Ask a Manager

This is a transcription of the Ask a Manager podcast episode “People Say My Tone Sounds Mean.” Alison: I talk a lot here about the importance of tone at work: being direct without being adversarial and being assertive without being disagreeable. Getting your tone right can make a huge difference in how you come across […]

This is a transcript of “My Coworker Sucks at Her Job.” Alison: Hi, and welcome to the show! Sometimes on the show I have one guest on and we really dig into their question for the whole length of the show. But today I’m going to answer a bunch of shorter questions from people, questions that […]

This is a transcription of the Ask a Manager podcast episode “I Don’t Have Enough Work.” Alison: If you’re frequently overloaded with work, it might sound nice to have too little to do – but in reality, regularly not having enough work to do can be incredibly boring and it can make work really drag […]

This is a transcription of the Ask a Manager podcast episode “The Yelling Boss”. Alison: Today we’re going to talk about yelling at work, specifically what to do when you have a boss who yells. Today’s guest has a boss who yells for minutes on end – not necessarily at anyone in particular, just about […]

This is a transcription of the Ask a Manager podcast episode “I’m Bad at Taking Feedback”. Alison: Today we’re going to talk about accepting criticism well. Getting feedback, even negative feedback, is a normal part of having a job and it’s a key part of how you develop your skills and get better and better […]

This is a transcription of the Ask a Manager podcast episode “I Need More Confidence at Work.” Alison: A lot of us struggle with worries that we’re not good enough at our jobs and when things go wrong, it can feel like proof of that. Plus, if you struggle with confidence, sometimes that can bleed […]

This is a transcription of the Ask a Manager podcast episode “How Can I Control My Emotions At Work?”. Alison: Emotions and work are a weird thing. Part of being professional is keeping your emotions in check, but that doesn’t mean that you magically stop having them. Today’s guest is worried that she has a […]

This is a transcription of the Ask a Manager podcast episode “Evil HR Lady, Bedbugs at Work, and More.” Alison: This week we have a special guest and I’m so excited to introduce her. Suzanne Lucas runs the website Evil HR Lady, which is an amazing website full of useful and funny advice on all […]

This is a transcription of the Ask a Manager podcast episode “My Assistant Keeps Mothering Me”. Alison: I get a lot of letters from people about weird dynamics with coworkers. Today’s guest has a coworker who keeps trying to mother her and her colleagues, and there are age and gender dynamics thrown in to boot. […]