open thread – February 3-4, 2023 by Alison Green on February 3, 2023 It’s the Friday open thread! The comment section on this post is open for discussion with other readers on any work-related questions 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 take your questions to […] Read the full article →
I don’t want to eat lunch with my boss, can I file a complaint about my spouse’s manager, and more by Alison Green on February 3, 2023 It’s four answers to four questions. Here we go… 1. I don’t want to eat lunch with my boss so frequently I have a good manager. He is friendly, supportive, and very flexible with letting me leave early to pick up my young daughters. We have a good working relationship, and I enjoy my job. […] Read the full article →
why do hiring managers ghost me after promising they won’t? by Alison Green on February 2, 2023 A reader writes: I’ve had a few terrific interviews that I thought went really well. The hiring manager and I have had great discussions, insightful questions were asked on both sides, and it seems like the role is a great fit for me and my experience. Then, at the end of the interview, the hiring […] Read the full article →
Ask a Manager in the media by Alison Green on February 2, 2023 Here’s some coverage of Ask a Manager in the media recently: I talked to Money about whether you should use Chat GPT to write your cover letter. I talked to Vox about what to do before, during, and after a layoff. Quartz covered the AAM letter about the boss who was pushing people to share […] Read the full article →
I’m unprofessional and not detail-oriented — but I still need to earn a living by Alison Green on February 2, 2023 It’s the Thursday “ask the readers” question. I am not a detail-oriented person. I’ve had jobs where I was responsible for things like making sure that a packet of materials was the correct color paper, or following a 94-step process perfectly many times. I. Just. Cannot. It’s not a question of effort. I’ve written protocols, […] Read the full article →
I feel stuck working for my father, boss disclosed my pregnancy, and more by Alison Green on February 2, 2023 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. I feel stuck working for my father I’m in my second or third career now, if I ever had one. My father is the president of a small company and has been trying to get me to work with him my entire life. I worked […] Read the full article →
a higher-up is pushing an unwanted volunteer on us by Alison Green on February 1, 2023 A reader writes: This descriptor is helpful and accurate, so I’m going to borrow it: “I work in a cultural/academic/nonprofit institution, and am part of a professional community small enough that I don’t wish to identify it, lest one of my colleagues identify me.” There’s a hierarchy within my institution, and someone (Martha) higher up […] Read the full article →
how can I get my employees to be more comfortable figuring things out on their own? by Alison Green on February 1, 2023 A reader writes: I’ve been a manager for a few years, and I’ve been working hard to build my bench. I keep running into an issue where I assign an employee a new task with as much lead time as I can manage, and their first response is, “Can you show me how?” Throughout my […] Read the full article →
my company won’t promote people who work from home by Alison Green on February 1, 2023 A reader writes: Before the pandemic, my company did not have the option to work remotely. When the pandemic hit, they were legally required to close our office because we are not essential workers. We were fully remote for a while and no one was allowed to go to the office for any reason. When […] Read the full article →
my mentor has a shady side business, drinks that look like beer but aren’t, and more by Alison Green on February 1, 2023 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. I just found out my mentor does an MLM on the side I was assigned a teammate (Eric) as my mentor about a month after I started my job. Our boss (Bill) picked Eric because we had some similar personality traits and work styles. Eric’s […] Read the full article →