Office-Politics

Got a “Promotion” but Title is Ambiguous

Dear Office Politics, My dilemma sounds like a unique twist on a common issue. I have been with my current employer for two years and a couple of months ago my VP recognized my hard work and dedication by giving me a “promotion” with a significant salary adjustment. I was moved to a Senior level of my existing title but was told that HR did not want to create this new "Senior" title in the HR system. I was also told I should go ahead and get business cards with the new title. My VP has not mentioned this promotion to anyone on our team but the VP’s boss has introduced me with the “Senior” title to others in the company. I suspect the VP does not want to be questioned by my peers as to why they were not offered this type of promotion.

Swamped! (While Coworker Does Nothing)

Dear Office Politics, Please can someone help me sort a work situation out? For the past year I have been covering two full time roles, my own and that of a colleague on maternity leave. This has involved a huge amount of extra hours and unbelievable pressure. To make matters worse, I have now been told that the colleague will not be returning to work and that I will be expected to cover the two roles on a permanent basis. My boss has agreed that I have been swamped with work and promises to arrange help but it never materializes due to lack of funds. During this time I have sat opposite a co-worker who has a very low workload (she actually boasts that she has nothing to do) and so spends a chunk of every day either surfing the internet, talking or texting. It has driven me to despair and and even though other colleagues have constantly asked how she gets away with this behavior, they do not complain to our boss. My problem is that I resent her attitude so much the only way I can cope is to completely ignore her, I just want to block her out. Another colleague has now told me that she plans to complain to my boss that I blank her, etc. etc. I know this makes me sound awful but it really is the only way I have been able to deal, or not, with her.

Why did General McChrystal Wound the King?

Office-Politics #101: What NOT to Do to Get Ahead at Work #1. Do NOT wound the King, unless you’re going to kill him. #2. Do NOT badmouth. It feels good but…. #3. Do NOT sacrifice your values. Take the emergency exit. #4. Do NOT be afraid to say you’re sorry. Groveling may help you keep your job. #5. Do NOT feel sorry for yourself. Nobody likes whiners. #6. Do NOT accept interviews with Rolling Stone Magazine. #7. Do NOT underestimate your adversary.

I don’t understand this obsession to know what everyone is doing, or to tell everyone what I’m doing

Dear Office Politics, Your site is a great help in navigating today's workplace! I've read about how you need to develop an online presence because employers will search your name to see what comes up. I'm a very private person and I'm at a loss about how to do this. I was raised to believe that your personal life was just that: personal. I don't have a Facebook page and I don't "tweet" whatever that is! I don't understand this obsession to know what everyone is doing, or to tell everyone what I'm doing. Is there hope for someone like me who likes her privacy? I have a website portfolio that I started, but it is listed under my last name and doesn't come up in a random search. Is it enough to direct people to my homepage so they can see what I've done? Thank you, Private Patty

I’m told, “This is the way things will always be”

OfficePolitics.com asked best-selling author Dan Heath how an Office-Politics reader (a teacher in an inner city high school) could make change happen, when change is very hard. SWITCH: How to change things when change is hard Why is it so hard to make lasting changes in our companies, in our communities, and in our own lives? The primary obstacle is a conflict that’s built into our brains, say Chip and Dan Heath, authors of the critically acclaimed bestseller Made to Stick. Psychologists have discovered that our minds are ruled by two different systems—the rational mind and the emotional mind—that compete for control. The rational mind wants a great beach body; the emotional mind wants that Oreo cookie. The rational mind wants to change something at work; the emotional mind loves the comfort of the existing routine. This tension can doom a change effort—but if it is overcome, change can come quickly. In Switch, the Heaths show how everyday people—employees and managers, parents and nurses—have united both minds and, as a result, achieved dramatic results. "Are you aching for change? Switch can help you understand what's blocking the change you want -- and how to go about removing those roadblocks and making change happen. I highly recommend it. Plus the Heath brothers have gone the extra mile. Their site is loaded with free resource tools to help you apply the Switch principles, whether you're in a Fortune 500 company, a local non-profit group, or an individual looking to change yourself! You can also listen to Chip and Dan Heath talk about Switch in this podcast." Franke James, Office-Politics.com founder and Author, Dear Office-Politics, the game everyone plays. Dear Office-Politics,

I work at a small inner city high school in Los Angeles. I have been there for 20 years and have witnessed teachers do all kinds of improper things such as leaving early, talking on cell phones in the hall, showing movies and basically being incompetent by not teaching but just sitting at their desks doing nothing.

