Per My Last Email

Today’s episode is all about ineffective leadership, and these letterwriters have a lot to say. One is fed up with their VP’s pattern of not advocating for their team…a pattern which seems to have cost their team tens of thousands of dollars in bonuses. The second writer is stuck in a culture of backbiting, fingerpointing, and a leadership team that even takes credit for other people’s work. Join Jen and Sara as they use insights from their latest research report to help these letterwriters get their power back at work—or decide when it’s time to exit gracefully.Links:Get your copy of the Managing this Moment research reportRead You Deserve a Tech UnionRead The Tech Worker’s Guide to UnionsCheck out the Tech Workers CoalitionJoin the Manager’s PlaybookGot a work situation eating away at you? Send it to us! Submit your dilemma at PMLEshow.com

This week, we hear from letter-writers who are up for promotions at their workplaces—but are having some mixed feelings about accepting them. One is less than thrilled at the increased scope of operation tasks, but is scared to reject a sure thing and look for other opportunities.  Another has been promoted four times in the last eight years and wants a chance to settle in and grow their team. Join Jen and Sara as they help these letter-writers make sense of where and how they want to grow right now—with or without a title change.Links:Sign up for 1:1 coaching with Sara and Jen!Got a work situation eating away at you? Send it to us! Submit your dilemma at PMLEshow.com

It’s a Very Special Episode of Per My Last Email! This week, Sara and Jen share updates from four previous letter writers. One was upset by their company’s unfair hiring practices. Another felt they had outgrown their current role, but was scared of moving on. Yet another was contemplating burning it all down and opening a juice bar far, far away. And our last writer was processing being ghosted after a layoff.So, what’s changed for these letter writers? Did they quit their jobs, get the closure they wanted, or otherwise change their work lives? And most importantly: how have they changed in the process? Join Sara and Jen as they find out!Links:Register now for Power Shift! Sessions start September 11thRead Work Won’t Love You BackGot a work situation eating away at you? Send it to us! Submit your dilemma at PMLEshow.com

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 AugustSay hi to Roberta and check out more of her workRead the latest Gallup report on loneliness at workCheck out Self-Compassion by Kristin NeffHere are 70+ questions to make sure your next role meets your needsRead Heal to Lead by Kelly CampbellGot a work situation eating away at you? Send it to us! Submit your dilemma at PMLEshow.comCorrections: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 AugustGot 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 VoiceGot 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 DesignHone your Spiky Point of ViewJoin the Manager’s Playbook May cohortGot 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 BICEPSRead Alicia Ostarello’s essay on healing from burnoutGot 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 BICEPSGot 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 CompromisesSign 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 YouCheck out “Gaslighter” by The ChicksIs Therapy-Speak Making Us Selfish?The Moral Injury Project at Syracuse University  Jen’s Luddite book rec: Blood in the MachineJoin us for Reclaim Your PowerGot a work situation eating away at you? Send it to us! Submit your dilemma at PMLEshow.com.

“Transparency” sounds like a good thing…but is it always? When should you share personal info with your boss? What if you know a layoff is coming? This week, Jen and Sara look at tough situations about disclosing information—and help two listeners with very different scenarios decide whether spilling the tea is the right thing to do, or if it’ll cause more harm than good. Links:Explore the depths of WaterTokEpisode 8: Why you gotta be so rude?The Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978 (USA)The Equality Act of 2010 (England, Scotland, Wales)Got a work situation eating away at you? Send it to us! Submit your dilemma at PMLEshow.com

What do you do when your burnout doesn’t just feel like exhaustion, but more like disillusionment—and maybe even cynicism? In today’s episode, Sara and Jen tackle questions from listeners who are struggling to keep afloat amid job search burnout, career malaise, and the kinds of communication breakdowns that leave us questioning, well, everything. Links:Layoffs.fyi is tracking aggregate numbers of tech industry layoffs.According to Techcrunch, we’re probably past the worst of it.You don’t have to love networking, but you probably need to make peace with it. Jennifer Kim’s guide can help.Got a work situation eating away at you? Send it to us! Submit your dilemma at PMLEshow.com. 

Managers being paid less than their ICs, punitive raise structures, cryptic pay bands…this week’s submitters are really going through it. But how do you start the compensation conversation when information is hard to come by? And what do you do when you’re told that there’s no way you’ll get a raise—just accept being paid less than your peers forever? This week, Sara and Jen tackle questions of pay inequity, when it’s time to fight, and when it might be time to move on.   Links:Curious what other people in the field are making? Take a look at the Global UX Compensation Database!For Equal Pay Day, Survey Monkey polled users on their beliefs about pay equity. It found that “men and younger Americans are the most likely to incorrectly believe that genders are paid equally for similar jobs.”Join Rachel de Jong for Own Your Impact with StrengthsFinderGot a work situation eating away at you? Send it to us! Submit your dilemma at PMLEshow.com.

For many of us, our work identity and sense of self have become tied in a big knot. When your job has become your identity, it's easy to get stuck. How do you know when it’s time to stay and fight for change, or move onto something new? This week, Sara and Jen work through dilemmas from folks looking for a way forward—without losing themselves in the process.Links:If Books Could Kill: Men Are From Mars, Women Are From VenusJoin The Courageous Leadership ProgramGot a work situation eating away at you? Send it to us! Submit your dilemma at PMLEshow.com.

It shouldn’t be this hard to find a job that pays you well, fulfills you, and keeps your values intact. But when disillusionment and burnout strike, it can be hard to deal with workplace tradeoffs. Is the answer simply to strike out on your own?Navigating uncertainty, building your identity outside of work, and juggling passion projects: this week, Sara and Jen tackle dilemmas from folks looking for ways to align work with their values—without going broke.  Links:Schedule a strategy session with Sara or Jen Got a work situation eating away at you? Send it to us! Submit your dilemma at PMLEshow.com.

Ever dealt with someone demanding that you find them a new job? Or have a friend and colleague go cold and ghost you the moment you get laid off? What about getting berated and then iced out by the head of your org? Other people’s unkind, over-the-top, and just plain rude behavior can make you question everything—even yourself. So how do you find a path forward? That’s what Sara and Jen tackle in this week’s episode. Links:Post-pandemic incivility on the riseMeet your shadow selfNonviolent communication and the “Four Ds of Disconnection”Got a work situation eating away at you? Send it to us! Submit your dilemma at PMLEshow.com.

Dehumanizing hiring processes, swoop-and-poop bosses, and maybe the biggest question of all: does my design work even matter if I don’t care about propping up capitalism? This week, Sara and Jen answer dilemmas about pushing back against exploitative requests, working around a faux-inclusive boss, and managing disillusionment with design. And through it all, a theme emerges: How do you handle the tension between two conflicting truths? Links:The 2023 Content Design and UX writing survey results Sara worked on Ask a Manager: Should you do free work as part of a job interview?How to use “job crafting” to make your work more meaningfulGot a work situation eating away at you? Send it to us! Submit your dilemma at PMLEshow.com