Work Series Q&A

This is my 7th installment of my Work Series Wednesday. Every Wednesday I will be sharing stories from my work journey and other work lessons I learned. This series is called #WhitxWorkSeries!

I am dedicating today's post to all the emails and questions I have received over the past 2 weeks. You sent in questions about work culture, managing employees, advocating for yourself, and a whole host of other questions! A lot of the questions were similar so I tried to summarize in the questions below and I will be doing blog posts on a few of the others ones as those are longer topics. I want to thank each and every one of you that have emailed, shared, tweeted or commented on this Work Series. A lot of this is based off my own personal experience in the corporate world, - some of it good and some of it bad, but I am so happy I get to connect with you on this topic!

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Similar to the Toxic Work Culture Q&A post - I am going to answer the questions I received based on how I would tackle them below! *But these answer may vary based on your industry, corporate environment, and work experience.*

WORK SERIES Q&A

Q: I currently work full-time and run a fashion blog in my spare time. A co-worker recently made comments to my manager about my blog and if I was working on it during office hours. My manager now seems suspicious and has been asking me about my dedication to the job vs my fashion blog. Any tips or advice?  

• Protect yourself: Moving forward I would be cautious about doing anything with the blog during work hours. I would also strive to ensure you are complete your job to its utmost - so they have nothing to complain about. Review your job description and ensure that you are performing your duties to the fullest.
• Talk To Them: I would also schedule time with your manager (*this depends on your relationship with your management team) to address their initial concerns or circle back to ensure you're not being penalized - or ask for 'their' definition of your job to ensure you are aligned. I would also review your employee handbook and make sure you are not violating any social media guidelines.
• Search for other options: Always have a backup. It's definitely a pain to search for a job but it's not worth it to spend 40 hours a week at a place you feel miserable. I would tune-up your resume and see what is available for your current skill set.

Q: As a guy, in the wake of the #METOO movement, I struggle with what I should be doing to help. We are not all jerks - so how do I be a better ally to women? Especially in the workplace?

A: I appreciate you emailing about this issue. It's important to remember that women can't change everything on our own and we need allies in the workspaces and in positions of power to help. Here is what I would keep in mind and do to help be a better ally:

• Recognize Your Privilege - The reality that you live in is not the reality of women and minorities. Men are given automatic positions of authority just by being male, especially white males. Recognize that this comes with leeway and power that others do not have.
• Time to Listen and Learn  - You may have good intentions, but it doesn’t mean it’s your time to have a voice. This is the perfect time to stop and listen to the women around you. It's time to learn from their experiences.
• Engage With Other Men - With the privilege that most men have comes the ability to create new dialogue and call attention to issues that may get overlooked. Help validate the concerns and issues being raised by women in your workplace. Give them your support.

Q: I was told by my boss that they are expanding my role and giving me two people to manage on my team, but are not compensating me. No title or raise is associated with this change to my position. Any advice?? 

A: This is a hard one and really depends on your contract or employment agreement:

• Roles Can Evolve: Employers can change and evolve roles as a company grows.  But if you had a specific contract or expected job description then I would go back and review that to see if managing people and the other expanded duties are included.
• Turn a Negative into a Positive: I would look at this role change as an opportunity for career growth. This change sets you up to develop new skillset around management.
• Setup Time to Negotiate:  I would schedule a meeting with your boss and find a way to negotiate additional incentive around the expanded role. If they cannot provide a raise, ask for management training or a timeline to a raise based off the new role.
• Last Resort: The last resort would be to find a new job and leave. But only go this route if you are really unhappy or the expanded role is not something you feel you can sustain.

OUTFIT DETAILS: Purple Coat from Nordstrom, ASOS leopard sweater, Banana Republic Jeans, Cap Toe Heels from ASOS (old), Louis Vuitton Purse

photography by Michelle Moore

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Please let me know if you find these Q&A post helpful? I am happy to do more of them! Or submit a question and I will feature it in the next Q&A!

If you have any questions or wanted to be featured in the Work Series – please email me! I would love to hear from you.

Make sure to read my other Work Stories:

the 1st Installment: WHY I LEFT THE CORPORATE WORLD             The 2nd Installment: I RAGE QUIT MY JOB

The 3rd Installment: TOXIC WORK CULTURE Q&A                             The 4th Installment: I LOST 25LBS