Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with manager

Required notice for vacating apartment?

mellifluous — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 20:30:51 -0800

Our apartment was damaged on Friday, and the whole floor needs to come out, possibly some of the drywall too. The property manager needs us to vacate, and remove all of our stuff, for an extended period of time (1-2 months). (Note that we have been dealing with the property manager, and to a lesser extent, the superintendent, and not our landlord.) How much notice is he legally required to give us? We live in Toronto. YANAL. Today, at about 6, our landlord emailed us, saying the property manager wanted us out of our unit by Wednesday. Which gives us less than 2 days to co-ordinate moving, storage, and new accommodation.

Our insurance company informed us that repairs wouldn't take place for at least another three weeks. Until just a few hours ago, the super + PM had given us absolutely no information on when we could expect them to begin. The two of them came by to inspect the damage twice just today, and said nothing about it.

As far as I can tell, this is completely unreasonable. But I can't seem to find any specific tenancy law it violates, perhaps because repairs rarely require tenants to leave for such a long period of time. I have seen by-laws, for example, that require 24 hours of written notice for repairs - and that's reasonable for something like "I need to repair your water-pipe," but not for something like "I need you, and all of your stuff, out for 2 months."

What can we do?

Professional FAIL x 2

sidd.darko — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 15:24:45 -0800

I have had two major professional failures in a single week. I would like insight into a couple of aspects. Sordid details inside. 1) I was written up by my current manager for performance and attitude issues. Without going into too much detail, I feel like I am taking a larger share of blame than is fair of the current project's direction. I feel there is some justification to some, but not all of his issues. I have been given 60 days to produce high quality code and a major improved attitude or I lose my job. This is a manager who has given me stellar reviews in the past. I do feel like the work I am doing is very good and there are certain technical aspects beyond my control that have caused problems for our project.

2) I was given an immediate interview by a former employer. The job is in a language that I don't have recent experience in, but it is an enterprise platform and I have been working with a close counterpart. I interviewed with three people and took assessment and thought I did really well. BUT they decided to pass.

I can do some aspects of interviewing very well .. but I often find the technical interviews unnerving. I sometimes have trouble articulating the structure and flow of some of my projects. I experience the occasional whiteboard fear. But I have had success and have been a valuable employee for the few companies I've worked for (including this one) throughout my career. I'm excellent at tracking down problems and finding solutions. This is starting to sound like a cover letter .. sorry.

I'm experiencing somewhat of a professional crisis. I've been a software developer for 14 years and these two events have really blown my confidence. So, I have a couple of questions.

How do I recover my confidence and from the humiliation I feel at being written up? I need to perform well enough to not lose my job when my evaluation period is over. I can do the work, but being there I find interactions with my manager to be uncomfortable.

How can I improve my technical interviewing skills? I know the technology, but I often freeze and stumble when listening to questions.

Thanks for insight.

My boss can't keep a promise or make a commitment

4Lnqvv — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 08:32:31 -0800

How do I politely get my boss to follow through and keep promises he makes to my customers? I have begun a new sales position with a new company. The new boss seemed to be a great guy, smart and creative. Only one problem, he does not follow through on his promises to clients.

He seems to say "yes" to anything asked of him but whether or not he follows through is another matter. "Yes" seems to really mean "maybe".

He does not commit to anything in writing. He does not respond to follow up emails regarding unkept promises. If I confront him nicely on the phone or in person and he tells me what I want to hear then does not follow through.

He shouldn't be contacting customers directly. That is my job, but he constantly butts in, makes his promises and leaves me holding the bag.

The matter has already been discussed with his new superior and his superior says he has to give the guy a chance to improve. He is not improving and I am constantly left covering for him and looking like a fool.

He seems to be afraid of commitments. He seems to be afraid to rock the boat and be assertive to win support from above for the sales team. He seems to be afraid to make mistakes or have his sales team make mistakes. For lack of a better word he just seems to be an ineffective weenie.

I am embarrassed in front of my new customers and don't feel this guy is letting me get anything done. Any suggestions on how to work with a manager like this will be much appreciated.

