Ask a Manager

Fifteen years ago this past Saturday, I launched this site. I wasn’t sure if anyone would read it, but I thought I had a few months of posts in me (little did I know the letters you had in you). A decade and a half later, here are some highlights year by year. In 2007, […]

Do you know this site has a whole section of interviews with people with interesting jobs? Here’s the complete list: a former receptionist at a legal brothel a lab worker at the Arctic Circle an incredibly diplomatic person … or how to agreeably disagree a former professional matchmaker a prison librarian a children’s entertainer a […]

A reader writes: My three-year-old daughter has been going to the same in-home daycare provider since she was very young. Her daycare provider, let’s call her Amy, is very good at what she does, has 25 years of experience, and is well-respected in our community. We have always been happy with her as a professional. […]

A reader writes: I recently finished my second week at a new job, and I absolutely hate it. It was sold to me as an editorial writing role, and it’s turned out to be essentially admin and data entry, with most of my time spent on the phone trying to get information from people who […]

After last week’s letter from a medical practice manager struggling to hire staff and unable to pay more because of tightly regimented insurance company payments, I received this letter offering a different view that I wanted to share here. Hi LW #2, As a fellow small medical practice owner, I feel your pain. The feedback […]

Today Michelle Silverthorn, founder and CEO of Inclusion Nation, returns to Ask A Manager! Michelle is the author of the best-selling book Authentic Diversity: How to Change the Workplace for Good (read an excerpt here) and talked with us last year about the work she does to help build more equitable companies. Now she’s back to take readers’ […]

Here are my favorite posts of 2021, in no particular order: 1. My employee told me “I prefer not to” when I tried to give him a new project Because Bartleby the Scrivener lives! 2. Interview with an employee at a majority-autistic company Because this was fascinating. 3. Someone keeps farting in important client meetings […]

Here are the posts that interested people the most in 2021, via two lists: the most viewed posts and the most commented on posts. Most viewed posts of 2021: 10. I’m frustrated that my employees don’t want to return to the office 9. Interviewer badmouthed me to my references because I didn’t want to “harness […]

It’s “where are you now?” month at Ask a Manager, and all December I’m running updates from people who had their letters here answered in the past. Here are five updates from past letter-writers. 1. How to explain un-retiring (#4 at the link) I wrote earlier this year about separating from my partner and returning […]