Dear Office-Politics
I work for a very large world-wide distribution center. My location, however, is a very small “off spring” branch that has only two employees, myself and the branch manager.

Let me start by saying I love my job! I love the people I deal with over the phone, the few walk in customers and the work load.

My problem… My Manager. I am at my wits end. I honestly don’t know where to turn. I know that if I were to do the things my boss does, I would have been fired!

He spends most of his days surfing the internet and posting in chat rooms. When he’s not playing on the computer he’s on his cell phone. He is a part time police officer and many a time he is called away for police related work. He has left our store to go to court. I am told that if upper management calls, I’m to say he is on a sales call. Upper Management is aware of his part time position, but has little knowledge of his leaving our office for his police duties. Several days at work he is so tired from his night shift that he will go into his office to sleep for hours. I am told not to disturb him.

Since I’ve work at this company, a little over a year, I have seen him go through four different relationships where his relationship problems have always been brought into the work place. I have witnessed arguments over the phone where he has gone off in a tirade of insults and swearing, while I’m left praying that a customer does not come into the store. His latest fiancee arrives at our store every morning for an hour of talk and coffee. He will leave our office every day between 1 to 2 hours earlier than his scheduled departure time.

Whenever anything goes wrong… it’s always my fault. Even when I show him that the error is his, he is never to blame. He is a very moody person prone to mood swings. He has been on several different medications for his depression and is ALWAYS sick! He always has a concealed weapon on his person. I once asked if this was allowed since our building has a strict No smoking/No weapons… and I was told that he is above the law… he is a part time police officer who does not have to answer to our building code. He’ll smoke at our front counter without hesitation. He has been rude to our customers. He is very lazy. Rarely will he pick up the phone, knowing that I will take the call. He truly does not want to be at our company, but he is paid very well. Our store is doing very well and makes a good profit… especially within the last year.

If I were to go and complain, he would know where the complaint came from. He would make my work extremely difficult. He has a terrible temper, and I don’t trust him when he’s angry. I’m frustrated that his manager does not come into our branch more often. I feel that I’m all alone and no one will help me. I love my job. I want to continue learning, but my boss has no desire to teach. I don’t know where to turn or what to do. I want to keep my job. I HAVE to work. My family depends on my incomes. My husband was recently laid off and my boss knows this. I work hard for my income and have no complaints of the work load. However, I need to feel safe. I’m afraid if I complain I will not be protected by Upper Management. After all… it’s only he and I that work at this branch and he will know that the complaint was initiated by me.

Please…. Please… any advice you could provide would be greatly appreciated and strongly taken into consideration. Thank you in advance for your time and help! I write to you in the strictest of confidence!

Working Scared

OFFICE-POLITICS REPLY BY DR. JOHN BURTON

Dear Working Scared,

You are indeed in a delicate and difficult situation. You are right to be very cautious in how you deal with it.

The first consideration is your personal safety, both physically and psychologically. Dealing with your manager may provoke a retributive response from him. Even if he did not become violent, it appears likely that he would do all that he could to make life unpleasant for you if he was aware that you were behind any disciplinary action from upper management.

There are three possible course of action that occur to me.

1. Confront your manager directly
2. Report his behaviour to his manager
3. Leave your job

A fourth possibility is to continue with the status quo, but that is obviously not sustainable. You will reach a breaking point at some time. You are wise to be seeking a better option.

Examining the first alternative (Confront your manager directly), I do not suggest this is an appropriate way to approach the issue, nor is it likely to succeed given the nature of your manager. Following this course of action would call for you to sit down with him, telling him how his behaviour is affecting you and seeking to develop a course of action that will allow the two of you to work towards a mutually agreeable resolution. To say that this is unlikely to go well with this personality is putting it mildly.

Clearly this situation is one of inadequate managerial supervision. Given that your store is doing well in sales it is not totally unsurprising that upper management has not been watching more closely. Many firms are content to let matters go along without adequate oversight if the numbers are good. It may be that upper management is more aware of the situation than you imagine, but feels that if the store is profitable they are willing to put up with it.

In pursuing the second option (Report his behaviour to his manager) you need to proceed with great caution. The first thing to do is to keep a careful record of your manager’s behaviour for at least a month, several would be better. You don’t need to tape his conversations or make notes right at the moment. In an unobtrusive way, however, you should write down everything that seems out of line to you. Note down the time he arrives and the length of each personal phone call. Make a note of the swearing, the smoking and the carrying of a firearm. Times and dates are critical.

The next step is the really delicate one and it depends in part at least on the nature of your relationship with your manager’s supervisor. If you really don’t know the person then you need to proceed with great caution. Call the person and ask for a private and confidential appointment at a location away from your store, perhaps in another town. Tell them that you have some concerns about the working relationship with your manager and ask if they are able to provide some support so that the problem can be addressed. You should present yourself as seeking advice and willing to work with the company to address a mutual problem, rather than presenting a list of demands that will make the supervisor feel defensive.

At this point the ball is really in the supervisor’s court and your next move depends on his/her response. If your read is that the concerns are being taken seriously and that you will be supported and protected during the process, then proceed. If not, if you feel that the supervisor is not going to act appropriately or may take your manager’s side, then thank her/him for their time and leave. At this stage you may have burned your bridges and the only reasonable way forward may be to leave your job.

If, however, the supervisor appears to take your concerns seriously and offers the sort of support that you feel will protect your interests and safety, then I would suggest that you share with them that you were advised to take a note of your manager’s behaviours that are of concern and here they are. The next step will be up to the supervisor.

The challenge here is that the supervisor is not doing his or her job adequately. They are not exercising their managerial role. You are not, however, in a position to tell them what to do, or even to coach them very effectively. If the supervisor is not willing to do their job, then I do not see any way forward that is not fraught with the same, if not more, trials and tribulations than you now face.

That brings us to the third option: Leave your job.

One of the things that makes a difficult situation untenable is the sense we often have that there is no choice. If you really need a job and you like much of what this one involves and there are few other opportunities nearby, then you are likely feeling really stuck and powerless. One way to change that is to find yourself an alternative – even if you don’t take it. Sit down with your spouse and work out what the two of you might do if you left your job. Could you move somewhere? Could you find an alternative position, even if at a lower salary, even if it was less pleasant in some of its details?

If you have no option you have no bargaining power. A colleague of mine working in a professional position faced a somewhat similar dilemma in that he felt trapped in a job he did not like. Part of his response to the dilemma was to look around the small town he lived in and see what other work was available. The only thing he could identify was a job at the local supermarket stocking shelves. He and his spouse sat down and did the budget and figured out how they could make that work. He did not, as it turned out, take the grocery job, but realizing it was available and that they would not starve if he did gave him a renewed sense of empowerment that helped him feel better about his original job.

My suggestion is that you begin with that approach. Develop an alternative to continuing in this position. And then, seriously ask yourself if it is not in fact a better alternative. If you would prefer to try to work things out where you are, you do so from a position of increased power, which is always helpful.

A final note, your manager sounds like an irresponsible, perhaps violent and certainly unpredictable character. Before taking any action that might alienate him you need to assess very realistically whether it is worth the risk. Based on what you have described my instinct is to say your best course of action is to leave, but I know that is not an easy thing to contemplate.

I wish you well in this difficult situation. Thanks for writing to Office-Politics.

Yours truly,

Dr. John Burton

Dr. John Burton LL.B. M.B.A. M.Div. Ph.D. is an ethicist, mediator, lawyer and theologian. He has taught alternative dispute resolution at Queen’s Law School and Ethics at the Schulich School of Business. John was recently located in Prince Rupert, B.C., Canada, working with Canada’s aboriginal communities. He is now teaching at UBC, Okanagan Campus.

The first five minutes of any job interview are critical in the selection process. For candidates seeking employment at a job fair, an initial interview with a company may last only five minutes.

BY JOHN A. CHALLENGER

A job seeker has to be qualified in order to get the job but there will always be several other people who are equally qualified as far as the interviewer is concerned. In the end, you will be hired because the interviewer personally likes you the best, not necessarily because you are the most qualified in the field of candidates. And many interviewers, especially in a job fair situation, will know whether or not he or she likes you the best within the first five minutes!

First impressions are vital, knowing that the interviewer will be speaking with several candidates within a short period of time. If you do not make a good impression immediately, the chances are that you will not be able to recover, however excellent your qualifications are for the job. It is a sobering thought to the average job seeker. It means that you have little margin for error in presenting yourself.

If you do make a mistake or present yourself in an unfavorable manner in the interviewer’s opinion, you have erased your likability factor. If you wish to sell any product successfully, it is necessary to know all you can about the product. In respect to the job search, the selling is done at the job interview and the product you must know so thoroughly is yourself.

