Dear Madeleine, I work for a global company that had a very flexible work-from-home policy before Covid happened. I have been managing hybrid teams for more than 20 years and have never had trouble with performance. We got a new CEO last fall, and he has a very strong belief (despite all the research that…
Dear Madeleine, I work in a company that directly supports several industries that have been affected by the changes that are being made in Washington—financial services, supply chain, manufacturing, etc. Many of our contracts have been put on hold, which is clear at least. In some cases, though, when we try to contact our partners…
Dear Madeleine, I have been managing people for over a decade and now manage several businesses. There are constant fires that need to be put out. I spend hours on the phone trying to get to the bottom of what the problems are. Sometimes, after I have put in time, it turns that what seemed…
Dear Madeleine, I thought you might weigh in on an ongoing debate I have with a friend. We met in college, have been working at different companies, and were promoted to management at about the same time. He believes his direct reports are lazy and will do the bare minimum if he isn’t constantly breathing…
Dear Madeleine, I read your last blog with interest. My boss and I have worked together for four years and, generally speaking, I have done well with her. She shows appreciation for my work and has been warm and supportive of my career aspirations. However, there are moments when something she does or says puts…
Dear Madeleine, I’m dealing with a very weird situation. I’m on a large cross-functional team made up of leads and managers. Our leader is the new EVP of operational excellence. He seems to really like some of the members of the team and really dislike others. He regularly forgets to include the people he dislikes…
Dear Madeleine, I work in communications in a multi-national, publicly owned company. I report to our CHRO with a dotted line to marketing. My job is to make sure our messaging is consistent across all our countries. Our CEO and his executive team recently rolled out a complex strategic vision for the next five years,…
Dear Madeleine, I took some business and leadership courses in college and graduated with a degree in accounting. Last spring I got a job in the finance department of a mid-sized manufacturing company. I like the work and I am learning practical stuff. What surprises me most is just how bad the management is. Not…
Dear Madeleine, I was recently promoted from team lead to manager of a whole department. I am very good at the processes and systems piece, but worry that I am lacking the leadership piece. I have a ton of books and have taken several courses, but now I am overwhelmed. If I were to work…
Dear Madeleine, It’s the new year. All my friends and colleagues are talking about New Year’s resolutions. I got nothin’. I am plugging away at my work goals, but they don’t change much. I like my job. I am good at it. I am not gunning for a promotion. I go to the gym and…