On this My Crazy Office podcast, Kathi and Katherin cover a topic rarely discussed at work: What do you do if your boss is jealous of you? They start with a question from someone whose boss is not happy when a certain large client prefers the employee’s presentation over the boss’. During the second part of the podcast, Kathi and Katherine consider what bosses can do if they manage employees who outshine them.
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Sometimes it seems like a good boss is impossible to find. On this My Crazy Office podcast, Kathi and Katherine examine why it’s so difficult to find skilled bosses, what it means to manage up, and how to make working for a bad boss better.
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Sometimes you know it’s time to leave a job but something holds you back from taking action. In this My Crazy Office podcast, Kathi and Katherine explore the reasons why some people say they want to leave, but can’t take actions to go.
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Do you suspect that someone you manage is lying to you? In this episode of My Crazy Office, Kathi and Katherine discuss how to handle it when someone you supervise lies to you. It may be a junior co-worker or a member of your staff. What do you do when you know they are not telling the truth?
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In this episode of My Crazy Office, Kathi and Katherine talk about job hunting, and how to decide which job to take. They start with a question from someone who has to choose between a job that has no work/life balance, but is at a high-status company, versus a job that encourages work/life balance but is at a less prestigious company.
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Kathi and Katherine discuss how to manage an argumentative employee. Are you trying to manage someone who challenges your every move? In this podcast, we’ll examine what happens when a member of your “support staff” questions or corrects everything you want to do. During the second half, we consider the employee’s perspective — What if you challenge your boss because he or she seems insecure or indecisive?
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What do you do if your current boss leaves for another job? It’s not always clear. In this My Crazy Office podcast, Kathi and Katherine discuss how to adjust when your boss leaves and a new boss appears. First, they consider a situation where the employee has a great boss and that person takes a new position. Then Kathi and Katherine discuss what it means when a boss you can’t stand moves on.
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This past Sunday (4/26/2020) Governor Cuomo of New York said, “We are not going back to the way things were, we are going forward.” I have to say I agree with the Governor. Many of my clients are telling me that they see this as an opportunity to do things differently.
Some small business owners want to take their businesses smaller not bigger. Other clients want to continue working from home and no longer want to commute. Several of my clients are saying they want to incorporate real work-life balance — not just pay lip service to it. And some clients are realizing that they need to find a better job/career.
Everyone is thinking about what “moving forward” means. If you aren’t, it’s time to start. We are in a reset. Go inside and listen. Do not disregard your deepest thoughts and feelings; they are telling you something. You are at a point of choice at this time. You can let go of the way you thought work had to be and decide on what is right for you.
What parts of your job/career do you want to move forward? What parts are you unwilling to continue? Consider the following:
Commuting – Maybe you want to work closer to home, or work virtually.
Change industry – If your industry is on hold, you may want to investigate a completely different industry. Maybe you want to go back to school.
Micromanaging boss – This could be a good time to see if you can transfer to another department or find another job.
Doing the work of others – Perhaps you no longer want to compensate for others’ lack of initiative.
Compromising my private life – You may want to establish a hard start and stop time to your workday, creating boundaries around work that protect your private life.
Working with a mean girl/guy – Instead of working with awful people, you may be ready to look for a new position within or outside of your current company
Not getting paid fairly – It may be time to find a position that pays you what you deserve.
Getting rid of troubling employees – Downturns have always been a good time to lay off difficult staff. Perhaps you have some people who could go.
Needing less office space – Going to a more virtual workforce may mean you don’t need as much office space.
Going back to a standard schedule – Instead of returning to your previously regimented work schedule, you may want more flexibility.
Stop eating overpriced unhealthy food – Does your company serve unhealthy, overpriced food at meetings? You may want to bring your own food to work more often.
It’s time for me to not have a boss – You may be ready to start your own business.
Doing work that has no meaning – You may feel that now is the time to make a difference.
Most of us fear change and the unknown. We tend to stay in difficult situations longer then we should for fear of not knowing what better options are available to us. Instead of being scared, embrace change and possibilities. (I know this is easier to say than it is to do.)
During this unusual time, I challenge each of you to examine and come to terms with what you really want to do professionally. Consider your happiness, your purpose, your health, and your legacy.
Kathi Elster – Executive Coach and co-owner of K Squared Enterprises.
Contact us at info@mycrazyoffice.co for any further help around this topic.
Join Kathi and Katherine as they answer real workplace questions with solid advice, and a great sense of humor.
Bestselling authors Katherine and Kathi use humor and a slue of engaging techniques to mediate solutions for individuals at every level of employment — from executives to managers to frontline employees.
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