Ask a Manager

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Should my employee provide any explanation for her repeated last-minute time off? One of my employees, Ciera, has been regularly requesting her PTO at the last minute over the past few months. For example, she’ll submit a request over the weekend to have Monday off […]

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. How can I get out of group photos at work? I work in a department where the staff work remotely most of the time. We do have monthly and quarterly meetings where everyone is required to work on-site and the occasional optional staff party or […]

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. My employee says I’m triggering their unresolved trauma I have a question as to how to manage a direct report who has admitted that they have self esteem issues resulting from unresolved childhood trauma. It is evident in any dealings with them that they struggle […]

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Church member at my job wants help raising money for a bad idea I work for a small church, of which I am also a member. Laurel has been a member for many years and works as a freelance bookkeeper. For many years, the church […]

It’s four answers to four questions. Here we go… 1. My coworker won’t answer my boss’s questions I work for a very small department within a bigger group. I have one coworker (Jane) and a boss (Amanda), and the boss also manages about eight others who are in a bigger department. My role is small and […]

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 […]