To maximize your chances of having a successful interview, keep these points in mind:

• Look the interviewer directly in the eyes and smile when you meet, with a firm, but not hard, handshake. You may be surprised how important those initial gestures are to the interviewer’s impression of you. If you avert your gaze, you may give the interviewer the impression of being shifty or unsure of yourself. If you give the person a “wet fish” handshake instead of a solid one, the impression may be that you are timid and ineffectual. If you crush the interviewer’s hand, the pain will dim your lustre. Smiling sounds simple but is one of the most important rules of the interview. It sets the tone for the entire session, projecting you as a pleasant person. Make it a point to look at the interviewer directly when you are answering his or her questions.
• Body language is also important. Do not fidget. Assume a comfortable posture from the outset and avoid shifting your position or crossing and re-crossing your legs. If you do, it may give the interviewer a message that you are uneasy or nervous, it can be translated into the perception you are trying to conceal something that you do not want the employer to know.
• Know your resume thoroughly and be ready to elaborate on any point contained in it. Resumes do not get jobs; interviews do but you have to be in mental command of all of your important accomplishments. You cannot take the chance of trying to ad-lib an unprepared answer to a pivotal interview request such as, “Tell me about yourself.” Interviewers are after specific information about job candidates, not generalities. That is why you should commit your major accomplishments to memory before going into any interview.
• Always try to be “up” psychologically for the interview. That is often the most difficult thing to do, especially if you have been job hunting for some period of time, but it is very important for the success of the interview. If you appear downcast or depressed, or are unresponsive to the interviewer’s questions or listless in your approach, you will rule yourself out of consideration for that job. Interviewers want enthusiastic, happy people who show a strong interest in the job. If you do not, another candidate most assuredly will.
• You must do everything you can within moral bounds to get a job offer, and then evaluate it. Do not be overly concerned about what the job is in the beginning. Get the offer and then decide if you want it! You should listen for clues as to what the interviewer wants and try to be the person he or she wants you to be, within the scope of your own skills, desires and talents. Anticipate the interviewer’s questions as much as possible and be ready with all of your homework done. Then let the interviewer pick and choose what is to be discussed in the interview.
• Bear in mind that your potential employer is operating within a limited amount of time, and will talk about what is important to him or her. Therefore, you should be non-directive: allow the interviewer to choose exactly what he or she wants to talk about. Most interviews last 20 to 30 minutes at the maximum, so that is no time for you to interject with an agenda of your own or discuss points that you think should be covered. Doing that is an invitation to an early exit.
• Be relaxed: it relaxes the interviewer. Focus all of your attention on the employer. You want him or her to feel witty, charming, urbane. Why? Because it makes the person feel good and the better the individual feels in your presence, the more likely you are to be making a favorable impression.
• Respond to the interviewer’s hospitality; accept anything that is offered. Even if you do not drink coffee, if the interviewer offers it, take a sip or two and then just leave the cup. Let that person be the host and you be the gracious guest.
• Dress appropriately: conservative business suits, shirts and ties for men; suits or conservative dresses for women. Avoid any excesses such as long hair, heavy jewelry or earrings for men, flashy dresses or excessive makeup for women. If you handle all of these matters well, you should make a favorable impression on the interviewer — but do not forget to ask for the “order” before you leave.

Win or lose in the first 5 minutes of a job interview © 2009, Challenger, Gray & Christmas;

Dear Office-Politics,

I work at a police department. I am in a “non-sworn” position. My job is to analyze crime - identify crime series/trends/patterns, do tactical and strategic analysis, etc. I am a department of one which makes things difficult as I don’t automatically have anyone who “Has my back”. And I’m dealing with different “Teams” of people - like patrol, detectives, problem oriented team -etc.

I have been told by others that they see me as intelligent and passionate about my job. But I feel some of the detectives (one in particular) stonewall me - and then the other detectives always have his back. Below is an example of a recent situation:

I identified a burglary series. I did a lot of work mapping out the burglaries, making a speadsheet, creating a bulletin with all of the pertinent information, and I also took the extra step of typing out all of the stolen property by case number so that if the detectives find out where the property is they can easily identify the property since our Records department was behind in data entry. What I did was very time-consuming. After I was done I told the property detective that we had a series going on to give him a heads up, and I told him that I was working on a property sheet, etc. He doesn’t want to hear about it because he has yet to get the case assigned to him. After he gets the case assigned (the next day) he starts being cold to me. If I walked in the room he’d turn his back to me, he stopped acknowledging me when he walked by my office, etc.

When the Sgt (his boss) is back at work a week or so later, I also let him know that I have the property sheet available (because I didn’t want to do anything to sabotage the case). Well, a few nights ago, patrol located the suspect and a house containing a lot of stolen property and the detectives get called out to the scene. Neither the detective nor the Sgt calls me to obtain the property sheet. They were able to identify a lot of the property but it would have been much easier if they had this sheet. Again, it is not my responsibility to put together this information, I just did it to be nice and helpful. When I got to work I found out they were searching a house so I asked another detective if they had this property sheet. He said, “No” but that they had been “Looking all over for it”… Again, they could have easily called me but chose not to. I called the Sgt and he told me the detective DID have the property sheet - but he really just had a couple of recent bulletins I had distributed with the most recent items stolen.

The next day I have a meeting with the detective LT and the Sgt. Neither one is my boss. The LT basically tells me that the detectives are frustrated with me because they think I can be “Pushy” and I need to understand that the detectives have A LOT of cases and they might not get to the series right away. Apparently this detective felt like by me giving him this heads up, I was trying to get him to immediately work this case. When my intention was to let him know it looks to be part of a series and let him know what I’ve done to assist (trying to be helpful). They basically want me to have empathy for THEIR work, yet nobody has any empathy or consideration for my time/work, etc. To make matters worse, the detectives are OFTEN goofing off - they play catch daily - even went outside one day and threw a football around (and no it was not their lunch). They are always sitting around chatting, while EVEN homicides will go unsolved (CSI employees are also often frustrated). So I have a difficult time having empathy for their caseloads when they have so much time to play. (But no, I never brought this part up - I didn’t think it would go over well.) When I asked the LT and Sgt what they wanted me to do differently, they had NO ANSWER. They were stumped! The Sgt seemed to “Get It” and realized he needs to educate the detectives on my role in the department - but I doubt he actually will because the culture is such that the sworn personnel rarely hold each other accountable - I often see the non-sworn become the scapegoats.

I have a difficult time doing my job - sharing information with patrol, etc - when the detectives withhold information from me. And it bothers me that they seem to try to dampen my enthusiasm. I asked them if they would prefer me to just provide this type of info to LT/Sgt and they can pass it on to detectives but they want me to go directly to the detectives - yet when I do, I get this nasty reaction. So I feel like I’m in a no-win situation.

Any advice?

Thanks,

No Clues

OFFICE-POLITICS REPLY BY TIMOTHY JOHNSON

Dear No Clues

When I first started consulting work, a wise mentor pulled me aside and reminded me that a consultant can never care more than the client. I found the advice odd, but I quickly learned how accurate it is. As the “outsider” we consultants become aware of things that our cubicle dwelling cousins don’t see because their blinders are on. Some of the issues we uncover are sacred cows, those “hands off” issues which are more sensitive. It sounds like your relationship with the detectives is similar to my relationship with some of my past clients.

I did some digging for you…

Because I volunteer with law enforcement, I was able to go right to the source for some insight on your letter. One of my good friends is a Lieutenant who oversees a role similar to yours. You mentioned your work with the Sergeant and the Lieutenant who oversee the detectives, but you never mentioned who your commanding officer is, so I’m assuming you answer up through some chain of command within the department, so let’s start there. Have you talked with your boss about “watching your back” and explained to him or her some of the challenges and frustrations you are facing? First and foremost, you need an ally within the department, and there should be nobody more qualified that the person who authorizes your existence.

Pick up clues

The second issue I saw in your letter had more to do with marketing and demand than it did with office politics. You need to demonstrate your value visibly to the detectives. Yes, it’s one thing to “be nice” and do analysis that’s not part of your job, but this gesture was not well received. I’m curious, where are you physically located within the department? Do you sit among the detectives so you can interact with them on a regular basis? Do you attend their meetings? One of the traits of an excellent detective is observation. Are you watching the detectives? Are you able to observe their hot buttons? If you are around them regularly, you can hear comments like, “I sure wish we had this information…” or “Why can’t we ever get X data when we need it?” Then you can respond to the things your client cares about, rather than making assumptions about the crimes you think they should care about. If you are physically around the detectives more, and if you listen to their needs, that should provide you with clues on how to proceed with your work priorities. If you are not physically co-located with the detectives or are not attending their meetings, talk with your boss to make these happen. And once you’ve had the opportunity to provide visible value which is appreciated by the detectives, then you can move on to being more proactive. You need to sell your skills to your customer… only then will they “buy in” to the services you provide.

Play Ball to Build Alliances

Besides your own boss, you might consider doing some alliance building. As I mentioned, I’ve been around police enough over the past two years to recognize that, for lack of better phrasing, “boys will be boys.” (Yes, there are plenty of women officers, too, but it sounds like you might be dealing with a male-dominated network.) Instead of criticizing them for playing catch during the day, join them. Often times, they may be verbally processing cases while they are out playing, and you could be missing out on that information because you are sitting inside stewing that they’re outside playing catch. There are considerable stressors for any job, but few rival what patrol and detectives encounter on a daily basis, so these outlets during the day are healthy ways for them to do their jobs. As one who supports them, you need to be fostering a spirit of partnership and camaraderie rather than antagonism. Find a detective or two with whom you already connect on some level and take them out to lunch. Let them become your cheerleaders with the one who appears not to like you.

What you want in your back pocket

Finally, documentation would be a good thing to have in your back pocket. If you share some analysis with a detective via email, save that as “evidence” you’ve shared it so they can’t come back and claim you were withholding information from them. If you share something in person with a detective, send them an email later: “Hey Detective Tom, glad we had a chance to talk about the evidence. I hope the burglary analysis spreadsheet I gave you is helpful. If you need any further assistance or more information, please don’t hesitate to contact me.” This provides you with proof that you did give physically give them the information, and it puts the ball in their court to contact you if they want more. The next time the sergeant or lieutenant call you into their offices to accuse you of not sharing information with the detectives, you will then have an email in your SENT folder to show otherwise.

I hope these help. Thank you for writing to OfficePolitics.com

Regards,

Timothy Johnson, Author & Consultant

Timothy Johnson is the Chief Accomplishment Officer of Carpe Factum, Inc. His company is dedicated to helping individuals and organizations “seize the accomplishment” through effective project management, strategic facilitation, and business process improvement. His clients have included Harley-Davidson Motorcycles, Wells Fargo, ING, Principal Financial Group, and Teva Neuroscience. Timothy has managed projects ranging from a $14 billion class action lawsuit settlement to HIPAA compliance, from software conversion to process reengineering, from strategic IT alignment to automated decisioning, from producing a training video to creating a project office environment. He is currently an adjunct professor at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, teaching MBA classes in Leadership, Managing Office Politics, Creativity for Business, and Project Management.

