Category: Communication

Does Your Employee Think They Know Better Than You?

In this episode of My Crazy Office, Kathi and Katherine discuss a frustrating situation for any manager – what do you do when you have an employee who always thinks they know better than you? They start with a question from someone whose direct report constantly tells her what he would do if he were in her position. Kathi and Katherine examine how to manage a know-it-all employee and still get the best out of them.

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Got Burnout? Get Boundaries

In This My Crazy Office podcast, Kathi and Katherine discuss an extremely important issue for anyone who feels exhausted from working too hard and caring too much about work – Burnout. They start with a question from someone who got promoted because of his high standards and strong work ethic, but finds himself working seven days a week, exhausted, and unable to let up. Kathi and Katherine discuss how to manage Burnout so that it doesn’t cost you your health.

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If Looks Could Kill…Nonverbal Communication at Work

Women are the masters of nonverbal communication. One way that they can be passively mean to each other is by sending an unfriendly nonverbal message. In this episode of My Crazy Office, Kathi and Katherine explore the topic of nonverbal messages and how to manage them at work. They start with a question from a young professional who is noticing that one of her female co-workers rolls her eyes every time this individual speaks. Kathi and Katherine consider what one can do to address an eye-rolling colleague, and how to manage nonverbal messages from other women.

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Are You Protecting the Wrong People at Work?

In this My Crazy Office episode, Kathi and Katherine pose a question: Are you protecting the wrong person at work? They start with a question from a manager who’s been protecting a skilled-but-difficult employee. This person’s behavior offends other employees so much that HR recently intervened, insisting the manager confront the employee. Kathi and Katherine discuss why it can be tempting to protect certain people at work and how to resist doing it. When is being protective helpful to an employee and when is just enabling poor behavior? Listen here.

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Want To Get Promoted? Get Better at Managing Up & Managing Down

In this My Crazy Office podcast, Kathi and Katherine discuss how to get promoted by being better at managing up and managing down.They start with a question from someone who wants to move to a higher-level position but has been told that they need to be less enabling of staff and more visible to upper management. In other words, this person’s promotion is tied to more managing up and less micro-managing down.

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Networking for People Who Avoid Networking

In this episode of My Crazy Office, Kathi and Katherine discuss a crucial skill for anyone who wants to move their career forward: Networking. They start with a question from someone who knows that networking would help them find a new job but avoids doing it. Kathi and Katherine discuss how to manage your own resistance to networking and take steps to build your network anyway. Hate networking? Listen here.

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How Do I Interview For My Next Job?

Interviewing for a new job can be very intimidating; especially if you haven’t had much practice. In this My Crazy Office podcast, Kathi and Kathrine discuss a crucial skill for anyone seeking employment: How to prepare for job interviews. They start with a question from someone who has been at the same job for three years, knows it’s time to move, but fears the job interview process. Kathi and Katherine outline what you can do to prepare for a job interview, and how you can learn to interview with confidence.

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Do You Have To Fire a Friend?

In this episode of My Crazy Office, Kathi and Katherine explore a sensitive topic: How do you fire someone who is a friend? They start with a question from someone who finds themselves in the awkward position of having to fire a good friend due to that person’s poor performance. Kathi and Katherine discuss the challenges of this kind of situation and how to prepare for the fallout.

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