Disqus - Latest Comments for askamanager

Re: How To Make The New Overtime Law Work for You

Alison Green - Ask a Manager — Mon, 15 Aug 2016 03:05:56 -0000

Hey, there's a major inaccuracy in this story! Charities are not exempt from these regulations.

Re: When A Manager Is the Biggest Bottleneck in Your Work

Alison Green - Ask a Manager — Thu, 19 Nov 2015 13:05:17 -0000

Ha, no. I tend to default to "she" when I write, rather than the old-timey default to "he." More explanation here:

http://www.askamanager.org/...

Re: How Can Remote Managers Address Problems They Hear of Secondhand?

Alison Green - Ask a Manager — Wed, 30 Sep 2015 18:01:11 -0000

Sometimes simply having the conversation with the person will alert them that there's accountability built in, even if you're not on site, and will be enough to take care of the problem. But I think the bigger issue is that you've got to be able to trust the people who are working for you, especially if you or they are remote. If you find yourself not trusting that they're telling you the truth, that's a bigger problem and at that point I'd dig into why that is (i.e., are there other red flags you've sensed, etc.).

Re: Avoiding a Goldman Sachs Moment

Alison Green - Ask a Manager — Tue, 29 Sep 2015 14:54:28 -0000

Assuming you're in the U.S., that type of statement isn't legally binding on you. It's a preference, not a requirement. That said, declining to give that much notice could certainly impact things like the reference they give you -- but they can't force you to stay.

Re: Avoiding a Goldman Sachs Moment

Alison Green - Ask a Manager — Tue, 29 Sep 2015 13:50:29 -0000

Hi Jeff, they can definitely tell you that they're going to move up your last day and have it be earlier ... but they can't tell you that they won't otherwise accept your resignation at all. You get to resign whether they prefer the date or not :)

But yes, they can have the date be earlier than you chose.

Re: The 5 People You Definitely Don’t Want On Your Team

Alison Green - Ask a Manager — Fri, 03 Jul 2015 01:00:10 -0000

I have a post for you:

http://quickbase.intuit.com...

Re: The 5 People You Definitely Don’t Want On Your Team

Alison Green - Ask a Manager — Thu, 02 Jul 2015 21:05:47 -0000

The problem is when you do either one of those every time, to the exclusion of any other reaction :)

Re: Team Productivity – What You Need to Know This Week

Alison Green - Ask a Manager — Tue, 16 Jun 2015 18:09:34 -0000

It varies! Some do 32-hour weeks. Others do 10 hours a day for 4 days. There's also a 9/80 approach, where you work 5 9-hour days the first week and 4 9-hour days the second week, and then get Friday of the second week off.

Re: How to Manage Someone You Just Don’t Like

Alison Green - Ask a Manager — Thu, 30 Apr 2015 17:15:44 -0000

Once you become her manager, you'll need to nip it in the bud. The first time it happens with you as her manager, sit her down and talk to her about the behavior you need to see from her. It's reasonable to say "part of your job on this team is being pleasant and professional with the people you're working with. That means that not doing X, Y, or Z."

Re: Team Productivity – What You Need to Know This Week

Alison Green - Ask a Manager — Tue, 21 Apr 2015 15:44:02 -0000

Rob, you're correct (and we're correcting the text above). If the news articles I've seen are right, 37signals does a pretty cool thing where they don't allow regularly scheduled meetings, which is an idea I love.

Re: Do You Know What Your Staff Isn’t Getting Done?

Alison Green - Ask a Manager — Wed, 25 Feb 2015 19:29:58 -0000

It sounds like that's a performance issue, and you'll need to address it through that lens -- meaning clearly lay out the bar you need her to meet and be willing to decide she's not the right fit if she's not making the changes you're telling her that you need to see.

Re: 3 Things to Stop Doing to Boost Productivity On Your Team

Alison Green - Ask a Manager — Thu, 19 Feb 2015 21:44:28 -0000

It's not that you can never have meetings; of course you need some. But most offices have way more meetings than are actually needed. The key is to be rigorous about ensuring you're only meeting about things that truly require it, and that you have a clear agenda and clarity about what outcomes you're looking for.