An accomplished speaker, Timothy has enthusiastically informed and entertained audiences across the nation on the topics of project communication, office politics, creativity, and meeting management. He has written two books, both business fables: Race Through The Forest - A Project Management Fable and GUST - The Tale Wind of Office Politics.

By Steve Farber, Author of Greater Than Yourself

“Now,” Ken wrote, “for the last 4 weeks I sat at my cubicle, web surfing for 8 hours a day at the same company where I once worked 39 hours straight with my team to make things right, never going home. I’m not a quitter; I don’t want to leave. But — just or unjust — I feel stripped of everything we’ve done. So the advice I’m looking for is this: How do you get back up?”

A while back, I received a distressed email from Ken, a young manager at a high-tech company. Ken and I had never met, but he had read my first two books and had done his best to apply the ideas and practices of Extreme Leadership to the way he’d led his team. To their culture, their work ethic, their camaraderie. When necessary, Ken told me, they would band together and work hard — 10 to 20 hours a day at times — to solve a problem or meet a pressing need. Ken’s wife would cook food for everyone and bring it to the office. They felt like a family, he said, committed to doing great work and devoted to one another’s success. No one ever complained, least of all Ken. At one point, he’d even forgone his bonus so his employees could collect theirs.

And then something happened. A downturn, a re-org, a shift in the management structure — we all know the drill. Ken still had a job, but his position was eliminated. New management full of old ideas came in to oversee the department’s function and the emotional fibers that connected Ken’s team to each other and to their work unraveled.

“Now,” Ken wrote, “for the last 4 weeks I sat at my cubicle, web surfing for 8 hours a day at the same company where I once worked 39 hours straight with my team to make things right, never going home.

“I’m not a quitter; I don’t want to leave. But — just or unjust — I feel stripped of everything we’ve done” he said. “So the advice I’m looking for is this:

“How do you get back up?”

Even though I’ve spent the last 20 years coaching leaders and consulting to management teams, I was still loath to respond. After all, I had only the sketchiest of details about Ken’s situation, and it was just presumptuous of me to assume I could help him with a few pithy words of advice. Nonetheless, I did have an idea for him, and I instinctively felt that it could make a huge, positive difference in Ken’s life — and in the life of those he worked with.

And it wasn’t the kind of management or leadership advice you’d expect.

It’s already become a cliché to say that we live in unprecedented, challenging times. We all know it. But the truth is, the world of work is always challenging. That’s why they call it “work.”

No matter the industry, market, or type of company you work in, you’ve had to deal with some combination of the classic work-place obstacles, issues, and barriers to a successful leadership experience.

At some time or another, for example, you’ve reported to bosses or people in positions of “greater authority” who were self-centered at best, and idiotically egotistical at worst. They took all the credit and none of the blame and could care less whether or not you succeeded or failed. Or worse, they preferred that you’d fail, and took great pleasure in your struggles because they felt it made them look stronger.

Or perhaps you worked in a company that, even though populated by terrific human beings, was so obsessed with the bottom line and shareholder value that you were forced to make strategic decisions that compromised your own employees’ abilities to serve the customer. And as your employees grew more frustrated, the customer satisfaction levels plunged, which made you and your employees more frustrated. And so on.

You may have been in an environment that was hyper-competitive to the point of paranoid, risk-averse to the point of stifling, or so political that it made you consider running for local office just to get some relief.

We’ve all experienced some combination of these themes with varying levels of intensity. And we’ve all spent some amount of time and energy navigating our way through the challenges that come from trying to lead in those conditions. It’s just the price we pay for being managers. And human beings.

We still get knocked down from time to time. Sometimes way down.

Now, add to that the current, sucking implosion in the economy, and it’s easy to see why, with all our efforts to be positive, productive leaders, we still get knocked down from time to time. Sometimes way down.

Our knee-jerk reaction in times of crisis is to hold on tighter, to be more cautious in our actions, and more protective of our resources. We think that our way out — or up — will come by virtue of shoring up and hoarding what we have.

Counterintuitive advice in hyper-competitive times

There is, however, a much more powerful course of action, which — though counterintuitive in these hyper-competitive times — is based on a timeless reality of true leadership:

Your own greatness as a leader lies, paradoxically, in your ability to cause others to be greater than yourself.

Said another way, your (and my) best way out of a leadership challenge or crisis is not to focus on your own peril or rut, but, instead, to reach out and try to boost someone else over your head.

The idea should sound familiar. It’s really just a variation on the “do unto others” sentiment of the Golden Rule, a philosophy that exists in virtually all religions, schools of thought, and philosophies on the planet. And in none of those versions — not one — will you find a footnote saying, “Does not apply Monday through Friday between the hours of 9 to 5 or in any situation where a paycheck is involved.”

So the solution I offered to Ken was this:

Instead of wallowing in your own despair, pick someone at work to invest in, with the intent of making that person greater than you are. Be a coach, guide, or mentor in the truest, most personal sense of the words by choosing someone to be your GTY (Greater Than Yourself) project, and see what that does to your own predicament, your own state of mind.

Maybe it was out of desperation, but as surprised as he was by the curve ball I’d thrown him, Ken took my advice and agreed to the challenge.

Two weeks later, Ken wrote to say that he’d thought deeply about our conversation and had come to realize that before he could lift someone else up by sharing his knowledge and experience, he needed to be sure that he had learned the right lessons from the recent team trauma. So he’d met with his boss, and asked for feedback on how he could have acted differently, what he may have done to contribute to the problem, and how he could be a better leader in the future. “The 30 minute meeting turned into a 2 hour confessional,” said Ken, which resulted in him learning some hard, “gold lessons” about himself.

“Now,” he continued, “I’ve already started to work with a tech on my team who wants to be a manager. And I’m taking a vow,” he said, “to make the people around me better — as I continue to grow myself. I’m going to teach my children about this, too.” Ken, it seems, has gotten his energy back, and he’s well on his way to getting back up — by lifting someone else.

We’re all human, just like Ken. And just like him, we all get bashed down from time to time. Next time, try to resist the temptation to pull yourself up by the proverbial bootstraps, and reach out to pull someone else up, instead. Go find someone to be your GTY project, and ask them to do the same.

And don’t be surprised if — through your example — your whole organization, company, or team rises to establish itself as the new gold standard of leadership.

Copyright © 2009 Steve Farber author of Greater Than Yourself: The Ultimate Lesson of True Leadership

Support Office-Politics.com by ordering Greater Than Yourself on Amazon

About Steve Farber, Author
Steve Farber, author of Greater Than Yourself: The Ultimate Lesson of True Leadership, the president of Extreme Leadership, is a leadership consultant and speaker, and the author of the national bestseller The Radical Leap, and The Radical Edge. He lives in San Diego, California. His best-selling book, The Radical Leap: A Personal Lesson in Extreme Leadership was recently named one of The 100 Best Business Books of All Time. His second book, The Radical Edge: Stoke Your Business, Amp Your Life, and Change the World, was hailed as “a playbook for harnessing the power of the human spirit.” His newest book, Greater Than Yourself: The Ultimate Lesson of True Leadership, has just been published by Doubleday/Random House.

Dear Office-Politics,

I have a coworker that has done everything in her power to get under my skin and a lot of time I feel like there is very little I can say because I am afraid it will be seen by HR or others as me being the Macho guy. She promoted herself to our level and has only a high school degree. She yelled at me today in front of a lot of other people and I just walked away. But I think it is time for me to take action and register the fact in writing. Understanding that I have to communicate with her what should I do. I wish I could look for another job but the economy is not good now. How do I deal with an angry black woman?

Thank you,

You’ve Got Male

OFFICE-POLITICS REPLY BY TIMOTHY JOHNSON

Dear You’ve Got Male,

OK, let’s back up here. You mention this “angry black woman” has done everything in her power to get under your skin. I guess I’m a little at a disadvantage to know what that means. Outside of taxidermy “customers,” it’s my understanding that we among the living still control who or what gets under our skin. Is she making snide comments to you or about you? Have there been other “yelling” incidents? Does she wear obnoxious perfume? Has she made comments actually referring to gender or is that your own inference?

The reason I ask is simple: sometimes we create drama in our own mind that may or may not exist.

If her behavior is bad, you do not need to become the macho caveman and drag her around by her hair to persuade her to behave in a professional and civilized manner. My first boss out of college was truly one of the meanest and most ill-tempered trolls you could ever dread meeting. At first, I thought she was a rabid man-hater. And then I started LISTENING to her comments. While she did have man issues, her main problems were displacement and projection; her ex-husband’s name was also Tim and she was punishing me for his past transgressions. Now that she’s two husbands beyond him (and she’s numerous bosses behind me), I’ve learned that she does have issues with other men professionally. Being able to diagnose the real root cause of her issues helped me to take away some of her power. When she would make comments like “You do such-and-such like my ex-husband” I would respond by saying, “That’s an amazing coincidence. I’m glad I’m not him, though, given how you obviously feel about him.” By listening, and by redirecting her comments, I was able to keep the gender issue out of it.

One thing I would challenge you to think about is whether you personally have issues with gender, race, or education… rather than attributing them to HR or your female coworkers. Your letter seemed to hit on three sensitive areas of diversity, and without having the benefit of specific issues that your coworker has done to set you off, it can be perceived that the problem of perception lies with you.

Assuming the nature of her problem is behavioral and/or verbal, your best bet is to get on an even playing field with her and attempt to resolve the issue as adults. Do no raise your voice, do not storm off, and do not join in the fray of battle. Examples of possible responses might include, “Susan, that’s an interesting reaction to this issue. Would you mind explaining why you feel so strongly the way you do so I can understand your point of view better?” This will help defuse her volatile actions to you.

