Do you want a fresh start to your work life? Dan and Alison answer your questions with the help of Wendy Wood, a social psychologist at USC Marshall School of Business and the author of Good Habits, Bad Habits: The Science of Making Positive Changes That Stick. They talk through what to do when you’re bored to tears in your current job, you’re being recruited by an exciting company right after a disappointing promotion, or you feel stymied in a role you thought was going to be great. From Alison and Dan’s reading list: HBR: The Key to Making New Year’s Resolutions Stick by Francesca Gino — “As it turns out, temporal landmarks like the New Year do help motivate us to reach our long-term goals when such goals are salient in our minds. This is because these landmarks trigger reflection and thus can potentially highlight the gap between our current behavior (such as watching TV every night or overspending) and our rosier, desired future behavior (working out every night or saving more).” Book: Good Habits, Bad Habits: The Science of Making Positive Changes That Stick by Wendy Wood — “A decision to ask for a raise at work starts with setting an appointment with your boss. You carefully phrase your request and outline your reasons. Or, you decide to add some romance to your life by asking that attractive person at the gym to meet for coffee. After some deliberation, you find an appropriately casual way to do so. Decisiveness works in these one-off events. We make our decision, steel our resolve, and muster our strength to follow through. Other parts of our lives, however, are stubbornly resistant to executive control.” HBR: Is It Time to Quit Your Job? by Amy Gallo — “Everyone has bad days at work or even long periods when they feel disheartened about their job. But how do you know the difference between ordinary, occasional dissatisfaction and a genuine mismatch? How do you know when you’re truly ready to move on? And how do you then get out gracefully?” HBR: Managing Yourself: Five Ways to Bungle a Job Change by Boris Groysberg and Robin Abrahams — “People who switch organizations—whether they’re wide receivers changing football teams or general managers going to new companies—all face similar problems. It’s not just about the learning curve. Moves of all kinds entail significant internal and external challenges and transaction costs: upheaval in your home and social life; potential relocation expenses; adjustments to new cultural and political norms; navigation of unclear expectations; and the need to learn a new canon, skill set, and jargon.”

Are you being treated unfairly at work because of your gender? Dan and Alison answer your questions with the help of Michelle King, the director of inclusion at Netflix. They talk through what to do when you and other women on your team are being marginalized, you’re a man experiencing reverse discrimination, or gender bias is blocking your advancement.  From Alison and Dan’s reading list: HBR: What Most People Get Wrong About Men and Women by Catherine H. Tinsley and Robin J. Ely — “We do see sex differences in various settings, including the workplace—but those differences are not rooted in fixed gender traits. Rather, they stem from organizational structures, company practices, and patterns of interaction that position men and women differently, creating systematically different experiences for them.” HBR: To Address Gender Bias at Your Company, Start with Teams by Todd Warner and Michelle King — “Until organizational leaders have the bravery to take a holistic look at diversity and inclusion and understand their true drivers, we’ll be stuck with half-day workshops. And as we all know, a half-day workshop just won’t cut it.” HBR: How Men Can Become Better Allies to Women by W. Brad Johnson and David G. Smith — “But including men in diversity efforts is not as simple as inviting them to a gender-equity event. These efforts often reveal reluctance, if not palpable anxiety among targeted men. Sexism is a system, and while it’s a system that privileges men, it also polices male behavior. Understanding that is important to changing the system.” HBR: Diversity Policies Rarely Make Companies Fairer, and They Feel Threatening to White Men by Tessa L. Dover, Brenda Major, and Cheryl R. Kaiser — “We do see sex differences in various settings, including the workplace—but those differences are not rooted in fixed gender traits. Rather, they stem from organizational structures, company practices, and patterns of interaction that position men and women differently, creating systematically different experiences for them.”

