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Denial

Here are the questions filed under this category. To read Ken's advice on any item, click on the link "Read Ken's Answer."


There is a new employee in our department who was spending huge amounts of time on personal calls. Our manager finally saw what she was up to and he told her to stop. Now she brings a cell phone and does the same thing, but claims it is her phone and she can make all the personal calls she wants. What do you think of this?
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I am the office manager for a small company, and my boss is the president and part owner. The problem is his drinking. I have worked here for over 12 years, and he has been drinking for the last 5. The other owner of the company, who is retired but still checks up on things, has talked to my boss about the problem, so now he finds ways to hide the odor, but still drinks. How can I make my boss understand that his drinking is affecting his health, the way he does business, and the way others see him?
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Management at this company fires some employees for committing an error, and yet keeps others who commit the same infraction. One employee used profanity and racial slurs toward another employee, and several people witnessed this. Management continues to defend this employee and deny that anything happened. Many loyal employees are looking for employment elsewhere due to the company management. Who has the problem and what can be done?
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I have an employee who often fails to meet standards and deadlines on the projects I give her, but she always has an excuse. Never once has she said that a poor outcome is her fault. I am tired of the excuses, and I am wondering how to deal with them.
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My question is about an organizational behavior that is creating a lot of stress, mostly at work. I consider raising my voice different from yelling. In your opinion, is there a difference? What can I do to have others understand the difference?
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I am in management, and I admit that I scream at my employees when necessary. If I really lose it, I apologize later. My people understand me and work hard for me. Now some new young vice president has told me to tone it down. I've had a productive department for years, and I don't see why I should change.
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I have an employee who does good work, but I usually have to do some rewriting on her reports. I did this on one of her recent assignments and briefly showed her the revised version. Later in the day, she said the final report was not much different from what she originally gave to me. I did not take action at the time, and I am wondering how to deal with this.
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My manager is always trying to find fault with my work. She looks over everything I do, and if there is even a tiny error, she will jump all over it. She has sent me emails about insignificant mistakes, and she has verbally reprimanded me as well. She doesn’t do this with others in the department. How can I get her to stop doing this to me?
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I have an employee who blames others whenever she makes a mistake. Even when there is no question that a problem developed because of her decisions, she will still point the finger at someone else. If I tell her she is wrong, she becomes defensive. How do you deal with someone like this?
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