New in the job? Fix what needs fixing

when we’re new in a role, we can default to doing what we’re good at – but that may not be what’s really needed. First, find out what needs fixing – watch out, it may not be what you think…

10 ways to improve your promotion prospects

For most people who get promoted, there’s more judgement than luck involved in getting that promotion. ‘I deserve it’ isn’t enough. But there’s much more you can do to improve your prospects.

Help! My boss is a perfectionist

I’ve been on both sides of this experience. As the employee, I’ve felt the dejection when something I’ve worked hard at gets the ‘red pen treatment’, i.e. nothing but fault-finding and critical feedback, ‘must try harder’. Yet as a manager, I’ve also felt the frustration at having to explain something again – and again. And… Read more

5 Tips for managing upwards

Your relationship with your boss (or bosses) will most likely be one of the biggest influences on your career. I’m very grateful to the different bosses I’ve worked for over the years, having learned valuable lessons from them all. OK, some of those lessons may be of the ‘what NOT to do’ kind, but good… Read more

Help! My boss ghosts me

Ghosting. There’s a lot of it about. Having started on dating websites when an apparently keen potential date turns unresponsive for no apparent reason, the term is now widely applied in the workplace. Job applicants talk about the potential employee – and/or the agency they applied through – ghosting them. At the same time, recruiters… Read more

How to work on the right priorities

You’ve got a huge long list of items on your ‘To Do’ list. You’ve been trying to figure out where to start. You’re thinking it might be good to check with your manager(s) to get their input – but then you realise they’re bound to say ‘it’s all top priority’. You conclude it looks as… Read more

Help! I’m stuck in a toxic team

Poor you, that doesn’t sound good. Yet what strikes me most is that you believe you’re stuck. Who says you must stick around and can’t leave? I wonder if you’re finding your present situation so tough you’re struggling to find ways through, around or out of it. If that’s the case, possibilities may not spring… Read more

Help! My boss expects me to work late all the time

  This issue has cropped up in those ‘Can I just ask you something…? ’ moments at the end of workshops a fair bit lately. Usually the questioners are in the early stage of their careers, don’t know who to turn to and what to say. It’s a tricky one for us trainers as: We… Read more