I’m baaaaack! Happy new year, friends! And for the record, EOD today is the last possible (socially acceptable) time to say that, so get it out now if you feel the need.

While getting back into the routine of accepting meetings that should be emails and emails that should be nothing can be brutal, I’m jazzed to get back to answering your Qs, because for some reason you guys think I have answers? JK, keep sending them here!

Let’s get to today’s lesson in *checks notes* honest communication.

—Rod

P.S. I know I’m like a “professional” social media guy, but I’m super excited about our brand new WorkDaze IG. Follow us here and, as always, send memes.

The Baby-Sitters Club

 question 
I took a new job partially because I love my new boss. But turns out *her* boss "can't trust" junior employees and insists on micromanaging everyone on the team. This helicopter boss called a colleague who's taking (unpaid!) leave for burnout "lazy" and banned PTO for everyone for Q1. I've been working 13+ hour days at 200% and chugging Celsius just to get through the day. It's giving so many red flags but it feels way too early to quit. What should I do??—Kate

 answer 
Been there, it sucked, never wanna go back. So let’s figure this one out together. Because Celsius is good and all…but you need a longer-term solution that won’t give you the jitters.

It sounds like your boss’s boss (shall we call them “Micromanager?”) may be overmanaging others because they’re undermanaging themselves (read: don’t want to do the work).

That’s manifesting like this: First of all, you have a babysitter despite being a grown a*s adult. And second, your direct boss (let’s call her “Good Boss”) is being forced into playing the part of a “culture carrier.”

• Culture carriers are people like Good Boss. They live the company’s values, they’re encouraging, they’re fun to be around.

• But…they’re also often the first volunteers to take on more work as a show of dedication and loyalty to the company—despite the burden that it really is.

And when you pair a Good Boss culture carrier with a Micromanager? You get the current ~situation~ you’re dealing with. Which, let’s be honest, isn’t really putting you in a position to grow or to dedicate yourself to the work you’re doing. Bad news all around.

So what are you to do? Pull out the HR card (that should be a new feature in Millennial Monopoly). It’s not on you or Good Boss to carry the whole team on your back all while having Micromanager peer over it.

So HR it is. HR’s job is to help create healthy work environments…which it sounds like your team is sorely lacking. Meet with your HR lead and express how a better management vibe would reduce stress and solve for bottlenecks within your team. 

And don’t be afraid to be honest in communicating how draining your team’s work/life balance is—because it sounds like you wouldn’t be alone in telling the higher ups that change has to happen or else you’re walking.

And if that doesn’t work? Update your résumé. If you don’t see any signs of change, it may not be the type of company you want to work for anyway.

Good Boss Energy

 question 
I have just accepted an offer for a promotion and part of my new role involves directly managing a new hire. This will be my first time as somebody’s manager and I really want to do a good job without coming across as a try-hard. Any tips for a first-time leader?—Molly

 answer 
First of all, congrats!!! We love good news around here, especially given…*references to all the headlines about mass layoffs* everything.

Whether your management style is more Sylvie or Madeline, her are a few things to help you be a really good boss (who doesn’t helicopter 😤).

Look at the past. Think about what you liked and talked to your therapist about didn’t like about previous leaders and build your management style from there. While everyone’s work style is different, something that really excited you (or tbh peeved you) in a previous workplace is probably going to do the same for your new direct report.

Have open communication. Early on, ask this new hire what they’re hoping for from you as their boss—but also be sure to set the expectation that you are only one person. You don’t want to overpromise and under-deliver come 2023 EOY check-ins.

Set (reasonable) goals for yourself. Being promoted to a management position shows major career growth. If you want to keep climbing that proverbial ladder, think about what you did that helped you get to this point and set some goals that will keep moving you forward.

Remember that everyone is human. I think one of the most important things about being a good boss is having compassion and actually treating people more like people and less like Seabiscuit (great movie, btw). Check in with your employees and let them know that no job is more important than their well-being. And be sure to lead by example with that one.

But the tl;dr is that being a manager is a big responsibility and you’ll grow into a better boss with every triumph and every mistake. The fact that you are already actively looking into how you can be the best leader possible? I’ve got high hopes for you. 

Got a Q for me to A? Submit yours here.

Things to Slack your work besties

...while putting in for your next PTO after being OOO for 10 days.

2023 Mood: Do Not Disturb. Easier said than done, but forgetting our phones and enjoying the moment can be a really nice change of pace in a world where we can video chat with our pets (PetCube if you’re reading this ily).

Pop your collar, slip on your Mudd jeans, and come to Top 8, a nostalgic dance party where I promise to transport you back to your Limewire days (minus the computer viruses). Grab your tickets for upcoming cities including Atlanta, Nashville, New York, and D.C. here! 

Mark Woodley is what all of us wish we could be when we end up doing work outside of our job description. The KWWL sports reporter was put on weather duty after the recent winter storm canceled sporting events for a few days, and let’s just say he wasn’t very chill about it. 

One last thing: We’ve been at this whole newsletter thing for two months, which is a really long time in both middle school relationships and modern media. So let’s get to know each other better! Fill out this super quick survey and, as they say in the biz, tell me about yourself.

Okay, that’s it for today! I’ll see you back here on Monday where I’ll talk about new year resolutions and why it’s okay to make ‘em then break ‘em.

IDK WHAT DO I KNOW?! LMAO!

—Rod