Making the most of a challenging coworker

Anonymous — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 11:40:33 -0800

How do I make the most of a work situation with a co-worker whose behavior is just annoying enough to disrupt work regularly, but not annoying enough to cause him to be fired? I work for a non-profit educational organization in a small department that is a sub-set of a larger department. I am the manager over one person, the said annoying co-worker. I say the following because I think it has some bearing on the situation: all members of the department are women except him.

Our office is pretty laid-back. He's worked here longer than I and even applied for my position. My boss and other members of our department are aware of his attitude and behavior. But it's not enough to get him fired, just enough to piss me off and others who might work with him.

Annoying traits:
- He is strictly reactive, and resists planning ahead, including using something like Basecamp.

- He routinely comes in late and takes longish lunches.

- He does things and forgets he does them - projects mentioned in meetings, meetings with others, etc.

- He says he tracks all of his stuff, but I've caught him unprepared. He still claims he does.

- He doesn't like to delegate to interns.

- He takes initiative, which is good, but on "fun" stuff like social networking, and I don't hear about it until he's spent a few hours on it.

- This is going to sound petty, I know, but I feel I must say it - I make an effort to thank him for his positive work, encourage his positive behavior, but I don't get the sense he sees or appreciates the effort that goes into some of the managerial work (big picture thinking, managing interns, assigning projects, being proactive) that I do. I guess I feel that the balance of positive appreciation is a little off?

- He complains... about our clients, about his workload, about meetings.

- He gets pissy with me if he senses that I'm micro-managing a little (ie asking about projects multiple times, asking what he's working on, giving priorities - doing my job).

He's basically been able to do what he wants until I got here. We've been able to make some strides in the department and his behavior has improved some, and we have even had a few "come to Jesus" meetings, but the problems are still there.

Not annoying traits:

- He has very good ideas on occasion that have helped us move forward.

- He does handle less complicated tasks well.

- We get along on a non-work, personal level. And this has complicated things even further.

When do I say when and put my foot down with my boss and ask her to reprimand him? My boss thinks we're outputting good work, but I see that we could do so much more - that's not really a "get you into big trouble" offense.

I have shared my concerns with my boss. I've tracked his lateness and his attitude. It's not quite enough to pull out the big guns so to speak, so I'm coming to terms that I may have to deal with this long term.

So, if I have to live with this - which it looks like I will - how do I make the most of it?

Thanks.

Online client/contact management for Dummy

mojoworkin — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 18:43:33 -0800

One-man businessman looking for good online client/contact task/follow-up system. Everything I've found is geared for big business and large collaborative groups. I am a full-time wedding DJ who needs to track a lot of inquiries and sales related activity - usually lots of phone and email contact. Some of this will result in people going elsewhere, some will yeild a face to face meeting, more email and hopefully an agreement to provide services.

From there, I would like to keep tabs on my communication with clients as we progress through the planning phase to make sure I am timely answering their questions and also make sure I have everything I need by the time the wedding comes along.

It's not really all that much to keep track of, but keep in mind I am a DJ - all the things that make me really good at what do is borne out of my total inability to lead a regular life - But at least I know I have to fake it well, which leads me to my query.

Also, all my clients and potential clients have different needs, schedules, degrees of organization, so I always adjusting my process to make life simpler for them (planning a wedding is like a second job for some people!)

Does anybody have a suggestion for an online solution for this kind of thing? If it ties into an iPhone app, I will kiss your feet!

Email address before download ?

Webbster — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 20:22:56 -0800

Is there a (Wordpress Plugin) download manager in which you have to enter your email address before you are granted access to the file ? I'm looking for something like what Spinal Tap did.

But without the flash...

And just with an email address...

I found a nice looking download manager, but that requires the user to register before access.
For my clients purposes this is a bit much and not necessary. Just an email addy will do.

Thanks in advance Hive Mind.

