Dear RW
I know it's a little gimmicky but I've received some distressed emails recently regarding some readers' workplace troubles and I wanted to try and help. I'll be keeping the names of those who sent these confidential so as not to air their issues quite so publicly.
Dear RW,
I've been under a lot of stress at work lately. I just feel like I'm going to break at any time now. My boss is a nice guy, it's just that he's riding me too hard. What should I do? I'm thinking of quitting!
-Y. Ming's Lower Leg in Houston, TX
Dear Y. Ming's Lower Leg,
It sounds like you have a very stressful job. I'm glad to hear that your boss is a nice guy but that doesn't entitle him to ride you so hard year round. Here's what I would do. Tell him you'd like to take a year off to relax and recover a little bit from all the stress you've been under. Do it before the holidays so he doesn't think you're greedy. That way when you're ready to come back next year he and his superiors will take your plight seriously and treat you a little better.
-RW
Dear RW,
I work in show business and no matter what I do people seem to hate me wherever I go. I haven't committed any crimes like some of my co-workers and I produce as well in my profession as anyone I know. Some people have told me that I can be a little selfish and that I don't take criticism well but shouldn't what I produce in my field outweigh those slight negatives?
-LeBrystified in Miami, FL
Dear LeBrystified,
Of course it is important to produce at whatever you do. And it is also important that you stay clear of the law. But here's what you have to understand, no matter how well you do, if you work in a team environment, you have to treat those with whom you share the workplace with the respect they deserve. You also have to understand that we are all beholden to those who cut our checks whether they be our bosses or the people who pay money to see you perform. The more you treat them as beneath you, the more you will draw their ire. Listen to those who know better. Accept their criticism and learn from your mistakes. Everybody loves a winner but nobody respects a selfish no it all.
-RW
Dear RW,
I'm as hard a worker as there is. I haven't missed a day of work since I started in the early 1990s. But lately I just don't have the same drive to show up. My boss is a jerk and while he finally got canned, the mood is still so distressed around here because it's as if we all lost our mojo. How do we get it back? Oh, and some assistant is probably going to file a sexual harassment case against me. Whatever.
-G. Slinging in Minnesota
Dear G. Slinging,
It's great to hear that you have such great work ethic, but here's the thing. You can't blame your boss for all of your troubles. While good leadership tends to breed good results, you and your co-workers need to band together to overcome the lack of "mojo" as you call it. Or you can just quit because of the sexual harassment suit. Either way.
-RW
Dear RW,
Is it my fault that I just got the biggest Christmas bonus in history. My new bosses gave me double what my job description and resume warrant and now everybody in my industry is mad at me as if I did something wrong. A few of the guys are quietly happy because now they can ask for similar bonuses but still, it's as if the entire community thinks I'm a greedy guy not worth my new salary. What should I do?
-Werthy in Washington D.C.
Dear Werthy,
First off, congratulations on the pay raise. If people are mad at you because someone values you so highly then that's their problem. Don't let them bother you because if you do, your performance will surely suffer as a result of the stress. You likely won't live up to the salary from what you are telling me but all you can do is put your best foot forward, show up to work everyday, and try to do what you've been hired to do. Nobody can fault you for that.
-RW
Dear RW,
People hate me because I'm pretty. That is all.
-Bradyful in Boston, MA
Dear Bradyful,
I know the feeling.
-RW
Dear RW,
My bosses are richer than anybody I know. They give out money like it's going out of style and have for some time now, dating back to when their father ran the business. I have been the C.O.O. of the company for twelve years now and when it came time to negotiate a new contract my bosses nickel and dimed me AND made the whole thing public like what I've done and what I still can do don't matter. They gave some has been twice as much as me!
-Dejectered in N.Y.C.
Dear Dejectered,
Your bosses sound like jerks who need to prove they can run the company as well as their father and their way of doing that is by publicly standing up to the C.O.O. who has produced so well for so many years. Personally, I would quit, go elsewhere, and show them what they are missing but it's a truly tough call if you love the company. There really is no winning. It could be worse, you could be working for Al Davis.
-RW
Dear RW,
People . . . tell me . . . that I talk . . . too slowly . . . and with too many . . . pauses.
-L. Merchant in Las Vegas, NV
Dear L. Merchant,
Pick up the pace or take some more naps.
-RW
Dear RW,
I don't really have any problems right now. Nobody's really talking about me or my company. We're enjoying watching drama unfold elsewhere. We're resting, kind of going through the motions, and waiting for our nationwide competition in late Spring. I anticipate winning said competition which would make it my sixth in my professional career and my boss' twelveth. I just want to wish you a happy holiday season! Ciao!
-Kobilant in L.A.
