144 episodes

Weekly Advice for the Working Stiff: Having problems with people at work? Does your boss suck? Do your co-workers drive you crazy? Tim McClure and Chris DeSantis are here to help. Each week Tim and Chris take on your most outrageous workplace questions and concerns. Their advice is sometimes spot-on, sometimes salty, and sometimes funny. (Funny, as in “haha” not as in “I’m funny how? I mean funny like I’m a clown? I amuse you? I make you laugh?”) They’re good guys, not Goodfellas.

Cubicle Confidential Tim McClure & Chris DeSantis

    • Business
    • 4.9 • 44 Ratings

Weekly Advice for the Working Stiff: Having problems with people at work? Does your boss suck? Do your co-workers drive you crazy? Tim McClure and Chris DeSantis are here to help. Each week Tim and Chris take on your most outrageous workplace questions and concerns. Their advice is sometimes spot-on, sometimes salty, and sometimes funny. (Funny, as in “haha” not as in “I’m funny how? I mean funny like I’m a clown? I amuse you? I make you laugh?”) They’re good guys, not Goodfellas.

    Crushes

    Crushes

    Tim’s much-maligned reference shelf includes the American Heritage dictionary which defines a crush as:  “a usually temporary infatuation.” This week we help listeners work through the twists and turns of office obsessions. Chris waxes poetic about the rotary phone and the dating scene at Illinois Bell. Plus:  back by popular demand – the word of the day!
    Segments in this episode
    2Good 2Be 4Gotten in Tulsa- "My boss is hot. Can I? Should I? How do I?”Word of the day:  A noun … 10-letters … defined as “the tendency to perceive a specific, often meaningful image in a random or ambiguous pattern” … can you guess the word?Daddy Issues in Des Moines - "We are dealing with a perilous paternal paradox”We want to hear about the drama, the dilemmas, and the conundrums that you face at work! All names will be changed to protect the guilty and innocent.
    Email us: info@cubicleconfidential.com.
    Thanks for listening! Connect with us on LinkedIn!

    • 33 min
    Lasting Impressions

    Lasting Impressions

    Sometimes it’s hard to stand out from the crowd, sometimes it’s hard to hide.  We help listeners chart a course into -- and out of – the spotlight. Plus: an apology to Sean Evans, the “pretend agent” that launched a career, and the all-too-common confusion around Patrick Stewart and  Patrick Swayze.
    Segments in this episode:
    TV NV in NYC - “I want an internship but I’m not in Kansas anymore”Kitemath is an award-winning design team specializing in corporate communications. They work across media to solve problems and help companies connect with their employees, consumers and other key audiences. We thank Chris and Jen for designing our new logo.  Learn more about this amazing firm and the high-impact work they do at Kitemath.com.It’s Funny until someone Dies in Pittsburgh - “OMG, I emailed a carton about a stupid boss to my stupid boss”The Gist: “5 Ways to Make a Lasting Impression” by Jeff Vijungco from TheMuse.comWe want to hear about the drama, the dilemmas, and the conundrums that you face at work! All names will be changed to protect the guilty and innocent.
    Email us: info@cubicleconfidential.com and connect with us on LinkedIn.
    Thanks for listening!
    Thanks for listening! Connect with us on LinkedIn!

    • 32 min
    It’s 420 (discussing weed at the workplace)

    It’s 420 (discussing weed at the workplace)

    Recreational marijuana is all the buzz but what happens when Mary Jane dances a little too close to the office? We explore the complicated tapestry of state law, company policy and individual liberty. Is pot the new alcohol or is it a little more complicated?  On a completely unrelated topic … Chris, Tim and Jack talk about their favorite binge-worthy snacks. 
    Segments in this episode
    Taking the High Road in Durham - “I saw my employee smoking a joint!”Purely Hypothetical Scenario: If – for whatever reason – you suddenly get the munchies, what is your go-to snack?Dazed and Confused in Vancouver - “My staff wants a new kind of office party”The Gist: “Marijuana in the Workplace … How to Craft an HR Policy” as published by HSIWe want to hear about the drama, the dilemmas, and the conundrums that you face at work! All names will be changed to protect the guilty and innocent.
    Email us: info@cubicleconfidential.com.
    Thanks for listening! Connect with us on LinkedIn!

