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Survive a toxic boss, moody manager, aggressive leader. Hate work. Hate my job.

How to Survive a Toxic Boss

I’ve received a few inbox messages over on Facebook that meander into the topic of toxic bosses.  So it’s probably quite a good time to make a post on the subject.  I hope it helps!

So, what do you mean by Toxic Boss?

Obviously, this isn’t a post about asbestos-ridden or uranium-drenched managers.  So, what do we mean by toxic boss?
 
Toxic Leadership is probably more easily described than defined.  Corporate Management Analyst Gillian Flynn did quite a good job of it in 1994; describing a toxic manager as the: read more

How to Survive Changes at Work, Survive at Work, Resilience, change, stress

Coping with Change at Work

Coping with Change at Work

Change can be a swine.  It can vex you, perplex you, stress you and distress you.  Happily, it doesn’t need to be like that.  With just a few small tweaks to your coping with change strategy, change can become a refreshing and energising opportunity… a source of drive, rather than dive-for-cover.

Being the amateur philosopher that I am (a title I earned after repeating a quote I read on the back of a Guinness beer mat), I’ve always thought of change as a tide.  Firstly, it’ll happen regardless of whether you want it to or not.  Secondly, you have a choice.  You either decide to go with it and learn how to swim, or you choose to risk drowning by using all your energy trying to resist the inevitable. read more

How To Survive When There’s No Promotion

How to Survive at Work…

when there’s no Promotion

praying hands

Make Do and Mend

The economic climate has resulted in big-time business belt-tightening.  Employees have found themselves propelled from workplace abundance to career scarcity.  Gone are the liberal littering of business-related expenses, overtime boons, bonuses (well for most of us!) and opportunities for advancement.

In their place has emerged that great old spirit of Make Do and Mend.

Overtime?  Do it in your own time.

Expenses?  Take your own squash and sandwiches.

Bonuses?  Cough… sorry, I just choked on my homemade sarnie. read more

Survive at Work when you’re Hungover

How to… Survive at Work when you’re Hungover

Drunk
Ian knew his hangover had been spotted when Derek from Accounts arrived at his desk with a sombrero and hair of the dog.

I have to confess that when I was asked to cover this topic, my instinct was to perform a little side-step and flee for the hills.  After all, as professional things go, the combination of alcohol and work is a contentious area.  In a climate where it’s an employers market and competition is tight, turning up for work with a blatant hangover is akin to clotheslining Harry Styles in front of a group of frenzied teenagers.  You’re asking for trouble.

That said, I’m not a job-snob and I woke up this morning feeling rather bold.  So, let’s do this! read more

Survive your Colleagues

How To… Survive your Colleagues

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Dilbert.com – Link

There’s that old saying about being able to choose your friends but not your family.  That’s all well and good, but do you know what else you can’t choose?  Your colleagues.

Mostly that’s not a problem.  But sometimes… well, sometimes you’re left with the colleague from hell… which is far, far worse.  Not only do you get to spend your working days with them, but the blow isn’t softened by the compensatory benefits which come with having relatives from hell.  There’s no begrudging-yet-dutiful invitation to their wedding with the free bar, and there’s no outside chance that they’ll end up leaving you that lovely vase (kept in the family for years for sentimental reasons, but you actually suspect could be a Ming) in their Will when they die because your grandfather once bailed out their father’s business in the 70’s. read more