Tag: working with you is killing me

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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Don’t Like Your New Boss?

In this episode of My Crazy Office, Kathi and Katherine discuss a common workplace dilemma: What happens if you don’t like your new boss? They start with a question from someone whose former boss retired, and the new boss is a completely different kind of manager. We’ll consider what you can do when management changes in a way that you don’t like.

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Does Your Boss Put You Down to Keep You Around?

In this episode of My Crazy Office, Kathi and Katherine address a hot topic: Do you secretly suspect that your boss may be keeping you down because he or she needs you? They start with a question from someone who has been working as an assistant to a top designer for two years with the promise of a promotion that never comes. Kathi and Katherine talk about why certain bosses find fault with their most capable employees so that they can keep these individuals working on their behalf.

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Is Your Employer Trying to Break Up with You?

In this episode of My Crazy Office, Kathi and Katherine discuss a provocative question: Is your employer trying to break up with you? They start with a question from someone who was promised growth and opportunity at the start of her job but recently received a demotion and a pay cut. Kathi and Katherine examine the signs and symptoms when an employer may be trying to break up with you but doesn’t have the nerve to say it.

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Waiting Too Long to Fire Someone?

In this episode of My Crazy Office, Kathi and Katherine talk about waiting too long to fire an employee. They start with a question from someone whose recent hire has become a real problem. This person is always late, disorganized and unable to perform the job well. Yet the manager can’t seem to fire them. Kathi and Katherine discuss what makes it hard to fire an employee and what you can do to speed up the process.

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Are You a Manager Who Is Afraid of Upsetting Your Staff?

It’s really hard to manage effectively if you are afraid of upsetting your staff. On this My Crazy Office podcast, Kathi and Katherine discuss this challenge for some managers. They start with a question from someone who is new to management but realizes she must give certain members of her staff some tough feedback. This manager is afraid that honest feedback will result in people getting mad at her.

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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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