Pre-Pandemic Promises (Bonus)

05/07/20 • 19 min

Is your organization breaking a promise to you and blaming Covid-19? Dan and Alison answer your questions with the help of Leigh Thompson, a negotiations professor at Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. In this bonus episode, they talk through what to do when your boss can no longer afford to give you a planned raise.

From Alison and Dan’s reading list:

Book: Negotiating the Sweet Spot: The Art of Leaving Nothing on the Table by Leigh Thompson — “Indeed, our research suggests that too much self-focus is a recipe for missing the sweet spot, because it leads us to fail to understand our relational partners. What’s more, the more we focus on ourselves, the more likely we are to distort others’ views.”

HBR: 15 Rules for Negotiating a Job Offer by Deepak Malhotra — “Those who are unemployed, or whose current job seems shaky, have seen their bargaining power further reduced. But job market complexity creates opportunities for people who can skillfully negotiate the terms and conditions of employment. After all, negotiation matters most when there is a broad range of possible outcomes.”

HBR: How to Be a Good Boss in a Bad Economy by Bob Sutton — “As a result, most bosses—like you, perhaps—are operating in difficult and sometimes unfamiliar territory. Equipped with skills and approaches honed over long years of business growth, they now find their roles defined by an unexpected question: How should people be managed when fear is in the air, confidence is slipping, and it looks as if the road ahead will remain rough for many miles?”

HBR: What to Do When Your Boss Betrays You by Ron Carucci — “Two of betrayal’s common side effects are believing you deserve restitution for what you’ve suffered and feeling indifferent toward your work. Entitlement can begin gradually — taking longer lunches, padding travel expenses with luxurious meals — and escalate to more voracious acts of self-compensation, all justified by what you’ve tolerated.”

From Alison and Dan’s reading list:

Previous Episode

Coronavirus Career Limbo

Is the Covid-19 pandemic messing up your career plans? Dan and Alison answer your questions with the help of Scott Galloway, a professor at NYU Stern School of Business. They talk through what to do when you’ve been laid off with a promise that you’ll be hired back eventually, your goal of moving into management has stalled, or your employer’s inflexible work-from-home policy is forcing you to look for other jobs in a difficult market.

From Alison and Dan’s reading list:

HBR: 7 Questions to Raise Immediately After You’re Laid Off by Susan Peppercorn — “While some employers can consider more moderate options to laying staff off outright — such as furloughs, reduced schedules, or pay cuts — the fear and uncertainty behind when and if companies will be able to afford to re-employ their workers is resulting in many companies simply shedding employees.”

HBR: What to Do If There’s No Clear Career Path for You at Your Company by Dorie Clark — “In the new workplace reality, individual professionals almost have to take a detective-like approach, investigating and vetting opportunities. That may not be hard in smaller companies, but in large global enterprises, information becomes key.”

Book: The Algebra of Happiness: Notes on the Pursuit of Success, Love, and Meaning by Scott Galloway — “The world does not belong to the big, but to the fast. You want to cover more ground in less time than your peers. This is partially built on talent, but mostly on strategy and endurance.”

HBR: The Right Way to Bring a Problem to Your Boss by Amy Gallo — “None of us likes to deliver a difficult message, but when done correctly, it can be a valuable way to build a trusting relationship with your boss. You know that you should never bring a problem to your boss without a proposed solution. But often we forget to frame the situation in a way that helps us garner the necessary resources or approval to begin moving toward a solution.”

Next Episode

Challenging the Boss

Do you fear speaking frankly with your supervisor? Dan and Alison answer your questions with the help of Liz Kislik, a management consultant and executive coach. They talk through what to do when your boss micromanages your output, you want to set boundaries for better work-life balance, or your new supervisor is eagerly volunteering your team for too many projects.

From Alison and Dan’s reading list:

HBR: Managing 3 Types of Bad Bosses by Vineet Nayar — “Many of us may feel that it’s not our job to mend flawed supervisors and that top management needs to intervene. In reality, you have only two choices: Keep waiting for the organization to fix your flawed leader — or find ways of doing so yourself. If you take matters into your own hands even in small ways, you will be able to ensure that you get past the inertia of your boss.”

HBR: How to Tell Your Boss You Have Too Much Work by Rebecca Knight — “These days it seems like most people have too much on their plate. Everyone complains about feeling overworked. So how do you tell your boss you simply have too much to do? No one wants to come across as lazy, uncommitted, or not a team player. How can you protect your image as a hard worker while saying uncle?”

HBR: Managing Your Boss by John J. Gabarro and John P. Kotter — “You are not going to change either your basic personality structure or that of your boss. But you can become aware of what it is about you that impedes or facilitates working with your boss and, with that awareness, take actions that make the relationship more effective.”

HBR: Stop Being Micromanaged by Amy Gallo — “No one likes a boss who excessively scrutinizes work and constantly checks in. Not only is this micromanaging behavior annoying, it can stunt your professional growth. If you have a controlling boss, you don’t have to suffer. By assuaging a micromanager’s stress, you may be able to secure the autonomy you need to get your work done and advance your career.”