"Umm, what do YOU think about my career?" won't cut it.

cranberrymonger — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 14:13:38 -0800

How do I approach a "career coaching" meeting discussion with my manager? I do customer service work for a large insurance company in Canada where I'm content but not necessarily permanently planted. I've a career coaching discussion scheduled this week and I'm not sure what I should say to my manager.

I asked him what I should prepare and he said, "It's your meeting, it's all about you. Maybe you've seen a job posting you want to talk about... anything you want!"

With my previous manager I usually stumbled through these meetings without any clear point or purpose. I find them awkward and I never know what to say. I can't do that with this manager and don't want to as I've heard he's helpful during these sessions.

How can I generate and direct half an hour of conversation about my career when I'm not sure what my aspirations are or whether my career will be with this company at all? How can I make the most of this coaching session?

Desperately seeking Representation

Anonymous — Thu, 14 May 2009 12:47:22 -0800

I'm an aspiring screenwriter and I need help finding an agent or manager. Askme, please help! So I've been writing scripts for several years. I've written ten scripts, seven of which I would show people. I've won some honors (a Gold award in one contest, semifinalist in several others), have had producers interested in one script (They actually met with me, had me do a rewrite, on spec of course, but didn't want to proceed because I didn't have an agent) but I've yet to find an agent. I've also yet to do the big push to find someone (i.e. sending out 300 query letters)

What are your suggestions for finding one? Should I just get the Hollywood Representation Directory and e-mail everyone? Should I mention one script? A few? All of them? I actually put together a "writing resume" which lists the scripts, with a logline, the honors I've won and my screenwriting education. Should I send this out to agents?

There are also many "services" that claim to do this for you, such as Scriptblaster, for example. Are they worthwhile?

Any other suggestions would be much appreciated.

How to handle a boss from hell?

Anonymous — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 15:31:41 -0800

Should we stage a "coup" on our boss? Go one level of management above or straight to HR? DM-level boss in the job about 9 months (previous experience in same field, just new to this company). DM = poor communicator, no follow-up, zero management, inconsistent manner of treating teammates, bullies, inappropriate ways of speaking (talks down, rude). About 10 managers report to this DM. DM has a lot of latitude and very little checks and balances. Writes some people up while others skate. Has favorites and belittles others in private and public.

How to proceed?? Go to DM directly with issues = retaliation most likely and miserable life. Go to DM's manager = maybe see change, but also maybe not since DM's manager is "manage by fear" type. Go to HR = huge unknown.

All 10 have talked together. All 10 miserable. All 10 afraid to confront due to bad economy and retaliation possibility. All 10 don't want to continue in this manner, but don't know what to do.

All 10 confront DM? DM Manager? HR? Handle at the individual level?

Should I be less gregarious around my boss?

Anonymous — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 12:33:02 -0800

Should I be less gregarious around my boss? I'm quite outgoing; my boss is more introverted and quiet. As a result, I naturally find myself participating in conversations much more than he does when we're in social settings with colleagues (e.g. group lunches/outings). I am concerned about the possibility of his being uneasy about having an employee who frequently draws more attention in conversation than he does (especially since I'm a fairly recent hire at the beginning of my career). However, I haven't noticed any visible signs of his being uneasy; he often laughs at my jokes and even sides with me in discussions. Nevertheless, I know that upstaging one's boss can lead to trouble, and I don't want to put myself in that situation.

Any advice on whether I should tone it down in conversation? For context, I work at a tech company in the US, and I'm in a job where being outgoing is seen as an asset.

(Anonymous so my boss doesn't trace this back.)

Help me find a mac based rapidshare download manager

citybuddha — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 23:06:03 -0800

I am looking for a download manager that will work with OSX 4.9.11. i would like to be able to download from Rapidshare and be able to pause and resume downloads/ I tried jdownloader but can not get it to work. It seems too be a bit beyond me.

In San Francisco, do you tip your apartment manager?

Ookseer — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 12:52:16 -0800

In San Francisco, do you tip your apartment manager? This is one of those finer points of etiquette that I was not brought up on, and surveying my local friends revealed answers from "Of course!" to "Hell no!" to "What?"

So yes or no? And if yes, how much?

