Plot twist! Mary is keeping Chris on his toes by giving him the title of the episode without sharing the questions with him in advance – leaving him no time to prepare. How annoying is that?! In this episode, listeners share their frustrations at work in the hopes that Mary and Chris can alleviate their annoyances. Fuhgeddaboudit is 68 years old, still works, and still sends handwritten thank-you notes. He endeavors to be kind every day but feels confused when someone responds to a “Thank you” w...
Apr 19, 2023•30 min•Season 3Ep. 95
Leading Less is More Like it in Lubbock (Part Two) has just been promoted to manager but they don’t actually want to lead or manage anyone. They’re now “leading” a team of seven people. Their philosophy has always been that the leader is less important than the doer and that the people should just do their job well without interference from a manager. How can they get their new team to think more like them and at the same time not lead them down the path to do so? Eye on the Prize in Toronto has...
Apr 12, 2023•31 min•Season 3Ep. 94
Is there a difference between being a manager and a leader? We tend to use them synonymously, but they’re not the same! Managers tend to be in the work and leaders are more of the work. But great managers must be leaders and great leaders need to have management skills, too. In this episode, Mary and Chris help listeners learn how to beef up their managerial and leadership skills! El Hefe La Chica en Chicago is a first-generation Mexican American female and the first in her family to graduate fr...
Apr 05, 2023•29 min•Season 3Ep. 93
How do you feel when you hear the phrase “performance feedback? ” If that makes a chill run down your spine, you’re not alone. This week, we hear from listeners who are grieving over giving or receiving performance evaluations at work. Tune in to hear Mary and Chris’s suggestions to take the pain out of feedback. Round and Round in Galveston just received their first 360 performance review. The feedback report was mixed – with three people saying they were easy to work with while two others felt...
Mar 29, 2023•34 min•Season 3Ep. 92
We’re talking all about faux pas…and not the funny fashion kind (no socks and sandals here, folks, sorry!) Have you ever said something you wish you could take back the second it slips out of your mouth? Surely, most of us have at one point or another. In this episode, Mary and Chris help listeners who have stuck their foot in their mouth redeem themselves from some grave verbal blunders. WTF? Am I SOOL (S**t Out Of Luck)? sometimes lets an F-bomb slip…they don’t mean to but when sh*t happens, t...
Mar 22, 2023•29 min•Season 3Ep. 91
Money, money, money must be funny in the rich man's world! One very eager listener, Confounded with Comp in Canada , is interested in maximizing their money at work. Tune in to learn how to: Negotiate a higher salary offer with a new employer… Ask for a salary range in an interview… Answer the dreaded, "What are your salary expectations for this role?" Ask for a higher salary in a current role… Talk to coworkers about salary… And more! We’re here to help you succeed! Send us your workplace dilem...
Mar 15, 2023•36 min•Season 3Ep. 90
We all want to be in the know but when does having too much information become paralyzing? This week, we’re hearing from listeners who feel like ignorance would be bliss in their situations. Tune in to hear how Mary and Chris suggest they navigate being overloaded with information. Too Juicy to Keep Quiet in Queens works for a small marketing firm with about 15 employees. She loves her job and colleagues but recently overheard her boss talking about selling the company. She wasn’t supposed to he...
Mar 09, 2023•32 min•Season 3Ep. 89
Have you ever been on the receiving end of someone’s short fuse? Or maybe you’ve lost your temper at work and find yourself paying the price… In this episode, Mary and Chris help listeners deal with both their anger issues and the rage of others. Hiding From Mrs. Hyde in Seattle read Mary’s book and appreciated the section about toxic bosses because, well, they may or may not have one themselves. Their company uses contract employees and full-time ones, and their boss treats the contractors like...
Mar 01, 2023•30 min•Season 3Ep. 88
Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn – oh my! For better or worse, social media plays a large role in the modern work world. Can what you post influence hiring decisions? Should you leverage social media as a marketing tool? In this episode, Mary and Chris answer questions about showing up on social media (and the positive and negative implications of it…) Having Second Thoughts in Secaucus just interviewed the most amazing job candidate for a top spot in a sales department. After doing some d...
Feb 22, 2023•31 min•Season 3Ep. 86
Work and romantic relationships – are they a perfect match, or should you stay away? In honor of Valentine’s Day, Mary and Chris dish out their best dating advice. Tune in to hear from listeners who are feeling the love (or lack of it!) in the air: Miffed in Murfreesboro is re-entering the workforce and is searching for a new job. She heard about an opening at the company where her husband works. He’s been there 17 years and seems to love it, but he suggests it’s not a great place to work despit...
