will I be judged for having a messy office? by Alison Green on January 20, 2016 A reader writes: I wonder if you could say a few words about work offices/spaces. I’m the child of a hoarder and I fight the family DNA daily, but I usually have a messier office than most people. A previous boss with a minimalist office told me that “a messy desk is the sign of […] Read the full article →
why I’m thankful for the bad managers in my past by Alison Green on January 20, 2016 I’ve worked with and for a lot of bad managers in my career. I consider them anti-mentors: bosses who were so bad that they unwittingly formed the start of my thinking on management, by providing a perfect model of what not to do. Over at Inc. today, I talk about those bad bosses and why I’m grateful to […] Read the full article →
my boss doesn’t know she’s about to be fired — and I’m replacing her by Alison Green on January 20, 2016 A reader writes: I have been offered the supervisory job at work by the “big bosses,” who are planning on firing my immediate supervisor. She does not know she is going to be fired, and my accepting the position actually makes it possible for them to fire her (it’s not a job that can be […] Read the full article →
how can I ask my coworkers to stop talking about politics, interview shoes when it’s snowy, and more by Alison Green on January 20, 2016 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. How can I ask my manager and coworkers to stop talking about politics at work? Do you have advice on how to suggest a rule of no talking about politics at work? My managers and coworkers have taken to discussing politics while we are in […] Read the full article →
a member of our professional group is making people feel excluded by Alison Green on January 19, 2016 A reader writes: I belong to a group of mid- to upper-level professionals that meets several times a year for networking and a presentation (usually by one of the members) on a topic of interest in our field. Organizational duties rotate every couple of years; I’m currently in charge of organizing the meetings. There are […] Read the full article →
the exact cost of a toxic employee, collaboration overload, and more by Alison Green on January 19, 2016 Over at Intuit QuickBase’s Fast Track blog today, I take a look at several big work-related stories in the news right now: the exact cost of a toxic employee, collaboration overload, and more. You can read it here. Read the full article →
my exempt employees are confused about how to manage their own time by Alison Green on January 19, 2016 A reader writes: I manage two groups of employees. The first are paid hourly, and personnel matters are governed by union contract. The others are salaried professional staff, who have individual contracts with our employer. This group is compensated and evaluated based on results, not how many hours they work. Our leadership is very clear […] Read the full article →
my boss rewrote my resume and it’s terrible, my reference said that his skills are better than mine, and more by Alison Green on January 19, 2016 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. My boss rewrote my resume — and it’s terrible My boss is the type of person who is going to do his best to help you in your career; he’s not going to be annoyed or feel threatened that you want to leave. I know […] Read the full article →
my favorite cover letter tips, and why you should volunteer if you’re unemployed by Alison Green on January 18, 2016 Two miscellaneous things: 1. In this article in Self, I do a round-up of my favorite tips for writing good cover letters. 2. And a reader sent me this interesting news release from the Corporation for National & Community Service, which mentions research showing that unemployed people who volunteer over the next year have 27% […] Read the full article →
8 tips for parents returning to the workforce by Alison Green on January 18, 2016 If you’ve been a stay-at-home parent who’s now returning to the work force, you might feel intimidated. After all, you’re competing against candidates who didn’t step away from a professional track, your skills might feel rusty, and it might have been years since you interviewed. But with some effort and the right mindset, you can […] Read the full article →