my boss is trying to “quiet fire” me — can I just ignore it? by Alison Green on January 8, 2024 A reader writes: I have worked for a tiny company in a managerial position for close to 15 years. Over the past few years, the owner/boss has made a consistent series of stunningly bad business decisions that has led from an environment of “high achieving lunacy” to “wow, quite dysfunctional” to “flaming dumpster fire of […] Read the full article →
I think my boss is ChatGPT by Alison Green on January 2, 2024 A reader writes: I started a new executive-level position with a young-ish start-up a few months ago. My boss had always seemed distracted in meetings or like he wasn’t fully listening. He has an aversion to synchronous meetings and exhibited some bizarre behavior early on when asked a clarifying question about a concept he had […] Read the full article →
my coworker’s white fragility is getting in the way of DEI discussions, and other questions about race by Alison Green on November 15, 2023 It’s part two of our discussion with Michelle Silverthorn! Michelle is the founder and CEO of Inclusion Nation, a recognized keynote speaker on inclusion and belonging, and the author of the best-selling book, Authentic Diversity: How to Change the Workplace for Good. Sign up for Monday Mornings with Michelle, her weekly newsletter with practical steps for allyship at […] Read the full article →
my awful coworker’s employees want me to help them by Alison Green on November 14, 2023 A reader writes: My counterpart — let’s call him John — and I each manage workers who are part of various teams in the same department. Some of John’s employees recently approached me with concerns about his management style. From what I can gather, after being moved to these employees’ team to “help them out” […] Read the full article →
my boss wouldn’t work with me because she was upset I adopted from foster care by Alison Green on November 14, 2023 A reader writes: I work in higher education, and something happened to me at my last job that never sat right with me. I was hired at a large research university to work in a specialized program providing one-on-one support for students. I was a tutor, and all the tutors in my center had terminal […] Read the full article →
how can I support my Black employee who doesn’t want me to report anything, and other questions about race by Alison Green on November 13, 2023 I’m thrilled to welcome back Michelle Silverthorn to answer readers’ questions on race. Michelle is the founder and CEO of Inclusion Nation. A recognized keynote speaker on inclusion and belonging, she speaks on hundreds of virtual and in-person stages every year and her interactive e-learning suite, Inclusion LAUNCH, is in use by organizations across the world. […] Read the full article →
my boss hasn’t talked to me since his drunken striptease by Alison Green on November 8, 2023 A reader writes: What to do with a (probably) embarrassed boss? I (40s F), my boss (50s M), and a fellow coworker (60s F) all happen to share a hobby. In August, I made the mistake of going on a weekend trip with them. The outing was justified by claiming we could save money if […] Read the full article →
my boss insisted on calling a medium about my missing family member by Alison Green on November 7, 2023 A reader writes: My uncle is missing. It’s been so, so terrible. The police are still searching, but we’re all so scared. I’ve been trying not to let it affect my work, but of course I’m struggling, so on the advice of several people I finally told my boss. He’s high-up in my company and […] Read the full article →
how do I interrupt my boss in person when I need something? by Alison Green on November 6, 2023 A reader writes: I’ve found myself in several situations now where I periodically need to show up at my bosses’ office to ask them something. These are high level people at the top of the organization. Sometimes I can email or text them and get a response (but not consistently), but their offices are near […] Read the full article →
my boss keeps telling me he loves me by Alison Green on November 1, 2023 A reader writes: I have a strong working relationship with my boss, the owner of the company I work at. We clicked instantly in my initial interview, get along well, and he is consistently impressed by my work. Most importantly, I think he values me because I’m not afraid of difficult conversations, and I’m the […] Read the full article →