http://www.officepolitics.com/advice Advice and Ethics Games at the Office Tue, 12 Feb 2013 17:37:46 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 http://www.officepolitics.com/advice/?p=3733 http://www.officepolitics.com/advice/?p=3733#comments Tue, 12 Feb 2013 17:29:34 +0000 Franke James http://www.officepolitics.com/advice/?p=3733 Dear Office-Politics, I’m a recent college graduate and have never really been very good at playing the office politics game. Sadly, I have already had two positions in the past year and the problems I ran across at both companies were politically-related. I don’t care about being the popular person, the department poster child, or the biggest and brightest (though I’m sure that will come eventually). Right now, I’m just trying to learn how to apply my college education, get along with people, and grow into a position where I can become the biggest and brightest. I am very frustrated though as I have been very much underestimated in my past positions in the form of not being given anything to grow with, but when I’m not given those things, coworkers tend to develop the perception that I am not capable of the job because I’m not working on it. Even when I did ask for tasks or projects to be on, I was told there’s nothing for me (though there’s sure a lot for everyone else!). So, I can’t get the knowledge without the work, but can’t get the work without the knowledge. The past companies have dealt with proprietary software, so there were no Internet resources to reach out to and documentation (if there was any) was very outdated. I was let go as my frustration manifested itself in the form of open boredom. I now have a new position I’m starting in a couple of weeks that I’m actually very excited about. ]]> http://www.officepolitics.com/advice/?feed=rss2&p=3733 1 http://www.officepolitics.com/advice/?p=3659 http://www.officepolitics.com/advice/?p=3659#comments Sun, 03 Feb 2013 00:45:59 +0000 Franke James http://www.officepolitics.com/advice/?p=3659 When Ellen Roseman, author and consumer-advocate columnist for The Toronto Star, invited me to contribute to her new book, Fight Back, I was delighted. As you'll read in my excerpted article below, Ellen was an instrumental pair of "eyes" in helping me fight back -- and win! I WAS FIGHTING A COMPANY over the faulty installation of a gas furnace and ductwork, which had caused major structural damage to our home. I wanted them to pay for repairs. The company had deep pockets and no fear of going to court. Its lawyer said in a surly email, “Go ahead. Sue us.” Going to court could have amounted to financial suicide for our family, or at the very least, hardship. There was no way I wanted to fight this battle in court, or even in an arbitration hearing... Read more... ]]> http://www.officepolitics.com/advice/?feed=rss2&p=3659 0 http://www.officepolitics.com/advice/?p=3651 http://www.officepolitics.com/advice/?p=3651#comments Sat, 02 Feb 2013 00:52:20 +0000 Franke James http://www.officepolitics.com/advice/?p=3651

Dear Office Politics, I recently received a promotion and hired my replacement; however, everyone who now reports to him hates him. He is a very talented manager of work, but lacks charisma and needs to improve on his people skills. We have lost a couple of good people due to his arrival, and a lot of other changes within the organization. I am working hard to help this manager develop but when do I give up for the sake of the team? Please help. Manager]]> http://www.officepolitics.com/advice/?feed=rss2&p=3651 1 http://www.officepolitics.com/advice/?p=3615 http://www.officepolitics.com/advice/?p=3615#comments Thu, 08 Nov 2012 22:28:10 +0000 Franke James http://www.officepolitics.com/advice/?p=3615 http://www.officepolitics.com/advice/?feed=rss2&p=3615 1