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From the category archives:

Difficult Situations

Contesting Unemployment? Is the appeal process fair to both parties?

by Lynn Dessert

Reading time: 4 – 6 minutes I am getting ready to make a third appearance in front of a law judge. The issue before him is to determine if my client is able to collect unemployment. When she presented her situation to me several months ago, it was clear that there was something stinky about [...]

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What to do if the CEO is making sexual innuendos

by Lynn Dessert

Reading time: 4 – 7 minutes Question: I’ve read your blog for several months now and have found it very interesting. However, I have a situation that seems to fall through the cracks between your articles. My husband and I moved to this medium-sized city in Illinois three years ago when he accepted an attractive [...]

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Project delays test perseverance and commitment

by Lynn Dessert

Reading time: 4 – 6 minutes Lately, I have been challenged by a problem. The trouble with it is that it is something I really want to do and I keep running into roadblocks. When is the last time you faced something that seemed to be impossible to conquer? Do you find that you doubt [...]

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Anger – Demon or Opportunity?

by Beth Sears

Reading time: 3 – 4 minutes Most people understand that anger can become destructive when people choose to act out in a manner which is violent. The fact that anger and violence are both often present in a situation does not automatically mean that the presence of one means the presence of the other. Anger [...]

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Hostile work environments: Run, don’t walk to HR or the CEO

by Lynn Dessert

Reading time: 3 – 5 minutes Question: The CFO in our company is constantly telling me and the other women in the office to treat like he is treated at home. I find this appalling. He is so disrespectful to us and to his family. Some of the women laugh it off when he says [...]

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Who’s driving the bus? The economy or your leadership?

by Lynn Dessert

Reading time: 3 – 5 minutes There are companies that are cash-rich and are stronger than ever – they are ready to grow. It makes you wonder why they are more competitively positioned and what they did differently from other companies who still languish in the economic woes. In the last year, it was not [...]

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Do I have to sign my termination or separation agreement?

by Lynn Dessert

Reading time: 3 – 5 minutes “The company called me in after being on a three-day suspension. I thought I was being called back to work, instead my manager fired me. I was in shock. My manager puts the termination paperwork in front of me and tells me I have to sign it to get [...]

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Is discrimination a factor in this termination?

by Lynn Dessert

Reading time: 4 – 6 minutes Is discrimination the reason you have not gotten the job, promotion or increase you believe you deserve or possibly, why you were fired? Today, we are going to talk about termination. What I am going to tell you might not be what you want to hear. Nine out of [...]

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What is and how to deal with passive conflict

by Lynn Dessert

Reading time: 4 – 6 minutes Conflict. We all know it when we see it and often struggle to deal with it effectively. I often wonder why executives seem to have more difficulty with it. Is it because they are so visible and employees watch their every move or is it something else? Last night [...]

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Which is more important in out of control projects? Costs, quality or time

by Lynn Dessert

Reading time: 4 – 6 minutes Question: I was handed a new project by my boss to deliver a new product for our company’s biggest customer. It really is not a new project but it is a high profile product that the company has been working on for a year. I was excited to get [...]

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How to out trump physical reality

by Lynn Dessert

Reading time: 4 – 6 minutes I would like to introduce you to Ed. If you met him today, it would not occur to you that Ed was dancing a year ago. I always knew he was in the room by looking down at the feet whisking across the dance floor because he wore his [...]

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How important is it to set social boundaries with employees?

by Lynn Dessert

Reading time: 5 – 8 minutes Question: I visited your website and have a question for you. Is it appropriate for a married male doctor who is the employer of a much younger, single female doctor, to engage in non-work related athletic activities with her and have cell phone/text contact on weekends, nights, etc.? My husband is a partner in [...]

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How to have a difficult conversation with someone

by Lynn Dessert

Reading time: 2 – 4 minutes “So you are saying even being direct was not getting through to this assistant. I think asking them what they think, and if they heard what the problem is can make sure the other person heard this issue” is a follow-up comment by the reader who prompted this blog [...]

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