Category: Managing Up

Is Your Co-Worker a Suck Up?

On this My Crazy Office podcast, Kathi and Katherine address a familiar challenge to many individuals at work: What do you do if your co-worker is a suck-up? By “suck up” they mean someone who constantly does and says things to flatter and impress the boss. Kathi and Katherine start with a question from someone who recently got promoted, only to discover that her new co-worker spends most of his time sucking up to the manager that they both report to.

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Is Your Boss Afraid You Will Outshine Them?

Most bosses want you to do your job well, but some bosses may view your personal success as their loss. In this My Crazy Office podcast, Kathi and Katherine examine a delicate situation: What can you do if your boss is afraid that you will outshine them? They start with a question from someone whose recent recognition for outstanding performance resulted in the boss becoming distant and uncooperative. Kathi and Katherine discuss how to detect if your boss fears being diminished by your success and what you can do about it.

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Can I Turn Down a Promotion?

In this episode of My Crazy Office, Kathi and Katherine address an interesting question: Is it okay to turn down a promotion? They start with a question from someone who has been offered a promotion but doesn’t want the management headache that comes with it. Kathi and Katherine consider the pros and cons to saying “No,” and what your options might be if you have to say “Yes.”

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Promotion negotiation — Do you know how to do it?

Do you know how to negotiate a promotion? In this My Crazy Office episode, Kathi and Katherine discuss what it takes to do just that. They start with a question from someone who wants to get promoted but has been told by her boss to wait for another year so that he can offer a better promotion with higher pay. This individual would like to propose a compromise that would result in a smaller promotion in the near future. Kathi and Katherine talk about the pros and cons of this approach.

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Ghosted by Your Manager?

On this My Crazy Office episode, Kathi and Katherine examine a challenging situation — being ghosted by your manager. They start with a question from someone whose boss insists on scheduling regular bi-weekly meetings only to never show up for them. This manager also doesn’t respond to emails or texts and does not see their ghosting behavior as a problem. Join Kathi and Katherine as they consider your professional options when the boss ghosts you.

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Attacked By a Toxic Client?

On this My Crazy Office podcast, Kathi and Katherine address a challenging situation: What do you do if you are attacked by a toxic client? They start with a question from someone who has experienced just that — being aggressively attacked by a client during a meeting. Kathi and Katherine talk about how to recover from this kind of difficult situation and how to manage the client going forward.

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Is Your Department Moving in a Direction that You Don’t Like?

On this episode of My Crazy Office, Kathi and Katherine discuss what you can do if your department (or company) is moving in a direction that you don’t like. They start with a question from someone who disagrees with their department’s decision to do things differently based on customer feedback. Kathi and Katherine talk about what your options are in these kinds of situations.

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Do You Have an Advocate at Work?

On this My Crazy Office podcast, Kathi and Katherine talk about the importance of having an advocate at work. An advocate is someone who wants to see you succeed and who provides opportunities for advancement. Other terms for this important relationship are sponsor and mentor. Kathi and Katherine start with a question from an employee who was considering leaving her job, but recently noticed that her boss’s boss is giving her special projects.

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