An employee who’s managing up is a proactive problem solver using diplomacy and people skills to help you, the boss, see the big picture. Meet them halfway—the New Year is the perfect time to make sure good cheer carries over into 2016. In my recent article on PsychologyToday.com I describe 6 ways to manage up […]
Read MoreManaging Up With Bad Bosses, Tough Coworker and Clients is a Win-Win Working with challenging behavior, be it bad bosses, challenging coworkers or clients, takes a lot of diplomacy; the ability to see the backstory before reacting; and setting boundaries when necessary. Managing up techniques can result in a much better work life, for everyone. […]
Read MoreThe Test That Really Matters “Boss” is a word that has so many negative connotations, people sometimes forget “good bosses” even exist. No-one is going to make a movie called “Wonderful Bosses” anytime soon, or remake “The Office” with Tom Hanks as a team leader that’s just so darn loveable. Anybody who has dealt with […]
Read More(Even If He Hates You) You’ve heard the phrase, “When the going get’s tough, the tough get going.” Well that applies to managing up with a tough boss. Don’t just sit there. This is your opportunity to take the high road and role model good behavior (assuming, of course that your boss’s behavior is tolerable […]
Read MoreThe interviews went well; you like the applicant – he seems to have been born for the job. Now there comes a point in the application process where you are going to tell him how much you actually like him – through the numbers of his proposed salary. If the prospective employee is happy with […]
Read MoreThere is a certain important aspect of a job interview that is not getting proper attention. It is something that will have the most profound impact on the prospective employee’s career and their productivity – yet it is often neglected. I’m talking about boss-employee compatibility. It’s true that people don’t leave jobs, they leave managers. […]
Read MoreThere is an important corollary to the phrase “It takes all kinds to make a world”: some of those “kinds” are not always easy to be around. If the micro-world of your workplace includes someone annoying, there’s no picking and choosing; you’ve got to stick it out. (Not that we are all perfect.) But there […]
Read More(Or Not Running Into One In The First Place) The sheer fact that bad bosses have spawned a movie franchise speaks to their pervasiveness. It’s not surprising – so much of your well-being depends on the person you work for. A good manager will help you thrive and bring out the best in you. A […]
Read MoreThere’s a saying (whose author, unfortunately, is unknown): “Every survival kit should include a sense of humor.” Not only survival, I’d argue – every “success kit” should necessarily include it as well. There’s a reason why motivational speakers start with a joke or a humorous anecdote — it captures the audience’s attention, lightens the mood, […]
Read MoreYour Own Employees Can Help Bad bosses seem to be ubiquitous—employees’ surveys keep pointing that way. There are, though, few truly incorrigible office tyrants—most bad bosses behave badly episodically. When under stress or frustrated, many bosses—just like most humans—aren’t on their best behavior. Overwhelming stress can turn a suave charmer into an angry beast […]
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