Leadership Office Politics Work Culture

The Exit Interview Trap: Why It’s Better to Lie
My honesty was weaponized, and I’ll never make that mistake again

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The fastest way to learn a company’s true culture is to tell the truth in an exit interview. I learned this lesson in a glass-walled office, watching an HR representative’s pen race across her company-branded notebook, transforming my candid feedback into something I would barely recognize. Promises and pretense Eight weeks earlier, I’d bounded through …

Leadership Office Politics Women in Tech Work Culture

Professional Time-Wasters: Fake Interest in a Suit and Tie
What I learned after sitting through one too many pointless pitches

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Some meetings exist only to prove they happened. I recognized the exact moment my meeting with the company’s chief technology officer shifted from possibility to performance. His eyes glazed over at my proposal like I’d just started reading him the tax code. His thumb flicked up lazily on his phone. A barely contained sigh. A …

Leadership Office Politics Women Work Culture

I Spoke to My Boss Like a Starbucks Barista. The Results Were Disturbing.
How a simple tone shift exposed everything wrong with workplace hierarchy

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My boss stood in my office doorway, arms crossed. “Victoria, the client presentation needs to be completely redone by tomorrow morning.” “Absolutely! I’d be happy to make those changes for you,” I replied, my voice rising half an octave. “Is there anything specific you’d like me to focus on?” The words felt sticky-sweet in my …

Leadership Mental Health Office Politics Women Work Culture

My Mentor’s Career Advice Made Me Part of the Problem
I thought she was protecting me. Instead, I became what I feared.

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Diane had a way of making even a casual coffee meeting feel like a battlefield strategy session. The espresso machine hissed behind us as she dissected my latest career mistake. I’d shown empathy to a struggling team member, offered flexibility when she was going through a divorce. “Never expose yourself like that,” Diane said, stirring …

Leadership Office Politics Women Women in Tech Work Culture

I Stopped Being Every Woman’s Mentor — And Helped More Women
How breaking a gender obligation led to better support for everyone

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Sarah cornered me in the break room, coffee in hand, desperation in her eyes. “Just five minutes?” I already knew where this was going. Another mentoring request. Another coffee chat. Another hour I didn’t have. For years, I had been the go-to person for every woman struggling with workplace politics, impostor syndrome, and career roadblocks. …