strangely dramatic responses to mundane office changes by Alison Green on May 19, 2022 Ever since the letter earlier this year about the office-wide meltdown over a new phone system with fewer speed dial buttons, I’ve been thinking about overly dramatic responses to relatively mundane changes at work. We’ve heard quite a few doozies over the years: • A couple years ago, I led revamping one of our workflows. […] Read the full article →
confess your moments of unprofessionalism here by Alison Green on May 12, 2022 Professionalism isn’t a thing people are born knowing — and it’s often a rocky journey to figure it out. I want to hear about unprofessional things you did in your past (maybe the recent past, who knows). To kick us off, here are some great moments in unprofessionalism that people have shared here previously. • […] Read the full article →
what kind of leave policy should a small business offer? by Alison Green on May 5, 2022 It’s the Thursday “ask the readers” question. A reader writes: I’ve only ever worked at small businesses with less than 25 people. During my time as a manager, and now as a small company owner (consulting/professional services type firms), I have struggled to come up with fair policies on things like PTO and family leave that […] Read the full article →
is rudeness and hostility on the rise in your profession? by Alison Green on April 28, 2022 On last week’s post about the person whose clients have have started becoming abusive after she gives them feedback, several people wrote that they’ve been seeing the same change in their own professions: “I’ve been in retail over ten years and there has been behavior from people in the last few months I’ve never seen, […] Read the full article →
I know my colleagues with kids are struggling … but it’s causing more work for me by Alison Green on April 21, 2022 It’s the Thursday “ask the readers” question. A reader writes: I think this is just a question of checking in with myself and better enforcing boundaries, but here goes: I’m childless in my late thirties, so I am: 1) surrounded by parents of young kids 2) constantly flexing or taking extra work for colleagues, folks […] Read the full article →
how do you learn what types of jobs exist? by Alison Green on April 14, 2022 It’s the Thursday “ask the readers” question. A reader writes: When you’re trying to make a major career pivot, how do you even learn what sort of jobs are out there? For context: In 2014, I enrolled in a seven-year grad program with the goal of becoming a college professor. I was passionate about teaching, […] Read the full article →
the dog-riding child, the overheard therapy session, and other Zoom meeting mishaps by Alison Green on April 13, 2022 Last week I asked about the funniest mishaps you’ve witnessed on Zoom calls. Here are some of my favorite stories you shared. 1. The dog Not a gaffe exactly, but the absolute best thing I saw on Zoom during 2020 while schools were closed here was a coworker’s son RIDING INTO HER OFFICE ATOP THE […] Read the full article →
the flosser, the disrobers, and other Zoom mishaps: share your stories by Alison Green on April 7, 2022 More than two years into the pandemic and a lot of us still are committing gaffes on video calls — from the person flossing on video, to the kid who screamed “I’m naked and you can’t do anything about it,” to so so many incidents of disrobing. In the comment section today, let’s hear about the […] Read the full article →
my ambitious, driven self is gone – and I don’t feel like working anymore by Alison Green on March 31, 2022 It’s the Thursday “ask the readers” question. A reader writes: I feel like I’m at a bit of a crossroads. I used to love reading your site because I really identified with the letter writers aiming to improve their careers and furthering their professional growth. That’s always been me: self-starting and passionate and dedicated. It […] Read the full article →
the axe thrower, the carpet glue, and other astounding first impressions made by new employees by Alison Green on March 30, 2022 Last week I asked about the most astounding first impression you’ve seen made by a new coworker. Here are some of my favorite stories you shared. 1. The axe We had a guy apply for a staff job. His very first day he was helping clean up brush along the edge of a mountain biking […] Read the full article →