    • 42 min
    Mission: Implausible

    Mission: Implausible

    When does a stretch goal become a fool’s errand? This week listeners share their challenges with unrealistic expectations both foreign (from a client) and domestic (from the boss). Chris shares one of his favorite tools for assessing personality types and channels his inner Ross Perot.
    Segments in this episode
    Baffled in the Bay Area - “S.O.S., the boss is setting beyond-audacious growth targets!”Fishing for Sponsors: DiSC® is a personal assessment tool used by more than one million people every year to help improve teamwork, communication, and productivity in the workplace.  Learn more at DiSCProfile.comDoing the Hustle in Houston - “My client’s fake deadlines are causing real problems”The Gist: “10 Strategies for Dealing with Difficult Customers ” by Skye SchooleyWe want to hear about the drama, the dilemmas, and the conundrums that you face at work! All names will be changed to protect the guilty and innocent.
    Email us: info@cubicleconfidential.com.
    Thanks for listening! Connect with us on LinkedIn!

    • 34 min
    Artificial (vs. All-Natural) Intelligence

    Artificial (vs. All-Natural) Intelligence

    Intelligensia Artificialis is not a real phrase but it should be. We tackle two takes on the omnipresent A.I. system, Chat GPT. How can a freelance writer stay relevant? If you find time in your day, should you ask for more work (or just play)? We close with a quick tour of A.I. trends for 2024. Bonus quiz: what do acoustic guitar, snail mail and cloth diaper have in common?
    Segments in this episode
    Man vs. Machine in Philly - "How can I keep A.I. from taking my writing gigs?”Fishing for Sponsors: Back by popular demand … a live, on-air taste test of spicy gummies from Pakistan, made possible by our friends at ExoticSnackGuys.comHAL’s the Word in Hartford - "Chat GPT cut my writing time in half, should I ask for more work?"The Gist: “Will A.I. Take Your Job? Fear of A.I. and Trends for 2024” by Kazimierz RajnerowiczWe want to hear about the drama, the dilemmas, and the conundrums that you face at work! All names will be changed to protect the guilty and innocent.
    Email us: info@cubicleconfidential.com.  
    Thanks for listening! Connect with us on LinkedIn!

    • 37 min
    Pet Peeves

    Pet Peeves

    What to do when a co-worker’s pride and joy becomes your noisy nemesis?  A cry for help as the office devolves into a petting zoo. In a first for the podcast, we help two listeners from the same company! Plus, an homage to a dark chocolate-enrobed peppermint confection.
    Segments in this episode
    Hound from Hell in Accounting - “How do I handle this furry miscreant?”An interlude: waxing poetic about the York Peppermint Patty (and the other Peppermint Patty)To Hell with this Menagerie in Accounting - “The office looks and smells like Noah’s Ark”The Gist: “How to Create a Pet Policy for Your Office” by Julie Thompson from Business.comWe want to hear about the drama, the dilemmas, and the conundrums that you face at work! All names will be changed to protect the guilty and innocent.
    Email us: info@cubicleconfidential.com.
    Thanks for listening! Connect with us on LinkedIn!

    • 33 min

Customer Reviews

4.9 out of 5
44 Ratings

44 Ratings

sabbajay ,

This podcast is so great!

I absolutely love this podcast! I have learned so much about the workplace and how to navigate it. The hosts are so funny and so clever and they obviously really like each other, yet they can disagree on fundamental things, which makes it a really honest podcast.I’ve learned more from this podcast than from all the books I’ve ever read. This is indispensable. Absolutely love it!

Liz Mar-1 ,

Where’s Mary?

I miss the banter between Mary and Chris—the show doesn’t have the same fun vibe as before.

Yorktown83 ,

Sensible approach to work dynamics

This podcast is the most complete, common sense approach to navigating through a myriad of workplace obstacles. Chris and Mary discuss a wide range of solutions and perspectives that you can relate to. Keep it going!

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