Tag: career advice

Are You Too Busy Managing Down to Manage Up?

On this episode of My Crazy Office, Kathi and Katherine explore a common management challenge — What if you are so busy managing down that you don’t have time to manage up? Kathi and Katherine start with a question from a manager who spends so much time helping her staff complete their work that she misses opportunities to be seen by the people who could promote her and her department.

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Are You Dealing with a Sacred Cow?

On this My Crazy Office podcast, Kathi and Katherine talk about a very challenging kind of boss —
The Sacred Cow. They start with a question from someone whose company CEO recently hired a close friend into the COO position. This individual seems friendly, but lacks the experience and skills to do the job. Kathi and Katherine discuss how to work with this kind of boss and keep your sanity.

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When Is Enough, Enough? A Manager’s Guide to Firing

On this episode of My Crazy Office, Kathi and Katherine address a tough question that many managers grapple with: When is enough enough? When is it time to fire someone? They start with a question from a manager who has an employee who keeps missing days of work due to personal issues. Kathi and Katherine discuss how to determine whether it’s time to let someone go, and what you need to do to prepare.

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Have You Inherited a Team with Bad Morale?

On this, My Crazy Office podcast, Kathi and Katherine talk about a very important topic: staff morale. They start with a question from a new manager who discovers that the people she’s been hired to manage are suffering from very low morale. Kathi and Katherine discuss what a manager can do to turn the low morale of their staff around.

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Do You Feel Deserving of a Better Job?

On this, My Crazy Office podcast, Kathi and Katherine explore one of the biggest hidden reasons why people don’t apply for new jobs — not feeling deserving. They start with a question from an individual who knows it’s time to leave, has updated their resume and LinkedIn profile, but can’t seem to actually apply for new positions. Kathi and Katherine discuss how to manage the fear that may hold you back from actively engaging in a job hunt, and steps you can take to feel deserving of a better job.

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Freezing Up at Meetings?

On this, My Crazy Office Podcast, Kathi and Katherine discuss a very real challenge for some people at work — Freezing at meetings. They start with a question from someone who’s recently been promoted to a managerial position and finds himself freezing at important meetings where he should be making a positive impression. Kathi and Katherine discuss field-tested techniques for “unfreezing” at important meetings so that your ideas, opinions, and achievements can be heard.

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How To Get Noticed By Your Boss’s Boss

Figuring out how to get noticed by the people above your boss can be challenging — especially if you sense that your boss isn’t sharing your successes. On this episode of My Crazy Office, Kathi and Katherine discuss how to get noticed by your boss’s boss. They start with a question from someone who made the mistake of going over her boss’ head to get a meeting with the boss’s boss. Kathi and Katherine describe specific things you can do to avoid making that kind of mistake and still get the visibility that you desire.

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Is Someone You Manage After Your Job?

On this My Crazy Office podcast, Kathi and Katherine discuss what to do if you suspect that someone you manage is after your job. They start with a question from a manager who fears that one of their direct reports is trying to take their job. During the second part of the podcast, Kathi and Katherine consider the same topic from the employee’s perspective: What if you want to be your boss’s equal?

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