Ask Your Boss: I Don’t Want to Look Like...

“I am a new employee and was hired because of my experience working with so many different companies. I have a lot of good ideas to improve productivity and quality.  How can I give my input to my boss without seeming like a know it all jerk?” It is less tricky than you think, especially because you were hired due to your experience and knowledge. You are, probably, expected to give your input anyway. Just remember that it is all about your attitude, the right choice of words and your tone. A good, friendly attitude combined with the right approach can solve pretty...

Ask Your Boss: How Should I Prepare For ...

“Year end reviews are just around the corner at some workplaces. What does my manager do in the next month to prepare for the review process? What can I do to prepare for the review process? For next year, how can I take the feedback from my coming review and prioritize my improvement efforts?” We don’t do annual reviews at my workplace. We used to do it, but not anymore. I never liked it anyway, so I embraced this change quite enthusiastically. I am one of those who prefer to give feedback as we go, not once a year. Let me give you a few pointers of how I would...

Ask Your Boss: When a Boss Doesn’t Deal ...

“I am in a unique position. I am an onsite vendor working for a client. The job is going pretty well except for one thing:  One of the members on our small team is very difficult to work with. My client boss has taken me aside and apologized for the way this person has treated me i.e. super passive aggressive nit picky emails. My client boss said she would talk to this person. The rudeness has continued. Now my client boss has said that it is my responsibility to work out the issues with this person. I told her that I felt very uncomfortable due to the vendor/client...

Ask Your Boss: How To Negotiate a Job Of...

“I am currently applying for a position at an organization. I’m in the final stages of the interview process and things seem to be going well. While I don’t know for certain that I will get a job offer, I suspect it will happen. My question is what tools you can offer for negotiating the starting salary. In the job listing, there was a range for the salary. My wife says that I should ask for the top of that range, but I don’t want to ask for too much and start off on the wrong foot. So, I’m curious, how should one go about negotiating a higher...