Dear Kobilant,
Congratulations and thank you for the well wishes. It sounds like you work for a great company. Good luck this Spring.
-RW
Happy Holidays everybody! -RW
Dear RW,
I've been under a lot of stress at work lately. I just feel like I'm going to break at any time now. My boss is a nice guy, it's just that he's riding me too hard. What should I do? I'm thinking of quitting!
-Y. Ming's Lower Leg in Houston, TX
Dear Y. Ming's Lower Leg,
It sounds like you have a very stressful job. I'm glad to hear that your boss is a nice guy but that doesn't entitle him to ride you so hard year round. Here's what I would do. Tell him you'd like to take a year off to relax and recover a little bit from all the stress you've been under. Do it before the holidays so he doesn't think you're greedy. That way when you're ready to come back next year he and his superiors will take your plight seriously and treat you a little better.
-RW
Dear RW,
I work in show business and no matter what I do people seem to hate me wherever I go. I haven't committed any crimes like some of my co-workers and I produce as well in my profession as anyone I know. Some people have told me that I can be a little selfish and that I don't take criticism well but shouldn't what I produce in my field outweigh those slight negatives?
-LeBrystified in Miami, FL
Dear LeBrystified,
Of course it is important to produce at whatever you do. And it is also important that you stay clear of the law. But here's what you have to understand, no matter how well you do, if you work in a team environment, you have to treat those with whom you share the workplace with the respect they deserve. You also have to understand that we are all beholden to those who cut our checks whether they be our bosses or the people who pay money to see you perform. The more you treat them as beneath you, the more you will draw their ire. Listen to those who know better. Accept their criticism and learn from your mistakes. Everybody loves a winner but nobody respects a selfish no it all.
-RW
Dear RW,
I'm as hard a worker as there is. I haven't missed a day of work since I started in the early 1990s. But lately I just don't have the same drive to show up. My boss is a jerk and while he finally got canned, the mood is still so distressed around here because it's as if we all lost our mojo. How do we get it back? Oh, and some assistant is probably going to file a sexual harassment case against me. Whatever.
-G. Slinging in Minnesota
Dear G. Slinging,
It's great to hear that you have such great work ethic, but here's the thing. You can't blame your boss for all of your troubles. While good leadership tends to breed good results, you and your co-workers need to band together to overcome the lack of "mojo" as you call it. Or you can just quit because of the sexual harassment suit. Either way.
-RW
Dear RW,
Is it my fault that I just got the biggest Christmas bonus in history. My new bosses gave me double what my job description and resume warrant and now everybody in my industry is mad at me as if I did something wrong. A few of the guys are quietly happy because now they can ask for similar bonuses but still, it's as if the entire community thinks I'm a greedy guy not worth my new salary. What should I do?
-Werthy in Washington D.C.
Dear Werthy,
First off, congratulations on the pay raise. If people are mad at you because someone values you so highly then that's their problem. Don't let them bother you because if you do, your performance will surely suffer as a result of the stress. You likely won't live up to the salary from what you are telling me but all you can do is put your best foot forward, show up to work everyday, and try to do what you've been hired to do. Nobody can fault you for that.
-RW
Dear RW,
People hate me because I'm pretty. That is all.
-Bradyful in Boston, MA
Dear Bradyful,
I know the feeling.
-RW
Dear RW,
My bosses are richer than anybody I know. They give out money like it's going out of style and have for some time now, dating back to when their father ran the business. I have been the C.O.O. of the company for twelve years now and when it came time to negotiate a new contract my bosses nickel and dimed me AND made the whole thing public like what I've done and what I still can do don't matter. They gave some has been twice as much as me!
-Dejectered in N.Y.C.
Dear Dejectered,
Your bosses sound like jerks who need to prove they can run the company as well as their father and their way of doing that is by publicly standing up to the C.O.O. who has produced so well for so many years. Personally, I would quit, go elsewhere, and show them what they are missing but it's a truly tough call if you love the company. There really is no winning. It could be worse, you could be working for Al Davis.
-RW
Dear RW,
People . . . tell me . . . that I talk . . . too slowly . . . and with too many . . . pauses.
-L. Merchant in Las Vegas, NV
Dear L. Merchant,
Pick up the pace or take some more naps.
-RW
Dear RW,
I don't really have any problems right now. Nobody's really talking about me or my company. We're enjoying watching drama unfold elsewhere. We're resting, kind of going through the motions, and waiting for our nationwide competition in late Spring. I anticipate winning said competition which would make it my sixth in my professional career and my boss' twelveth. I just want to wish you a happy holiday season! Ciao!
-Kobilant in L.A.
Dear Kobilant,
Congratulations and thank you for the well wishes. It sounds like you work for a great company. Good luck this Spring.
-RW
Happy Holidays everybody! -RW
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