Kelly, a co-worker and an accounting wizard for my company, approached my desk. I held my breath. When Kelly approached, it often meant she’d found an error in one of my spreadsheets and intended to bring it to my attention. “Hi.” Kelly hovered at the edge of my desk, and crossed her arms. “So…” She […]
5 Modern Lessons from an Old-School Secretary
“Where is he? Is he here?” The Senior VP of Sales and Marketing stood with his hands on his hips and directed his question to the empty reception area. I looked from the receptionist to the Senior VP, and back again. The receptionist ducked her head. Apparently she thought I, the summer-temp, should be the […]
What if You’re Not Sure It’s Sexual Harassment?
“That’s what you think, kitten.” Allen snickered and sat back in his chair. I blinked and looked at my other co-worker, Lauren, seated next to him. She frowned. Around us, our co-workers laughed and enjoyed their catered lunch. Moments before, Lauren and I were discussing what we thought it would have been like to work […]
Advice to My Past Self on How to Deal with Conflict at Work
The blood rushed to my face as they mocked me. The skin on my neck and forearms felt hot and cold. I didn’t know what to do with my hands, so I fiddled with the mouse and moved papers around on the desk. I wished I was anywhere else. I watched them, the two girls, […]
How to Find a Better Mindset for Mistakes at Work
I opened the delivery confirmation email from UPS and experienced a prickly feeling in my stomach. I’d created 21 UPS labels the day before, one for the recipient in question, for a letter still under review by a Senior VP. The 21 labels were still on my desk. The email from UPS, however, indicated I […]
This is Why You Should Open Doors for Your Co-Workers
Always be the one to hold a door open for a co-worker. It’s the perfect power play.” I heard this on a self-improvement podcast. The advice went something like this: hold a door open for a co-worker and you step into a position of authority, in the guise of generosity. You, the gatekeeper, enable the […]
Do You Need to Separate Your Personal Self From Your Professional Self?
I looked over my shoulder. My co-worker, Carol, looked down and to the side as she approached, her eyebrows knit together. I put the plate in my hands back in the cupboard. Carol opened the fridge, put her lunch bag on a shelf, and shut the door. She proceeded to fix herself a healthy breakfast drink at the sink […]
This Made Me Better at Dealing with Grieving Co-Workers
Toni Morrison, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, Beloved, lost her adult son in 2010. In an interview 18-months later with Emma Brockes for the Guardian, Ms Morrison spoke about words and grief: What do you say? There really are no words for that. There really aren’t. Somebody tries to say, ‘I’m sorry, I’m so […]