If she continues, you might say, “Susan, this is not acceptable behavior for professionals to engage in. Perhaps we need a third party to help us sort this out. I will schedule some time with our manager, so we can explain our respective points of view. I’m sorry we couldn’t resolve this ourselves.”

Be cordial. Be professional. Be calm and steady-handed. If she brings up the gender or the race cards, again just redirect the conversation: “Susan, I thought we were discussing accounts receivable. I don’t recall the issue of gender or race being introduced into the conversation. Let’s please stay on task with this issue.” It sounds like you are already thinking about documenting these instances, which is very smart.

I know the economy is bad right now, and it is rough for a lot of people who feel stuck in a situation and feel they cannot change. Try to provide yourself with some stress outlets in the meantime. My Office-Politics.com colleagues, Joshua and Marty Seldman, recommend yoga (yes, yoga!) at your desk. Their book, Executive Stamina, has been a wonderful resource for me personally. Other techniques include visualization or even just giving yourself opportunities to get up and walk around outside for your break. Above all, look for opportunities to prove yourself to be the professional you want others to perceive you to be.

I wish you the best. Thank you for writing to OfficePolitics.com

Regards,

Timothy Johnson, Author & Consultant

Timothy Johnson is the Chief Accomplishment Officer of Carpe Factum, Inc. His company is dedicated to helping individuals and organizations “seize the accomplishment” through effective project management, strategic facilitation, and business process improvement. His clients have included Harley-Davidson Motorcycles, Wells Fargo, ING, Principal Financial Group, and Teva Neuroscience. Timothy has managed projects ranging from a $14 billion class action lawsuit settlement to HIPAA compliance, from software conversion to process reengineering, from strategic IT alignment to automated decisioning, from producing a training video to creating a project office environment. He is currently an adjunct professor at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, teaching MBA classes in Leadership, Managing Office Politics, Creativity for Business, and Project Management.

An accomplished speaker, Timothy has enthusiastically informed and entertained audiences across the nation on the topics of project communication, office politics, creativity, and meeting management. He has written two books, both business fables: Race Through The Forest - A Project Management Fable and GUST - The Tale Wind of Office Politics.

Dear Office-Politics,

I‘m a recently hired college grad, and I was asked back three times during the interviewing process. On the third time I hadn’t prepared the night before, and I was on the train three stops away trying to conjure up good questions. I recalled one really good one my sister suggested. I was supposed to research it on the web, but I decided to just ask the question. So I asked “Have there been any incidences of sexual harassment?” hoping to get insight on how they would handle a situation. It was a last minute question that turned into a bad idea. I’ve been in sexually charged workplaces before. I’ve been blatantly ogled, and been told sexually suggestive things. I never reported anything. I deal with those things daily; it bothers me, but I can’t change people.

The CFO commended my bold comment that he says women don’t ask enough, and then on how well prepared I’d been. The HR manager turned pink, and then went on about how she understands. I accepted an offer, and on my first day she went on about how she was fondled in the workplace eons ago. She appeared unsettled, but understanding. Apparently, she went and told some co-workers on my floor before I started that I asked about sexual harassment, and that I was a risky hire. She said “She thinks she’s hot, and she thinks someone’s going to do something to her.” I always maintain a modest appearance and demeanor. That was character assassination.

Every office has a gossiper; ours should be a crier. Now, everyone likely thinks I’m some kind of black widow who’ll scream rape the minute a man walks past me in a dark corridor. Today, I was having a work-related conversation with a male co-worker. When we began talking about my home city he recently took a business trip to, he casually asked me about my high school. That’s when the office gossiper yells; “Watch it K***!” She had this look of worry on her face, and he looked up at her as if he understood. I’m humiliated. I was advised not to confront the gossiping HR Manager, or consult with the CFO; because she’ll get defensive and make my job hard, and CFO’s just don’t have time for interpersonal crap. I was told that those interviews were confidential. What should I do?

College-Grad-Getting-an-Education

OFFICE-POLITICS REPLY BY JENNIFER GLUECK BEZOZA

Dear College Grad,

I agree with your assessment that the HR manager committed “character assassination” towards you. When she relayed to several soon-to-be colleagues that you inquired about incidents of sexual harassment in the interview, and asserted that you have a high opinion of your appearance and think someone is going to make a move on you (with absolutely no basis of proof), she acted unprofessionally and exemplified the antithesis of “model-HR” behavior.

Since we cannot take a “do over” on your final interview, nor take back the HR manager’s slanderous words, it seems unproductive to belabor the incidents further. Instead, I will focus on how you can move forward from here.

First, let’s focus on the good news. The fact that you even know what the HR manager said behind your back demonstrates you have formed at least one ally who is willing to tell you the truth. While it’s not something you probably have thought about celebrating, having just one friend at work can make a significant difference in your job satisfaction and commitment at work (as Gallup Research shows).

I would tend to agree with the advice you have received on whether to confront the CEO and/or HR manager. I think approaching one or both at this point would only continue to highlight the unfortunate interview conversation, and the perception that you are a “risky hire.” In addition, I suspect confronting the HR manager about a lack of confidentiality would only create defensiveness and potentially lead to more slandering of your character.

I think humor might be the right antidote for convincing your colleagues that you are a trustworthy and reasonable woman, and not the “black widow (as you say), who will scream rape when a man walks past you in the corridor.” For example, you referenced an incident, whereby a colleague asked you an innocuous personal question (e.g., where you went to high school), and then he got openly chided by another colleague for potentially “taking things too far” with you.

Should this type of incident occur again, I think you could light heartedly confront the elephant in the room, and respond by saying there seems to be some false rumors circulating, and you are actually perfectly comfortable talking about your high school and even willing to go to lunch (!) with a male colleague. Obviously the humor has to feel authentic and comfortable for you. Using humor is a smart way to diffuse the tension and show your colleagues that you are not easily offended and that you are also able to respond to a situation in a positive and reasonable manner. You want to show that you put little weight on these comments and others should too.

In addition, you want to put your focus on doing good work and adding value for the organization. Over time, your colleagues will come to see that you are a very likable professional, and not the “risky hire” that was purported. That is the sweetest revenge.

I hope these thoughts are helpful. Thanks for writing Office Politics!

Best,

Jennifer Glueck Bezoza, MA

Jennifer Glueck Bezoza specializes in leadership development and career coaching. Through her work in Organizational Development at the Visiting Nurse Service of New York, Jennifer designs leadership development programs, and coaches teams and individuals. Previously, Jennifer led GE Commercial Finance’s employee engagement initiative and also served as an HR Generalist at GE. In addition, she worked as a consultant at Towers Perrin.

Jennifer holds an MA in Social-Organizational Psychology from Columbia University and a BA in Psychology from Stanford University. Jennifer is continuing her education through an executive coaching program at New York University.

Dear Office-Politics,

I‘m a recently hired college grad, and I was asked back three times during the interviewing process. On the third time I hadn’t prepared the night before, and I was on the train three stops away trying to conjure up good questions. I recalled one really good one my sister suggested. I was supposed to research it on the web, but I decided to just ask the question. So I asked “have there been any incidences of sexual harassment?” hoping to get insight on how they would handle a situation. It was a last minute question that turned into a bad idea. I’ve been in sexually charged workplaces before. I’ve been blatantly ogled, and been told sexually suggestive things. I never reported anything. I deal with those things daily; it bothers me, but I can’t change people.

The CFO commended my bold comment that he says women don’t ask enough, and then on how well prepared I’d been. The HR manager turned pink, and then went on about how she understands. I accepted an offer, and on my first day she went on about how she was fondled in the workplace eons ago. She appeared unsettled, but understanding. Apparently, she went and told some co-workers on my floor before I started that I asked about sexual harassment, and that I was a risky hire. She said “She thinks she’s hot, and she thinks someone’s going to do something to her.” I always maintain a modest appearance and demeanor. That was character assassination.

Every office has a gossiper; ours should be a crier. Now, everyone likely thinks I’m some kind of black widow who’ll scream rape the minute a man walks past me in a dark corridor. Today, I was having a work-related conversation with a male co-worker. When we began talking about my home city he recently took a business trip to, he casually asked me about my high school. That’s when the office gossiper yells; “Watch it K***!” She had this look of worry on her face, and he looked up at her as if he understood. I’m humiliated. I was advised not to confront the gossiping HR Manager, or consult with the CFO; because she’ll get defensive and make my job hard, and CFO’s just don’t have time for interpersonal crap. I was told that those interviews were confidential. What should I do?

College-Grad-Getting-an-Education

Dear College Grad,

Your analysis is probably correct that, unfortunately, the HR Manager has the upper hand at the moment. She is on the inside when discussions of people come up and she has an extensive, long standing network in the company.

So we agree that confronting her is a high risk and probably low reward action. There are, however, two proactive steps you might take that may soften the impact of these unintended consequences from your question on sexual harassment.

The first is that it might be helpful to talk with the Human Resources manager in a non-confrontational way that attempts to clarify a misperception. You could take her out to lunch and explain that you realize the question you asked was unusual and actually a last minute suggestion from your sister. Tell her that, in reality, this is not a concern for you because in the past you have always been able to deal with situations in a quiet, effective manner. That has always worked for you and you are confident you can handle situations, should they come up, in the same way going forward. Tell her the reason you are mentioning it is that upon reflection you see that you could have created a misperception. If she seems receptive, ask for her help in correcting this perception with the CFO if it exists.

This is not guaranteed to work but it has a decent chance of sending her a message about the perception and a foundation for going back to her if it persists.

The second thing we suggest is to accelerate your network building activities. It is important that people get to know you and form connections. Try to understand their roles, challenges, agendas etc and see where you can add value. It is important to take advantage of opportunities for people to form their opinions of you independent of the gossip.

