my needy boss wants me to “adopt” her by Alison Green on January 7, 2020 A reader writes: My manager, Wanda, is a director about five years younger than I am (I’m 63, also a woman). She has been with our employer for over 20 years, is extremely good at what she does, is fiercely loyal to her staff, and possesses a wealth of knowledge and insight about our specific […] Read the full article →
how to correct your boss by Alison Green on November 27, 2019 A reader writes: How do you recommend correcting your manager when they say something you know is incorrect? This could range from minor details to larger concepts — for example, pronouncing a client’s name wrong, or mentioning incorrect dates for future projects. I know my manager is balancing a lot, and her occasional inaccuracies are not ill-intentioned. […] Read the full article →
my boss keeps canceling our meetings by Alison Green on November 26, 2019 A reader writes: I have a problem at work that I’m not sure how to address. The meetings I request with colleagues are frequently canceled or rescheduled, particularly with my boss. My boss is very senior in the company and has a busy schedule. He ends up rescheduling at least 50% of my meetings with […] Read the full article →
I’ve been accidentally dating my boss’s husband by Alison Green on November 20, 2019 A reader writes: I’ve been accidentally dating my new boss’ husband, and I don’t know what to do. I landed my dream job at my dream company. My boss is usually supportive and competent. My only issue is that she’s made some homophobic comments (I’m a gay man), but this is a conservative area and […] Read the full article →
how can I fix my boss’s obsessive focus on face time over results? by Alison Green on November 12, 2019 A reader writes: I’m a fairly new manager — a woman in my 20s. I manage a team of six other young people in a largely older, more “old school” organization. I was promoted from within after about five years here. I’m really struggling because my boss, the organization’s executive director, values face time over […] Read the full article →
my boss drops his sick kid off in our small office by Alison Green on November 4, 2019 A reader writes: I work for a very small company (five employees plus our boss, who is the company owner). We all work in one room, and the boss’s house is on the property. Our boss “Joe” is, in general, a kind, understanding person. He can occasionally be volatile, but we are paid pretty well, […] Read the full article →
can I avoid talking football without annoying my boss? by Alison Green on October 17, 2019 A reader writes: I work in an environment where there are three to five of us (depending on the day) who spend a lot of time together just due to the nature of the work and the set-up of our office. There are three to four of us at the same level and one boss, […] Read the full article →
my coworker hangs out with my boss all day in our shared office by Alison Green on October 16, 2019 A reader writes: I work for a company of about 150 people but the department I work for consists of three people: Arya, who is my boss; Jon, who I supervise; and me. A separate coworker, Sansa, works for a different department, and there is no managerial overlap between departments. My team shares one large, […] Read the full article →
how to answer “how are you?” when you’re grieving by Alison Green on October 9, 2019 A reader writes: My dad died in late August. Since then, many people have asked me “how are you?” to which I usually respond with, “I’m okay” or “I’m here” or “It’s day-by-day.” Depending on how close they are to me, I may expand upon that answer. I don’t answer with “fine” because … well, […] Read the full article →
I have a crush on my boss and he’s being standoffish by Alison Green on October 7, 2019 A reader writes: A few months ago, I started working at what’s basically the perfect company for me (introvert, diagnosed autism, possible undiagnosed ADHD). It’s a very small company. I enjoy the work, I’m good at what I do, I get my own space and lots of alone time, and there’s no customer interaction. Thing […] Read the full article →