One of the workplace’s most sophisticated power plays. It’s manipulation disguised as warmth, a velvet-gloved hand that carves you open so deftly end up thanking them for the incision. Weaponized niceness rarely shows its fangs. Niceness gives cover. These coworkers undermine through concern, criticize through flattery, and control through charm. Continue reading The Smiling Assassin’s Guide to Office Politics
Your company’s shutdown happens every time departments dig trenches instead of solving problems. Your ceasefire? That all-hands meeting where everyone pretends to “collaborate” while plotting revenge in Slack. Continue reading Does Your Workplace Need a Ceasefire Or Do You Have Shutdowns Happening?
At the office, when a coworker annoyed you, you went home at night. At home, you’re already there. So, lean on gratitude: You don’t have to sit in traffic. You don’t have to microwave fish in a communal kitchen. And your “coworker” already knows how you take your coffee—and maybe even makes it right when you’re on deadline.
Remote work with a partner who also works remotely gave you both freedom—and the realization that “working from home” really means “living at work.”
Continue reading My Coworker is My Roommate (Send Help)
Question: We thought we’d hit the jackpot when we hired “Sonali.” She possessed all the right skills, and her interview … Continue reading The Heroine with a Headcount: Handling the Disruption Diva
A coaching client collapsed into the chair across from my desk, her face telegraphing defeat. “I barely survived a lunch … Continue reading Dealing with Mean Girls and Mood Leeches
Rule #1: Always respond to your manager’s performance review plan like it’s a love letter, even when it reads like … Continue reading What I Said/Wrote…What I Wanted to Say/Write
When “Heather” met with her boss to request a week of personal leave, she didn’t intend to spill her deepest … Continue reading Oversharing: Can You Please Curb Your TMI?
Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go. —T.S. Eliot It … Continue reading Courage is Your Partner
Question: I’ve kept my political views under wraps at work for months. I work with hardcore never-Trumpers. Early on, when … Continue reading Post-election Blues: from a man who went undercover
Question: My employer threatened my job this morning over something I posted online. I have strong political beliefs and care … Continue reading Crossing the Line on Social Media: Employees Advocating Violence