Then if the “buzz” persists the people who know you will conclude you are not like that.

Regards,

Marty

Marty Seldman, Ph.D. and Joshua Seldman
Co-authors, Executive Stamina

ABOUT EXECUTIVE STAMINA
Marty Seldman, Ph.D. and Joshua Seldman, are Co-authors of Executive Stamina: How to optimize time, energy and productivity to achieve peak performance. In Executive Stamina, you’ll learn all the skills, techniques, and positive practices needed to create a sustainable path to achieve your full career potential. Renowned executive coach Marty Seldman and endurance coach Joshua Seldman will introduce you to the revolutionary training system they’ve used with great success on top executives and endurance athletes. You’ll find hundreds of tips and tools that will help you maximize your career potential, while maintaining your health, staying in touch with your values, and avoiding costly tradeoffs in your personal life.

Lately, there have been a growing number of stories about the double-dip recession in light of bleak economic reports on factory orders and consumer confidence.

BY JOHN A. CHALLENGER

For the job seeker all of this negative news begins to mount until it feels that the search for employment is entirely hopeless. Job seekers may have acquaintances telling them “XYZ company just laid off 500 people, I would not apply there.” Or, ‟You will never find a job in the telecommunications industry, it is the weakest sector in the economy.”

Pretty soon so many people are fostering these myths that they become easy to believe.

Job seeking is about the individual and being liked. Job seeking is not about how a specific industry or company is or is not performing. It does not even matter if the company is hiring. If you present the right attributes and are well liked by the interviewer, the company will create a position for you.

With the job market in its current state, there is undoubtedly a flood of myths being espoused by various parties. Following are perhaps some of the most commonly believed myths:

A company announcing job cuts or in bankruptcy should be avoided since they are not hiring.

Companies in turmoil are not only hiring but many are willing to pay a good salary to top-tier candidates.

Contrary to what most job seekers may believe, the company that is having difficulties, even announcing sizable layoffs, has a more urgent need for qualified people than many economically fit companies.

Not only do most other job seekers avoid these situations, thus reducing the competition, but such companies may be willing to pay a premium to those who can prove they have what it takes to revive the business.

Disregard the myth that adverse reports about a company mean that there are no job possibilities at that company. The fact is, someone has to run the business, and large-scale layoffs will frequently involve realignments and restructurings which can create new job opportunities.

What constitutes a company in turmoil? Look for layoff announcements, firing of the president, multiple senior level job changes, closing of facilities, rapid decline of the stock price, cutting of dividends, and negative broadcast or printed stories.

Companies today are not interested in hiring candidates over 55 years old.

Older workers are highly regarded for several reasons. For one, employers see them as valuable assets in the struggling economy because their experience and skills make them better able to do the work of two and sometimes three younger, less seasoned workers.

More importantly, companies are looking ahead — not just to a recovery sometime this year or next, but 5 to 10 years down the road when a labor force depleted by retirements will not be able to fill the jobs our economy is projected to create. As a result, it will become more and more important for companies to find ways to keep older workers from retiring.

According to the Bureau of Labor, the projected number of jobs to be filled (167.8 million) will outnumber available workers (157.7 million) by 10 million over the next decade.

If you have spent your entire career in one industry, it will be impossible to find a position in another industry.

In reality, quite the opposite is true. Companies are most concerned with a candidate’s core skills and how they can be applied in their industry. An employer may, in fact, be seeking people from outside its industry in order to gain new perspective and new ways to approach old problems.

We encourage job seekers to consider many different industries because casting the widest net possible will greatly improve one’s chance of success. Job seekers should realize that they can take their base skills, whether it is in accounting, information technology, project management or marketing, and apply them to any number of industries. There is no reason a marketing manager for a manufacturer of brake parts cannot shift his or her skills to become a marketing manager for an agricultural company or a hospital, two areas which are hiring right now.

Unless a company is advertising open positions in the newspaper or on the Internet, then do not bother contacting anyone there about a job.

A very small percentage of jobs are actually found through newspaper or Internet ads because a very small percentage of the available jobs are listed there.

Job seekers should be focused on ways to create opportunities by actually getting out and meeting people and visiting prospective employers. It is a system that results in a lot more face-to-face rejection, but in the end a job is usually found much faster.

One technique that has proven successful is simply showing up at the office of a prospective employer, without an appointment, and waiting to see the manager you want to work for (do not go to the human resource department unless seeking a position in that area).

Even if the company is not officially hiring, several positive scenarios could result: there is an opening the company was going to fill internally, but will now consider you as a candidate; there are no openings, but the manager liked you so much that he or she will create a position for you’ or the manager has no jobs to offer, but knows other companies that are hiring and will recommend you for consideration.

Follow up calls are annoying; if the company is interested they will call you.

Follow up is essential in the job search process.

The manager with whom you interviewed has at least a dozen other responsibilities on his or her plate. A follow up call and/or letter should not only remind that person that you spoke but also what separates you from other candidates.

Follow up also demonstrates your interest and enthusiasm about working for that employer.

Such a small percentage of people actually follow up these days, that the candidates who do really distinguish themselves from the rest of the pool.

Because of the economy, it is likely that you will have to accept a salary lower than what you earned in your previous position.

If an employer goes to the expense, time and effort to find a qualified candidate, it wants that person to stay. A candidate may accept a salary lower than his or her previous salary, but chances are that individual will continue job searching after being hired and leave as soon as a better offer comes along.

That being said, in a competitive job market, the burden of proving that you are worth the higher salary is much greater. The face-to-face interview, even in the Internet Age, is still the key to job search success and the ability to garner a higher salary. Candidates must be able to provide supportable evidence of their achievements for other employers and explain how their experience will be valuable to the new situation.

In this economy, companies are looking for individuals who can save money and/or make more money. So, if candidates can point to specific ideas, plans, or actions they developed which contributed to significant cost-savings for their former employer, that is going to be well-received by any employer.

The Job Hunt: Don’t Be Side Tracked by Myths About Job Market © 2009, Challenger, Gray & Christmas;

Due to the current economic conditions, companies are looking for the most profit-oriented leaders they can find.

BY JOHN A. CHALLENGER

They also aim to attract executives and managers who have a record from past assignments that defines them as successful motivators. For many in this job market, simply finding and holding on to a job takes priority over the compensation level. The key to staying on the payroll once you are able to find a job involves demonstrating to an employer that you are able to do many things during a period when many companies remain heavily focused on cost containment. You should not only do the job that you were hired to do, but you should augment it with additional work whenever possible. It may require more hours on the job and some advance planning during non-work hours, but the dividends can be significant.

Evaluate the work situation to determine how to volunteer for assignments that have not yet been made. Doing so demonstrates the type of aggressiveness that employers appreciate and will increase visibility before top-level management. Show your employer that their concerns are your concerns. Approach each job or assignment with the attitude, ‘How can we do this better?’ That type of attitude will help bolster your job security.

It is also advised for workers to find ways to save the company money and always keep the boss informed of your work accomplishments. It is not enough in many companies just to do a good job and hope that someone notices or appreciates it. Particularly in a larger firm, the company may not know what you have done for it lately. Even smaller firms may need to be reminded of your accomplishments.

Make it a point to schedule regular meetings with a supervisor to keep that individual up to date on activities and accomplishments. By doing so, job security is solidified.

Finally, one of the best ways to increase security is to be there when you are needed.

Most employees put in their 40 hours a week, use all the sick and personal leave allotted — and then some. However, this will likely not sit well with senior management, which is routinely accustomed to putting in long hours at work in today’s super-heated business environment.

Frequent absences for personal reasons or minor illnesses sends the message that the company is not the worker’s top concern. Many firms are requiring managers to work one-and-a-half or even two jobs. One does not establish a good reputation with anyone by being a clock puncher or a time watcher. Be available early and late.

Suggestions to land that job:

Do not sit home and wait for an offer.
Some job seekers intentionally narrow their prospects to the point that it becomes very difficult to get a new job. They sit at home not seeing people, which only draws out the process. You may be protecting your ego by avoiding the turndowns, but you are not getting yourself on another payroll.

Do not narrow your search to only one industry.
Often, job seekers have a fixed idea in their minds about what they want their next job to be. If they have worked in one particular industry throughout their career, they may think about looking for jobs only in that industry. The tendency is to stick to what is familiar rather than facing the unknown. Regardless of what your previous jobs were, if you narrow your prospects to only one industry you will limit your job search and probably prolong it as well.

Many people do not realize that job function skills are transferable to a wide variety of industries. Knowing that opens up a whole new world of opportunities. You should contact everyone you know even if they are not in your industry, because they might require your skills or know someone else in their field or another field who does. Sell yourself based on your skills — your experience and accomplishments from previous jobs.

Do not interview over the phone rather than face-to-face.
Some job seekers attempt to avoid face-to-face interviewing, operating on the theory that it is easier to take rejection from a disembodied voice over the phone. The great disadvantage is that this short-changes both you and the interviewer. Face-to-face lands the job!

Do not eliminate out-of-town job opportunities.
By refusing to extend the job search beyond his or her immediate metropolitan area, you reduce the possibility of rejection but also limit the effectiveness of your job search. Job hunters learned in the last recession that you increase your chances of success in winning a new job when you enlarge your field of search. When nothing was available in their home towns, they looked elsewhere, usually successfully.

Do not arrive late for the interview.
Employers expect you to be on time for the interview. Know where you are going and how long it will take to get there. Then add some extra time and plan on arriving at least 10 minutes early, instead of 10 minutes late.

The Job Hunt: How to Equal or Better Last Salary © 2009, Challenger, Gray & Christmas;

Dear Office-Politics,

We are doubling the size of our current office space due to rapid growth. At the current office where I am one of several managers, I have a corner office right next to my boss. My boss is taking the choice office at the far end of the new office space and if I move to stay close to him, I will have to give up the corner office and move into a smaller space. If I stay in my current office, I will be at the far end of the office from him.

