How To Avoid Political Landmines In The Office
Question: Most of my employees are political junkies. Several of them swear by different Democratic candidates; a couple of the others are devoted Donald Trump fans. I’ve been pretty lenient…
Q&A: What Do I Do When An Employee Plays The Victim?
Question: I supervise an employee who plays the perfect victim, and worse, my immediate manager believes her stories. He was brought into our company from outside and has only managed…
What Do I Do When My Employer Puts Me In Harm’s Way?
Question: For the last several months, my employer has expected me to take significant physical risks to get my work done. I work as a vet tech for a small…
How To Manage A Team When You Don’t Have The Authority To Fire Anyone
Question: I supervise 15 employees, the largest crew in our company, and I report to the general manager. I'm expected to handle employees who don't show up on time or…
Why You Should Stop Playing It Safe In Your Job
When you see risk, do you back away? If so, what does it cost you to play it safe? The price of security Given the choice between a sure thing…
What Do I Do If My Old Boss Gives A Negative Reference?
Question: After six months of work misery, I finally quit a job where I liked my coworkers but worked under a supervisor I couldn’t stand. In the past, I’ve never…
How To Avoid Getting Blindsided By A Layoff
"I didn't see it coming." Then, when it was too late, when the human resources department or your supervisor handed you a layoff or termination notice, you wondered how you'd…
Why You Should Be Upfront In A Job Interview
Question: I made a mistake. It cost me my job. As a result, I'm on the job market after more than two decades working for one employer. I don't know…
Why The Cost of Not Training Is Higher Than You Think
When budgets are tight, many managers believe an easier route to savings is to cut training and teambuilding services justifying other expenses in their stead. Few will question such a…
How To Negotiate A Higher Salary
Question: I've been job-hunting for three weeks and have two job offers. The company I least want to work for is offering a starting salary that's $5,000 more annually than the…