Re: 12 Red Flags That You Shouldn't Accept That Job Offer No Matter What

Alison Green - Ask a Manager — Wed, 18 Feb 2015 21:05:09 -0000

Nope. It's illegal to ask about disabilities, but asking about any of the rest is legal. What's illegal is making a hiring decision based on the answers, so smart employers don't ask them, but the questions themselves are not illegal.

Re: Avoiding a Goldman Sachs Moment

Alison Green - Ask a Manager — Sun, 15 Feb 2015 15:25:55 -0000

It will depend on how your current employer handles it. See what you can work out with them!

Re: Avoiding a Goldman Sachs Moment

Alison Green - Ask a Manager — Tue, 10 Feb 2015 18:44:59 -0000

None of that is required by law; it's just about how your company does things. So just check with your manager about whether she wants either of those things from you!

Re: Your Top Questions on Managing Your Boss

Alison Green - Ask a Manager — Fri, 09 Jan 2015 14:25:18 -0000

Hey sueq. Legally, your boss can probably do it, although it's a pretty bizarre request for her to make. The thing I'd worry about is that it highlights a lack of trust in the relationship. If you have enough rapport with her to ask about this, it could be worth saying something like, "I was concerned the other day when you asked to see my phone, because it felt like you don't trust me to be straightforward with you. Is there anything I've done to give you that concern?"

Re: Could Unlimited Vacation Time Improve Your Productivity?

Alison Green - Ask a Manager — Thu, 13 Nov 2014 18:03:29 -0000

Depends on the laws of your state -- you'd need to talk to a lawyer who could really look at the situation!

Re: How to Manage a Relentlessly Negative Employee

Alison Green - Ask a Manager — Thu, 09 Oct 2014 19:36:35 -0000

If she's your manager, there's not a lot you can beyond what you've tried. You've talked to her and gotten nowhere, so at this point I'd focus on whether you can find ways to reasonably content, knowing that at least for now she's part of the package with this job. I know that sucks -- managers have a huge impact on people's quality of life at work, which is why it's so important to screen for a good one during the hiring process! (Not that that's a perfect process.)

Re: Interviewers Behaving Badly – World’s 8 Worst Job Interviewers

Alison Green - Ask a Manager — Wed, 10 Sep 2014 22:36:57 -0000

Hey MJ, would you email me with details about what you'd like to do at alison at askamanager dot org? Thanks!

Re: 10 Things You Wish People Would Stop Doing at Work

Alison Green - Ask a Manager — Sat, 06 Sep 2014 11:16:46 -0000

Hey dfsfdssdf, thanks for commenting. In general, these types of reader rounds-up tend to be popular and well-received, but no one post will be everyone's cup of tea. I hope you enjoy the rest of the content here and at Ask a Manager though.

Re: How to Manage a Team That's Older Than You | The Fast Track

Alison Green - Ask a Manager — Thu, 17 Jul 2014 14:16:53 -0000

Hmmm, I've never seen a whole book devoted to the topic!

Re: How to Survive Working for a Micromanager

Alison Green - Ask a Manager — Tue, 08 Jul 2014 12:43:31 -0000

Talk to your manager again and get a better idea of specifically what she wants you doing differently. Then, if you disagree and feel you can manage more effectively without doing those things, make your case to her. If she still disagrees, at that point it's her call -- and you've got to decide if you want to do things her way or move on, unfortunately.

Re: Avoiding a Goldman Sachs Moment

Alison Green - Ask a Manager — Wed, 18 Jun 2014 15:30:23 -0000

Talk to your boss! Do that before you submit an official letter.

Re: How Shy People Can Give Great Presentations Too

Alison Green - Ask a Manager — Thu, 01 May 2014 14:05:50 -0000

Yes! Pretend like you're just in a conversation with a small group of people -- like 2 or 3. Makes it MUCH easier.

Re: Stop Using the Compliment Sandwich and Give Better Feedback

Alison Green - Ask a Manager — Wed, 26 Mar 2014 11:26:20 -0000

Hi Ruth, thanks so much! You're welcome to post a short excerpt from the article with a link here for people who want to read the whole thing!