This week, we hear from letter-writers who are feeling trapped by their workplace relationships. One has a colleague who constantly escalates problems to management without talking to them first. Another quit their job a month ago, but is still being asked for free labor from their old workplace. Join Jen and Sara as they help these letter-writers prepare to have some difficult conversations, reset their barometers of what’s “normal” in the workplace, and decide what behavior they’re willing to accept from their coworkers moving forward.

Links:

• Join us for Flip the Script on August 2!

Got a work situation eating away at you? Send it to us! Submit your dilemma at 

PMLEshow.com

Today, Jen and special guest host Roberta Dombrowski tackle letters from “onlys”: folks who are the only woman, person of color, adoptee, etc. in their workplace. One writer is the only Black leader in their org navigating a disgruntled coworker who wants to take their job (and hands-off management to boot). Another is feeling frozen out by their former boss after a particularly personal-feeling layoff. Listen in as Jen and Roberta lend their coaching skills (and plenty of resources!) to help these listeners combat their “only loneliness.” 

Links:

• Join the Manager’s Playbook this August
• Say hi to Roberta and check out more of her work
• Read the latest Gallup report on loneliness at work
• Check out Self-Compassion by Kristin Neff
• Here are 70+ questions to make sure your next role meets your needs
• Read Heal to Lead by Kelly Campbell
• Got a work situation eating away at you? Send it to us! Submit your dilemma at PMLEshow.com

Corrections:

Internal Family Systems was developed by Richard Schwartz. Family systems theory was developed by Murray Bowen.

Today’s letter-writers are in their “Reputation” eras…and they’re struggling to move forward with management that has preconceived notions about their performance. One writer is receiving biased feedback from a manager, and oh yeah, they might also be missing out on secret company equity. Another is dealing with the aftermath of being passed up for the role they’ve been acting in for two years. Listen in as Sara and Jen help these letter-writers get a clearer picture of themselves and their needs, so they can step into the roles they really want to fill in their workplaces and in their lives.

Links:

• Join the Manager’s Playbook this August

Got a work situation eating away at you? Send it to us! Submit your dilemma at 

PMLEshow.com.

Listen up, managers: this one’s for you. Today we’re hearing from letter-writers who’ve been struggling with giving feedback to their direct reports. One dilemma involves a team member whose work isn’t up to snuff—and their manager is putting in way too much overtime trying to fix it. Another deals with a team member who went over their manager’s head…and now the manager’s reputation is at stake. Listen in as Sara and Jen help these letter-writers get clear on what went wrong and how they can move forward—so they can show up as the great managers their teams need.

Links:

• Check out 1:1 coaching at Active Voice

Got a work situation eating away at you? Send it to us! Submit your dilemma at 

PMLEshow.com.

This week’s letter writers are looking to change their relationships to work. One is wondering if it’s time to leave UX all together and monetize a hobby instead. The other is a budding thought leader…who gets the ick whenever they say “thought leader.” Sara and Jen have brought out all their best questions and resources to help these folks get unstuck and plan their next career move—without ignoring the human being at the center.

Links:

• Don’t feel like an expert? Share anyway.
• Check out the new book Present Yourself from Women Talk Design
• Hone your Spiky Point of View
• Join the Manager’s Playbook May cohort

Got a work situation eating away at you? Send it to us! Submit your dilemma at 

PMLEshow.com.

Our letter writers today are really going through it—public undermining, misogyny, gaslighting, intense micromanagement. So how can you speak up or push back when your manager is making you miserable? And what if it feels pointless to even try? Sara and Jen jump in with tools for holding difficult, but healthy, conversations with your manager—and also how to avoid letting bad managers suck up all the space in your life. 

Links:

• Identify your needs with BICEPS
• Read Alicia Ostarello’s essay on healing from burnout

Got a work situation eating away at you? Send it to us! Submit your dilemma at PMLEshow.com.

Today’s episode is all about job titles—and all the weird feelings that come with them. Our first letter writer enjoys their work and is paid well, but feels like they’ve been leveled lower than their peers. Another is considering a “demotion” to manage burnout, but is worried about taking a long-term hit in their career. They’re turning to Sara and Jen to help them get unstuck—without racing back onto the corporate ladder.

Links:

• Identify your needs with BICEPS

Got a work situation eating away at you? Send it to us! Submit your dilemma at 

PMLEshow.com.

Today’s letter writers are working to make change in their organizations…but they’re running into all kinds of roadblocks. One wants their discipline to get more respect, but feels ignored and outnumbered. The other is pushing their company to hire more inclusively than “people we already know”—and hitting a brick wall. They’re both frustrated and exhausted. Listen in as Sara and Jen help them decide how to move forward—without burning out or burning bridges.

Links:

• On moral injury: Employees Are Sick of Being Asked to Make Moral Compromises
• Sign up for Power Shift (registration ends 2/6)

Got a work situation eating away at you? Send it to us! Submit your dilemma at 

PMLEshow.com.

Career transitions are always hard, but today’s letter writers are having an especially tough time deciding what their next move should be. One’s finding that their field of choice isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Another’s struggling to know how to position a harmful past experience in a way that doesn’t count them out of future opportunities. Both are feeling really stuck—and looking for help from Sara and Jen to decide what’s next for them, and how to get there. 

Links:

• Sign up for Power Shift (register by 12/31 to save $150)

Got a work situation eating away at you? Send it to us! Submit your dilemma at 

PMLEshow.com.

“Prioritize better,” “lead more,” “be more assertive.” In today’s episode, Sara and Jen take on questions from listeners who are deep in the midst of corporate gaslighting and help them understand their feelings, assess their options, and find a way forward—without just working harder.

Links:

• Read Sara’s article: Hey Designers, They’re Gaslighting You
• Check out “Gaslighter” by The Chicks
• Is Therapy-Speak Making Us Selfish?
• The Moral Injury Project at Syracuse University  
• Jen’s Luddite book rec: Blood in the Machine
• Join us for Reclaim Your Power

Got a work situation eating away at you? Send it to us! Submit your dilemma at 

PMLEshow.com.