and Lisa, newly joined from elsewhere in the company but experienced in their roles. In fact, they have more experience than either me or Jane in this work. Both Rose and Lisa have performance problems. Jane […]

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