what’s the most astounding first impression you’ve seen a new hire make? by Alison Green on March 24, 2022 Most people try to make a good impression when they start a new job. Others … do not or, perhaps, cannot. Think, for example, of the new hire who was already badmouthing the business on Twitter, the employee plotting a coup on her second day, and the new hire who brought their mom to orientation… It’s […] Read the full article →
the quiet floor, the ghost cat, and other stories from college RAs by Alison Green on March 21, 2022 Last week I asked for stories from people who were RAs (resident assistants) in college. Here are some of my favorite stories you shared. 1. The dog Rather than write up a student for having a dog illegally, I just made an agreement that I could let myself in when she wasn’t there so I […] Read the full article →
if you were an RA in college, now is your time to spill by Alison Green on March 17, 2022 Were you an RA in college and do you have stories? We want to hear them. On last week’s post about misusing power for good, one commenter contributed this: Junior year in college, I befriended our RA. There was a room between mine and the RA’s, and two students who liked to “study” to loud […] Read the full article →
the plum liquor, the free lunches, and other times people used their power for good by Alison Green on March 14, 2022 Last week I asked about times you’ve seen people misuse their power for good. Here are some of my favorite stories you shared. 1. The over-orderer In one of my first professional jobs, where I was paid barely over minimum wage, any time my boss ordered in lunch for a client, he would “accidentally” over-order […] Read the full article →
let’s talk about people “misusing” their power for good by Alison Green on March 10, 2022 Last week we talked about the smallest amount of power you’ve ever seen someone abuse. But people can also use even small amounts of power for good — like the crossing guard who wasn’t really a crossing guard, or the graphic designer who sabotaged a homophobic group’s ad in her newspaper. This week, let’s talk about times when […] Read the full article →
the fake crossing guard, the controversial coat rack, and other abuses of tiny amounts of power by Alison Green on March 7, 2022 Last week I asked about the smallest amount of power you’ve ever seen someone abuse. Here are 12 of my favorites of the stories you shared. 1. The emails I worked with someone who would not read messages if he was cc’d rather than included in the “to” field of emails. 2. The crossing guard […] Read the full article →
what’s the smallest amount of power you’ve seen someone abuse? by Alison Green on March 3, 2022 Remember the person whose company accountant was nitpicking his travel expenses to the point of responding to a $12 Chipotle tab with,”Ordering extra guacamole is wasteful of member dues”? Or the weeks-long battle about the purchase of a $10 calculator? Or the admin who wouldn’t give anyone a new pen unless you turned in your old, […] Read the full article →
my wife’s complaints about work are overwhelming me by Alison Green on February 24, 2022 It’s the Thursday “ask the readers” question. A reader writes: My wife and I have a generally happy household, except for after work times: I think of this as the Airing of Grievances hour. And let me be clear in saying that it is my wife who does the complaining. She is pleasant with her […] Read the full article →
can you really ever get past being a procrastinator? by Alison Green on February 17, 2022 It’s a new “ask the readers” question. A reader writes: I’m a lifelong underachieving procrastinator, so this post and the other update that mentioned it caught my attention. In thinking about them, it occurred to me that although I’ve read a ton of books and advice on how to cure procrastination, I kind of never […] Read the full article →
Covid has made my job a slog — when should I give up on it? by Alison Green on February 10, 2022 It’s the Thursday “ask the readers” question. A reader writes: I am an administrator in a public service organization, and have held this job for just over four and a half years. Covid hit when I was just shy of three years in the role, so more than a third of my time here has […] Read the full article →