From an organizational perception standpoint, how important is it for me to be close to the seat of power? If I do not move close will I be viewed as less important? Out of the loop? Out of sight out of mind?

Thank you.

Cushy Corner Office or Cube Dweller

OFFICE-POLITICS REPLY BY FRANKE JAMES

Dear Cushy Corner Office or Cube Dweller,

Management experts could argue this question many ways, but since you asked me I’ll weigh in with my point of view.

Power in a corporation is not from material trappings or the title on your desk. It comes from being trusted and wielding influence — whose ear do you have? Can you speak directly to the top decision-maker, or is everything you say filtered through levels of management? If your views are filtered by others you can still impact change — but it’s more difficult.

I believe that proximity and visibility to your boss is more important than having a cushy corner office. In these precarious economic times you will want to be perceived as doing your utmost to make the company successful. The optics of having a comfortable corner office could actually interfere with you communicating the “I am delivering value. I am a team player. And I am doing everything I can to help the company prosper” message. (And it could spark envy from your coworkers.)

Also, in making your decision, I would reflect on human nature.

The more casual opportunities you have to interact with your boss, the better. (So long as you are tactful and not pushy or ingratiating).

Imagine your boss coming into work in the morning. If you are in a cozy cubicle near his office, he can see you busily working away. You can give him a cheery hello, etc. You will be in a better position to pick up on subtle clues in his behavior, sense his shifting moods, and spot opportunities to help out.

If, however you are at the opposite end of the office, you are in danger of the out-of-sight-out-of-mind phenomenon. You will have to make deliberate daily efforts to show him that you are delivering the goods. Now this could be seen as overly simplistic, because in many corporations virtual or tele-commuting employees are superbly demonstrating their value — and they are not even on the premises. But it requires more effort and finesse because those workers need to offset the natural advantage of face-to-face daily contact.

Good luck and let me know what you decide! Thanks for writing to Office-Politics.

Franke

Franke James, MFA
Editor & Founder, Office-Politics.com
Inventor, The Office-Politics® Game

_________________________________________________________

Franke James, MFA is the Editor & Founder of Office-Politics.com. She is also the Inventor of The Office-Politics® Game a dilemma-based social game that teaches you how to play, and laugh, at office politics. It’s used by HR departments, and corporate trainers worldwide. The Office-Politics Dilemmas have been inspired by the hundreds of letters submitted to Office-Politics.com.

Dear Office-Politics,

I am writing on behalf of a close friend, “Jane,” who has asked me to help her find tactics to compete with a difficult coworker.

Jane has been in her current job a bit over two years. For the first year, she felt valued and generally satisfied with her position. Then another woman, “Laura,” joined Jane’s department. Jane’s work life has been deteriorating ever since.

Laura is something of an overachiever and, by what I hear from Jane (I do not work with them), a consummate politicker. Laura has ingratiated herself to their mutual superior, is chummy with many of their colleagues and appears helpful to and liked by all — except Jane.

In the course of her own work, Laura meddles in and gathers information on projects that are not her responsibility, including Jane’s. When this yields valuable lessons, Laura is selective in assisting her colleagues. She shares in depth with other co-workers while offering minimal, grudging (though civil) assistance to Jane. When Laura’s unsolicited contributions affect others’ projects, she communicates well with those concerned — again, except for Jane, who receives offhanded and unapologetic notice of important activities, if any.

When Laura’s interference has threatened the quality of Jane’s work, Jane has asserted this to her manager, requested and to a degree received support. However, based on the scope of these corrective actions, Jane feels Laura’s personal friendship with the manager results in a bias in Laura’s favor. Laura has begun to receive choice project assignments while Jane–despite her manager’s repeated assurances of her value to the department — is beginning to feel marginalized. Though Jane has not received any negative evaluations, she is concerned that she has fallen out of favor and may be at risk should any belt-tightening occur.

In short, Laura is well-liked, competent and appears to have set her sights on Jane as the person to climb over on her way up. Jane has asked me how to fight back.

Jane admits that she cannot match Laura’s seeming omnipresence or quantity of work. With this route closed, she sees two remaining strategies: strengthen and defend her own position, or expose and weaken Laura’s.

I’ve offered what advice I can but I’ve never been in someone’s cross hairs like this. Is the better course here to attack the chinks in her competitor’s armor? If so–how?

Sign me,

Concerned Adviser

Dear Abby (Concerned Advisor),

You sound like a caring, considerate, high-integrity contributor yourself, so firstly, please make sure that YOU don’t fall out of favor with Laura or go on her you-know-what list, since political operators like Laura are often facile at sniffing out perceived allies and enemies, and are quick to make judgments of “You’re either with me or against me.” Do not write anything to Jane, rather keep your input verbal.

Is Laura Overly-Political?

As you can detect, we assess Laura as not only an over-achiever, but also as possibly a bit Overly-Political. We say “possibly,” since she may just be “borderline overly political,” because it’s unclear whether she’s truly doing anything unethical even though she’s clearly self-serving. The tricky thing is that while she’s jockeying for position as many do, it’s tough to make a case that she is doing things that really harm the company, given that you describe Laura as very competent, hard-working, well-liked, and productive. So, just make sure that your assessment of her as over the line does not say more about you or Jane being UNDER-Political–– Yes, there is such a thing, quite common when good, humble people lump together “decent boldness” actions as being out of line. There is a balancing act of being unethical and merely striving to ensure that others in the organization see your handprint, building a power network, avoiding marginalization, becoming indispensable, networking for increased visibility, and paying attention to cultivating a corporate “buzz” (reputation and perception) as major contributor and inner circle member. Have you really examined which category characterizes Laura or have you both over-judged?

Is keeping Jane out of the loop one form of workplace sabotage?

You see, we do not view such behaviors as mutually exclusive from ethics or integrity–– again, as long as the More Political person does not become Borderline or actually OVERLY Political. We agree Laura’s behaviors of keeping Jane out of the loop on certain information is one form of workplace sabotage, since information is power. So blocking Jane from putting her handprint on important, sexy projects that possess high political stock is one way of Laura being seen more favorably. But you haven’t shared much in the way of Laura’s trashing Jane, making her look bad in meetings, or other behind-the-scenes or public sabotage; her tactics are more along the lines of just elevating herself as a clearly competitive person. So, you might advise Jane to double-check her emotional reactions to ensure she’s not judging Laura too harshly, just as we wouldn’t want to too negatively prematurely dismiss or label an aggressive salesperson without first making sure he isn’t merely being more “persistent” or “assertive” than we would be, and that perhaps he’s just committed to succeeding, as opposed to crossing the line to being manipulative or lying to get a deal like the classic, stereotypical used car salesperson (yes, I’ve gotten burned by one).

If top management were forced to choose would they opt for Laura?

Even if Laura really IS what we define as Overly-Political (we outline the behavioral clues in our book and workshop), it’s best to err on the side of not taking her on as an enemy, because you’re both acknowledging her power, alliances with key stakeholders, and her admitted substantive contribution and value to the enterprise. She’s NOT just an “Empty Suit” like a lot of extreme, truly over-the-top power tyrants, sharks, or snakes. So, top management, if forced to choose, might indeed opt for Laura.

We’d counsel playing it safer by simply advising Jane to avoid making enemies, which covers her either way (e.g. if Laura really IS unethical and Machiavellian, or if she’s simply a very competitive person trying to maneuver for her own job stability out of fears about her family, livelihood, etc.). Therefore, talk to Jane about HERSELF building key relationships, ensuring that she broadcasts her own accomplishments in the spirit of being excited about recent positive impact she was able to make versus a bragging spirit, etc. Prompt her to work on her OWN positive “buzz” rather than tearing down the reputation of Laura, and finds ways to become more involved in high-value activities.

If ya can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em”

Jane’s strategies might even include partnering with Laura!” If ya can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em” is after all an old adage that may apply if it doesn’t involve compromising Jane’s core values or self-respect. Often savvy corporate power brokers heed the advice of “keep your friends close and your enemies closer.” Sure, if that opponent is too sleazy, then Jane could sacrifice her own reputation or feel out of integrity herself, but we just are not hearing that Laura is that over the top.

Are we off-base? Please let us know both of your reactions (or, dear friend, is “Jane” really you?)….

Thanks for writing to Office-Politics.

Best regards,

Rick

Rick Brandon, Ph.D., Co-author,
Survival of the Savvy: High-Integrity Political Tactics for Career and Company Success

Rick Brandon, Ph.D. is a Co-author with Marty Seldman of Survival of the Savvy: High-Integrity Political Tactics for Career and Company Success. Dr. Rick Brandon is CEO of Brandon Partners. He has consulted and trained tens of thousands at corporations worldwide, including Fortune 500 companies across a variety of industries.

The latest Challenger report of quarterly job search times indicates that during the last quarter of 2008, it took job seekers about 3.0 months to find a new position. It is an ample amount of time to conduct professional self-improvement.

BY JOHN A. CHALLENGER

By taking a proactive stance to increase marketable skills, a candidate will increase opportunities for securing a satisfying position. From taking a computer language course at a local community college to starting an MBA program online at a high-profile university, job seekers will increase their marketability simply by being enrolled.

Improving your ability to get hired, especially in an economy such as this one, is tantamount to landing the next job offer. Human resource executives notice which candidates have taken it upon themselves to update their skills through education. Companies want employees who have the zeal to be life-long learners.

Stay in tune with the latest trends

Also, going back to or restarting school, no matter the level, keeps a person in tune with the latest trends in a particular field of study, especially in a technical area. For example, certain computer languages that were widely used in the early 1990s have all but disappeared and therefore are of no use to a job candidate on a resume. That is important for job seekers who are returning to the job market after several years’ absence, no matter what the reason. However, by brushing up on general computer skills, a job seeker will not be embarrassed should technical questions arise during an interview.

