DEAR READERS: I have worked at the same company for 12 years now, and I was recently promoted into a role that places me above several people who have mentored me in my career. These are colleagues who trained me, advocated for me and helped shape my professional growth, so stepping into a position where I now oversee or outrank them feels weird. I’m proud of being promoted, but I also feel awkward.

DEAR HARRIETTE: My company recently hired a new entry-level colleague to our team, and I am annoyed that I am the one who has to train her. She graduated from college last May, and this is her first job. I understand that she is not expected to know anything, but our work is fast-paced, and it’s frustrating to have to slow down for her to take the time to understand what’s going on. When I explain a task or walk her through a process, it doesn’t seem to click a lot of the time. As a result, I end up repeating myself or redoing work that I thought I had already explained, which adds to my own workload and stress.

DEAR HARRIETTE: I carpool with my friend to work. I pick her up every day because she’s on the way and doesn’t drive. We’ve been late a few times, and our job has a protocol for lateness. My supervisor doesn’t keep close tabs on our team’s timestamps, so she hardly realized when I was late. My friend’s supervisor, however, happened to notice her fourth tardy arrival and gave her a stern warning, per protocol.

DEAR HARRIETTE: I’m struggling with this weird competitive energy between me and one of my classmates.