My Crazy Office

On this third and final podcast of the My Crazy Office Holiday Series, Kathi and Katherine address a question that many people ponder during this time of year: Should you give your boss a holiday gift? They start with a question from someone whose boss gives lavish gifts to every member of his staff. Is it appropriate to give the boss a gift in return? If so, what should it be?

On this second podcast of MCO Holiday Series, Kathi and Katherine answer a question that many people ask this time of year: Do I have to go to my company holiday party? They start with a question from someone who is up for a promotion and wonders whether she needs to attend her company’s “large, formal, boring Christmas party.” Kathi and Katherine discuss why these events may be important and how to navigate them.

Today, on the first podcast of the My Crazy Office Holiday Series, Kathi and Katherine address a common problem for certain employees during this time of year — Being the hardest worker at the company, while everyone else takes time off. Kathi and Katherine start with a question from someone who is exhausted from over-working, but feels compelled to cover for others. They offer tips for anyone who suffers from the Hero Syndrome at work.

On this episode of My Crazy Office, Kathi and Katherine examine a common phenomenon that few people talk about: What do you do if you’ve outgrown the work that you know how to do? They start with a question from someone who is a skilled salesperson, but no longer finds sales interesting. Kathi and Katherine go on to discuss what you can do if you realize that what you are good at is no longer what you want to do.

On this episode of My Crazy Office, Kathi and Katherine address a tricky topic: What if you are doing your boss’s job? They start with a question from someone who finds themselves doing their boss’s job – even though it’s clear that the boss is incompetent, and people are quitting because of it. Kathi and Katherine discuss different ways of handling this kind of delicate situation.

On this episode of My Crazy Office, Kathi and Katherine discuss what you may be missing by not being in the office. They start with a question from someone who works remotely and enjoys it, but also suspects that she’s missing out on important conversations and projects. Kathi and Katherine consider why it might be important to show up at the office on a regular basis.

On this episode of My Crazy Office, Kathi and Katherine address a tricky topic: What do you do if your boss is a gossip? They start with a question from someone whose new boss is friendly but a little too familiar. This boss shares personal information about everyone in the office and asks probing question about the employee’s personal life. Kathi and Katherine discuss how to set boundaries with a gossip-seeking boss.

On this My Crazy Office podcast, Kathi and Katherine talk about what you should do if you’ve been unfairly labeled at work. They start with a question from someone whose boss keeps saying she needs to “up her game,” and work harder — even though her colleagues describe her as the hardest working member of the team. Kathi and Katherine describe other ways that people can be labeled at work, and what you can do to address it.

On this episode of My Crazy Office, Kathi and Katherine explore a common management challenge — What if you are so busy managing down that you don’t have time to manage up? Kathi and Katherine start with a question from a manager who spends so much time helping her staff complete their work that she misses opportunities to be seen by the people who could promote her and her department.

On this My Crazy Office podcast, Kathi and Katherine talk about a very challenging kind of boss — The Sacred Cow. They start with a question from someone whose company CEO recently hired a close friend into the COO position. This individual seems friendly, but lacks the experience and skills to do the job. Kathi and Katherine discuss how to work with this kind of boss and keep your sanity.

On this episode of My Crazy Office, Kathi and Katherine address a tough question that many managers grapple with: When is enough enough? When is it time to fire someone? They start with a question from a manager who has an employee who keeps missing days of work due to personal issues. Kathi and Katherine discuss how to determine whether it’s time to let someone go, and what you need to do to prepare.

On this, My Crazy Office podcast, Kathi and Katherine talk about a very important topic: staff morale. They start with a question from a new manager who discovers that the people she’s been hired to manage are suffering from very low morale. Kathi and Katherine discuss what a manager can do to turn the low morale of their staff around.

On this, My Crazy Office podcast, Kathi and Katherine explore one of the biggest hidden reasons why people don’t apply for new jobs — not feeling deserving. They start with a question from an individual who knows it’s time to leave, has updated their resume and LinkedIn profile, but can’t seem to actually apply for new positions. Kathi and Katherine discuss how to manage the fear that may hold you back from actively engaging in a job hunt, and steps you can take to feel deserving of a better job.

On this, My Crazy Office Podcast, Kathi and Katherine discuss a very real challenge for some people at work — Freezing at meetings. They start with a question from someone who’s recently been promoted to a managerial position and finds himself freezing at important meetings where he should be making a positive impression. Kathi and Katherine discuss field-tested techniques for “unfreezing” at important meetings so that your ideas, opinions, and achievements can be heard.

Figuring out how to get noticed by the people above your boss can be challenging — especially if you sense that your boss isn’t sharing your successes. On this episode of My Crazy Office, Kathi and Katherine discuss how to get noticed by your boss’s boss. They start with a question from someone who made the mistake of going over her boss’ head to get a meeting with the boss’s boss. Kathi and Katherine describe specific things you can do to avoid making that kind of mistake and still get the visibility that you desire.

On this My Crazy Office podcast, Kathi and Katherine discuss what to do if you suspect that someone you manage is after your job. They start with a question from a manager who fears that one of their direct reports is trying to take their job. During the second part of the podcast, Kathi and Katherine consider the same topic from the employee’s perspective: What if you want to be your boss’s equal?

Today on My Crazy Office, Kathi and Katherine discuss the challenge of taking over another manager’s team. They start with a question from someone who has been asked to take over another manager’s department and worries that the staff will resist her management style. Kathi and Katherine go on to consider how you can assess and re-train a team of employees that you inherit from someone else.

On this episode of My Crazy Office, Kathi and Katherine discuss what you should do if get a new job in a company that may be in trouble. They start with a question from someone who’s leaving a toxic company for a great opportunity but discovers that the new company is laying people off. During the second part of the podcast, Kathi and Katherine consider what managers can do if they are hiring new staff while firing others.