Are you underqualified for the job you want? Dan and Alison answer your questions with the help of Obed Louissaint, IBM’s head of talent. They talk through what to do when an MBA isn’t enough to get you into your desired role, you’re trying to keep your skills current as you spend more time managing people, or you want to return to a fast-moving industry after a long stint in another field. From Alison and Dan’s reading list: HBR: You Don’t Need to Meet Every Qualification to Apply for a Job by Art Markman — “Organizations expect people who are new to a role (and particularly people who are new to a firm) to grow into the position. They want new hires to ask a lot of questions, to seek out mentoring, and to even make a few mistakes as they get acclimated to a role.” HBR: Your Workforce Is More Adaptable Than You Think by Joseph B. Fuller, Judith K. Wallenstein, Manjari Raman, and Alice de Chalendar — “The gap in perspectives is a problem because it leads managers to underestimate employees’ ambitions and underinvest in their skills. But it also shows that there’s a vast reserve of talent and energy companies can tap into to ready themselves for the future: their workers.” HBR: How to Master a New Skill by Amy Gallo — “You may be jazzed up about learning how to speak in front of large audiences, but does your manager value that? Unless you absolutely need the skill for your job, or for a future position, it’s unlikely you’ll get money for training or support from your manager. Gaining a new skill is an investment and you need to know upfront what the return will be.” HBR: 7 Skills That Aren’t About to Be Automated by Adam J. Gustein and John Sviokla — “Today’s young professionals grew up in an age of mind-boggling technological change, seeing the growth of the internet, the invention of the smartphone, and the development of machine-learning systems. These advances all point toward the total automation of our lives, including the way we work and do business. It’s no wonder, then, that young people are anxious about their ability to compete in the job market.”

Is the right career move coming at the wrong time? Dan and Alison answer your questions with the help of Daniel Pink, the author of When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing. In front of a live audience, they talk through what to do when you’re poised for a better role but have to wait six months, you want your company to seize an immediate market opportunity, or you’re trying to correct a mistimed job move. From Alison and Dan’s reading list: HBR: When to Stick with Something — and When to Quit by André Spicer — “Perseverance has received lots of support in recent years from a variety of schools of research. One is from psychologists studying grit. They have found the capacity to stick to a task — particular when faced with difficulties – is a crucial factor in explaining the success of everyone from kids in the national spelling bee to recruits at West Point to Ivy league undergraduates.” Book: When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing by Daniel Pink — “After standing watch hour after hour without a break, our mental guards grow tired. They sneak out back for a smoke or a pee break. And when they’re gone, interlopers—sloppy logic, dangerous stereotypes, irrelevant information­—slip by. Alertness and energy levels, which climb in the morning and reach their apex around noon, tend to plummet during the afternoons.” HBR: Should New Grads Take Any Job or Wait for the Right One? by Jodi Glickman — “Evaluate opportunities, not based on whether they are “right” or “perfect” for your long-term goals but based on whether you’ll gain something now that will be useful later. Specifically, think about three criteria: will the job you’re considering offer experience, credibility, or income?” HBR: When to Take Initiative at Work, and When Not To by Sharon K. Parker and Ying (Lena) Wang — “Consider which initiatives are worth driving, and before taking one on, ask: Do I have enough personal interest and professional expertise to lead it? Do I have the time and resources to execute it? Allow some initiatives to be led by others.”

Has your team checked out? Dan and Alison answer your questions with the help of Richard Boyatzis, a management professor at Case Western Reserve University and coauthor of the book Helping People Change. They talk through what to do when a colleague wants the status of a prominent role but doesn’t want to do the work, employees are leaving the company at a high rate, or your subordinate resists doing any additional work.  From Alison and Dan’s reading list: HBR: How to Motivate Your Problem People by Nigel Nicholson — “Everyone knows that good managers motivate with the power of their vision, the passion of their delivery, and the compelling logic of their reasoning. Add in the proper incentives, and people will enthusiastically march off in the right direction.” Book: Helping People Change: Coaching with Compassion for Lifelong Learning and Growth by Richard E. Boyatzis, Melvin Smith, and Ellen Van Oosten — “In our attempt to coach a person seeking help, most of us naturally take a problem-solving approach, focusing on the gaps between where they are and where we think they should or could be. We are trying to fix them. This does not work well, if at all, to motivate sustained learning, change, or adaptation.” HBR: A Guide to Managing a Volunteer Workforce by Joe McCannon and Hahrie Han— “The belief that you need to convince, cajole, or manipulate people into joining your cause is wrong. People who volunteer generally don’t do it because you’ve worn them down with messaging. Once someone has expressed interest in volunteering, strive to learn what their dreams are in order to help make them come true.” HBR: How to Tell an Employee They Didn’t Get a Promotion by Rebecca Knight — “It’s no fun to tell employees that they’ve been passed over for a promotion — especially if you value them and their work. What’s the best way to deliver the bad news? What can you say to make sure they don’t lose interest in their jobs or hold grudges against you or the decision makers?”

