Question: I manage a finance team for a company in Indianapolis that just completed a merger. We’ve grown from 12 to 18, and I want to help the team get to know each other and put away our differences as quickly as possible. Can you recommend one or two simple exercises to help me get the ball rolling?
Question: My boss has a reputation for being a visionary. Working with him is never dull, but he comes up with new ideas every day, and there’s just no way that my team can keep up. It’s exciting and even fun to work with someone so creative, but it can also be overwhelming to deliver on everything he thinks up. What advice do you have for supporting someone who is an idea generating machine?
Question: My company recently leased a new floor in our building for IT. It had private offices for everyone. Some higher up at our company made the decision to knock down all the walls and convert the entire floor to an open office. I’m upset.
Question: I’ve decided to quit my job after five years, but I don’t know what to say to the people who I work with. I’ve developed close working relationships with them. We’ve pulled together many times when things have gone well. We’ve had each other’s backs when things have gone wrong. I know it’s the right time for me to leave, but how do I do so without feeling guilty?
Question: I manage a team of 12 in a public accounting firm in Austin, Texas. Although the lead-up to April 15th is our busiest time of the year, we also perform bookkeeping, consulting and auditing tasks throughout the year for our individual and corporate clients. This month, five members of our team will be on vacation at the same time. How do I keep the rest of my team productive while everyone else is taking time off?
Question: I love my company, but am available by email 24/7, travel internationally, and am nicknamed the Go-To Queen for everything from strategic support for 15 departments, to sales, to customer and vendor relationships. I refer to the work that I do every weekend as catching up. The problem is, I never really catch up. How can I be a collaborative team member and save myself from burnout?