Lately, at meetings, I have been trying to shed some light on these problems and put some pressure on the administration to work on these problems. Of course, the majority of the teachers are angry at me because they have been enjoying the perks of not being held accountable. They tell me to mind my own business and to just worry about my classroom.

The Office Gossip gets an earful from 3 advisers

Dear Office Politics, I try to be a nice person at work and to stay out of politics however about a couple weeks ago I made a comment about a coworker that I know I shouldn't have and now I think it's going to bite me in the butt. I noticed that one of my coworkers leaves for lunch everyday and then comes back and eats his lunch at his desk. I thought that maybe he does contractual work on the side during his lunch break and was curious about it. While chatting with some coworkers I mentioned it. It wasn't to a supervisor or anyone of authority, I didn't want to get him into trouble or anything. I felt bad right after I said it, but I guess I thought it wasn't going to go past the room, and no harm no foul. Well, today he loudly announced to my boss and other coworkers that we need to have a meeting about gossip mongering because people are saying nasty things about what he does at lunch. I don't know what to do as I'm scared to admit that I'm the one that said it. Also this coworker has a bad temper and can be very mean. How should I play this? In some hot water. In Some Hot Water

Three Advisers give their best advice to "In Some Hot Water"

Sometimes we get a letter that poses such a universal dilemma that it's worth exploring in more depth, and from multiple angles. This letter is a case in point. Gossip is a problem that plagues workplaces everywhere. Here are three responses to the same letter from three Office-Politics Advisers: Author and award-winning journalist, Rona Maynard; Author and Founder, Skill Source, Jennifer Miller; and Office-Politics.com Founder and Author, Franke James.

RONA MAYNARD

Dear Hot Water, About to bite you in the butt, you say? It already has, and hard. Your co-worker has a good notion who's been questioning his loyalty--and now your boss does, too. The sooner you come clean and accept responsibility for playing fast and loose with your colleague's reputation, the better your chances of salvaging your own. There comes a point in every career where you simply have to swallow your pride and say, without equivocation or excuses, "I screwed up and I couldn't be sorrier." For you that turning point is now....

JENNIFER MILLER

Dear Hot Water, There is a Chinese Proverb that says "What is told in the ear of a man is often heard 100 miles away." News travels fast, especially that of a gossipy nature. What started out as rather benign curiosity on your part has quickly turned into an awkward situation with the wronged party making a public declaration of “gossip-mongering.” It’s natural to be curious about a co-worker; we’re human beings after all! Our human curiosity can lead to wonderful inventions and unique problem-solving. The challenge is, sometimes our curiosity leads us to places where we have no business being.

FRANKE JAMES

Dear Hot Water, Your last line "How should I play this?" is where I'm going to start. I sense from your question, that you see office politics as a game – and that you’d like to be able to play it to your advantage. So that’s where I’ll focus my advice. Not surprisingly (given that I'm the creator of the game-book, Dear Office-Politics) I like to view office politics as a game. And like all games, this one has rules (mostly unwritten), strategies, power plays, opposing teams, a scoreboard, and ultimately winners and losers. But as in sports, you don’t need to play dirty to win...

Unpublished writer cancels signed book deal to win 2010 Axiom Business Book Award

In 2008, Franke James was an unpublished writer who walked away from a major U.S. publisher and a $20,000 book advance. Why? James talks about her decision: “It was like a dilemma straight out of Dear Office-Politics. I can laugh about it now, but it was a tough situation. The publisher seemingly held all the power. The book I’d worked six years to create was being changed from a colorful role-playing game into a standard, gray-text, “business” book. This suited the publisher just fine. But for me, it was the antithesis of what I’d dreamed of. I’d beta-tested a new type of training book that merged entertainment and education. It got people talking about touchy office politics issues and practicing ethical decision-making. That was the book I had a burning desire to publish.

Now why on earth did they decide to do that?!

BY STEVE HEARSUM

Ever been left bewildered by decisions your company makes?

Curious as to what possessed the CEO to propose that strategy, when everyone knows it is barking mad? Baffled as to why you have just spent three hours in a meeting that was supposed to come up with a cunning plan, and all you are left with is a set of vague and fluffy actions requiring yet more interminably long strategy meetings? Decisions! Decisions! Most life changing events in our careers have at their root someone, somewhere, deciding something. Sometimes we may be present to influence that, others not. Either way, what, if anything, can we do about it? And how actually do humans make decisions? I mean, it’s a rational process, right?....