Do you or your team have way too much to do? Dan and Alison answer your questions with the help of Amy Jen Su, an executive coach and the author of The Leader You Want to Be. They talk through what to do when you’re struggling to get things done at a new job, a coworker is stressed about their work, or you and your team disagree about whether they’re overworked. From Alison and Dan’s reading list: HBR: Make Time for the Work That Matters by Julian Birkinshaw and Jordan Cohen— “More hours in the day. It’s one thing everyone wants, and yet it’s impossible to attain. But what if you could free up significant time—maybe as much as 20% of your workday—to focus on the responsibilities that really matter?” Book: The Leader You Want to Be: Five Essential Principles for Bringing Out Your Best Self—Every Day by Amy Jen Su — “Many of us face the constant quandary of wanting to do more, advance and complete our initiatives, expand our impact in new and exciting ways, and be the best versions of ourselves we can be. But we’re all limited by the finite hours in any given day. Our challenge is figuring out how to get everything done within that set framework—and without sacrificing too many of the things that make life meaningful outside work, such as time with family and friends, personal interests, and exercise.” HBR: What to Do If Your Team Is Too Busy to Take On New Work by Dutta Satadip — “A perennial management challenge is figuring out how to minimize the amount of time employees spend on low-value tasks — the repetitive, transactional tasks that have to get done, but often seem to take up an inordinate amount of time. It’s not possible to eliminate all transactional tasks, but by diving into the details of existing processes, leaders can challenge the status quo and help simplify processes that reduce these tasks.” HBR: How to Tell Your Boss You Have Too Much Work by Rebecca Knight — “These days it seems like most people have too much on their plate. Everyone complains about feeling overworked. So how do you tell your boss you simply have too much to do? No one wants to come across as lazy, uncommitted, or not a team player. How can you protect your image as a hard worker while saying uncle?”

How do you feel when you have to do something new or difficult? Dan and Alison answer your questions with the help of Andy Molinsky, a professor at Brandeis International Business School and the author of Reach. They talk through what to do when you’re terrified of giving presentations, big changes at work make you uneasy about the future, or your voice quakes when you deal with conflict.  From Alison and Dan’s reading list: HBR: If You’re Not Outside Your Comfort Zone, You Won’t Learn Anything by Andy Molinsky — “Start with small steps. Instead of jumping right into speaking at an industry event, sign up for a public speaking class. Instead of speaking up in the boardroom, in front of your most senior colleagues, start by speaking up in smaller meetings with peers to see how it feels. And while you’re at it, see if you can recruit a close friend or colleague to offer advice and encouragement in advance of a challenging situation.” Book: Psyched Up: How the Science of Mental Preparation Can Help You Succeed by Dan McGinn — “There’s a reasonable body of evidence that doing a routinized set of pre-performance activities—ritualized, superstitious, or not—really can help someone perform better.” HBR: When Was the Last Time You Took On a New Challenge? by Karen Firestone — “Other research has shown that learning something hard can help expand our creativity. And although it seems unlikely that swimming an open water race or learning to paint would help in one’s job of writing software or managing employees, the broader benefits of pushing ourselves may be positive for colleague relationships, productivity, and task comprehension. Plus, acquiring new skills is enjoyable..” HBR: How to Handle Stress in the Moment by Rebecca Knight — “You hear a lot of advice about how to reduce stress at work. But most of it is about what to do over the long term — take up yoga, eat a healthy diet, keep a journal, or get more sleep. But what do you do when you’re overcome with stress in the moment — at your desk, say, or in a meeting? Perhaps you’ve heard bad news from a client or were assigned yet another project. How can you regain control?”

