Re-Issue Lessons in Strategery Part One

Tune in to hear Chris and Tim discuss “Lessons in Strategery Part One and Two.”  You’ll understand the title when you hear the podcast. We’re here to help you succeed! Send us your workplace dilemmas or career questions. Email us: [email protected] or tweet us: @cubicleconfide1. All names will be changed to protect the guilty and innocent...Thanks for listening! Connect with us on LinkedIn!

Tune in to hear Chris and Tim discuss “Lessons in Strategery Part One and Two.”  You’ll understand the title when you hear the podcast. We’re here to help you succeed! Send us your workplace dilemmas or career questions. Email us: [email protected] or tweet us: @cubicleconfide1. All names will be changed to protect the guilty and innocent...Thanks for listening! Connect with us on LinkedIn!

“Oops you made a mistake, that’s all … and making mistakes is never fun” was a jingle from a decades-old cartoon series.  Truer words were never sung.  Blunder … error … gaffe … mis-step … oversight … blooper … many terms share that singular, sinking feeling when you realize you messed up in a big way. We help listeners own up and make amends when things go awry at the office.  Jack shares the story of an impromptu acoustic performance that saved a concert waylaid by technical difficulties.Segments in this episode:Not Ticking all the Boxes in Vancouver – “We shipped a large order to an overseas customer and I just realized I sent the wrong stuff!”They’re all Johns in Indiana - “OMG … I told the wrong John Smith he’d been promoted and given a raise.”The Gist: “How to Apologize for a Mistake Professionally” by Genevieve Northup, MBA, SHRM-CP, HCI-SPTD as posted on Indeed.comWe want to hear about the drama, the dilemmas, and the conundrums that you face at work! All names will be changed to protect the guilty and innocent.Send your emails to [email protected] for listening! Connect with us on LinkedIn!

Leading a high-profile initiative can be daunting … even more so when you’re coordinating team members scattered around the globe. We help listeners tasked with getting the job done while navigating different languages, cultures and work styles. In honor of July 4th, the Cubicle Crew reminisces about the magic of fireworks.Segments in this episode:We’re Not in Kansas Anymore - “Help! I’m about to lead a global initiative and this will be my first time traveling outside the U.S.”Here, There and Everywhere in New York- “I have real concerns about coordinating a virtual team … these people are based in 17 different countries!”This Week in Pyrotechnics: A bottle rocket is a small firework made of a cylindrical case filled with combustible material, attached to a guiding stick. The stick can be placed in a bottle or other vessel to help control the rocket's launch direction. Bottle rockets can be dangerous and are considered unguided missiles that can travel at speeds of almost 200 miles per hour.  These characteristics appeal to Jack and Tim; Chris … not so much.The Gist: “Top 10 Tips For Managing Multicultural Teams” by Mursal Hedayat (accessed via Chatterbox.com and originally published on Forbes.com)We want to hear about the drama, the dilemmas, and the conundrums that you face at work! All names will be changed to protect the guilty and innocent.Send your emails to [email protected] for listening! Connect with us on LinkedIn!

As the saying goes, “Life unfolds at the office.” Feeling sad or down is a normal reaction to disappointing or difficult times. But when a low mood stretches from days to weeks it can be difficult to sleep, think or work. If you feel depressed, take the first step by talking to a mental health professional, your doctor, a friend or loved one. This week we hear from a listener reluctant to disclosure his struggles even as they impact his performance. Another listener expresses concern for a colleague whose cheerful disposition might be a façade.Segments in this episodeDown But Not Out In Madison - "I’m depressed and finding it hard to work, should I tell someone at my office or just wait for it to pass?”Faking Joy In Seattle - "My co-worker is pretending to be happy but I can tell it’s an act … what should I do?”The Gist: “Depression Attacks: 8 Steps To Cope With Sudden Depression And Anxiety” medically reviewed by Julie Dodson, MA as posted on BetterHelp.comWe want to hear about the drama, the dilemmas, and the conundrums that you face at work! All names will be changed to protect the guilty and innocent.Send your emails to [email protected] for listening! Connect with us on LinkedIn!

