Ask a Manager

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Am I being too old-fashioned about how I schedule calls? I work for a mid-sized media company. My job includes emailing people outside of the office to set up a time for me to interview them for content that I write. I keep an old-fashioned […]

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Telling a new employee he’s not cut out for the job I began managing a new team last month. The team is very green — over half graduated less than two years ago. In the last two years, this department only had a manager for […]

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. My coworker does extreme sports whenever she’s out sick I have a coworker, “Pattie,” who has a remote work accommodation due to a mental health diagnosis. For the past year, she has been chronically late to meetings, missed deadlines, and been difficult to reach. This […]

It’s four answers to four questions. Here we go… 1. We’re supposed to say grace at the start of team meals I work in government. Fairly new to job, first time in government. Been in private sector and higher education before this. Every time my department has a group meal, they say grace. Led by […]

It’s four answers to four questions. Here we go… 1. My new boss has a different work style than my old boss I’ve been in my job for three years under James. I’ve liked working with him and have learned a lot. The work is fairly strategic in nature, and James often asked for multiple […]

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Disgruntled ex-employee keeps contacting current employees We had an employee, Lark, who served as a director in our business for about eight months. She chose to put in her notice and leave the company this summer. During her tenure, she repeatedly told several members of […]

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. My employee thinks I’m sending “secret messages” about how much time off she has I’m a new manager with less than a year of experience, and I manage one direct report, Sally. We’re both based in the U.S., while our director is in the UK. […]

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Writing group member won’t stop talking and we can’t get any work done I work at an academic institution, and am a member of a writing group that includes people across different departments. We meet every few weeks to write as a way of carving […]

I’m off for a few days (probably back tomorrow). Here are some past letters that I’m making new again, rather than leaving them to wilt in the archives. 1. My office thinks I insulted a coworker but I didn’t mean it like that I work for a small nonprofit. I have one boss and about […]

I’m off for a few days. Here are some past letters that I’m making new again, rather than leaving them to wilt in the archives. 1. My coworkers won’t help me cut expenses A few months ago we received an email from the Big Boss (head of our business unit) that we are entering a […]