my favorite posts of all time

Here’s a look back at my favorite posts of all time…

Bad employer behavior:

when your manager won’t manage

can your employer do that? probably — but you can still discuss it

what to do when your employer is breaking the law

Advice on getting what you want from work:

how to make your boss adore you

taking criticism gracefully

do you have to control your emotions to be professional?

I’m hypersensitive to criticism — how do I fix this?

how to make a scene when you need to make a scene

the Ask a Manager guide to asking for a raise

how do I get less emotionally invested in my work?

what to do if you hate your job

Advice on being a good manager:

deathbed advice

how can I stop softening the message in tough conversations with my staff?

I yelled at our intern

new managers and authority

alternatives to firing

what reality-based management looks like

Job search advice:

if you’re not getting interviews, read this

after you apply, move on

it’s not your dream job

what your interviewer says / what you hear / what they mean (and its companion piece)

combating unhealthy power dynamics during a job search — the ones in your head

what should a salary negotiation sound like?

“do what you love” is not great advice

A smattering of weirdness:

an employee is putting magic curses on her coworkers

my coworker wants us to call her boyfriend her “master”

a coworker stole my spicy food, got sick, and is blaming me (and the update)

my coworker has started faking a British accent

Want more? Here are my lists of favorites from 2020, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2014, 2013, 20122011 … or the entire last decade.