Editor’s Note: Madeleine is on summer break this week, but don’t fear! We’ve rounded up the five standout themes from the first half of the year, complete with top examples you won’t want to miss. From navigating toxic bosses to setting coaching goals that actually stick, Madeleine addresses it all with wisdom that’s equal parts…
Dear Madeleine, I am a director in the finance department of a national restaurant/foodservice company. I have always liked my job, brought a lot of creative problem-solving to my team, and enjoyed hosting events to create bonds among people in my organization. My last kid just graduated from high school and left for a six-week…
Dear Madeleine, My boss is driving me nuts. I work in corporate communications at a complicated global corporation with a fast-paced, high-pressure environment. I am often given assignments with tight deadlines on top of my regular day-to-day work. My boss will send me emails with assignments, using a request format that I thought was smart…
Dear Madeleine, I recently joined a marketing team for a not-quite-startup in the technology space. It has been going well. My boss recently asked me if I would take over writing a weekly blog for our website. I didn’t say “no” right out of the gate—I asked if I could look at what has been…
Dear Madeleine, Our company is providing group coaching for all managers at my level. I have never worked with a coach before, but they have given us a bunch of information so (I think) I am comfortable with what coaching is and what is expected of me. My one area of confusion is this: they…
Dear Madeleine, I work on a great team. We do good work together, and we seem to always find a way to hit our milestones and deadlines. My problem is that our team lead seems to be inappropriately dependent on me. He is pretty much AWOL most of the time and I am the only…
Dear Madeleine, I am a professional office manager. I happily managed a medical practice for many years until I was let go when it was acquired by a large national entity. I recently went for an interview to manage a new practice after having several promising interviews. I arrived early for the interview and was…
Dear Madeleine, My daughter told me I have “imposter syndrome.” I’ve done some research and I don’t think I have that at all. I think it’s something else. But I am definitely struggling with something. I have an unusually high IQ, graduated high school two years early, and attended a top university on a full…
Dear Madeleine, I am a senior leader in a highly specialized digital publishing organization and I have about 14 direct reports. Organizationally, I’m third in seniority. My plan is, by the end of 2025, to transition out of this role and into my own coaching and consulting business. I’d be working with some clients, but…
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…