Dear Madeleine, I am a senior leader in a large commercial services organization. I spent many years learning how to make good use of an assistant and I’ve always made sure I had a great one. Over the last few years, the company has been reducing the size of the administration group and I have…
Dear Madeleine, I am a young, new manager at a large health food grocery. I love the company, I love the job, and I am really learning a lot about being a new manager. Here is my problem: when I joined the company as a cashier, I told one of my friends about my new…
Dear Madeleine, There are always recommendations for best summer reading and the lists usually point to fiction best-sellers. Any suggestions for top business books? I love a good novel but I also want to keep developing my skills. Business Minded Dear Business Minded, There are so many great development focused books out there. I…
Neuroscience has entered the coaching and leadership development conversation in a big way. The advent of the functional MRI machine has allowed neuroscientists to get a much better picture (literally) of what goes on in the brain under different circumstances. This new capability has given learning, leadership, and talent development professionals added insight into ways…
Dear Madeleine, I manage a large team of graphic artists for a popular online magazine. A few of my people are employees who do other tasks for the magazine, but most of my artists are independent contractors. On the whole, they are professional and easy to work with—but a couple are simply a pain in…
Dear Madeleine, I run the office of compliance for the parent company of a large financial institution. We are attorneys, paralegals, and accounting professionals. About a year ago, my boss was fired and I was made interim head of compliance. I’ve received no title change and no substantial raise, but they keep throwing stock at…
Dear Madeleine, I supervise five people in a global logistics company. I am three years out of school with an accounting degree, and I really like the job. Here’s my problem: My boss just came to me and asked if I can do a presentation to the senior leadership at their offsite retreat this summer. I…
