Dear Madeleine, I’ve had my eye on a position that might be opening in my company. It would be a big step for me, but I think this is the job I have always wanted. My problem is that the minute I start even thinking about applying, I feel overcome with anxiety and literally break…
Dear Madeleine, I am terrible at my job and it is only a matter of time before I get fired. I don’t like any of my direct reports. I am supposed to do one-on-ones with them, but I find them so boring and whiny I can barely listen to them. I am making errors because…
Dear Madeleine, I have been with the same organization for eight years. My company offers anyone who has been here for seven years a reduced pay, three-month sabbatical. My boss keeps pestering me to schedule it and take one. (I totally get that this is a good problem for me to have.) I don’t have…
Dear Madeleine, Our company went to “unlimited PTO” about 16 months ago. The idea was to try it out for a year and re-evaluate. The re-evaluation period was moved to the 18-month mark, so it hasn’t happened yet. You would think the problem would be people abusing the policy but I have the opposite…
Research conducted by Gail Matthews, a professor of psychology at Dominican University in California can help increase your chances of goal success from 43% to 76%. In working with 149 adults from different business and networking groups, Matthews found that Those who wrote their goals accomplished significantly more than those who did not write their goals.…
Dear Madeleine, When I met my husband, he was attending a prestigious business school. He graduated top of his class and was aggressively recruited by a big company. We thought he would rise quickly, get regular salary increases, and it would all be rosy. In the meantime, I would help out working as an admin…
Dear Madeleine, I hate my job. I am just bored to tears. When I completed graduate school, I was recruited into what I thought was the perfect job for me—the job description was exactly what I was looking for. A year later, I am doing a ton of mindless administrative work and almost none of…
Anyone who has ever flown has heard these words: “Should a drop in cabin pressure occur, put your own mask on first.” Yes, in order to help others, you must take care of yourself first. Since I almost always ponder life through the filter of coaching, this brings to mind three of my recent clients:…
Dear Madeleine, I am a senior manager in what is essentially a call center. I am hoping you can help me. I am too nice. I am a giver; I come from a long line of nice, generous givers. My Mom ran a dentist’s office and headed several volunteer committees, headed up events at our…
The fast-paced nature of today’s work environment can create stress and anxiety for workers at all levels in an organization—but especially those responsible for getting things out the door on a daily basis. Even the most organized and efficient among us can feel the strain. Looking for some relief? Recent research confirms that a little…