Dear Madeleine, I am a leader who is conscientious, caring, and committed. Now, at the middle of my career, I find myself becoming a bit resentful of working long hours. I am constantly in danger of losing my PTO and yet the stress of preparing to be off work, along with the avalanche of work…
I have recently resumed coaching an exceptional leader after a six-month break. In our first post-break coaching call, she updated me on some significant changes she has made at work. In a nutshell, she has achieved clarity on standards for herself and her team. To uphold these standards she has eliminated unproductive meetings and is…
Lowering your stress level—it’s a fact of life many coaching clients want to address. The sheer busyness of people’s day-to-day work lives causes many to feel stressed out, overwhelmed, and ill equipped to deal with situations that come their way. This past week, a client came into a coaching meeting feeling just that way. She…
From time to time, I think about learning events I’ve particularly relished. I fondly recall seeing great presenters I admire or learning about a topic I’m committed to. The most profound takeaways I have from this investment of my time and attention are often simple statements I carry forward and integrate in my life. For…
Dear Madeleine, A long-time employee I really liked and respected recently left for another opportunity. I tried to keep her but couldn’t offer her enough money, so I gave her an excellent reference. The whole team was sad, and off she went with a fond farewell. Surprisingly, while training her replacement, I was stunned to…
Dear Madeleine, I’m not sure what my exact problem is, except that I am in a constant state of overwhelm. I have a wonderful job that I love, with a great boss who gives me plenty of challenging opportunities and always has my back. My employees are all excellent and hardworking. I have a lovely…
Dear Ask Madeleine readers, It is coming up on one year since I started this column. On the occasion of the Thanksgiving holiday, I want to take a moment to thank you so very much for checking the Ask Madeleine post every Saturday. In my travels to conferences and gatherings, I have met a few…
Dear Madeleine, I run the Americas finance for a large global company. I am very good at my job and people give great feedback about working for me. Their only real complaint – and mine – is that the workload is crushing. We all work absurd hours and when we need to prepare for big…
Dear Madeleine, My boss is a total jerk. I don’t know how else to say it. He obviously doesn’t like me or respect me. The problem is, I really love my job. I am good at it and have great relationships with my direct reports. Nobody likes or respects my boss, who is the owner…
I’ve received various letters asking about the wisdom of taking personal time off when work is crazy busy. So in honor of July 4th—a very important holiday for those in the U.S. that falls, sadly, on a Saturday this year—I have decided to devote this week’s post to the issue of vacation time. (Spoiler alert:…