Ask the Amys: Sabotaging Bosses, Irritating Employees, and More

What do you do when your request for professional development seems to annoy your manager? Or when you’re aiming for a bigger role but keep hearing that you’re
“too in the weeds”? Or when a team member’s behavior undermines others but you’re not sure whether to call it out because it feels like part of their personality?

The Amys offer advice for advocating for yourself without setting off alarm bells, shifting from tactical execution to strategic thinking, and confronting behavior that’s corrosive but hard to pin down.

Other listener questions they respond to:

• How can I push for a more robust and effective feedback and review system at my company?
• How do I decide which workplace battles are worth fighting?
• How do I remain professional and confident when my soon-to-depart manager is belittling me?
• How can I raise gender equity issues in a department that favors male colleagues?

Resources:

• “How Managers Can Make Feedback a Team Habit,” by Helen Tupper and Sarah Ellis
• “Get the Boss to Buy In,” by Susan (Sue) Ashford and James R. Detert
• HBR Guide to Building Your Business Case, by Ray Sheen and Amy Gallo
• “How to Push for Policy Changes at Your Company,” from Women at Work
• “How to Pick Your Battles at Work,” by Amy Gallo
• “Manage Your Energy, Not Your Time,” by Tony Schwartz and Catherine McCarthy
• Speak Up, Speak Out (HBR Women at Work Series)
• “How to Advance in Your Career When Your Boss Won’t Help,” by Kristi Hedges
• “You Can’t Move Up If You’re Stuck in Your Boss’s Shadow” by Rebecca Knight
• Thriving in a Male-Dominated Workplace (HBR Women at Work Series)
• “4 Ways to Improve Your Strategic Thinking Skills,” by Nina Bowman
• How to Demonstrate Your Strategic Thinking Skills,” by Nina Bowman

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Email us: womenatwork@hbr.org