The cost of further education is a concern. However, in some cases, after a person has obtained desired employment, the employer may even pay for all or part of an employee’s continuing education, if there is something to be gained by both parties.

Another good use of time during the off-hours of the job search is to list all transferable experiences gained at former positions. Be specific and be ready to discuss these experiences at the next interview.

Many job seekers fail to focus on the array of experiences they have acquired. Experiences gained at a former position can be transferred to fit certain qualifications potential employers are requesting.

What special projects were you successful at in past jobs?

A good place to start is to think of special projects that were successful at past jobs. Simply ask, “What did I learn as a result of the project, and what new skills did I acquire along the way?” Write down all of the answers, using detail.

Training experiences at a former job are rich with transferable skills. Let us say that an employee was asked by a former employer to take a particular software training class so that he or she could install that software and train an entire department. The experience then becomes a marketable skill. The entire experience only may have lasted a month or six weeks. Nevertheless, it could show a hiring executive that the candidate can handle responsibility, and lead a group of co-workers toward something positive for the company. Also, the candidate, in this case, related to the interviewer that his former employer had so much confidence in him that he was selected from several prospects to take the training session and lead a team of employees to advance the company’s goals in an ever-changing economic climate.

Create a web of contacts. And remember to listen

Ideally, a contact might know of a job opening at his or her place of employment or at an affiliate. Meet the contact in person versus communication by phone or e-mail. The contact will respond more favorably to an in-person plea for help.

Since the contact is away from the workday pressures of an office environment, he or she is more apt to focus and lend more time. When speaking with a contact, be a good listener. Think of the contact as an expert. Be sure to find out about new and upcoming trends in the field. This is especially important for a job seeker who has designs on shifting careers.

Other information that should be drawn from a contact, especially if the contact is an old friend, is names and phone numbers of colleagues who would be receptive to a phone call. Soon enough, a job seeker will have created a “web” of contacts. Another good use of time at night is to do volunteer work. Nothing but positives can come out of such an undertaking, especially if a leadership role is taken. Also, job leads can come from meeting like-minded people in the volunteer organization.

By helping others you can help yourself

For example, organizing a concert in conjunction with a local park district would show a potential employer organizational and leadership skills. Enlisting a group of people to serve a meal to those less fortunate would also be a valued experience. Best of all, volunteer work builds self-esteem — vital to one’s own ability to succeed, particularly in the all-important job interview.

The Job Hunt: Take Full Advantage of the Interval Between Jobs © 2009, Challenger, Gray & Christmas;

Dear Office Politics,

I have worked in a high-stress but free-wheeling media office for more than 20 years, and am good at my job, have OK people skills and am generally respected. I received a promotion about a year ago. However, since moving into a particular department (mostly other women) about 10 years ago, I’ve apparently stepped on a few toes because I don’t quite fit in with the group and have, on a couple of occasions, voiced my opinions on ethical issues that have cropped up. As a result, a couple of co-workers are cool to me, rarely speak to me and exclude me from non-work conversations. A couple more who are close to those two are also quite cool. The rest are neutral (or so I thought).

I recently met with the guy who heads up this department (I’m actually his peer but have three employees, while he has about 10) and, in the course of the meeting, tried to defuse a comment I’d made at another meeting (he wasn’t there) about his department but which I was pretty sure someone had repeated to him. My comment was accurate and fair, but one he would not welcome. I thought that went OK but, on speaking to him about something else the other day, discovered that he had misinterpreted my attempt to defuse the situation, was really angry about my remark and basically saw my comment (or maybe me) as negative and mean-spirited.

I thought I had an OK work relationship with this man, and am devastated to discover that when I said, “There are a few clouds in the sky,” he heard, “There’s a nasty Force 10 hurricane about to destroy our city.”

We talked about all this and he apologized for overreacting to my comment. A similar thing occurred with another co-worker last week - someone told her I’d said something that I hadn’t said in that case, and she basically believed the worst of me. I’ve come to the unhappy conclusion that I have become the scapegoat, or disliked co-worker, for this group of people, and I’m pretty upset about it. I support a spouse and child, make good money, am about 15 years from retirement and there are few opportunities in my rather specialized line of work hereabouts.

I’ve tried to network with the more supportive people in this group but it is tough sledding, as most of them have their own longtime work buddies and no one is “unattached.”

My inclination is to go turtle - just go to work, do my job, cultivate the other more receptive people elsewhere in the office, speak as little as possible and accept that my relationship with these folks will never be warm and fuzzy. Help!

The Lonely Scapegoat

OFFICE-POLITICS ADVISER ERIKA ANDERSEN

Dear Scapegoat,

It sounds like you’re really at a loss about how to establish better relationships with your colleagues. I have some advice for you – but you may not want to hear it. So, take a deep breath and jump in.

You’ve described a pattern, one where you’re saying and doing things that evoke negative reactions from co-workers — and you’ve said it’s happened repeatedly over time.

And now you’ve decided that it’s their problem: “I’ve come to the unhappy conclusion that I have become the scapegoat, or disliked co-worker, for this group of people.”

What you’ve done is very common. Because it’s painful to think that a problem exists because of something we’ve done, we let ourselves off the hook by putting responsibility for the problem on someone else. Unfortunately, it usually doesn’t work: a mentor of mine once taught me that until you acknowledge your own contribution to a problem, you are powerless to solve it.

Let’s pretend for a moment that it’s not their problem – that they haven’t all just somehow decided to make you the bad guy. Let’s pretend it’s your problem: that you’re consistently behaving in ways that don’t work for others, that upset them and make them want to retreat from you. Yikes. Hard to acknowledge. BUT – and this is key – the good news is; if it’s your behavior, you can do something about it.

Here’s my recommendation: I believe you may be the ideal candidate for executive coaching. You’re good at your job and are generally respected. And you are clearly well-intentioned. But you are having a negative impact on people for reasons that are mysterious to you. Working with a coach could help you connect the dots. In most coaching situations, you’d get clear and balanced objective feedback how others perceive you: what people see as your strengths and weaknesses. Then your coach will work with you to figure out what to do about it; new skills or approaches you can learn and use that will work better for you and others. With a coach, if you can acknowledge your contribution to the problem, he or she can support you in addressing it.

I hope this is helpful to you…please let us know what happens. Thanks for writing to OfficePolitics.com.

Warmly,

Erika Andersen, Author

Erika Andersen is the author of BEING STRATEGIC (May 2009). Talk of strategy abounds in business — but moving from thinking strategically to acting strategically is an enormous leap. BEING STRATEGIC is a roadmap for consistently making choices that best move you toward your desired future. What’s more, it explains why being strategic is worth the time and effort required, what’s involved, and how to do it. The book explains the core skills and practices needed at each point of being strategic and provides simple models, real-life examples and self-directed activities for learning and applying them.

Erika Andersen is founder of Proteus International, where she has served as consultant and adviser to CEO’s and top executives around the world. She is the also the author of Growing Great Employees, published by Portfolio in 2006.

Inquiring about salary and benefits early in the interview process is a cardinal mistake for a job seeker. It is one of the primary reasons prospective jobs are lost prematurely. It sends a negative signal to the employer that you are more interested in yourself than in the company and focuses attention away from your capabilities and accomplishments, where the spotlight belongs. We usually advise job seekers to say nothing about money, if possible, until after the employer makes a job offer.

BY JOHN A. CHALLENGER

The subject of salary and benefits will obviously come up at some time during the interview process. Once the company decides it likes you and wants to make an offer, it certainly will tend to be higher than if you insist on knowing about compensation before the company realizes how good you are. One of the surest ways to sabotage your chances is to start discussing your monetary needs before the potential employer has a chance to get acquainted with you.

It becomes understandable when you use the time-tested salesman’s technique of putting yourself in the customer’s (in this case, the prospective employer’s) shoes.

The employer has a job opening but has not yet decided who will be hired. At the outset, your chances are as good as those of anyone else. How you handle yourself in the first job interview will determine whether you are invited back for successive interviews.

Don’t Drop The Bomb

There are usually several candidates for the job, all of whom appear to be approximately equal in terms of their background and experience. The primary question becomes, why should the employer hire you over your competitors? How are you different or better? It is the unspoken question and the central question of all job interviews.

The employer is concerned about the job and who may be able to do it best. Anyone whose primary concern is not the job or the company’s requirements is not showing the employer what he or she wants to be shown. At this juncture, while the employer is trying to evaluate your capabilities and decide how good an employee you would be, bringing up the subject of money is akin to dropping a bomb.

The interview may have gone well up to that point with a gradual building of rapport between yourself and the interviewer. But at one stroke, you have obliterated any advantage you may have had and immediately removed yourself from consideration for the job in the eyes of most employers. Whatever discussion may ensue from that point on, the interview in effect is over because you have shown that your primary concern is yourself.

For example, a manager in the manufacturing industry was concerned that he would not be able to obtain at least the same salary he was making in his previous job. He decided the best way to approach this problem would be to be up front about his financial concerns early on in the interview. He figured that if he was not satisfied with the salary the prospective employer quoted him, he would not waste the prospective employer’s time or his own by carrying the interview on any further.

During his first interview, things seemed to be progressing well. He felt as though a rapport was developing with the interviewer, which was all the more reason to bring up the issue of salary. The interviewer had just asked him a question regarding a particular aspect of the business and was waiting for a response. The job candidate told him that before he answered his question, he wanted to talk about salary. He named a figure and told the interviewer that he could not accept any less than that amount. As soon as the last word was out of his mouth, he sensed that he had said the wrong thing. No employer wants to be given an ultimatum.