To keep this from being chatfilter let's limit this to San Francisco.

iPhone password manager that syncs with Windows

chefscotticus — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 19:28:57 -0800

Best iPhone password manager -- needs to sync with Windows (without storing on internet) -- How do I do this? Currently using KeePass on Windows to manage passwords. More about long-term storage than day-to-day passwords (think investment portfolio, not nytimes password).

I just got an iPhone and want a secure way to have access to my passwords from my iPhone, and in a way that syncs to a Windows-interface.

web filemanager needed

dirtylittlemonkey — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 16:48:54 -0800

I need web access to a directory of files, so a web based file manager or ftp client. But unix file permissions need to be followed, so file ownership needs to be retained and obeyed (login, password, move/copy/delete). Additionally, most of the files are jpgs and I'd like for there to be a thumbnail icons view as well as filenames. Anything? And a pony.

Most php or java file manager / CMS ignore unix permissions and save everything as the web server process (if they even save to the file system and not into a database).
This comes from having a Samba share that remote offices are having trouble accessing over the vpn so we want an alternative access method (to SMB) for the same group of files.

A Font of All Knowledge

fusinski — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 23:49:54 -0800

FontFilter: What is the best font management application for Windows? I would like opinions on the best software package regardless of price, as well as on the best in terms of price-to-value. My wife is a designer and her extensive collection of fonts is getting rather out of control. We've found that they are slowing down her PC, and through some research I have found that a font management utility is what I'm looking for to help alleviate the problem. Of course, if there are better solutions I'm all ears. Thanks!

(I see this question was asked over a year ago here... with the rate that software changes, I thought it was prudent to ask again.)

Help me Manage file downloads?

Cosine — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 10:25:08 -0800

Does anyone know of a (Windows) program that can watch and folder and perform actions based on what files appear in said folder? I am looking for a program that can watch a download folder and then copy files to certain other folders depending on strings in the filenames, does anyone know a program that can do this?

To Tell or Not To Tell

frosty_hut — Tue, 20 May 2008 07:28:23 -0800

How to exit this job gracefully? Although I haven't found a new position yet, I'm planning to leave my current awful job within a month or so, come hell or high water. I've been there for nine years doing the audio version of data entry, which is mind-numbing, and a sprinkling of other tasks, including sophisticated production of commercials for which I'm being paid data entry wages.

Recently the company has had a system upgrade (of the computerized "thing" that runs the radio stations in our cluster), and some audio files I'm responsible for have disappeared or been overwritten. Hal, my immediate "manager" (not actually my boss, but I kind of think of him that way) is the guy who mentored me and supports my work, but only unofficially. He has whispered to me that he believes I'm not at fault, but he won't back me up to anyone who matters. He's intimidated by the head of another department, I'll call her Gayle, who insists that the recent issues are my fault, and not part of the upgrade glitches. This is ridiculous. I have made mistakes in the near-decade I've been there, but I don't make clumps of errors, ten at a time and more. That just ain't me.

When she's in a good mood, Gayle jokes that she's blaming it all on the engineering department. When she's not, though, she shoots me emails in which she accuses me of not calling her when there's a problem so she can head things off. I'm losing the company money, she says (the radio commercials we air are paid for by our clients and can't be missed, etc). The issue, though, is that files are RANDOMLY being overwritten. I have no warning and no clue that it's going to happen. That's why it's a problem. And I'm not causing the problem, but I can't get anyone to support me. I suspect that the reason Gayle is going after me, rather than the engineering guys, is that I'm a nice, quiet little girl who has taken her crap up until now without complaint. The engineering guys might fight back if she tried that stuff with them.

I'm leaving anyway, so these things shouldn't even bother me. Yet they do. I would like to draw in my manager, Jack, because he's been fair in the past. I'd like to get his perpsective, and for reasons of personal dignity I would like him to know that I'm not screwing up. Especially since I'm leaving, I would like him to feel that I've been reliable and valuable straight to the end. I don't want to leave under a cloud. And it just rankles with me to be scolded in emails by this woman who isn't my boss, that I'm losing the company money. I've never been treated like that before, and I can't stop thinking about it.

