Last week I shared an idea with a new co-worker. She took it to my boss as if it was hers. I’ve also seen this person take credit for work others do and deny blame for her mistakes. I keep getting headaches and losing sleep over this. I keep imagining slashing one of her car tires. Should I quit my job? (more…)

I think my boss is bipolar and it’s making my life miserable enough that I’m ready to quit. He not only regularly screams at me, but does it in front of my direct reports. I admit I make mistakes but sometimes he’s just wrong. He constantly changes his mind which makes more work for everyone. There are several good employees looking for other jobs. Often he forgets what he said. He’s only in his early 40’s so I know it’s not old age. Can you offer any ideas? (more…)

I’m looking for a new job and I’ve interviewed at several companies. They promise to keep me updated on my status. However, weeks go by without word. They don’t respond to my e-mails or calls. One company told me I was one of two finalists but I haven’t heard from them in 3 weeks. Colleagues assure me I’m highly qualified and feedback from interviewers is very positive. I’m told I’m definitely in the running. What’s going on? (more…)

As the president of a company with 400 employees I feel I should have a sense of the level of their morale. Should I assess that through a survey? (more…)

I’m the head of HR at a medium size company of 350 employees. We conduct a great deal of technical training for our employees and I’m convinced that’s valuable and necessary. However, when it comes to "soft" training employees on interpersonal and leadership skills, I have a hard time seeing the value. We’ve tried a couple of lunch presentations but I didn’t see any long term use. How does that stuff add to the bottom line? (more…)

I am a program director for a provider of school services. We have no HR department so I find it very challenging to provide in-house "counseling" for our employees and still maintain professional boundaries - you know, those times when someone is in crisis but may not need to get into therapy, just needs immediate support and a way to work through something. (more…)