113
votes
As a manager, what options do I have when somebody is totally stuck?
What can a developer do, when they are stuck?
Try something
Google it
Ask a peer for help (this means you have to build enough structure in your head to explain it to someone else and often that ...
- 110k
70
votes
Accepted
Should I be honest about a counteroffer to my prospective new employer?
Simple, no need to provide any specific reason. Thank them for the offer, and politely decline saying you have another better offer. You are under no obligation to define the "better".
- 61.7k
67
votes
My boss says he's jealous when I tell him about a work achievement
It's meant as a compliment, but it may also show some limitations of your manager.
It's a broad brushstroke, but Australians are less free with compliments than other places. Excessive compliments can ...
- 1,996
51
votes
Politely saying no to other departments despite historic expectations?
I have had to handle this exact kind of situation (in a different context) as a managing consultant.
These other departments are not coming to you on a whim. They are coming to get a technical ...
- 1,458
27
votes
Politely saying no to other departments despite historic expectations?
What are ways to change this?
You will need to educate the population on the new way of handling requests.
For requests that are outside of the responsibilities of your department, you need to direct ...
- 65.5k
22
votes
My boss says he's jealous when I tell him about a work achievement
I'm going to answer this as an Australian. It is often said that Australians don't like people thinking too highly of themselves. I wonder if that's relevant here.
OK.. So, in several occasions, ...
- 49.7k
21
votes
Should I be honest about a counteroffer to my prospective new employer?
People turn down offers every day; it's not something that will get you blacklisted. "Sorry, I'm withdrawing my application for this role", is all you need to say.
The main risk to you at ...
- 28.9k
19
votes
As a manager, what options do I have when somebody is totally stuck?
If 4 people out of a team of 15 are the ones getting stuck, you should simply get someone who is stuck to work with one of the more competent team members. I say "work with", not "ask ...
- 49.7k
13
votes
As a manager, what options do I have when somebody is totally stuck?
I've been in a similar position. First red flag:
The team is currently around 15 team members. We can't divide it into
additional teams, a topic which I wouldn't like to dive into.
Being a leader of ...
- 239
11
votes
My boss says he's jealous when I tell him about a work achievement
Is this normal in a professional setting in an English-speaking Western country?
There is no 'normal', but it is unprofessional as it neglects an opportunity to boost confidence and job satisfaction ...
- 198k
10
votes
How to deal with a good new employee with poor verbal communication?
He hasn't yet spoken much in the couple of sessions he was on - because the project is new to him, and he was expected to mostly listen the first couple of meetings.
So you've made it clear to him ...
- 1,338
8
votes
As a manager, what options do I have when somebody is totally stuck?
As a developer, I would expect this to escalate first into involving more of the team. If a few devs can't solve it, it would further escalate to a full-team discussion or meeting and having all ...
- 181
8
votes
As a manager, what options do I have when somebody is totally stuck?
The other three answers (at the time I'm writing this) are great, so I won't rehash what they've already covered. Instead, I'll pick up on something they have only slightly touched on.
I'm spending ...
- 3,540
8
votes
Accepted
How to announce a superior's decision I don't necessarily agree to?
The possible phrases you mentioned sound like blame shifting because the phrasing itself leads someone to believe that the entire decision is deserving of blame.
You may want to try and phrase it a ...
- 214
8
votes
Politely saying no to other departments despite historic expectations?
Just keep saying no. It's what you were hired to do, don't expect it to be popular.
I've been in this situation a few times. Best to just do what needs to be done professionally and disregard anyone ...
- 198k
8
votes
My boss says he's jealous when I tell him about a work achievement
One of the downsides to being a manager in a technical or scientific field is that you don't really get to dig down into the nitty-gritty details and get your hands dirty once you become a manager.
...
7
votes
Politely saying no to other departments despite historic expectations?
Don't say "No", say "That'll cost ya".
In the business world all revolves around money. If you use $1000 to save another department $2000 that is good business, The other way ...
- 1,982
6
votes
Excessive use of @Channel and @here annotations in Slack channels
Just post a polite message.
Hey folks - could we consider not using (at)here or (at)channel in our large membership channels unless it's a critical issue? It can be a bit distracting to have these ...
- 91.6k
6
votes
Accepted
How to deal with a good new employee with poor verbal communication?
The first thing you should do is to have a 1:1 with this person and explain what the problem is that you've noticed. Try to do it in as least an accusatory manner as you can. Don't be like "you'...
- 41.2k
6
votes
Politely saying no to other departments despite historic expectations?
Other answers really hit the nail on the head for work that another team owns or work that you can file and forget about. For requests where the external team is really insistent on getting the work ...
- 331
5
votes
How to ask my former employer whether he finished my reference letter or not?
I've been in this situation a couple of times back in the day. My solution is pretty direct. I save them the effort and check all the dates and everything else, then write the reference myself. Then I ...
- 198k
5
votes
Accepted
What to say during a group evolution meeting
Think it this way: this group evaluation (or evolution) meeting has two agendas:
To figure out the answers to the questions (for those who can answer)
Find out the communication gaps present in the ...
- 61.7k
5
votes
Politely saying no to other departments despite historic expectations?
If this is a new company policy, make it explicit :
I’m sorry, but our department is not allowed to accept this kind of request anymore.
In addition, if you’re allowed to, historic expectations ...
5
votes
My boss says he's jealous when I tell him about a work achievement
Sadly, very few managers feel comfortable praising their staff, even when those staff have done an excellent job. This might be partly because the think the staff will get big-headed and demand more ...
- 1,676
4
votes
Politely saying no to other departments despite historic expectations?
Don't say no. Say "yes, but you have to follow the new system".
What the new system is, is that new trajectory you're tasked with charting out. This might take the form of a ticketing system,...
- 14.5k
4
votes
Excessive use of @Channel and @here annotations in Slack channels
I'm going to assume that you're in a position of authority (otherwise you should be speaking with someone who is).
First of all, you follow Philip's answer.
Then, if there as specific instances of ...
- 49.7k
3
votes
As a manager, what options do I have when somebody is totally stuck?
In a comment, you say
in the current example the dev lead seemed to have proposed a solution but the dev still can't make it work. I'm chatting with the dev on a communicator trying to understand why ...
- 133
3
votes
How to announce a superior's decision I don't necessarily agree to?
This happens a lot, nothing too uncommon I would say. While we may have differences in our viewpoints, if a decision is made / approved, you need to carry that considering you are involved and ...
- 61.7k
3
votes
How to deal with manager's poor communication skills?
Have you considered talking to M directly and raise all the concerns (but make sure you have all the facts ready and be prepared for questions). Do raise them without emotions at play and the goal is ...
- 73
3
votes
How to announce a superior's decision I don't necessarily agree to?
Your job is to support the decisions your boss makes. Back door messages to let everyone know you don't agree undermines your boss and your career as well. There is no way you can convey a message ...
- 156k
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