A day late and a dollar short, coping with a stressful job

What are your strategies for coping with a stressful job
Your Rant: The stress at work is really starting to get to me. Any advice on how to just survive today’s workplace?
911 Repair:
Just when you thought the workplace was overstressed, comes word from Microsoft that it’s going to get worse. Microsoft’s British division announced [...]

Apologizing by email

What is your strategy for apologizing by email?
Your Rant: I screwed up with a co-worker who works in an office in another state. I prefer to apologize to someone face-to-face, but I very seldom get to see this guy. What can I do?
911 Repair,
Your email reminded me of “Teen Buzz,” an invention that was created [...]

Would you rather work for a MAN or WOMAN boss?

 What is your strategy for working with a man or woman boss?
Your Rant: I really struggle to understand how men think at work. Can you give me some insight so I can do a better job of working with them?

911 Repair:
Whenever I think of the workplace battle of the sexes, I think of Michael [...]

How to be less cynical

What’s your strategy for being less cynical?
Your Rant: Recently I was having lunch with some coworkers and I realized that every word coming out of my mouth was negative. What can I do to become less cynical?
911 Repair:
Your email reminded me of the school board election in Mississippi County, Arkansas, earlier this fall. There [...]

Being happier at work

What’s your strategy for being happier at work? 

DEAR READERS: Recently, a book came across my desk titled, “Be Happy at Work: 100 Women Who Love Their Jobs, and Why.” I had to talk to its author, Joanne Gordon, a Forbes contributing editor.Joanne’s message about defining the keys to happiness will resonate for anyone trying to [...]

Work is hard! Where is resilience?

What’s your strategy for building resilience at work?
Your Rant: I remember when work was really easy. These days everything seems like it’s a pain. The problem is that I feel like I’m becoming less resilient. Any thoughts on how I can become better able to handle all the garbage at work?
911 Repair:
One of [...]

How to offer criticism at work

DEAR WW: I would like to make suggestions on how to improve things at work, but I don’t want to get the reputation as a troublemaker or whiner. Is there a way to offer criticism and not look like a jerk? CRITICAL THINKER
DEAR CRITICAL:
Your e-mail reminded me of a guy who stole a fire department [...]

Passion reducers and what you can do about them

DEAR WW: I’m starting to notice that I’m having trouble waking up in the morning to go to work. I’ve never had this problem before. What do you do when the passion disappears? PASSIONLESS
DEAR PASSIONLESS:
Your e-mail reminded me of a supermarket cashier in Oakland, Calif. This cashier was so popular that people would line up [...]

Do you bring people together or divide and conquer at work?

I read a great article on Karl Rove, a.k.a. the President’s Svengali. In the article it talked about the fact that in politics there are two kinds of people-”lumpers” and “splitters.” Lumpers try to build the biggest possible coalition to get the policies they want while splitters use wedge issues to divide and conquer the [...]

How to give a successful apology at work

Dear WW: I made a mistake that caused a lot of extra work and problems for one of my colleagues. I’m embarrassed to admit it, and nervous of the consequences, but I can’t keep avoiding this woman: we’re in the same workgroup. I don’t know what to do. EGG ALL OVER MY FACE
Dear Egg,
You know [...]