Workplace Politics Archives - Midlife Career Strategy

Self help book meets realities of workplace politics

CathyG — Tue, 15 Aug 2023 21:09:00 +0000

Many years ago I came across a book called Practically Perfect in Every Way by Jennifer Niesslen. Niesslen spent 2 years testing how much she could change by reading self-help books and following online programs. You can read more about the book and see my review here at the amazon website. What bothered me most […]

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Surprise: Meet Your New Job

CathyG — Wed, 09 Aug 2023 20:58:00 +0000

Q. “I thought I did all my homework before taking this job – but everything has changed! I’m working 12-hour days to complete assignments they ‘forgot’ to tell me about. My customer list includes all the problems nobody else wants. What can I do? And what questions should I ask when I look for my […]

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Performance Reviews: Does your boss have an agenda?

CathyG — Sat, 03 Sep 2022 08:26:36 +0000

Nearly every company has a reward system that they can’t spell out. Often they’re not even aware of what they’re doing. Here are some questions to assess your boss’s agenda. Never ask these questions aloud. But listen for what your coworkers say…and don’t say. Does your company value sales and marketing more than support, tech, […]

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Dangers of Getting Too Personal (Even When Everyone Says, “Be Authentic”)

CathyG — Sun, 06 Feb 2022 13:24:19 +0000

Whether in your own business or corporate life, professionals often find they are challenged to maintain a line between business and personal lives. Increasingly the boundaries are blurred as we work from home. We’re often advised to be “genuine” and “authentic.” We’re often ill-advised to be “vulnerable.” But over-disclosing can be hazardous to a career, […]

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How To Take Control Of Your Career In An Overstressed World

CathyG — Tue, 05 Feb 2019 19:25:39 +0000

Many years ago a journalist named Steven Greenhouse wrote a book about the American worker, badly titled The Big Squeeze. If you want to know why it’s a bad title, just google “Big Squeeze” in any search engine. See what comes up. Greenhouse warn that workers at all levels face increasing pressures from employers. For […]

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Just moved and now experiencing job loss? It’s not unusual …

CathyG — Tue, 09 Oct 2018 00:56:00 +0000

Job loss is tough – but especially after you’ve just accepted a geographic relocation to take the job. Awhile back I heard from two people, in two different industries, at opposite ends of the US. Here’s a synthesis of their questions: “Hi Cathy, “Last year we decided to buy a house. We fell in love […]

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Video: Truth About Performance Improvement Plans

CathyG — Tue, 09 May 2017 13:21:33 +0000

When you google “performance improvement plan,” you’ll find a wide variety of recommendations. Liz Ryan of Forbes Magazine online says that PIPs are just the first step to being fired. She was an HR manager and never used them. Says they’re a bullying tactic to scare people and get rid of them. What to do […]

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Career Decision: Leave a sinking ship (or enjoy more cheese?)

CathyG — Fri, 10 Jun 2016 04:07:00 +0000

Q. I joined Blue Company three months ago. Since then my department has experienced a 40% turnover. I can see why. It’s disorganized and outdated. Our boss expects us to put in long hours to do meaningless work. Time to leave? A. Maybe. The key question seems to be: Are these departing employees reacting to a […]

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Handling criticism on the job

CathyG — Mon, 29 Sep 2014 12:12:38 +0000

Many years ago, when I was a college professor, we had a dean who could be more than a little temperamental. Department heads would come out of meetings swearing and upset. They rarely stood up to the dean. (If you’re not familiar with academic hierarchy, deans are like directors and department heads are more like […]

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Office politics: Case of the insufferable colleague

CathyG — Mon, 27 Jan 2014 02:46:51 +0000

This post was inspired by a letter to the “Workologist,” an advice columnist who fields questions about office politics every week. Read the post here. First, there are many good reasons to consult a career consultant instead of writing to an advice column (even a workologist!) and the limits of seeking columnar advice will be […]

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