In a nutshell: I feel I'm being scapegoated, and I object. I would like to tell my manager Jack about it, and would like to document it in email. I also want to attach the email I received from Gayle accusing me of costing the company money, because it's proof that she's been wrist-slapping me in addition to accusing me unfairly. I want Jack to know I feel this stuff is inappropriate, and I object. I'm not really gaining anything in any real sense, since I'm not asking him to mediate. I'm just very upset at the treatment I'm getting.

My husband thinks it may be overkill to put this in email to the head honcho. He questions whether I should speak up at all. He asked me to think about it over night, and I still want to do it. So my question to you all is, should I let my manager in on what's up, or not? Does it even matter, now that I'm leaving?

Eagerly awaiting your advice.

Am I being underpaid to sit in a little grey box?

Anonymous — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 12:29:32 -0800

How much should an online marketing manager be paid? With a base salary and a 100% trackable sales? Company description: Sell shippable custom widgets, which must be bought online.

Job description: Online Marketing Manager, recruit affiliates for our affiliate program. Find websites to advertise on that will convert to sales.

I know I'm leaving money on the table, I've only been there 3 months, but I think my value will be extremely high from a ROI perspective.

With analytic data we can track almost 100% of the sales that I will bring in directly to the site.

I'm only being paid salary currently, but I feel like there is a better payment equation based on my skills
and abilities (lower salary + commission). Is there a standard equation for something like this?

Are there websites that focus on on this particular question for my particular niche?

Do companies have a particular ROI for this particular position? Example they expect to make $2.5 profit for every dollar I'm paid.

Basically there are a lot of little questions that all equal up to the generic question that we all ask when it comes to working, am I receiving the proper compensation?

Thanks for your help! Now what?

zippity — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 13:21:14 -0800

Writing a thank you letter to a car dealership. After recently having had an outstanding buying experience purchasing a new car, I wanted to thank the involved employees with a letter. I have a few extra questions/details about this:

There are two specific people I dealt with that I'd like to write separate letters to - the employee who sold me the car (business card states his title as "Fleet Manager") and the employee who handled my financing (business card states his title as "Finance Manager").
Is there a big boss I should also address a thank you letter to, to praise the employees I worked with? I don't know who exactly is the big boss, so should I just address it to the dealership itself or is there some specific title the boss would go by?
I was referred to the dealership by some friends who were able to get me some nice discounts. Should I mention these people in my letters too?
I do not mind writing multiple personalized letters so long as I have my bases covered and the people I worked with get some credit for their part as employees at the dealership.

Besides their professionalism, what other things should I thank them for in their letters? What kind of things does a car dealership owner (manager? Big Boss!) look for in thank you letters that would benefit the specific employees who helped me? Any other advice on thank you letters in general?

Tax lawyer to move to investing or general management?

shivohum — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 17:14:45 -0800

A friend's been a tax lawyer of six years at a law firm. With that and a CPA, he wants to change careers: either manage investments or be a general mgmt type. What positions should he pursue, esp in this business clime? Recs for headhunters? He likes money, prestige, and is somewhat risk-averse. He's willing to go int'l, but only speaks english.

Is "Human Resources Manager" really a great job or is Money magazine lying to me?

Rosie M. Banks — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 08:39:07 -0800

I noticed that Human Resources manager was on Money Magazine's "Best Jobs" list. I want to hear from people with experience in the field - is it all it's cracked up to be? For the record, I'm changing careers, and wrapping up a MA in Organizational Psychology (starting my thesis RIGHT NOW!). While my focus is coaching, organizational development, and diversity training (and I'm currently doing my field placement in this area), I've considered the field of HR as well.

The fact that HR manager appeared on this list of "best jobs" piqued my interest. However, I don't know if it really is a good job to have. (Or, indeed, if these lists of "great jobs!" really mean anything, but that's another post.) So I'm seeking opinions from people who are HR managers, have held that job, know the field well, and so on for an insider's report. Is it really a fulfilling job that's fairly easy to enter and pays well, as per Money magazine?

