Tag Archives: career

New Episode: Should you lie to your boss?

Posted on September 16, 2010 by | Leave a comment

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Just how honest should you be? CLICK TO PLAY EPISODE

Dear Lady Brain,

I have a good job with a company I really like and have been told, for the last six months, I’m in line for a promotion, but I’m getting tired of waiting.  I’ve started looking for a new job that fits the bill.  Should I tell my boss in the hopes she’ll give me that promotion now?

Thanks,

Ryan in San Mateo

Short answer? Depends on the boss! Is he or she your best bud for reals? Or is it the company you work for that takes priority? Wise employees know that you should not let on that you’re looking elsewhere, until you’ve found something and you can use it as a way to leverage getting what you want. Some bosses will see it as a betrayal and some will realize it’s their signal to hup to. But most bosses like to feel loved and if they know you’re looking, they could take it personally. Companies that don’t reward employees for great performance should know it’s a risk that the good ones might get away. Smart bosses will proactively retain their best employees. Sometimes little things like the economy can get in the way, and you can only hope your boss is being honest with you if that promotion is a long time coming. It would also help to set some concrete goals–what do you need to do to get that promotion and what are the obstacles that may be out of your control? That’s when honesty is the best policy. Otherwise, remember that nobody will ever do a better job of looking out for you, than you.

Is your boss just an ass? Well that’s another story! Quoting Computer World:  “In a Harris Interactive online poll of 8,038 full-time, U.S. employees, 43% of the respondents said that they have quit jobs simply to get away from a bad boss, according to CareerBuilder, which commissioned the survey. Moreover, 48% of the women surveyed said that they would quit their jobs because of a bad boss, compared to 39% of the men.” In that case you can tell them off with the ‘anonymous note giver’ here! (As if they won’t know it’s you!)

Listen in for more!

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New Episode: Cronyism at work (when you’re not the crony)

Posted on August 13, 2010 by | Leave a comment

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CLICK TO PLAY EPISODE(Plus bonus “WTF” material at end of the segment!)

Dear Ladies,

What is the deal with bosses playing favorites at work, bringing their friends in and rewarding less-than-talented people who don’t perform?  I see it every day in my job. How do I handle this?

Overlooked, but doing the work in Mountain View

Well “Overlooked”–that just sucks. We’ve seen some of this old school behavior before and it’s a delicate situation called “workplace favoritism.” The best thing you can do is focus on your good qualities, and make sure someone higher up the food chain recognizes and rewards your good work. Make sure to set tangible goals with your boss that can be evaluated objectively and in a set time frame. Acting sullen and talking badly about your lame co-workers will only reflect badly on you.  Becoming your own publicist about your accomplishments (but frame it in the context of the team) will do wonders for your self-esteem and help those around you realize what you bring to the table.

When the rat race becomes the rack “pack,” there are some things you can do. And in the best case scenario, eventually the bad manager will be figured out…and your time will come…Here’s a great article from US News that provides even more ways to handle this situation.

By the way, if you’re a manager with favoritism tendencies, this is the quickest way to reduce morale in the workplace! Duh.

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New Episode: I’m a Traveling Mama and I don’t wanna

Posted on February 2, 2010 by | Leave a comment

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Dear Lady Brain,

Most people would say I have a fantastic job — it’s high-paying, high-powered, high-profile and highly demanding.  I never minded any of these things before I had a child.  The major problem with this gig is I travel eight days a month.  I‘m away from my husband and son eight days and nights a month. I’m a nursing mother, which means I’m pumping like a cow when I’m on the road, bringing home as much milk as I can, my supply dwindling all the while.  I’m writing because I don’t know if it’s worth it anymore.  We could get by on less money; even survive with out my salary — that’s a fact.  It would be tight, but doable.  I even think my ego could handle it.  What on Earth should I do?--I Wanna Stay Home in San Francisco

Listen in for tales of the bellboy and the milk bags!

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Hate your job? Try one of these!

Posted on January 13, 2010 by | Leave a comment

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CLICK TO PLAY EPISODE. The economy is showing signs of picking up and some of the folks looking for work may have found a job! How exciting–or not? We got this email in addressing just that turn of events.

Dear Lady Brain, I’ve been unemployed for over 18 months and have finally decided to take a job I am way overqualified for. Can you help me find a silver lining?

We took the approach that there’s always a worse situation out there. Not only can the grass be greener–it can also be browner! We asked our listeners to share their experiences and so far we’ve heard about jobs that involve bodily fluids, cleaning up and insane bosses. For those of you in a seemingly untenable situation–remember nothing’s permanent and you can always write about the experience later–showing how well it’s built your “character.” And, take note–many of the folks who wrote in are now running companies of their own.  So, do a good deed–tell us about your worst job experiences and make someone else feel better! We’re here for you–hang in there and take a listen to the show.

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New Episode: Nightmare co-workers

Posted on October 5, 2009 by | Leave a comment

coworkerCLICK TO PLAY EPISODE

Dear Lady Brain,

I am a professional woman in sales working for a large Fortune 1000 company in San Francisco.  I love my job!  The fast-paced environment isn’t for everybody, but a few months ago, my boss hired a complete nightmare of  a woman to sell along side myself and my successful co-workers.  We are a tight-knit team with tons of experience.  We work hard and we play hard, together much of the time.  Here’s the problem… The new hire dresses inappropriately, talks at the top of her lungs in her cubical and is way too “buddy-buddy” with our boss, who, for the record, is a woman also.  It’s hard for me to concentrate at work with her around.  What should I do?

Yours,

Selling in Hell

Well, “In Hell”–While normally we don’t recommend strong women go crying to their mamas, in this case, it’s all about a frank talk with the boss! Tell your chief that productivity is plummeting and see if that lights any fires. And, if you can stand it–talk to the nightmare herself. Chances are she’s insecure and using the only tools she has to get noticed.

You think you have a nightmare co-worker? Take a listen to the episode and you’ll get more tips, plus a few more nightmare co-worker stories to boot. Add yours to the mix–tell us about it here!

-Steph and Lauren

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Who gets ahead in the workplace? (KUSF 8/1 part 2)

Posted on August 3, 2009 by | 2 Comments
Nice gals or back-biters?

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