Dear Madeleine, I am about eight months into my first senior department manager position at a government agency. I have a lot of experience in this sector and was brought in to shake things up and make some changes. My boss literally told me that my job is to kick *ss and take names. After…
Hi Madeleine, I just started a new position with an organization that is pretty young in the association world. I accepted the job because everyone gets along really well and works as a team to accomplish yearly goals. This type of culture is something I didn’t experience at my previous place of employment, but I…
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, I am regular reader and a fan. I’m about to graduate from my grad school program. You talk a lot about the importance of networking. I feel like I’ve been somewhat insulated from the reality and necessity of building a network and was wondering if you could give me some ideas of what…
Dear Madeleine, I lead large teams in the field and partner with a core team at the headquarters of my organization. My boss is at HQ and largely ignores me because all of my projects come in on time and under budget. I have literally been told I am a “dream employee.” The fly in…
The fun and anticipation of one part of this festive season can cause it to become, for some, one of the most stressful events of the year. No, I’m not talking about Christmas dinner at the in-laws. I’m talking about the annual office holiday party! For a leader, the annual office holiday party can be…
Ken Blanchard recently posted a Thanksgiving holiday video on his YouTube and Facebook channels sharing his thoughts on being thankful along with some of the ways his family builds gratitude into their holiday traditions. As Ken shares,“Life is a very special occasion—don’t miss it. Part of that is being thankful for the blessings you have. It doesn’t mean that there…
Dear Madeleine, I manage a small team at a software company. It’s go-go-go, constant crazy all the time, but that’s okay—it’s what I signed up for. I like the work and the atmosphere. My problem may sound odd to you: my boss wants to be my friend. She is always asking me to lunch and…
Dear Madeleine, I run a small creative services business with a partner. We’ve had many long years of almost freakish success. We’ve accomplished amazing client work with great employees who have been dependable and excellent at their jobs. Over the years, we’ve also had our ups and downs—but lately it has been mostly downs. My…
“Ethical behavior is doing the right thing when no one is watching – even when doing the wrong thing is legal”. – Aldo Leopold * * * Ethical adjective Avoiding activities or organizations that do harm to people or the environment. * * * Examples of non-ethical behavior in business and leadership are all around…