my boss says I’m an “unapproachable” manager by Alison Green on July 22, 2021 A reader writes: I’m a fairly new manager, in this role for a little less than a year. A few months ago, I got some feedback from my boss that I’m being perceived as “unapproachable.” I’ve been hearing this my whole life, since middle school, although different words have been used (“stuck up,” “quiet,” “aloof”). […] Read the full article →
my freelancers don’t turn in work on time by Alison Green on July 12, 2021 A reader writes: I manage 15-20 part-time, remote freelancers. Let’s say our end-client sells access to a recipe database; my job is to find great recipe writers, teach them how to develop recipes according to our house standards, and then get them creating recipes for us on a regular basis. Once a recipe is submitted, […] Read the full article →
I think my assistant would be better at my job than I am by Alison Green on July 6, 2021 A reader writes: I am the director for a semi-independent branch office (about 100 people) of a larger company. It’s a pretty traditional, conservative company, and it believes in promoting from within, and many people here stay many years. I’ve been here 15 years. I was promoted to run this department three years ago. I […] Read the full article →
my employee takes over meetings with endless monologues and no one can get a word in by Alison Green on July 6, 2021 A reader writes: I have an employee who is a great worker. His attention to detail is impeccable. He puts in the hours needed to get the job done. As for work product, I have zero complaints. The problem comes on conference calls and meetings. For lack of a better description, he has diarrhea of […] Read the full article →
my new employee keeps complaining about missing her kids by Alison Green on June 23, 2021 A reader writes: I have a staff member who I hired recently, and she’s been out of the workforce for five or so years while she was a stay-at-home parent. I have been conscious of the adjustment for her being back in an office, and overall she’s been quite enthusiastic about working again. The problem […] Read the full article →
our employee lied about having a sick child by Alison Green on June 17, 2021 A reader writes: I’ve worked for a company for a little over 10 years. “Lysa” started soon after me. We work in a semi-small and close department, and about a year after she started she ran into a streak of bad luck. Her husband asked for a divorce and she found out her young daughter […] Read the full article →
my employee says I can’t stop her from leaving work early by Alison Green on June 9, 2021 A reader writes: I’m a new manager at a company. The office manager, who is salaried, is continually leaving early by 30-40 minutes a day and leaves at 2 on Fridays. It’s making the owner crazy. I’ve told her that although she is salaried, that salary is based on a 40-hour work week. Her response […] Read the full article →
my employee doesn’t work enough hours by Alison Green on June 2, 2021 A reader writes: I supervise a very good employee. She is exempt and full-time. She is very efficient, but she rarely puts a full day in at the office. I haven’t had a problem with this because of her efficiency, and I don’t think hours worked is as important as productivity. Lately she has been […] Read the full article →
how can I get a management job without management experience? by Alison Green on June 1, 2021 A reader writes: I am about six years into a career that puts the “individual” in individual contributor (nonprofit fundraising, in case it matters). I have good relations with my colleagues and we work collaboratively when possible, but our projects are completely solo. I have always known that I want to spend my career in […] Read the full article →
someone gave me a terrible review on Glassdoor by Alison Green on May 25, 2021 A reader writes: I work for a tiny company and manage a team eight people in a niche industry. There is fair amount of turnover, generally by design – people often take this job with the explicit goal of going to a particular grad school in a few years. I recently learned that someone left […] Read the full article →