Let the employer raise the subject of money

Some interviewers may take the initiative in raising the subject of money just to see how you will react. A question may be asked such as, “What would it take to get you here?” or, “We probably would not be able to afford you.” What the interviewer is trying to do is test your reaction and gauge your degree of self-interest versus your interest in the job under discussion.

Knowing the reasons for the questions will enable you to avoid being trapped into an unwise answer. The best response is to defer the question, if possible, in favor of learning more about the requirements of the job.

A positive way to couch the issue of salary is to make your enthusiasm for the job part of your answer. You could say, “I know this would be a very interesting job and a good company to work for, so I am sure the salary would be fair.”

If you are pressed to name a figure, you must respond. You cannot refuse to answer a question that is asked, within legal boundaries. Just state your salary on your previous job, and let the employer decide what to do next.

Tell the prospective employer what you have accomplished for previous employers by increasing their profitability, visibility or recognition in the marketplace. When you present yourself in that manner instead of voicing immediate concerns about money, you will make a favorable impression on the employer. From that point on, the subject of money should materialize with a minimum of pushing on your part as you return for successive interviews. When you do get around to the subject of money and the interviewer asks you directly to name a figure, be careful how you answer. Your response can be a make-or-break point in the interview. If you name a figure that is too low, you will come across as not being equipped to handle the job. If you name a figure that is too high, you may price yourself out of the job. Again, the best response is to state your salary on your previous job and await the employer’s next move.

The Job Hunt © 2009, Challenger, Gray & Christmas;

Dear Office-Politics,

I am second in command (transitioning soon to first in command) of a tight-knit team that excels at our jobs. We focus on collaboration and high-quality output, and communication is essential. I am generally known as an individual that will accept nothing less than excellence, and most of the team members appreciate that. However, one junior level member recently completed a project at home (out of sight) and went to another office for review, specifically asking the other person to not mention that he had talked with them. That person, recognizing the potential for catastrophe, told me immediately, but asked me to keep it confidential.

I am relatively new at a leadership role, and so the first thing I did was talk to my immediate supervisor to ask for his opinion. I outlined the situation as I have told it here, including the sub-par project for review and expressed to my supervisor that the other office person did not want to be involved.

The situation was worse that I recognized, and my supervisor immediately turned around and informed the office leader. Now the junior level member is in a lot of trouble (potentially getting fired) and the other office member (my coworker) is extremely angry with me for “betraying confidences and getting him involved.” The situation has evolved out of my control and no matter how much I have argued it, they are going to proceed by outing the other office person.

I am feeling really lousy and keep asking myself what I could have done differently to help the situation. I also keep wondering if I have crossed the line into office back-stabber, snake, or tattle-tale. Where are the fine lines between doing the right thing and tattling on someone? What could I have done differently in this situation? It was not something I could let pass, but I had no idea it would get to the level it has…

Leading by example, straight off a cliff…

Dear Leading by example,

Thank you for your letter because it illustrates a difficult leadership issue that is not often discussed. I appreciate your conflict regarding loyalty to a person versus loyalty to the organization. First of all I would try rid yourself of your concern that you are turning into a backstabber or tattle tale. You seem to have had positive intentions at every stage of this episode and tried to be fair to all sides. There are some things that you might have done better and discussing this may give you some guidelines for future situations like this.

The key moment of truth in these situations, i.e. when someone approaches you with “confidential” information, is to clarify expectations very early in the conversation. The reality is that if you have a leadership position in an organization you cannot agree to carte blanche confidentiality before you know what you are going to hear. If someone tells you about sexual harassment, ethical issues or anything that might put the company’s resources or reputation at risk, you are required to do something about this information.

Of course you can be organizationally savvy about the timing, setting, words you use, and who you share it with but some information you are obliged to not just “sit on”. You can assure someone that you will pursue all options to surface the information without involving them, but it is impossible to know in advance if you can completely leave them out of it.

In most cases this works out well. Often you can surface the information and keep confidentiality and when you can’t people will often appreciate the effort you made and understand that the organizations overall goals take precedent.

So to summarize you have a “window” to manage and set expectations regarding confidentiality early in the conversation. I hope that this makes you feel better about what happened and confident that you can handle these situations in your new management role.

Regards,

Marty

Marty Seldman, Ph.D. and Joshua Seldman
Co-authors, Executive Stamina

ABOUT EXECUTIVE STAMINA
Marty Seldman, Ph.D. and Joshua Seldman, are Co-authors of Executive Stamina: How to optimize time, energy and productivity to achieve peak performance. In Executive Stamina, you’ll learn all the skills, techniques, and positive practices needed to create a sustainable path to achieve your full career potential. Renowned executive coach Marty Seldman and endurance coach Joshua Seldman will introduce you to the revolutionary training system they’ve used with great success on top executives and endurance athletes. You’ll find hundreds of tips and tools that will help you maximize your career potential, while maintaining your health, staying in touch with your values, and avoiding costly tradeoffs in your personal life.

Dear Office-Politics,

I was recently involved in a TWISTED TORNADO of office politics.

At the time, I had no clue I was actually in the “clique”. I got close to a fellow employee who knew everyone… talked to everyone and talked about EVERYONE! She was promoted (although unqualified) because of her “personal” relationships with upper management. I work for a HUGE Corp. and this is completely unacceptable to me. She has NO IDEA what she is doing now that she’s leading a team, she’s rude, obnoxious and no one REALLY likes her…. I think they’re scared of what could happen if they chose not to associate with her.

I, however, am not that kind of person. I spoke-up about everything I knew about her and advised my upper management this was a TERRIBLE mistake. They still promoted her because the news was already released and there was no way they could get back on their decision. Is this how promotions work? Do you have to get in with all of the people who can help you climb the ladder to success? I am a very well respected employee and honestly the best in our department.

Am I at risk? Can I be at risk since I am doing the best work? How does this happen when others have all of the qualifications and the person who is promoted does not??? WHAT DO I DO? I do NOT want to stay in this HELLHOLE forever.. should I get out? She is a gossipmonger and tells everyone everything… I can’t take this much longer…. but we have an internal freeze….

HELP ME KEEP MY SANITY, PLEASE!!!!!

Sincerely,

AAAAAAAARRRRRG!!!!

OFFICE-POLITICS REPLY BY TIMOTHY JOHNSON

Dear AAAAAAAARRRRRG!!!!,

The first three universal rules about dealing with office politics:
1) inhale
2) exhale
3) repeat

OK, now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s deal with your problem head on. Yes, bad people do get promoted because of their upward relationships. It’s an unfortunate and sometimes unfair fact of life. Wounding the king is generally not a good strategy unless you have the ammo to go all the way (i.e., getting the person fired or removed from your career path).

Another reality you may have to deal with is that you are at risk, if your voicing of displeasure about this person is public (I’m guessing from the tone of your letter that you’re a very expressive individual, so this may have already happened). Another unfortunate fact is that it doesn’t matter how great of a performer you are. If your boss perceives you as a threat, you could very well be eliminated.

Be mindful of your focus
My advice is fairly simple in dealing with the boss. Do your best work and keep your conversations with this individual very cordial yet professional. Assuming your description of her is accurate, she may try to get under your skin. You still control the power of what you allow to bother you and unnerve you. If your focus is on her behavior, you will be bothered by her behavior. If your focus is on doing your job, then you will not be bothered by her. You may still have to face the fallout from your earlier damaging comments. Whether you stay or leave is ultimately up to you. In this economy, it is a tough decision to stick it out in a miserable workplace for a certain paycheck.

Emulate parts of her behavior
Another thing to consider is how to emulate parts of her behavior. You may need to network to build your own level of support. While you don’t like her personally, she should not be faulted for her upward mobility. She has learned how to make herself positively visible to senior management in a way that makes her promotable. Your approach to refuting this sounds like you are the lone voice crying in the wilderness, especially if your coworkers are too frightened by her. They may have just set you up to be the sacrificial burnt offering by allowing you to vent to upper management. Every professional in every job has to learn how to read those around him or her to distinguish their allies and their enemies. That’s why I generally advise people to lay low when they first enter a job and watch how the others interact among themselves… who gossips, who backstabs, who avoids whom. By channeling your inner-Jane-Goodall, you can see which apes behave well and which ones to avoid.

Information is fuel to a gossip
Finally, in handling a gossip (be it a boss, coworker, or subordinate), remember that information is their fuel. While some people like to plant false stories with a rabid gossip in hopes that he or she will hang themselves, I prefer to just snuff out their fuel source and not give them anything… no information and no feedback on information they give me. If she is gossiping about you, and it gets back to you, and you have sufficient evidence to show that it is she who is perpetuating the gossip, take it to HR. Continue documenting this behavior and encourage others to do the same. There is always safety in numbers, and Human Resources (in most larger corporations) will generally work to prevent a public relations and/or legal nightmare.

I wish you the best, and I’m confident you will make the right decisions for yourself.

Thank you for writing to OfficePolitics.com

Regards,

Timothy Johnson, Author & Consultant

Timothy Johnson is the Chief Accomplishment Officer of Carpe Factum, Inc. His company is dedicated to helping individuals and organizations “seize the accomplishment” through effective project management, strategic facilitation, and business process improvement. His clients have included Harley-Davidson Motorcycles, Wells Fargo, ING, Principal Financial Group, and Teva Neuroscience. Timothy has managed projects ranging from a $14 billion class action lawsuit settlement to HIPAA compliance, from software conversion to process reengineering, from strategic IT alignment to automated decisioning, from producing a training video to creating a project office environment. He is currently an adjunct professor at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, teaching MBA classes in Leadership, Managing Office Politics, Creativity for Business, and Project Management.

An accomplished speaker, Timothy has enthusiastically informed and entertained audiences across the nation on the topics of project communication, office politics, creativity, and meeting management. He has written two books, both business fables: Race Through The Forest - A Project Management Fable and GUST - The Tale Wind of Office Politics.