Question: “I have a co-worker who is quite chatty. Even if I am submerged in my work she will say, “I don’t mean to interrupt,” but she interrupts, and it is always something insignificant. It is so bad that every time she walks by my desk she has to stop and talk, which is several times a day. I have told her many times that I can’t chat every time she comes by because I am busy and need to concentrate. I have even told her that my boss might frown upon it if she thought I was frequently socializing instead of getting the work done. Each time, she says she understands and apologizes, but then the next time I see her, she does it again. I don’t have a private office, so I can’t just close a door. How do I stop “Chatty Cathy”? — Anonymous
Question: “I am a single mother raising two toddlers by myself. This is held against me at work, because no one else has this problem. My co-workers are all happily married or have grown children. With no family available to help, I often have to take time off for medical appointments, illnesses and other child care issues. My boss says if this continues, he may have to find someone else for my position. I feel desperate because I love my job. How can I make these people understand?” — Worried Mother
Question: “After meeting with a customer or supplier, my boss often asks me to send a follow-up e-mail. I always debate whether or not to copy him in my e-mail. I want him to know how and what I said to the person, but I’m not sure how it makes him look. What is the appropriate thing to do? Should I copy him on the e-mail? Should I forward the e-mail to him later? Do I need to copy him since he asked me to handle it?” — E.J.
Question: “My company does not have a dedicated receptionist and has assigned receptionist duties to four assistants. It’s difficult for the four of us to get our regular work done with the added duties of answering incoming calls, transferring calls and logging them into the customer management system. How can we persuade management to consider hiring a full-time receptionist without jeopardizing our own jobs?” — Upset in the West
Question: “After making a career change, I am six weeks into a new job at a large health care company. I hope to be promoted to a specific position in the next three years. In trying to get ahead, I understand the importance of all the basic stuff, like good attendance, proper dress, meeting deadlines and so forth. But can you suggest any other smart moves for career-minded new employees?” — Climbing the Ladder
What if your organization doesn’t have an online strategy to speak of—a skimpy web site, no social-media strategy, no e-mail list, no e-newsletter. Is it too late to catch up? And how can tech-savvy administrative professionals help push an organization toward online literacy? Best-selling author and marketing expert Seth Godin recommends venturing forward with these strategies:
Lee’s immediate supervisor left the organization, so now she reports to a higher-level director. In their meetings, the director seems distracted and bored, even though Lee takes extra time to prepare. “My preparation is usually met with a very brief response or a push off to another manager,” she says. “What can I do to make our meetings more engaging?”
Question: “I feel that I am being ignored because of my age. I am a young employee who recently attained a position in which I have to interact with top-level managers. When I request information from them, I find it difficult to get responses. I believe they are not taking me seriously. How should I handle this?” — Young & Frustrated
“Don’t think your boss is getting overwhelmed with praise,” says Quint Studer, CEO of Studer Group and author of Straight A Leadership: Alignment, Action, Accountability. “Bosses hear what’s wrong all the time. Very rarely do they hear what’s right.”
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