Ask a Manager

We have so many updates this year that I’m going to be posting six to seven times a day this week — so keep checking back throughout the entire day. In the spirit of the season, let’s hear about workplace gift debacles. Did a game of Secret Santa end in tears? Did a coworker throw […]

It’s the Thursday “ask the readers” question. A reader writes: I’m writing because for the first time in my managerial experience, I’m facing a crossroads that I’m really just not sure I can rely on myself to be objective about. I work for a large, private enterprise in a legacy industry. We don’t make goods, […]

We have once again entered the season of forced workplace merriment, inappropriate gifts, holiday party disasters, and other seasonal delights! Will there be fewer amusing debacles this year since so many of us are remote? Or will human nature triumph and bring us nude, spray-painted gold Barbies, tantrums over holiday raffles, and Hanukkah balls? I have faith that […]

Over the years, readers have submitted a tremendous number of amusing stories about holidays at work. In lieu of any more posts today since it’s Thanksgiving, here are some of my favorites from the last 13 years. 1. The duet “The organization I work for often holds its convention just a couple of weeks before Christmas, […]

It’s the weekly “ask the readers” question (I’m bumping it up to today since tomorrow is a holiday). This one is tough. A reader writes: How do I talk to my friends and family about my work when it is depressing? I work for an international development nonprofit. The situation in the country where we […]

It’s the Thursday “ask the readers” — and this week we have two questions on a similar theme: changing careers. Here’s the first letter: I daydream about doing “something else” — but I’m not sure if it’s just “grass is greener” or if I should plan to do something about it! My job (software engineering […]

We talked earlier about Machiavellian behavior. Now let’s talk about times at work when people have gone out of their way to do good or be kind. Please share stories of kindness at work in the comments. (It’s a weird Tuesday and I’m not doing our regular programming today.)

Last week, I asked about Machiavellian things you’ve seen or done at work. Here’s part two of my favorites. (Part one was yesterday.) 1. The Alaskan get-away Years ago, I was overworked and underpaid And hardly ever got to take time off. At one point I got sent to Alaska to meet with an important […]