how can I fix my boss’s obsessive focus on face time over results? by Alison Green on November 12, 2019 A reader writes: I’m a fairly new manager — a woman in my 20s. I manage a team of six other young people in a largely older, more “old school” organization. I was promoted from within after about five years here. I’m really struggling because my boss, the organization’s executive director, values face time over […] Read the full article →
my boss drops his sick kid off in our small office by Alison Green on November 4, 2019 A reader writes: I work for a very small company (five employees plus our boss, who is the company owner). We all work in one room, and the boss’s house is on the property. Our boss “Joe” is, in general, a kind, understanding person. He can occasionally be volatile, but we are paid pretty well, […] Read the full article →
can I avoid talking football without annoying my boss? by Alison Green on October 17, 2019 A reader writes: I work in an environment where there are three to five of us (depending on the day) who spend a lot of time together just due to the nature of the work and the set-up of our office. There are three to four of us at the same level and one boss, […] Read the full article →
my coworker hangs out with my boss all day in our shared office by Alison Green on October 16, 2019 A reader writes: I work for a company of about 150 people but the department I work for consists of three people: Arya, who is my boss; Jon, who I supervise; and me. A separate coworker, Sansa, works for a different department, and there is no managerial overlap between departments. My team shares one large, […] Read the full article →
how to answer “how are you?” when you’re grieving by Alison Green on October 9, 2019 A reader writes: My dad died in late August. Since then, many people have asked me “how are you?” to which I usually respond with, “I’m okay” or “I’m here” or “It’s day-by-day.” Depending on how close they are to me, I may expand upon that answer. I don’t answer with “fine” because … well, […] Read the full article →
I have a crush on my boss and he’s being standoffish by Alison Green on October 7, 2019 A reader writes: A few months ago, I started working at what’s basically the perfect company for me (introvert, diagnosed autism, possible undiagnosed ADHD). It’s a very small company. I enjoy the work, I’m good at what I do, I get my own space and lots of alone time, and there’s no customer interaction. Thing […] Read the full article →
my old boss trash-talks my new boss by Alison Green on September 25, 2019 A reader writes: Until three months ago, I had major problems with my manager, who in my opinion bullied me. After taking the issue to her manager and to HR, I was assigned the same manager as she has, which was communicated as a reorganization. This has also meant that she has had product responsibility […] Read the full article →
my boss excessively Photoshops herself on our company’s social media by Alison Green on September 23, 2019 A reader writes: I work at a respected firm in a niche industry. I graduated college this year so I’m the newest person here. Besides my manager (I’ll call her Elizabeth), everyone else has worked here for 15 years or more and has decades of experience in the industry. When Elizabeth was hired as a […] Read the full article →
my boss spends too much personal money on us by Alison Green on September 18, 2019 A reader writes: I work at a nonprofit institution, and my coworkers and I are paid far below market value for our skills. My manager Sam knows this and has advocated for us, but our industry and salary bands being what they are, this is unlikely to change anytime soon. In light of these facts […] Read the full article →
my boss’s angry husband calls multiple times a day for her by Alison Green on September 18, 2019 A reader writes: I work in a customer service type role where I routinely deal with people face-to-face and also answer queries on the telephone, and I am required to be considerate about taking calls if I have customers waiting in line to talk to me. The working environment can be very busy but it’s […] Read the full article →