Showing results by author "Amy Gallo" in All Categories

There’s that one person on your team — the bad apple who has nothing positive to say, riles up other team members, and makes work life miserable. If you can’t fire him, how do you respond to his behavior?

"How to Manage a Toxic Employee" is from hbr.com, published on October 3, 2016.

January is almost over. Like many professionals, I used this month to reflect on what I wanted to accomplish in 2017. I tried to keep my list of goals short and focused, but I went into the year with a lot on my plate. How am I going to make room to take on these new things? That’s where an important skill comes in: saying no.

Your colleague just got a promotion. Now, instead of being your peer, she’s your boss. Does your relationship need to change? Should you act differently, or expect her to treat you differently? In other words, how do you manage up to someone who’s just jumped a level above you and who might’ve been a friend?

When you’re managing managers, your responsibilities are two-fold: you need to make sure they’re producing good work (as with any employee) and that they’re effectively supporting their teams. You might know how to do the former, but how do you do the latter? Do you need to provide training? Coaching? And how do you serve as a good role model?

Becoming a freelancer can be liberating - and also a little terrifying. Where do you even begin? What processes and structures do you need to have in place? How do you find clients? And how do you know how much to charge?

You’ve probably heard this before: “The only way to get a raise is to get another job offer.” Is it true? I talked to experts who study negotiations to get their perspectives on whether this oft-given advice holds up in practice and against research. So, first things first: Yes, the outside offer can work - and it often does. Hannah Riley Bowles, a senior lecturer at the Harvard Kennedy School who studies negotiation, admits that the practice is “well-established.”

While some of us enjoy a lively debate with colleagues and others prefer to suppress our feelings over disagreements, we all struggle with conflict at work. Every day we navigate an office full of competing interests, clashing personalities, limited time and resources, and fragile egos. Sure, we share the same overarching goals as our colleagues, but we don't always agree on how to achieve them. We work differently. We rub each other the wrong way. We jockey for position.

Get your idea off the ground. You've got a great idea that will increase revenue or boost productivity - but how do you get the buy-in you need to make it happen? By building a business case that clearly shows your idea's value. That's not always easy: Maybe you're not sure what kind of data your stakeholders will trust. Or perhaps you're intimidated by number crunching. The HBR Guide to Building Your Business Case, gives you the guidance and tools you need to make a strong case.

Uncertainty is uncomfortable for everyone. Whether it’s political turmoil or a reorganization at your company, employees who are concerned about their future are likely to be distracted and unproductive....