Imposter syndrome, for those who don’t know, is a feeling that you do not have the right to be there, wherever ‘there’ is for you. People use it in a work context to convey that they are operating at a level or in a field where they feel they do not have the level of …
I spoke to someone recently who was a manager two levels up from front-line workers (they managed the supervisors of the front-line workers). They could see the real benefit in being close to the front-line workers, but in practice, weren’t sure how to do it without looking too informal. So it got me thinking, how …
How close should you be to the front line managers? Read More »
When you climb the career ladder, there’s a suggestion that achieving a C-suite position is the end of the line. There you will stay, happy in your seniority, for the rest of your career. But as you’re likely to be ambitious to have reached the C-Suite in the first place, then just stopping feels wrong. …
I recently spoke to a middle manager who was struggling to help their team follow a new CEO’s strategy. And it got me thinking… how do you manage a team to success when they can clearly see the CEO is out of their depth and the strategy is not great? Do you go along with …
When you’re a middle leader struggling with the CEO’s strategy Read More »
What should you do if you’re running a team where there’s a steady influx of new members of staff, but also one or two team members who’ve been around for much longer who insist on patronising the newer staff members? This is often the downside of long-term team members On one hand, good for them, …
When things at work get bad enough to make you hand in your notice, it can leave you with mixed emotions. You may feel frustrated, and want the satisfaction of calling out the company’s shortcomings. But equally, if you care about the business and don’t want to see them fail, you may want to use …
How should you talk so that your seniors listen? Are you having conversations with someone higher up in the hierarchy and want to get them to take action? Following the five steps next time you talk to a manager will help you to influence upwards. 1. Choose the right time Find a moment when they …
How to influence your boss (or anyone else senior to you) Read More »
What should you do if you’re a skip-level manager who’s receiving complaints from your report’s report (people two levels down) that their manager is too demanding, unreasonable and is causing them stress? A common problem – handling the behaviour of more junior leaders who are upsetting their team members. How do you step in without …
What to do when your direct report isn’t managing their team very well Read More »
What should you do if you are new to a role but rather than getting the managerial support you need, your manager keeps cancelling your 1:1s, or making changes to your project assignments? Well, first up, to provide some reassurance: if you’re new to a role it’s reasonable to want some time with your manager …
How to deal with an unsupportive boss who’s always busy Read More »
Organisational changes are commonplace in most companies at one point or another. Despite this, the structural changes it brings can be difficult to navigate. I heard from a mid-level leader recently who, following global organisational changes, no longer reports to a senior manager but instead directly to the General Manager. While this move increased the …
What to do when you feel like you’re not valued at work Read More »
