Category: Your Office Coach

Question: “I work in a small office with a woman who loudly cracks and snaps her chewing gum. This lady is pushing 40 years old, so her behavior seems very unprofessional. The popping noises drive me crazy and make it hard to concentrate. I’ve tried earplugs, but they get in the way when I need to answer the phone or talk to people. I spend my breaks with the gum chewer, so I don’t want to aggravate her.  How do I handle this?”  —Need Some Quiet

Question:  “I am a professional, focused, detail-oriented employee who is often described as a “quiet person”.  Instead of seeing my calm reserve as an asset, my colleagues tend to criticize me for it.  One of my co-workers, who is also a good friend, is very outgoing and frequently outspoken.  Management recently named her the “point person” while our boss is out on medical leave, which means she will be supervising me. In my work, I am much more precise than she is. Also, I have worked here for 11 years, while she has been here only six. This betrayal has made me incredibly angry. I may not be as outgoing, but I am a better worker and have been here longer.  What should I do about this?”  —Betrayed & Bitter

Question:  “Every day, I have to work with a group of rude and catty women. They call me a tattletale, even though I’m not.  When I’m around, they make whispered remarks to each other.  I tried to fit in by chatting and having lunch with them, but that didn’t work. Now I’ve adopted the attitude of “speak only when spoken to.”  I limit my comments to “good morning” or “how is the weather?” Then I listen to my IPod all day. Although I like my work, I dread going to the office. The tension is taking a toll on me emotionally. Our manager is no help at all, and I can’t move to another position. What should I do?” — Hate My Coworkers

Question: “I am sick of the job I’ve had for the past seven years. I’m planning to apply to other companies, but I’m not sure how to answer the question ‘Why do you want to leave your current position?’ I can’t say, ‘Because I hate my job.’ So how do I get around that?”  —Puzzled Job Seeker

Question: “One of my employees, ‘Kristen’ used to confide in me frequently about her personal life, but lately she’s stopped sharing any information at all. Although she assures me that nothing is wrong, she still doesn’t talk to me. She’s also stopped chatting with her coworkers, and she doesn’t smile and laugh like she used to. My other employees told me that she got upset when she overheard someone talking about her. Now I’ve learned from human resources that Kristen has inquired about a lateral transfer to another department.  I don’t want her to leave, but I also don’t want her attitude to infect the rest of my staff. Do you have any suggestions for getting her to open up?”  — Puzzled Manager

Question: “I am a store manager in a fast-growing retail company. A few months ago, a new CEO was brought in to run our business. Since his arrival, the company seems to be headed in the wrong direction. However, the CEO apparently believes everything is fine and no mistakes are being made. I contacted our former president to discuss my concerns; he suggested I request a meeting with the CEO. But a colleague who works with the CEO said I’d better have a new job lined up if I plan to complain …”

Question: “My new job has been very disappointing. I was hired to write communication materials and help support the department, but I seem to have become my boss’s personal assistant…”

Question: “My boss recently learned that I had considered taking a new job.  I admitted to checking out the job market, but told him that I’m not planning to quit. He became very upset and started to talk about replacing me.  Now I’m afraid I’ll be fired. What should I do?”  – Charles

Question:  Recently, a coworker’s highly inflammatory email was accidentally forwarded to both me and the owner of our business. I got quite upset, because the email contained disrespectful and libelous remarks about me. The owner told him to apologize, but that never happened. Now this person has sent another email defaming my character and professional skills. I have forwarded this message to the owner, but I can’t continue to sit back and take these malicious comments. Do I have grounds to tell the owner that he should terminate this employee? – Not a Wimp