Most employees assume that if something were wrong, their manager would say something. That assumption quietly derails more careers than poor performance does. The same manager who tells you you’re doing great will say in a closed-door meeting: “Johnny is solid, but he’s not showing the initiative we need for a client this size.” That’s the real feedback. And Johnny never heard it. This post explains why managers hold back, what gets said when you’re not in the room, and the specific questions that open the door so they’ll tell you the truth.
Your Job Isn’t to Fix Them
What nobody told you about managing underperformers — and what most managers never figure out on their own.
If you manage people, at some point, you’ve had a Johnny. Johnny isn’t delivering. Johnny doesn’t seem to get it. You’ve hinted to Johnny. You’ve talked to Johnny. You may have said something in a performance review that felt honest to you but, in retrospect, was softened enough that its real meaning slid right past him. And now you’re frustrated — because nothing is changing.
Why the Job Market Isn’t as Closed as You Think
Don’t believe the hype
The Competition Isn’t What You Think It Is
Whether you were just laid off or you’re still employed but reading the writing on the wall, the instinct is the same: why look now? There are no jobs.
That fear is legitimate. The market is genuinely harder than it was two years ago.
But ‘harder’ isn’t the same as ‘closed’. And the math inside a hiring process tells a very different story than the one in your news feed.
The Job Search Advice Nobody Gives Graduates (But Should)
Most graduates do the same thing: build a resume, post it online, and wait. When nothing happens, they start reaching out to people they haven’t talked to in years asking if they “know of anything.” That’s not networking. That’s a Hail Mary. Here’s what actually works — and why nobody taught you this in school.
Leveraging Your Parents’ Network Isn’t Cheating — It’s Smart
You still need to do the work
Your Parents’ Network Is Not Cheating
There is a myth floating around in graduation season that goes something like this:
If I use my parents’ connections to get a job, I didn’t really earn it.
Let’s dismantle that.
First, it’s a tough job market. And even when the job market isn’t tough, if you are looking for a job,
Why Your Micromanager Might Be Your Fault
“Micromanager” is one of the most loaded words in the workplace. The moment someone uses it, the story is already written: manager is the problem, employee is the victim. After decades in HR, I want to offer a different read. Sometimes the micromanager isn’t the problem. Sometimes you are.
Your Career Isn’t Your Manager’s Career
Your Career Isn’t Your Manager’s Career
Early in my career, managers were something close to mythical.
They were the smartest people in the room. The ones who had figured it out. When you had a problem you couldn’t solve, you brought it to them. They weren’t just technically sharp — they were role models. The better ones didn’t just tell me the answer, they asked me my opinion and worked the problem with me.
What Managers Taught Me – Including the Ones I Didn’t Respect, (Yet)
Are you getting the full story?
What Managers Taught Me — Including the Ones I Didn’t Respect
The best management lesson I ever received didn’t come from the best manager I ever had.
It came from watching someone do it wrong.
The Manager Who Told You Everything Was Fine
Early in my career, I had a manager who didn’t/couldn’t give real feedback. Not the kind that stings a little and then actually helps.