I am looking for a free download accelerator/manager for Mac.

anthropoid — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 18:24:12 -0800

I am looking for a free download accelerator/manager for Mac. I recently made the switch from Windows to Mac and need a download accelerator/manager. My internet connection stops momentarily every once and a while and is killing my downloads.

I love DAP, but I am not ready to spend the $30 for the Mac version and I was wondering if there are any decent, free download managers for Mac.

Already checked out this listing of download managers for Mac via this AskMeFi thread, but did not find what I was looking for.

Any ideas?

How do I find a star-for-hire in London?

Elle Vator — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 10:52:52 -0800

How do I find a list of publicists for stars of the theatrical stage or screen? Basically, I can be a hero if I can find celebrities currently in London, England recognizable to a Canadian audience. We need to hire them for a charming bit on our show... but the ones on our short list have not turned out. Therefore, I am now looking to get in touch with an appropriate publicist who has LOTS of clients and who can make suggestions as to who we should use, and then give them to us. ...or directly in touch with a celebrity or agent or manager, or a website or a magic genie who can get me the perfect happen-to-be-in-London celebs (we actually need three) within two weeks.

Yes, this is my third question alone these lines - the good news is you guys are giving me GREAT advice. What would you do if you were me and in this situation? Where would you go? Who would you call?

Thanks so much... ElleVator

Recommend me a good contact manager for phone numbers and names?

jacobean — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 16:41:56 -0800

I'm looking for a "lite" contact manager for my PC? I am tired of losing scraps of paper with temporary phone numbers on them...I do not want to enter them into my Outlook contacts manager. Is there any no "bells and whistles" application out there that I can quickly tap in the details into my PC? Even better would be an application that syncs with a Palm device?

work blog question

frosty_hut — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 11:14:15 -0800

How big a deal should I be? Do I deserve my own work-related web page? I work at a radio station (classical format) as a backup on-air host. I don't have a regular show or set hours. But the listeners seem to like me, and people have asked me if I'm going to be on the air more, am I ever going to get my own show, etc. etc.

I keep having to say no, because all of this is out of my hands. But I would like to be able to say something affirmative about myself when listeners ask. One of them asked me if I have a web site, and it got me thinking.

Our station has its own web site, where each of the on-air hosts--except me--contribue to the daily blog feature. I think it's dumb because it's collective. Something like twenty people contribute to it. I think a blog should be personal, and if it were me, I'd have each host have their own blog. And the blog entries would have something about the music, of course, but would also include personal stories. For some reason everyone shies away from that, but when I tell stories on the air related to my experience of the music, the response from listeners and management alike is super positive.

For some reason I'm not allowed to be one of the blog contributors. It might have something to do with my hour cap--I'm not permitted to work more than 29 hours a week. In any case, I've got the idea to start my own music-related blog and link to the station's own web site. I can only go forward with this if my manager approves, and I haven't floated the idea yet, so this whole thing may be premature.

But I wanted to ask mefites first: Would it look like I'm trying to toot my own horn or get managerial attention by starting my own blog? I don't want to seem as if I'm trying to outdo the other on-air people. But I suspect that if listeners like my blog, the other hosts will follow suit. I think we should all have blogs.

I am only part-time, though. I'm not alone in that--two of the most popular hosts are also part-timers. But I'm unique in that I alone have no regular time slot. I fill in when others are on vacation, and that may be all I ever do for this station.

In short: I'm trying to determine the appropriateness of starting my own "personality" blog, the sole raison d'etre of which would be to connect to our listeners and give them somewhere to go when they say they like me and want to hear more from me and about me, as well as my reactions to the music. The blog would feature trivia about the music on the program or composer information, and would also have elements of the personal. Music is personal after all, and I think this is lacking in general in the approach that our station is currently taking. But they seem to like it when I move in that direction...

I just don't want to seem like I'm making a bid to become a "big" personality, when I don't even have a regular gig on their air yet. I just want to find a way to connect more with the listeners.

Anyway, your ideas would be welcome.