November 2017

my boss doesn’t care about me personally or professionally

A reader writes: My boss doesn’t care about me personally or professionally, and I no longer feel motivated at my job as a result. Is it just best to move on, even if I don’t have anything lined up, because the relationship is affecting my mental health? On the personal end, it ranges from not […]

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now you can pre-order the new Ask a Manager book

My book is now available for pre-order! Ask a Manager: How to Navigate Clueless Colleagues, Lunch-Stealing Bosses, and the Rest of Your Life at Work will be published by Random House/Ballantine on May 1, but you can pre-order it now at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, Powell’s, and more. It’s nearly all new content that you haven’t read […]

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should I tip off my coworker that he’s getting laid off?

A reader writes: The company I work for is significantly off budget, and I have known for about a week that a particular manager (who’s basically a peer) is being considered for layoff as the company is looking to make major cuts. I was brought into the conversation because of the effect his separation will […]

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my coworker brings her aggressive dog to work

A reader writes: We’re a dog-friendly workplace, and employees can bring in their dogs even if they’re not service animals. The rules are simple, of course. They can’t be aggressive, bite, or bark excessively. One coworker has just such a dog. He’s small, but barks at any dog that passes by. I’ve been told he’s […]

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my employee can’t accept that his performance is bad

A reader writes: I’ve put a staff member on to a formal performance improvement plan, but despite me providing feedback and taking multiple approaches to get through to him, he doesn’t seem to be able to grasp just how poorly he is doing. I do want him to succeed and have supported many conversations, participation […]

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how do I get less emotionally invested in my work?

A reader writes: I’m a programmer who is in my eighth month at my current job. I’m a woman in my late 20s and have never held a job for a full year before–while most of the jobs I’ve had have been internships or temp/contract jobs, I’ve quit one that made me miserable and been laid […]

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