Is your teamwork not working? Dan and Alison answer your questions with the help of Amy Edmondson, a professor at Harvard Business School. They talk through what to do when your team isn’t communicating, doesn’t respect its leader, or has one employee who’s causing problems.
How does race affect your workplace? Dan and Alison answer your questions with the help of Tina Opie, a management professor at Babson College. They talk through what to do when your company's board is not diverse, promotions favor some people more than others, or you want to have more conversations about race at the office.
Do you deserve a higher salary? In a live taping with an audience of compensation experts, Dan and Alison answer your questions with the help of Susan Hollingshead, the chief people officer at Vendini. They talk through how to get more money when you haven’t been in your role long, the company isn’t giving out merit increases, or you’re at the bottom of your job’s salary range.
How does working remotely complicate your career? Dan and Alison answer your questions with the help of Siobhan O’Mahony, a professor at Boston University Questrom School of Business. They talk through how to advance in your job when you’re not in the building, deal with a problematic colleague you never see, and manage teams in other offices.
Are you looking to quit your job? Dan and Alison answer your questions with the help of David Burkus, a management professor at Oral Roberts University. They talk through what to do when you want to call out a toxic employee in your resignation letter, reject a counteroffer, or resign without burning bridges.
Does your organization lack quality leadership? Dan and Alison answer your questions with the help of Peter Bregman, a leadership expert. They talk through what to do when your leaders are indecisive, unprofessional, or value the wrong things.
Have you taken extended time off due to an illness? Dan and Alison answer your questions with the help of Anne Sugar, a cancer survivor and an executive coach. They talk through what to do when you’re recovering from an illness while working, giving notice after a leave of absence, or job hunting after a health-related employment gap.
Is miscommunication a constant problem at your workplace? Dan and Alison answer your questions with the help of Holly Weeks, a lecturer at Harvard University. They talk through what to do when your coworker won’t stop talking, your boss overcommunicates with everyone on a project, or a leader keeps changing what you're supposed to do.
Is a recent firing weighing on you? Dan and Alison answer your questions with the help of Susan David, a psychologist at Harvard Medical School. They talk through what to do when your coworker has been wrongfully fired, your company has massive layoffs, or you’ve been fired.
Are you struggling with the complications of working in a family business? Dan and Alison answer your questions with the help of Ted Clark, who runs the Center for Family Business at Northeastern University. They talk through advancing when you’re not a member of the family, managing up when your parents are your bosses, and whether it’s better to work for a family enterprise or a big corporation.
Do performance reviews fill you with anxiety? Dan and Alison answer your questions with the help of Adam Grant, an organizational psychologist at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. They talk through how to handle performance reviews that have mixed messages, extreme criticism, or not enough helpful feedback.
Does your direct report get on your nerves? Dan and Alison answer your questions with the help of Art Markman, a psychology professor at the University of Texas. They talk through how to manage someone who is unlikable, overly polite, or passive-aggressive.
Is your office killing your productivity? Dan and Alison answer your questions with the help of Pete Bacevice, a workplace researcher at the global design firm HLW and the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business. They talk through how to survive in an open office, deploy teams across multiple buildings, and ask for a better workspace.
Could a lateral move help your career? Dan and Alison answer your questions with the help of Priscilla Claman, a career coach and former HR executive. They talk through when making a lateral move will push you forward and when it will hold you back.
If your workplace is toxic, can you change it? Dan and Alison answer your questions with the help of Nicholas Pearce, an associate professor at Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. They talk through how to transform a toxic culture, whether you’re a junior employee, a manager, or in charge.
Is your boss making your life miserable? Dan and Alison answer your questions with the help of Moshe Cohen, a senior lecturer at Boston University’s Questrom School of Business. They talk through what to do when your boss is a jerk, a workaholic, or simply incompetent.
Do you want to shake up your career? Dan and Alison answer your questions with the help of Whitney Johnson, the author of “Disrupt Yourself.” They talk through what to do when you’ve trained for one career and long for another, when you reenter the workforce after a long gap, and when you want to move into management.
Are you getting paid unfairly? Dan and Alison answer your questions with the help of Shirli Kopelman, a professor at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business. They talk through what to do when a poor performer gets paid more than you, when the company salary structure is making people quit, and how to ask for more money when your boss leaves and you do their job.
Do you have a hard time with older or younger co-workers? Dan and Alison answer your questions with the help of Jennifer Deal, the co-author of “What Millennials Want from Work.” They talk through what to do when you’re struggling with an older colleague, when you’re managing a much older worker, and how to motivate younger employees who seem lax on the job. Editor's note: This episode was updated April 11, 2018.
Do you work with a jerk? Dan and Alison answer your questions with the help of Stanford management professor Bob Sutton, an expert in dealing with difficult co-workers. They talk through what to do when your colleague is a bully, when your boss never takes the blame, and when your direct report gets on everyone’s bad side — but still brings in the money.
Have you ever had a romantic encounter at work? Dan and Alison discuss the minefield of workplace romances with biological anthropologist Helen Fisher of Rutgers University and the Kinsey Institute. They answer your questions on how to ask somebody out at work, how a one-night stand with a colleague can affect your career, and how to manage the politics and (mis)perceptions of co-worker relationships.
What should you do when you become the boss? Co-hosts Alison Beard and Dan McGinn answer your questions with the help of Harvard Business School professor Alison Wood Brooks, an expert on behavioral insights. They talk through what to do when your direct reports are older than you, how to be a likeable leader, and what to say if you’re not ready to be in charge.
The advice show for workplace dilemmas. We take your questions and offer a better way forward.
