Author: Aunty B on
12 March 2010
Dear Aunty B,
My boss is driving me mad. He has the most infuriating habit of speaking over me. I never get to finish a sentence before he interrupts. It's not like he's saying that I am wrong. He just doesn't finish listening to me.
Author: Aunty B on
11 March 2010
Dear Aunty B,
I have a young man who I would like to promote but he is a very scruffy dresser. His shoes are so old I am amazed they don’t disintegrate and I think he owns two ties.
Author: Aunty B on
10 March 2010
Dear Aunty B
One of my senior managers has gone off on maternity leave and has stated that she will take a full year's leave, so we have to keep her job open.
Author: Aunty B on
9 March 2010
Dear Aunty B,
I have started my new business and so far so good – touch wood! But I have a question. I am doing some longer term planning and have to answer the question – how big can we get?
Author: Aunty B on
8 March 2010
Dear Aunty,
I hope you can help me. I work in a not-for-profit after working for and burning out in corporate Australia. I am in my 50s and thought that it would be a good community thing to do. It's a nightmare. The place is hopelessly run, has no money, but if you talk about the need to actually get some money in the door everyone looks at you as if you are some crazy capitalist.
Author: Aunty B on
5 March 2010
Dear Aunty B,
Last year I decided I had had enough of creeping costs. I put posters around the office of people in army fatigues holding guns and across it in red I wrote "Declare war on costs". I then asked everyone to come to work in army fatigues and present one suggestion on how we could save costs and we got 5% cost reduction going forward.
Author: Aunty B on
4 March 2010
Dear Aunty B,
Last Friday I went to an industry lunch and was seated next to a heavyweight that I have wanted to meet for a long time. My business has a fairly high profile in the industry and I was sure he had heard of me. After 10 minutes of listening to a long and boring story of how he had conceived his third child, (his company had to fly his wife "in" at the right time of the month so they could do the deed, I kid you not), I tried to change the subject and asked him if he had been busy and did he note a pick up in the industry?
Author: Aunty B on
3 March 2010
Dear Aunty B,
My husband and I have a growing small business that we have both been working full-time in for over two years. Up until now we have focused on reinvesting in the business but we think it's time to ensure that we are also building our personal wealth.
Author: Aunty B on
2 March 2010
Dear Aunty B,
I often deal directly with the client of a client, but this is becoming increasingly difficult, as the client's client is a control freak. It started when he told me I needed to change the way my receptionist answers the phone. The last straw came last week when he wanted to know what my weekly hours have been since the beginning of the project. I refused to give them as this is between my client and I.
Author: Aunty B on
1 March 2010
Dear Aunty B,
This time last year I promoted a promising young woman to a senior role. She has clear targets to meet and several direct reports who are very competent. While she knows what she is doing, she prefers to do most of it herself.
