Dear Madeleine, I recently found, left behind on the photocopier, a list of performance evaluations, pay, and bonuses for all of my coworkers. Turns out new hires are being brought in at substantially higher pay and bonuses than what the old timers are getting. Also, a person who is universally viewed as a total slacker…
Dear Madeleine, I am an EVP of strategy and shareholder value for a billion dollar global conglomerate. I have been working with a coach for the last six months and she has made a huge difference in terms of helping me prioritize, focus, and develop more powerful relationships. Things have been going so well that…
The negative, almost nasty, comment to one of my LinkedIn posts bugged me. I spent 30 minutes formulating a clever response and then, another 30 minutes trying to figure out how to post it. I could see the man’s comment in my notifications, but when I clicked “check it out” or “join the conversation,” I…
Dear Madeleine, I work in HR in a small company and recently had to let someone go. The process is never pleasant—and to make matters a bit more complicated, the terminated employee was a bit of a gossip. Now that she is gone, many employees are upset and have been speculating out loud about the…
Dear Madeleine, I was hired five months ago by a local business. I had no experience in finance but my new boss assured me that he could teach me what I needed to know. Five months have gone by and my boss has just told me that he doesn’t have time to train me after…
Some people carry an extraordinary share of the load at work. You know them—people who seem to be on everyone’s go-to list. Sometimes it’s an IT resource. Sometimes it’s a project manager. Sometimes it’s the person who has the clout or the drive to get things done. Often, 20 to 35 percent of value-added collaborations…
As a leader, you’ve probably encountered situations that can be frustrating. Perhaps your direct report did something wrong or you had too much on your plate. How did you deal with that situation? I was recently asked at a gathering of friends how I remained so positive. Did I have a secret daily ritual of…