weekend open thread – March 30-31, 2024 by Alison Green on March 29, 2024 This comment section is open for any non-work-related discussion you’d like to have with other readers, by popular demand. Here are the rules for the weekend posts. Book recommendation of the week: A Beautiful Rival, by Gill Paul. This is a fictionalized account of the professional rivalry between Elizabeth Arden and Helena Rubinstein, and I was […] Read the full article →
open thread – March 29-30, 2024 by Alison Green on March 29, 2024 It’s the Friday open thread! The comment section on this post is open for discussion with other readers on any work-related questions that you want to talk about (that includes school). If you want an answer from me, emailing me is still your best bet*, but this is a chance to take your questions to […] Read the full article →
how do I motivate an unresponsive employee, company won’t promote me because of childhood trauma, and more by Alison Green on March 29, 2024 It’s four answers to four questions. Here we go… 1. How do I motivate someone who doesn’t bother to do his work? I recently started a new role with four employees who have already been in their roles for a while. I previously worked with this group sometimes, but without any of them reporting to […] Read the full article →
my company has no reporting structure and no training by Alison Green on March 28, 2024 A reader writes: I work for a professional services company that currently has no real reporting structure and it’s driving me insane. The company is relatively new and for the first few years, it was about five people who all functioned as one team: my boss, Malcolm; his second-in-command, Wash; and several junior staff working […] Read the full article →
update: an employee is out to get my star performer, and no one else cares by Alison Green on March 28, 2024 Remember the letter-writer who managed a star performer who was being targeted by a coworker and no one else in the company’s leadership cared? Here’s the update. First, the best news! Tina earned a huge promotion to a different department a couple of weeks after you published my letter. She’s now an AVP for retail […] Read the full article →
let’s discuss sacred office supplies by Alison Green on March 28, 2024 Thanks to a reader for this idea: “What supplies or equipment at your office are as untouchable as a holy relic, despite having no discernible function in the 21st century? What supplies do people inexplicably hoard, or somehow lead to epic battles for control?” Let’s discuss in the comment section. Read the full article →
should we have “fun” out-of-office messages, managers trash-talk my old job, and more by Alison Green on March 28, 2024 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Should we really have “fun” out-of-office messages? At a company-sponsored women’s networking event last year, a speaker suggested that people should make their out-of-office messages more “fun” — i.e., include details about where you’re going, who you’re going with, fun facts about the location, etc. […] Read the full article →
should our office kick everyone out at 5 pm? by Alison Green on March 27, 2024 A reader writes: I would like to ask you and your readers about a discussion my organization had about working late. I don’t work in the office late. I have worked late at home occasionally, but I do not stay in the office longer than close of business. Some team members do though, to a […] Read the full article →
I found a perfect candidate — do I need to interview others? by Alison Green on March 27, 2024 A reader writes: I recently posted a position that’s a bit above entry-level. People from various backgrounds could do well in the role, but I had a pretty specific profile in mind when I wrote the job description. I was thinking I’ll never find someone who checks all these boxes, but I did! This person […] Read the full article →
my coworker is spreading a rumor that I have bulimia by Alison Green on March 27, 2024 A reader writes: I really need some unbiased advice here as I am really struggling with a situation at my job but at the same time love my position and don’t want to leave. I’ve been at my current job for just over two years. Initially, I really enjoyed my job and my coworkers, but […] Read the full article →