are managers “deeply concerned” if you ask for feedback, I got in trouble for saying I didn’t want to be “a dick,” and more by Alison Green on February 20, 2024 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Are managers “deeply concerned” if you ask for feedback? A while back, I took an advanced class in a topic I’d never studied, but still within my department. I mentioned this to the professor before committing. This was a small class (~10 students) and as […] Read the full article →
update: I have to go to an awkward Valentine’s Day work dinner right after a breakup by Alison Green on February 19, 2024 Remember the letter-writer who had to go to an awkward Valentine’s Day work dinner right after a breakup? Here’s the update. I decided to attend the dinner, and it was actually even more painful than I thought it would be BUT I was totally professional and represented my organization well. I had decided to see […] Read the full article →
my employee is hassling coworkers about their clothes by Alison Green on February 19, 2024 A reader asks: I hired a new team member, “Jane,” six months ago. She’s competent and diligent, but now that she’s coming out of her shell, her rigidity around her idea of professional norms are alienating her team members as well as other people on staff: * She complains about women colleagues’ workwear for being […] Read the full article →
my coworker doesn’t want me to have a communal candy dish because of temptation by Alison Green on February 19, 2024 I’m off for the holiday, so here’s an older post from the archives. This was originally published in 2019. A reader writes: I keep a candy dish on my desk – have done so for years. It’s communal. I often fill it. Others contribute. It sits alongside some Aleeve and Tums that are also communal. […] Read the full article →
coworkers have a mean group chat, company won’t tell us who’s been laid off, and more by Alison Green on February 19, 2024 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Coworkers have a mean group chat about another colleague I work adjacent to a group of mid-level managers in a customer service department. We share a similar job title, and my team supports their group (think management, training, quality, etc.). This group of other managers […] Read the full article →
weekend open thread – February 17-18, 2024 by Alison Green on February 16, 2024 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: Come and Get It, by Kiley Reid. The lives of a college RA, three dorm roommates, and a visiting writer intertwine in surprising […] Read the full article →
open thread – February 16-17, 2024 by Alison Green on February 16, 2024 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 →
coworker wants us to read her Christian novel, managing a colleague’s feelings, and more by Alison Green on February 16, 2024 It’s four answers to four questions. Here we go… 1. Coworker is pushing us to read her self-published Christian novel I work for a nonprofit that is provides a government-mandated service, is entirely funded by the government, and has very close ties to the government. Most, though not all, of my coworkers are fairly liberal […] Read the full article →
is it insensitive to be excited for snow at work? by Alison Green on February 15, 2024 A reader writes: I love winter weather and snow, always have. I live in a large city in the northern hemisphere, so it’s good I like winter since, you know, it’s a solid 4-5 months of my year. Due to global warming, though, our winter has been increasingly warmer and wetter, which drives up my […] Read the full article →
updates: the ChatGPT boss, the candidate who recently took another job, and more by Alison Green on February 15, 2024 Here are four updates from past letter-writers. 1. I think my boss is ChatGPT Thanks so much for your response- your advice was right on. I left very shortly after your answer was published and am happily working for a new, much more mature brand. It turns out that after I left, things went steadily […] Read the full article →