Best and Worst Advice You Have Been Given at Work?

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Good morning! These are mine:

Worst (by my line manager): “You are too direct. People have complained that you are abrupt and make them uncomfortable. You need to be nicer, you are not in your home country anymore.” This shocked me at the time, I have started to worry who said this, that colleagues do not like me, I went overboard with niceties on emails and fake smiles. It must have cost me a few years of career progression and massively knocked my confidence as I felt the need to downplay myself and just be nice instead of getting work done.

Best (by a peer who was onboarding me): “Have you asked a question?” I was bringing back incomplete information for decision-making. I was not asking follow up, probing questions to get the full picture. And it was only about stock of labels on the assembly line. Asking the question (and getting better at asking the right ones) has served me for 20 years in and I have asked DD the same question multiple times to help her get savvier in life.

So, here I am asking a question to see what I can learn from others… Have a great Friday! 🌷

Watching with interest. I got told off once for leaving a pair is scissors in a shop window display once! I can't recall receiving any advice from anyone so it can't have been that memorable..

I was told my voice was not masculine enough. Also advised to find and marry an investment banker when I was sent on secondment to a US investment bank. Got to love the early 2000s!

Best: Managers don’t like surprises (ie raise things that might blow up early, ideally with some ideas for fixing it).

Worst: you’re too cerebral for the job you’re doing. Was told this by someone who is trained in the profession I finally joined 20 years later. I think she was hinting that I should consider training for her profession but hints are useless - I just felt bad that I wasn’t right for the job I was desperately trying to do.

This is not the best use of your time - have remembered this forever and apply it to everything - best

suggestion that I change my name as it looked too foreign written down - worst

Treat it as a job. Yep, I did and quit without any remorse.

I was told off for having a loud, posh, annoying voice by a simply awful little man who wore brown shoes and short sleeved shirts to work! It really isn't something I can do a lot about.

Best was actually from an ex boyfriend, you only have salary discussions occasionally: be prepared and don't be afraid to ask for more, it shows you know your worth.

Also my Dad told me that in interviews, I'm sussing them out as much as they are sussing me out.

Old friend, if you ever feel intimidated around someone just think they also have to wipe their own bottom when they go to the loo, that thought is a great leveller.

Best advice:
HR are there to protect the employer, not the employee. They are not your friends.

And it’s a bit of a cliche but: Work to live, don’t live to work!

I can’t remember any really bad advice so perhaps I’ve been lucky.

@SuperGinger in my last workplace, my salary went up with increased responsibility from £35k to £82k over nine year, and commission from £14k to £41k.

Not once it was increased on the initiative of the employer, bar ridiculous annual uplift for all staff. I asked every time, and negotiated. You don’t ask, you don’t get. That is my advice to give.

I remember two best pieces of advice. Managers don’t want to hear about problems, they want to hear solutions (it annoyed me at the time my manager told me, but it has stood me in good stead since). And it’s only [the job] - no one dies (obviously this doesn’t apply to some professions, like medicine, but it’s my mantra when I find myself spiralling about work stresses that aren’t worth my angst.

I either haven’t had bad advice or I’ve blanked it from my memory!

My best and worst are the same. Different context.

Worst: your problem is you are too nice. (Cut throat corporate type job) meant to criticise me.

Constructive: you are a good nice person and that's not what they want in management here (Same industry. Manager advising me on career progression)

Best: you are my role model. Your kindness means everything and everyone feels safe and comfortable with you. (Caring profession after retraining and starting over)

Both good advice....

Don't answer the phone until 30 mins after you've started work, and dont answer if it rings in the last 30 mins of your day. Protect those times to do key start/ finish tasks. (Appreciate this wouldn't work in some roles).

Also put your out of office on a good hour before you actually finish (e.g. when going on annual leave), so that you dont feel obliged to respond.

Write your own annual review. Big yourself up. Either your manager will disagree and you can talk about it, or they'll be glad you saved them time and you're left with a great review in the system.