Handle a Sabotaging Coworker

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We all like to think of our coworkers as friends, but what happens when you become the target of a coworker's dirty politics? Here are some strategies that can help you keep the peace without losing your edge, shared by fellow soldiers on the office wars' front lines.

Take Precautions

It is wise to have some good measures in place to protect yourself if you ever fall under a colleague's attack.

"Always have backup for everything you've done in case a coworker tries to place blame on you," says Aubyn Peterson, an administrative assistant for the Miss USA Pageant. For instance, save all emails with pertinent ideas you contributed and work you've done. "This way, you can be prepared to answer any difficult questions from your boss confidently, and it won't just be your word against somebody else's," she says. "You'll have written proof."

It's also important to remember the old adage about squeaky wheels getting the grease. "If you feel that a coworker is trying to oust you out of a well-deserved promotion, then do your job exceedingly well and make some noise," says Peterson. "Make sure your boss notices your excellent performance, and make doubly sure that your boss knows that you want to be promoted."

Rise Above the Drama of Coworker Sabotage

If you can, don't let your coworker's anger or frustration get to you. You don't have to play a major role in somebody else's drama, and your coworker's hostility doesn't have to undermine your positive self-image or job performance.

"My first instincts are to resort to a voodoo doll, a stapler or a tube of Super Glue, but I fight those urges and try to remain calm and peaceful," says Richard Ogawa, a sales and special events assistant for Broadway On and Off, a group ticket sales organization.

"I just avoid the situation," Ogawa says. "I don't give the person the time of day. I don't get upset. I'm not mean, and I try to feel sorry for him for being in a state of mind that triggers him to create drama to make himself feel better."

Laugh, If Possible

Try to find the humor, if any, in the situation. Ogawa has a few tricks he plays on himself to generate a little comic relief and defuse the tension. For instance, "whenever you want to yell ‘idiot,' yell ‘you superstar' inside," Ogawa suggests.

Try to Communicate

There are times, though, when avoidance and humor won't work, and you have no choice but to address the situation. "If it comes down to having to confront the coworker, try and approach the situation with logic, not emotion," says Peterson, who stresses that it is important for you to honestly make an effort to communicate with your coworker and try to see where he is coming from.
 
Build a Great Working Relationship with Your Boss

One of the worst things you can do at your new job is to make your supervisor look bad for hiring you. After all, your boss is key to your current on-the-job satisfaction and to your future success in the organization -- and perhaps even beyond.

If there ever were a relationship for you to invest in, this is it. So here are five ways to get off to a great start with your new supervisor. Your efforts now will lay the groundwork for a productive working relationship over the long haul.

Watch and Learn

"The number one thing is to observe the company culture and your supervisor closely during your first few weeks," says Terese Corey Blanck, principal of College to Career, a career-consulting firm in suburban Minneapolis. "Keep your opinions to yourself until you understand the company culture well and know what people will look upon with favor and what they'll look upon with disdain."

Even something as simple as asking intelligent questions will make a difference in how your boss perceives you as an employee. "It's always better to clarify than to charge off and go completely in the wrong direction," Corey Blanck says.

Keep in Touch

Some bosses are very hands-on, keeping close tabs on you throughout your workday. Others may talk to you once a week or less often and send you on your way to do your job.

Whatever your supervisor's style, typically it's up to you to establish and maintain the lines of communication between the two of you. Using either email or the occasional stop-by-the-office visit, make sure you keep your boss informed with the answers to these questions:

* What are you working on?

* What have you finished, and what are the results?

* What can you help your supervisor with?

Look and Act Professional

Allison Hemming, author of Work It! How to Get Ahead, Save Your Ass, and Land a Job in Any Economy and founder of The Hired Guns, a Manhattan-based interim workforce agency, talks about a candidate she recently placed with a major investment bank -- quite easily, thanks to the candidate's background and skills.

"Two weeks into the job, we got a call from her manager, saying that she was doing a terrific job, but that she sometimes dressed inappropriately, in short, short skirts and open-toed shoes," says Hemming. "The manager asked me to have a chat with the person, because they really liked her and didn't want her attire to impact her ability to get promoted in the future."

The new hire was a bit shocked to discover her fashion faux pas were damaging her relationships with her supervisor and colleagues, but she quickly made the necessary changes to her wardrobe, Hemming says.

Demonstrate Initiative

Any new employee can sit around waiting to be told what to do. Why not be proactive enough to figure it out yourself so your supervisor doesn't constantly have to hold your hand?

"Take initiative to get something done when you see it needs getting done," says Corey Blanck. "It can be something as simple as taking a stack of files and going through them before you're asked -- anything to show that you're not beneath the small tasks that take up everyone's time."

"Come in early and stay late," says Stephen Viscusi, author of On the Job: How to Make It in the Real World of Work and a frequent workplace contributor on ABC's "Good Morning America." "You should be busy whenever you're starting a new job, learning the ropes, but even when you're not, perfect the art of looking busy."

Do Great Work

This might seem like painfully obvious advice for developing a solid relationship with your new boss, but it bears repeating. "Make your boss look good by, guess what -- just plain working hard," says Viscusi. "It's old-fashioned, but it really works."
 
I remember when I first got a job with Federal Government. They used their last name more priority than first name. Like Good Morning Mr. Whitman. Mr. Johnson wanted to have a meeting with you and Mrs. Walker Friday afternoon. They did not use the colleagues s first name. Nowadays, we use our first name instead of saying Mr. Mrs or Miss.
 
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