Coworkers can be a lot of things: a compatriot, a confidant, a thorn in your side, a shoulder to cry on, a best friend—even a worst enemy. One thing they certainly aren't ever going to be is your boss—not without a promotion at least. And, still, throughout your working career, you'll come up against many a power-hungry colleague who thinks that they have the authority and experience to order you around. Letting you know what's what and making demands of you…. but, as bossy as this person might…

It's always satisfying when someone in a position of power sets an ultimatum, trying to coerce their subordinate into doing as they wish, only to have the subordinate call them on their bluff, exposing that the superior really never had any actual power at all. This, of course, plays out in small ways in workplaces every day, with authority often being revealed as nothing but a facade. When these workers at a manufacturing plant were supposed to be granted a weekend of reprieve from all of the…

Relocating for work is a tough choice to make. On the one hand, the opportunities on offer could open doors and lead to opportunities that would set you up for the rest of your life. On the other hand, you'd be leaving your life, as you know it, behind. There's no telling whether or not what you're giving up will actually be worth it or how things will even turn out on the other side. All this counts on the fact that you like your current job that's being relocated and that you trust the people…

If you demand rigidity of your employees' schedules, you can't then go and expect flexibility from them when you want it. Rigidity is a knife that cuts both ways and—as in any relationship—you shouldn't expect more from it than you're contributing to it. Like with love, trust is a game of give and take. Unfortunately, this is a lesson that so many managers need to learn the hard way through giving an order for strict adherence to rigid working hours , before experiencing exactly what happens wh…

The process of booking leave exists for one reason and one reason only: So that managers can maintain some control over staffing levels ensure the continuity of the business and make sure that everyone doesn't all go and take off at the same time. The thing is, this takes—well… managing. You, the manage-er, have to be able to manage your workers' leave requests and ensure that the business stays running while your workers get the time off that they need (and are entitled to) so that a little th…

Respect begets respect—and flexibility begets flexibility. It's no surprise that as in the old adage of ‘The Golden Rule' along with so many other maxims, if we treat others with esteem they'll be far more likely to do the same. In the context of the modern workplace, this comes into play with a surprising frequency. Say, if a member of the team you're managing needs to leave early one day for an appointment or to take care of a personal errand, not making an issue of this means that they're go…

Focusing intently on petty mistakes and slights is a surefire way to make sure you miss the big picture. As a leader, this is a fantastic way to make your workers feel like they're being micromanaged and have no agency, potentially derailing the entire organization along with the workers' sinking morale. Sure, if someone isn't pulling their weight it makes sense to step in, but when your team member is late back from lunch one time after coming in sometimes hours early, you'd do well to cut the…

Growing up, we're taught that it's important to always tell the truth and that we should, further, point out and draw attention to any wrongdoing that we witness in the world around us. These points are even beaten into our heads in the US in the form of various folktales about historical United States presidents and other prominent figures doing “the right thing” when the chance was presented for them to do otherwise. Of course, while stories like “Honest Abe and the Six Pennies” serve as grea…

Oftentimes in life, we will try and soften the effect that our words will have on the chosen recipient through careful wording and euphemisms, hoping that in beating around the bush enough we'll still manage to get our point across but in a way that doesn't upset the target party. Of course, usually, if the person you're speaking to is getting the point and the point is something that they should be upset about, they're just going to get upset anyway. This renders the entire thing to be a rathe…

Interviews are never easy, the pressure of bidding for your own dreams and livelihood can cause you to slip up and miss the chance at your dream job—failing a pivotal moment of your career. They can even cause you to become so nervous that you miss a shot at a job that you're well and truly qualified—or even overqualified—for. Of course, this is the case even when interviews follow a predictable course, asking all the common questions that test for aptitude, probe for personality flaws, and see…

Oftentimes, in life, it can be startling just how incompetent some people are, they may be incompetent even to the point of cruelty and you may be convinced that cruelty is their base and driving function. However, as Hanlon's Razor reasons for us, we should “ Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.” Of course, this doesn't always apply when greed and lust for power are driving forces, though stupidity often plays into these decisions too. Stupidity or cruelty…

The chore of doing the dishes is one of the great equalizers of this world, and whether or not someone is doing their part to keep the dishes cleared is an argument that will take place in different places with different people throughout your entire life. It starts when you're a kid and your parents are trying to impart to you the role and responsibility and just the sheer flipping amount of time that it takes to do the basic necessary household tasks that your parents are doing for you on a d…

There's nothing worse than working for someone who is as arrogant as they are irresponsible. You'll soon find yourself doing all of the work to keep the company above water while getting absolutely no recognition or thanks for it. That's the situation this worker found themselves in tasked with expanding production and business operations for the small business owner that they worked for. They crafted and executed their plan only to be stonewalled by their boss when it came to paying to hire th…

Being told that you should “know your place” by the person who has been benefiting

Sometimes in life you just have to grab the bull by the horns and take the reigns into your own hands, taking charge so that the ship rightens straight on to the course that it was set—you know, and all that jazz. Of course, those who were supposed to be in charge and were steering the ship straight into a sandbar or a reef (with utter confidence) may not appreciate you doing so. No, the people in charge don't really appreciate being told they're wrong, even when they are frequently and with fe…

We all love our sleep—and that's a fact–and we equally deride anything that interrupts that sleep. Late-night garden parties with blaring music and loud-talking attendees; your neighbor warming his modded diesel truck at 4:30 am, an hour before he actually leaves for work; your pesky employees from the shop you manage calling you at 5:00 AM just to let you know that they're ditching out and are going to leave you battling a tediously understaffed day of work, while also now conveniently sleep d…