Are you struggling to recover from a setback? Dan and Alison answer your questions with the help of Neil Pasricha, a former Walmart executive and the author of You Are Awesome. They talk through what to do when your confidence is shattered by bad reviews, you’re in a difficult situation that you don’t know how to navigate, or you want to be a high achiever again after plateauing for a while. From Alison and Dan’s reading list: HBR: How to Build Confidence by Amy Gallo — “Very few people succeed in business without a degree of confidence. Yet everyone, from young people in their first real jobs to seasoned leaders in the upper ranks of organizations, have moments — or days, months, or even years — when they are unsure of their ability to tackle challenges. No one is immune to these bouts of insecurity at work, but they don’t have to hold you back.” Book: You Are Awesome: How to Navigate Change, Wrestle with Failure, and Live an Intentional Life by Neil Pasricha — “Because resilience is a skill we now have in very short supply. Not many of us have been through famines or wars or, let’s be honest, any form of true scarcity. We have it all! And the side effect is that we no longer have the tools to handle failure or even perceived failure.” HBR: Overcome the Eight Barriers to Confidence by Rosabeth Moss Kanter — “Confidence is an expectation of a positive outcome. It is not a personality trait; it is an assessment of a situation that sparks motivation. If you have confidence, you’re motivated to put in the effort, to invest the time and resources, and to persist in reaching the goal. It’s not confidence itself that produces success; it’s the investment and the effort. Without enough confidence, it’s too easy to give up prematurely or not get started at all. Hopelessness and despair prevent positive action.” HBR: 2 Ways to Regain Your Boss’s Trust by David DeSteno — “If your competence is in question, be prepared for a longer slog. Competence isn’t based on motivations, and therefore can’t be altered as readily. Put simply, competence is skill-based, and if your manager doesn’t believe you possess skills you ought to have, it will take much effort to remedy.”

Is a coworker getting on your nerves? Dan and Alison answer your questions with the help of Amy Gallo, the author of the HBR Guide to Dealing with Conflict. They talk through what to do when a coworker acts like their responsibilities are beneath them, a colleague you referred to the team is being aggressive and sneaky, or a fellow team member is coasting while you’re putting in long hours. From Alison and Dan’s reading list: HBR: Strategies for Working Smoothly with Your Peers by Rebecca Newton — “The goal is not to reduce the frequency with which we disagree with peers, or with which they disagree with us. The goal is to change how we feel about these conversations. Ironically, it’s by stepping further into the uncomfortable – through having courageous conversations, carving out seemingly impossible time to think, and being more willing to say and hear a variety of opinions – that we increase our comfort and confidence with peers.” Book: HBR Guide to Dealing with Conflict by Amy Gallo — “Luckily, however, when handled well, conflict can have positive outcomes. It can help you be more creative, spark new ideas, and even strengthen bonds with your coworkers.” HBR: How to Deal with a Slacker Coworker by Carolyn O’Hara — “We’ve all worked with someone who doesn’t pull his own weight — a colleague who checks Facebook all day, takes two-hour lunch breaks, and never meets a deadline. But as irritating as it can be, you shouldn’t become the behavior police unless their slacking is materially affecting your work.” HBR: The Best Teams Hold Themselves Accountable by Joseph Grenny — “The role of the boss should not be to settle problems or constantly monitor your team, it should be to create a team culture where peers address concerns immediately, directly and respectfully with each other. Yes, this takes time up front. But the return on investment happens fast as you regain lost time and see problems solved both better and faster.”

Is your organization going through some big shifts? Dan and Alison answer your questions with the help of Katie Burke, the chief people officer of HubSpot. They talk through what to do when you’re ready to move up but there’s no one to take over your role, you’re expected to work on too many projects with too little support, or layoffs are happening but your boss isn’t giving you more responsibility. From Alison and Dan’s reading list: HubSpot Careers Blog: How to Embrace Change at a Fast-Paced Company by Emily Ricco — “If we all tried to communicate more, it would significantly impact everyone’s ability to cope with change. But instead of trying to control everyone else’s communication strategy, focus on starting with yours.” HBR: The Network Secrets of Great Change Agents by Julie Battilana and Tiziana Casciaro— “First, formal authority may give you the illusion of power, but informal networks always matter, whether you are the boss or a middle manager. Second, think about what kind of network you have—or your appointed change agent has—and make sure it matches the type of change you’re after.” HBR: 5 Behaviors of Leaders Who Embrace Change by Edith Onderick-Harvey — “To infuse change agility into your culture, mid- and front-line leaders — who are closest to the markets, customers, and daily operations — need to be encouraged and incented to see opportunities in what they do every day. They need to look beyond this month or this year to identify trends and take action.” HBR: Research: To Get People to Embrace Change, Emphasize What Will Stay the Same by Merlijn Venus, Daan Stam, and Daan van Knippenberg— “ In overcoming resistance to change and building support for change, leaders need to communicate an appealing vision of change in combination with a vision of continuity. Unless they are able to ensure people that what defines the organization’s identity — ‘what makes us who we are’ — will be preserved despite the changes, leaders may have to brace themselves for a wave of resistance.”