A new title, more responsibility, better pay and perhaps a little prestige … what could be bad about getting promoted?  This week we help listeners grappling with the complexities and consequences of “moving on up” the corporate ladder.  Chris probes Tim about his quasi-agrarian roots.Segments in this episode:Down About Moving Up In Bloomfield - “I got promoted and now my work friends are giving me a hard time”Up For Grabs In Chattanooga – “I’m one of four vying for two promotions, how should I rate my competition during our 360 review process?”The Gist: “Explaining Game Theory” – the Cubicle Crew introduces this branch of behavioral economics. Is it possible to predict the way two or more seemingly-competing parties will act in a given situation?  Would you make the choice that most benefits you, or cooperate to maximize outcomes for all?We want to hear about the drama, the dilemmas, and the conundrums that you face at work! All names will be changed to protect the guilty and innocent.Send your emails to [email protected] for listening! Connect with us on LinkedIn!

Honesty is the best policy, but … the early bird gets the worm. Which idiom can save a listener from being an idiot? Next, an honest mistake does real harm … how to handle damage control when you unwittingly spill the tea about a job change. Is it just me, or has tipping gotten more complicated? Plus, a wild and wonderful tale from Wildwood.Segments in this episode:A Wasted Opportunity in Omaha - “If the boss is drunk, thinks you’re someone else, and offers you a high profile project, do you accept?”Spilling the Beans in Bakerfield - “I congratulated a client on his new job in front of his bosses who didn’t know he was leaving”The Gist: “How to Handle Social Gaffes at Work” from Monster.comWe want to hear about the drama, the dilemmas, and the conundrums that you face at work! All names will be changed to protect the guilty and innocent.Send your emails to [email protected] for listening! Connect with us on LinkedIn!

This week we help listeners master the mid-day meal: one wants in on the action, while another wrestles with the cost of lavish lunching. Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive. Reflections on different types of lies. Segments in this episode:Not Clicking with the Clique in Chicago - “How do I crack the boy’s club at lunch?”Food for Thought in New York City - “Eating out with my boss is costing me a fortune!”The Gist: “Do You Believe In White Lies?” by Barbara Field (from VeryWellMind.com)We want to hear about the drama, the dilemmas, and the conundrums that you face at work! All names will be changed to protect the guilty and innocent.Send your emails to [email protected] for listening! Connect with us on LinkedIn!

What to do when work travel gets awkward? How to deflect when another couple wants to join your vacation. How to navigate a work trip when teammates become roommates. Chris reflects on his time as an instructor at a school for new consultants and the classical motif puer mingens makes a surprise appearance.Segments in this episodeTwo’s Company, Four’s a Crowd in Cleveland - "I am taking my girlfriend to Europe and my work pal wants to make it a double date”Budding Bedroom Blues in Las Vegas - "Good news: I get to go to Las Vegas for work. Bad news: I have to bunk with a co-worker.”The Gist: “How to Travel with Someone Whom You Don’t Like” by Jessica Jazz (What a cool  name!) as posted on Medium.comWe want to hear about the drama, the dilemmas, and the conundrums that you face at work! All names will be changed to protect the guilty and innocent.Send your emails to [email protected] for listening! Connect with us on LinkedIn!

Religion … money … politics … in the modern workplace almost no subject is off limits. This week we help a listener in Texas do the two-step when his new teammates talk politics. The Gaylord hotel, the Curse of Knowledge and the toppling trees of the biosphere are a few more ingredients in this week’s stew.Segments in this episode:Damned if You Do, Damning if You Don’t in Lubbock - “My new coworkers talk politics all day … do I dare reveal myself as being on the other side of the aisle?”Chris shares his “A-E-I-O-U” framework for enabling productive engagement and fostering genuine dialogueThe Gist: “How to Change Someone’s Mind” by Katy Scott as posted on INSEAD.edu. This though-provoking piece references “1,001 and One Nights” and Scheherazade’s psychological judo.We want to hear about the drama, the dilemmas, and the conundrums that you face at work! All names will be changed to protect the guilty and innocent.Send your emails to [email protected] for listening! Connect with us on LinkedIn!