My Crazy Office

In this My Crazy Office podcast, Kathi and Katherine talk about how to turn a bad job into a “B” job. They start with a question from someone who hates their job and feels an urgency to quit but realizes that it will take time to prepare for the thing they really want to do. Kathi and Katherine discuss how this person (and you) can create a plan so that a bad job can become a “B” job that allows y...

It can be scary to confront staff if you fear that they may get angry and quit. In this episode of My Crazy Office, Kathi and Katherine discuss the importance of holding your staff accountable for their behavior. They start with a question from someone who manages many frontline staff but never confronts any of them because of the fear that they will quit. Now this lack of holding staff accountabl...

In this episode of My Crazy Office, Kathi and Katherine examine a serious problem – what do you do if you are passed over for a promotion more than once? They start with a question from someone who’s a top performer at their job but keeps getting passed over for promotions to upper management. Kathi and Katherine offer tactics for breaking out of this cycle, and moving your career forward.

Resentment is a tricky emotion. It can consume you, making it difficult to do (or enjoy) your job. In this My Crazy Office podcast, Kathi and Katherine discuss this hot topic. They ask the question, “Do you resent your boss?” If so, how do you manage that resentment? Kathi and Katherine start with a question from an individual who works for a horrible manager, but wants to know how to...

In this My Crazy Office podcast, Kathi and Katherine explore an important question for anyone in management: How much should you invest in a bad hire? They start with a question from a manager who hired a very likeable person who lacks the skills needed for the job. This manager has invested time and money trying to upgrade the new hire’s skills, but it’s not working. Do you wonder how...

It’s really hard to manage effectively if you are afraid of upsetting your staff. On this My Crazy Office podcast, Kathi and Katherine discuss this challenge for some managers. They start with a question from someone who is new to management but realizes she must give certain members of her staff some tough feedback. This manager is afraid that honest feedback will result in people getting m...

On this My Crazy Office podcast, Kathi and Katherine address a familiar challenge to many individuals at work: What do you do if your co-worker is a suck-up? By “suck up” they mean someone who constantly does and says things to flatter and impress the boss. Kathi and Katherine start with a question from someone who recently got promoted, only to discover that her new co-worker spends most of his t...

On this My Crazy Office podcast, Kathi and Katherine discuss how to handle a boss who plays favorites – especially if you’re not one of them. They start with a question from someone who is noticing that her new boss has a group of favorite employees, and wonders whether not being one of the favorites could hurt her career.

Most bosses want you to do your job well, but some bosses may view your personal success as their loss. In this My Crazy Office podcast, Kathi and Katherine examine a delicate situation: What can you do if your boss is afraid that you will outshine them? They start with a question from someone whose recent recognition for outstanding performance resulted in the boss becoming distant and uncooperat...

In this My Crazy Office podcast, Kathi and Katherine discuss a subject that many people in leadership positions must address: How do you fire a long-time employee? They start with a question from someone who was recently hired as the senior director of a large department and realizes there is a key employee who must be let go. Kathi and Katherine discuss how to navigate this kind of delicate situa...

In this episode of My Crazy Office, Kathi and Katherine address an interesting question: Is it okay to turn down a promotion? They start with a question from someone who has been offered a promotion but doesn’t want the management headache that comes with it. Kathi and Katherine consider the pros and cons to saying “No,” and what your options might be if you have to say “Yes.”

On this My Crazy Office podcast, Kathi and Katherine address a hot topic: How to handle a psycho boss. They start with a question from someone who recently took a new job that is both challenging and rewarding. The new boss started out supportive and encouraging, but recently revealed another side – hypercritical, erratic and abusive. Kathi and Katherine offer ideas about how to navigate this kind...

In this My Crazy Office podcast, Kathi and Katherine investigate what you can do if you are lashing out at people because you are overwhelmed at work. They start with a question from someone who works as an office manager for a not-for-profit where the responsibilities are overwhelming, and this person finds themselves snapping at anyone who makes a request. Are you snappy at work? Listen to this...

Do you know how to negotiate a promotion? In this My Crazy Office episode, Kathi and Katherine discuss what it takes to do just that. They start with a question from someone who wants to get promoted but has been told by her boss to wait for another year so that he can offer a better promotion with higher pay. This individual would like to propose a compromise that would result in a smaller promot...

On this My Crazy Office episode, Kathi and Katherine explore whether getting fired could possibly be the best thing that ever happens to you. They start with a question from someone who was suddenly terminated from her job without warning. She now finds herself with two job offers, and wonders if getting fired could be a good thing.

On this My Crazy Office podcast, Kathi and Katherine explore how to choose the best job when it’s a choice between two companies. They start with a question from someone who has been looking for a new job and now must decide between two offers; the positions are the same, but the companies are very different. One company is high profile, high pay, and high stress. The other is more laid back, but...

On this My Crazy Podcast, Kathi and Katherine discuss those situations at work where someone tries to warn you about someone or something beforehand, and you ignore the warning. They start with a question from an individual who just got fired by a boss that his colleague told him would be a nightmare to work for. This person now regrets not heeding the warning, and wonders how to avoid making the...

On this My Crazy Office episode, Kathi and Katherine examine a challenging situation — being ghosted by your manager. They start with a question from someone whose boss insists on scheduling regular bi-weekly meetings only to never show up for them. This manager also doesn’t respond to emails or texts and does not see their ghosting behavior as a problem. Join Kathi and Katherine as th...

On this My Crazy Office podcast, Kathi and Katherine discuss a crucial question that some of you may be asking yourselves: Is it time to make a radical career change? We start with a question from someone who has been in a boring-but-secure job for 15 years. A recent lay-off is making this person consider whether it’s time to go back to school to pursue a degree in something that they’...

On this My Crazy Office podcast, Kathi and Katherine address a challenging situation: What do you do if you are attacked by a toxic client? They start with a question from someone who has experienced just that — being aggressively attacked by a client during a meeting. Kathi and Katherine talk about how to recover from this kind of difficult situation and how to manage the client going forwa...

On this episode of My Crazy Office, Kathi and Katherine discuss what you can do if your department (or company) is moving in a direction that you don’t like. They start with a question from someone who disagrees with their department’s decision to do things differently based on customer feedback. Kathi and Katherine talk about what your options are in these kinds of situations.

On this My Crazy Office Podcast, Kathi and Katherine talk about balancing maternity leave with career growth. They start with a question from someone who is pregnant, but also wants to take on a large new client. Kathi and Katherine discuss how to look at these kinds of situations that require incorporating a major life change (motherhood) with career ambitions.

On this My Crazy Office podcast, Kathi and Katherine address an important question: Is your self-talk holding you back? Self-talk is the running dialogue in your head. Negative self-talk involves your deepest doubts and fears. Kathi and Katherine start with a question from someone who knows it’s time to move their career forward, but keeps procrastinating instead of taking action and wonders...

On this My Crazy Office podcast, Kathi and Katherine talk about the importance of having an advocate at work. An advocate is someone who wants to see you succeed and who provides opportunities for advancement. Other terms for this important relationship are sponsor and mentor . Kathi and Katherine start with a question from an employee who was considering leaving her job, but recently noticed that...

On this episode of My Crazy Office, Kathi and Katherine go over Ten Supervisory Shoulds that many managers hold about how their staff should behave. Supervisory Shoulds are beliefs that prevent managers from supervising their staff effectively. Do you believe you should only have to say something once? Do you assume your employees should know how to prioritize their work? Listen to this My Crazy O...