A Manager's Dilemma

So, you’ve been promoted to manager…congratulations! And, well, condolences.

Managing a team can be a great resume builder and a rewarding way to develop talent, but it’s certainly no walk in the park.

This week, we hear from listeners whose leadership positions are leaving them stuck between a rock and a hard place.

In this special 100th episode, it’s Mary’s turn to face off against the machine this time. Tune in to hear top management advice from Mary and ChatGPT! And you get to decide who wins!

A Manager’s Dilemma in Delaware works in the tech field and manages a department of about 20 people. They hired too many people during the pandemic, so now they’re starting layoffs. He’s been told that he must reduce his staff by 20% - cutting between 4-6 people. Everyone on his team is really strong and he doesn’t want to be the bad guy. The weight of this decision and the guilt are killing him. How does he decide who stays and who goes?

Not Blind to the Bullying in Boulder is a mid-level Director in a large, national non-profit. They’re fairly new to the company, but they recently became aware of a troubling situation…one of their peers is a toxic leader. He screams, shouts, bullies, and demeans. His employees have been reaching out for help.  Our dear listener has seen one of his employees crying in the bathroom on more than one occasion. Turning a blind eye is wrong, but will saying something impede their ability to succeed? SOS!

Negating the Naysayers in Nebraska manages a local chapter of a national association and they’re facing a wall of resistance from committee members. Every time they or their staff suggests a new strategy, program, or event, the members of the committee resist – saying things like “that’ll never work” or “We tried that 10 years ago and it didn’t work...” The chapter is underperforming but they can’t seem to get through to the members, but, because they’re an association, can’t fire the people on the committee…how can they deal with this reluctance to change?

We’re here to help you succeed! Send us your workplace dilemmas or career questions. Email us: [e-mail] or tweet us: @cubicleconfide1. All names will be changed to protect the guilty and innocent...

Thanks for listening! Producing these past 100 episodes has been a total labor of love. Or, well, at least a labor. Please connect with us on LinkedIn or Twitter!

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