ForeWord Reviews: “Dear Office-Politics” is recommended for team-building meetings…

"James’s splashy sense of humor and style catapults this book from the field of humdrum human resources exercises to an entertaining discussion of the pantheon of office types." ~ ForeWord Reviews

ForeWord Reviews just published the review (below) of Dear Office-Politics: the game everyone plays by Office-Politics Founder, Franke James, and featuring advice from James and Office-Politics Advisers: Erika Andersen, Rick Brandon, Jennifer Glueck Bezoza, John Burton, Timothy Johnson, Marty Seldman, and John Challenger. Foreword Reviews are made available to librarians and booksellers.

Lost Leader Left out of the Loop

Dear Office Politics, I am the manager of a small not for profit organization, I have had some personal problems which has meant that my work has been very poor over the last 6 months, I have received a warning about my performance and I am taking steps to rectify it. The problem I have now is that my credibility has been completely undermined with the staff. Often I come into the office and it is as if am not there, people are going about their business and I am left out of the loop. They only refer to me when they need my signature and they seem to know that if I was to push them on something like attendance or performance that they can very easily retort with something like ‘who are you to tell me what to do after the way you have behaved’.

Frozen out by two coworkers

Dear Office Politics, As a professional in a very large public institution, I work closely with two other colleagues. Both have worked in the field a few years longer than me. At first, the group dynamic was wonderful - productive, respectful, fun. We were truly a team, helping each other out, sharing ideas, brainstorming, complimentary about each other's work. We shared materials, and I went out of my way to give them copies of everything I created so none of us would have to reinvent the wheel. Not long ago, everything changed dramatically. If one of them ran an errand for lunch or materials, they'd "forget" to ask me if I needed anything. If they shared materials with each other, they'd "forget" to share the materials with me. They hang out in each others offices, but rarely stop by to see me or talk when I drop by their offices. At team meetings with the three of us, they look and talk to each other as if I weren't in the room. I feel completely invisible, and I'm deeply hurt.

‘Dear Office-Politics’ Snags Axiom Book Award

March 16, 2010 -– Toronto, Canada

Dear Office-Politics, the game everyone plays is the winner of a 2010 Axiom Business Book Award. Franke James' innovative game-book was awarded the Bronze Medal in the HR/Employee Training category. Dear Office-Politics is a role-playing game that encourages lively discussion of workplace issues. It helps people exercise their ethical muscles, analyze power, increase empathy, and understand why the "right" course of action is actually in their -- and the company's best interests. Author Franke James responded, "It's really exciting that Axiom chose to recognize Dear Office-Politics because it's a radical departure from standard business books. It's a Game and a Book -- all rolled into one. It's filled with fun, splashy, full-color graphics. It looks very entertaining. But at it's core, it's an educational, training game that sneaks up and surprises people. You can learn a lot by observing how your coworkers "explain" their ethical decisions. And gain deeper insight -- and empathy -- into why people behave the way they do.

Scarred by office politics, how do we move on?

Dear Office Politics, I have been unemployed for a year. I was laid off, but in reality lost my job because of an office mobbing. My opinion is that office politics is not a game. It has real consequences. I worked for a company that "laid-off" four key personnel who had 48 years total with the company. I had been marginalized by two women in the company who were not my superiors and they fed information to the operations manager. She was overwhelmed and did not give me the opportunity to defend myself. They also led a whisper campaign that I was not aware of. I was excelling with the company and had a very good relationship with the CEO until they set their trap. These two women decided to send an email to the CEO. The got the operations manager to sign it. Two co-workers refused to sign it. I was laid off 3 months later.

Kiss-Up or Savvy Player?

BY JENNIFER V. MILLER

You’ve seen them at work: those people who are always volunteering for committees, enthusiastically attending industry events, and being all “It was a team effort!” at department meetings. What’s your take on this? Are they supreme kiss-ups angling to look good in front of the boss. . . or are they savvy business people who know how to “work it”? It really depends on your mindset.

An employee of mine tends to play office politics

Dear Office Politics, I have noticed an employee of mine tends to play office politics. She seems to be a work "avoider" and not quite yet a team player, yet clamors for a promotion within a few months. She seems to take a shine to certain people and is overall very friendly, but seems to have favorites. Because of this, she tends to get herself involved in conversations and somehow finds out information that is none of her business - i.e. she knows who is getting promoted before any of us managers do. She has nosed in on conversations she doesn't belong in (finding out how much someone else makes). She has exceptional technical ability which is great, but I need to channel this negative energy somewhere else.

What if “Casual Friday” went beyond your comfort zone?

Would you find it unusual if everyone at your new job strutted around in their underwear -- as in this humorous (and far-out ad) from a U.S. employment website? In real life, the corporate culture of your workplace may not be so evident....