Feb 15, 2023•30 min•Season 3Ep. 85
Have you ever been betrayed by a co-worker? Have you ever trusted someone at work and then discovered that they stabbed you in the back? If so, this episode is for you! Boomeranged in Bethlehem mentored and trained an employee who left the company for more money. The employee has now returned to the company and Boomeranged feels bitter, angry, and betrayed. Comeuppance Awaits in Texas has a tattletale in his midst. One of his co-workers went out of their way to get someone else in trouble for a ...
Feb 08, 2023•35 min•Season 3Ep. 84
Believe it or not, not everybody loves being on stage (which is a sentiment that Chris and Mary do not share). Giving presentations can be very stressful for many people. In this episode, Mary and Chris help listeners sharpen their presentation skills and get over their stage fright. Petrified about the Panel in Pennsylvania has been invited to sit on a panel and is terrified! They’ve never spoken in front of an audience this large (800 people!) and their boss keeps telling them that this is a G...
Feb 01, 2023•33 min•Season 3Ep. 84
Conflict at work can be healthy—if done well. Exploring different viewpoints is essential to innovation, progress, and problem-solving. In this episode, Mary and Chris challenge each other to take completely opposite answers to listeners’ questions. It’s time to rumble. Tune in to decide whose answers are best to: Torn in Toronto has a colleague who is just plain rude, snarky, and snippy. They’re tired of being nice and only getting the cold shoulder. Should they tell him how they feel and see i...
Jan 25, 2023•34 min•Season 2Ep. 83
Culture—both organizational and national-- has a huge influence over how people behave and operate in organizations. In this episode, Mary and Chris answer questions related to navigating cultural differences. Tune in to hear their answers to: Looking for a Little Dutch Comfort in Charlotte supervises an employee who is just too direct, too brusque, and well too off-putting. ABC-ing in LA is struggling with the cutthroat culture of their financial services firm. What can they do? Every Day is a ...
Jan 18, 2023•34 min•Season 2Ep. 82
What’s the difference between being cheap, stingy, or frugal? And when is it a problem at work? How do you deal with In this week’s episode, Mary Abbajay and Chris De Santis hear from three listeners who are trying to navigate the financial failings of others. And as a special treat, they also field a question about an employee’s dirty bathroom habits. Yes, Mary and Chris are going to talk about poop... Tune in to hear their answers to: My Boss is a Cheapskate in Chesapeake is embarrassed and a ...
Jan 11, 2023•32 min•Season 3Ep. 81
What’s your comfort level with personal disclosure at work? Do you lean more private or more public? Is sharing caring? Or is sharing TMI? When does a lack of sharing become a problem and when is oversharing, well, just too much? In this week’s episode, Mary Abbajay and Chris De Santis answer listeners’ questions about how to navigate the private-public continuum. There’s a fine line between transparency—which can build trust—and oversharing which can diminish trust. Close the Open Book in Chels...
Jan 04, 2023•35 min•Season 3Ep. 80
This week’s episode is about complaints and complainers. While complaining is a natural part of human communication—knowing how and when to complain is an important piece of emotional intelligence. Our pro tip: Inside of every complaint is a request. Find it and make it. Dealing with the complaints of others can be challenging. Learning how to de-escalate an angry tirade is a skill everybody needs… In this episode we hear from: Gushing till I Puke in Galena works with a colleague whose constant ...
Dec 28, 2022•33 min•Season 2Ep. 79
In this year’s special holiday episode, Mary and Chris help listeners navigate the Ho Ho Horrors of office life during the holidays. Should you attend the office holiday party? Should you bring an unwilling spouse with you? Should you buy your boss a gift? If so, how much should you spend? In this episode we hear from: Scrooged in Seattle has a husband who is grumbling about attending her law firm’s holiday party. Should she make him suck it up and go anyway? Or will his grumpy attitude be more ...
Dec 21, 2022•30 min•Season 2Ep. 78
Do you have to attend meetings that suck? If so, you are not alone. Businesses and organizations in the U.S. hold 11 MILLION meetings a day and 55 MILLION each week. Yet, research shows that over 50% of the time spent in meetings is considered wasted or unproductive by the attendees. An estimated $37B a year is lost due to unproductive meetings. In this week’s episode, Mary & Chris use their combined 40 years of experience as professional facilitators to answer listeners’ questions about how...
Dec 14, 2022•33 min•Season 2Ep. 77
This week’s episode features three questions from listeners who are trying to get ahead in their lives or careers. They all seek strategies to find the best path forward. So, whether you want to get ahead, move ahead, or make more money—this episode is for you! In this episode we hear from: Getting Ahead in Georgia needs advice on how to get ahead in her career. While she has had career growth conversations with her boss—nothing has happened. She’s starting to wonder whether it’s time to look fo...
