Ask a Manager

A reader writes: Our team of seven has been working from home since the beginning of Covid. To keep up-to-date on projects, we have two weekly calls with the entire team, and one mid-week call to update the rest of the company on projects. Our manager runs the two team calls each week, while I […]

A reader writes: I’m 25 and working in a passion career. I love it! I’m not burned out, and I don’t want to work less. My manager gives us all flexibility and grace. And yet … it still bothers me when my parenting peers work a fraction of my hours for the same (or more) […]

A reader writes: I am writing about a new coworker who has no concept of boundaries. “Hannah” is in her mid-40’s and is pretty advanced in her career (in a technical position that starts at $100K a year). She sees herself as a “grandma figure” to the Gen Z coworkers in our small office. I’ve […]

A reader writes: I find myself in a truly bizarre situation. I attended a work conference overnight this weekend with almost all of my colleagues. We’re attorneys at a pretty large “small” law firm. At the end of the conference day, we all had dinner together. My close colleague, Jenna, and I arrived to dinner […]

A reader writes: I’m having an issue with a coworker who I find deeply irritating and, frankly, am embarrassed to be professionally associated with. I have reported her more egregious actions to our manager and, after my second complaint, started documenting behavior but I don’t know what is actionable and what is petty and interpersonal. […]

A reader writes: I work for a small company (less than 50 people) and Jane has been with us for about four years. She came with a lot of fanfare because she is specialist in her field and has a history of otherworldly production. Jane loves having a squad of adoring colleagues and subordinates and […]

A reader writes: I am a middle manager who works with an employee I’ll call “John.” John does not report to me, but there are scenarios in which I supervise aspects of John’s work and am in a position to give him feedback. John has a lot of experience (he’s been doing his job about […]

A reader writes: Weird thing just came up at my work that I’d be curious to hear you weigh in on. I work at a university that is 100% in-person, on-the-ground. My colleague Fergus has an office in an obscure little corner of the building. We rarely see him come in and out, and he […]