How do I tell someone they're not getting promoted this cycle?
You're not delivering bad news. You're paying down a feedback debt — and the interest rate is whatever trust you have left.
Series
Straight Answers
Direct answers to the questions managers ask.
49 pieces
How do I manage someone I inherited who I wouldn't have hired?
The question isn't "would I hire this person." It's "can this person do the role." Those are different questions, and only one of them is your job.
How Do I Manage a High Performer Who Treats Everyone Around Them Like an Afterthought?
Your star contributor is keeping the team's numbers up and its morale down. Here's how to handle it without losing the output or tolerating the damage.
How do I manage a direct report who seems to actively dislike me?
Your direct report seems to actively dislike you. Here’s what to do when the tension is real, the work still matters, and you can’t just ignore it.
How do I manage someone who used to be my peer?
You got promoted above your peers. Now one of them is treating you like nothing changed. Here's how to reset the relationship without losing it entirely.
How do I manage someone who's going through something difficult in their personal life?
Take all the time you need' sounds generous and means nothing.
How do I handle it when my manager contradicts me in front of my team?
It takes roughly five positive signals to undo one credibility-damaging moment, which tells you how expensive a single public contradiction can actually be.
How do I handle a high performer who thinks they’re ready for a promotion but isn’t?
Stalling and hoping they figure it out is not a strategy. Here’s how to have the honest conversation while keeping the person.
How do I manage someone who takes credit for other people’s work?
Credit-claiming corrodes team trust faster than almost anything else. Here’s how to name it, stop it, and fix the culture that allowed it.
How do I deal with an employee who cries every time I give feedback?
Tears in a feedback conversation don't mean you did something wrong, but they do mean you need a different playbook.
How do I manage someone who's clearly interviewing somewhere else?
The answer isn't to call them out or hold them hostage... it's to make a clear-eyed decision about your team's needs before they make it for you.
How do I tell someone their communication style is the problem?
Communication style is a skill, not a personality. And you give feedback on skills all the time.