Contradictory Orders—Follow the Big Boss? In the last post, you went to an inspiring all-staff meeting where the CEO, Ms. Danvers, encouraged everyone to work across silos to create greater team work. You think it’s a great idea although your boss Sean seems to be giving off contradictory vibes. But your buddy Ethan from another unit (silo) of the company is also enthusiastic and suggests you work together on a great new app. You...
Conflicting Orders You can get into trouble when the big boss is saying one thing and your immediate boss is giving conflicting orders. Let’s look at the following situation. You’ve just come from an all-staff meeting. The CEO seems great. She’s all fired up about a new approach to teamwork which encourages employees to work across silos to share expertise and resources. You’re eager to give it a try. Your boss and co-worker hav...
Getting Acknowledgement of Your Work from the Execs In the last post, you were disappointed that your boss was tapped to do an important presentation on the pre-kindergarten game that you designed. You should get acknowledgement for your achievements and, to be fair, your supervisor, Melody, has done so. But I get why you might want the powers-that-be to know also—it’s a way to build your credibility and career. Let’s discuss how ...
My Boss Accepts Praise for My Work This post will apply primarily to those working in large companies or very established ones. It might have less relevance if you’re in a small company or a new one or a young one. Who gets the praise can be dependent on the size of the organization. The situation You have been working on a great new game for smart pre-kindergarteners. Your boss (Melody) has been unstinting in her praise. You have don...
Defending Against Recognition Stealers In the last post, you found out that you and your collaborator, Wes, had completely different interpretations of whether he had hogged the limelight. You were eventually able to work out things out. But what if you have suspected all along that Wesley, hail-fellow-well-met that he is, is unlikely to be trustworthy in sharing recognition? How do I know if he’s a recognition stealer? It’s not alw...