Dec 07, 2022•32 min•Season 2Ep. 76
In this week’s episode, Chris has culled a series of listeners’ questions into a mystery theme to see if Mary can guess the theme of the show. What do all these questions have in common? Can Mary guess the theme? Can you? Play along with us and see if you can guess the theme before Mary does… In this episode we hear from: Writer’s Blocked in LA who is frustrated by his writers’ group who keep criticizing his “perfect” ideas? How dare those other writers question his genius?! A Pretty Ugly Situat...
Nov 30, 2022•33 min•Season 2Ep. 75
In this episode, Chris and Mary share listeners’ thoughts and LinkedIn poll results on various workplace and career topics. Check out this episode to learn what you and other listeners think about office hookups, first impressions, networking etiquette, limp handshakes, and other topics! Show us your love! Please give us a review wherever you listen to your podcasts. We’re here to help you succeed! Send us your workplace dilemmas or career questions. Email us: info@cubicleconfidential.com or twe...
Nov 23, 2022•33 min•Season 2Ep. 71
Workplace stress appears to be at an all-time high. 55% of Americans report being stressed throughout the day and one million Americans miss work each day because of their stress levels. Working women report higher levels of stress than men and the Millennials and Generation Z reported the highest levels of stress—and the most difficulty in managing their stress. So, it’s no wonder that Chris and Mary receive lots of listener questions on how to manage and navigate workplace stress. In this epis...
Nov 16, 2022•33 min•Season 2Ep. 73
Do you have a fear of missing out (FOMO)? Do you have career regrets? Do you feel envious when your friends succeed? In this episode, Mary and Chris answer listeners’ questions about FOMO (fear of missing out), career envy, regret, and one hot mess for cleanup. Rethinking My Life in Minneapolis is green with envy over a friend’s success. Her FOMO is causing her to rethink her entire life. How can she get past this to find her dream job? Not Good at Doing Good in Dallas manages philanthropy for a...
Nov 09, 2022•34 min•Season 2Ep. 72
This week’s show is all about sticky situations at work. Mary and Chris try to help listeners navigate some tough “between a rock and a hard place” types of workplace dilemmas. Help Me Say No in Nebraska has been asked to recommend a friend for a job. The problem? Our listener doesn’t think his friend is qualified for the job and doesn’t know how to handle it… Not Your Secretary in San Antonio is an office manager at a mid-sized accounting firm where one of the senior partners keeps tasking her ...
Nov 02, 2022•31 min
In honor of Halloween, this show is all about scary people at work! And a little bit about Halloween…. Ghost Hunting in Georgia is plagued by a ghost boss who is never around. He assigns them projects, and then, poof! He disappears. How can she succeed with a boss that is NEVER around? Stop the Heckling in Houston has a colleague who is a passive-aggressive heckler. Houston is sick and tired of being heckled and wants to know how to shut this guy up. Tired of the Bully-Sh*t in Buffalo works with...
Oct 26, 2022•34 min•Season 2Ep. 70
Life and death at work is life and death in life. Yet, all too often the workplace doesn’t address the reality of the human experience. This week’s episode addresses several questions that arise from the circle of life. Silently Saddened in Oklahoma is saddened by the sudden death of one of her co-workers. Nobody at the company seems to want to talk about or acknowledge it. Is there something that she can do to honor the deceased colleague? Paying it Forward in Eau Claire wants to donate a kidne...
Oct 19, 2022•34 min•Season 2Ep. 69
Travel today sucks. And sadly, so do many of our fellow travelers. In this episode, Mary and Chris share their favorite travel tips, biggest pet peeves, and also make time to answer listeners’ questions about how to have an expeditious and stress-free experience on the road. But the big question is this: do you recline your seat when you fly? Missing Miss Manners in Memphis wants to know how best to handle rude seatmates or other passengers who are loud, rude, or encroaching into her space. Down...
Oct 12, 2022•33 min•Season 2Ep. 68
Is Quiet Quitting a real thing? And what does it really mean? Is it a call to action or just an excuse to be a slacker? Is it media hype and should organizations be concerned? In this episode, Mary and Chris attempt to separate hype from reality. I Call Bulls**t in Baltimore thinks “quiet quitting” is just an excuse to be a slacker. Is he right? Man In the Middle in Milwaukee worries that his company’s fears about quiet quitting is driving their decision to begin using digital tracking software ...
Oct 05, 2022•34 min•Season 2Ep. 67
This week’s episode is all about promotions. Or, rather, when good promotions go bad. We call this “Promotion Demotion.” What if you don’t want to be promoted? Or if you do get promoted and then realize, that “yikes!” it isn’t the gravy train that you thought it would be? Or, if someone gets promoted that you don’t think deserves it. What to do? What to do? Too Much Too Soon in Trenton got what they asked for—a promotion! And now they have cold feet. Suddenly they must manage their former peers—...
Sep 28, 2022•33 min•Season 2Ep. 66
