Franke James is Editor/Founder of Office-Politics.com and Inventor of the Office-Politics® Game.

Peter R. Garber has worked as an HR professional for over 25 years and is the author of many business books including: Winning the Rat Race at Work and 100 Ways to Get on the Wrong Side of your Boss.

Dina Beach Lynch, is an Ombudsman, Author and former attorney. An award-winning mediator, Dina served as the Corporate Ombudsman for the 7th largest bank in the US helping over 48,000 employees to resolve workplace issues.

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.

Dr. Marty Seldman is one of America's most experienced executive coaches. His 35-year career includes expertise in executive coaching, group dynamics, cross-cultural studies, clinical psychology, and training.

Arnie Herz, is a lawyer, mediator, speaker, author and consultant nationally recognized for his practical and inspired approach to conflict resolution and client counseling.

Dr. John Burton LL.B. M.B.A. M.Div. Ph.D. is an ethicist, mediator, lawyer and theologian. John is currently located in Prince Rupert, B.C., Canada, working with Canada's aboriginal communities.

They publicly fired me for unethical conduct that I did not do... I am still intensely bothered that people I devoted my time to, and trusted, threw me out as a thief, how could they know me so little?

Brandon and Seldman respond: "It sounds like the bruise that hurts most is this slur on your character. So remind yourself of all you do that is ethical and find ways to "fill your bucket" to repair your self-esteem that has suffered a blow."

July 2006

Dear Office-Politics,

I have a pretty severe problem that happened to me recently.

I was working in an academic research facility when suddenly my middle manager started acting very snippy with me. Acting like everything I did was wrong, this lasted about a week and then I was called into her office and fired VERY rudely. I spent two years of my life working for my principle investigator and they literally took my keys and told me take your stuff now and leave. They told me I was fired for "performance issues" but would not tell me what. I sat there and told them "what do you mean 'performance issues' !?!" I had never had a bad performance report or any significant complaint about my work. I cleared my official status to left instead of fired with the VA, when I notified them of what happened. The VA said that my superiors had no right to do that on their own.

A month went by and I contacted my old boss repeatedly eventually threatening him with my legal right to know why I was fired. He called me after another two weeks and told me that I was caught stealing via mileage reimbursement. He sighted a specific off-campus interview that I hadn't gone to, it was rescheduled. However, I had called my middle manager and told her the patient was rescheduled. Well somehow a mileage report showed up two weeks earlier than due that included that interview location from the previous week.... with my signature. I am now in the process of pressing charges against my middle manager for forgery, however, all my professional relationships created at this facility are ruined!! They publicly fired me for unethical conduct that I did not do. Several of my old very good professional contacts will not answer my emails. I am very hurt that after two years of good service to a company one rotten apple has managed to turn everyone against me and get me fired in one fell swoop... Because of my qualifications and past record I had no trouble finding another even better job but I am still intensely bothered that people I devoted my time to and trusted threw me out as a thief, how could they know me so little? How could they trust me so little?

Slowly recovering.

Thrown-out-like-a-Thief

Dear Thrown-out,

We're deeply troubled, as you are, when organizations lose competent, company-loyal, ethical people because increasingly it happens due to a good person having a political blind spot, and frequently those promoted instead are the opposite kind of person–– less competent, self-serving, unethical ladder climbers. While we cannot comment on the legal ground you have since we are not employment lawyers. In some circumstances our understanding is that employers can fire you without cause, so the bosses may have actually left themselves liable by giving you a reason you say is untrue, so you may be able to sue based upon slander, libel, and/or even conspiracy. So our hunch is that you have a case and an attorney or knowledgeable human resources professional can easily advise you on that dimension of your dilemma, since you have documentation of your postponing the appointment for which the mileage is involved.

Meanwhile, the remaining issues are also important to ponder and consciously decide rather than let your situation just drift:
1) YOUR EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING
2) HOW THIS COULD HAVE HAPPENED GIVEN YOUR POSITIVE PERFORMANCE
3) REPAIRING YOUR DAMAGED REPUTATION AND RELATIONSHIPS

YOUR EMOTIONAL BALANCE
You may understandably feel hurt, shocked, resentful, angry, betrayed, abandoned by friends, kicked in the stomach, and saddened over loss of your job, network, financial stability. We hope you first take care of your emotional health since we all know that a frayed wire can short circuit, and similarly, emotional upset unchecked can cause knee-jerk reactions or rash action.

Please count on friends and/or a counselor to help you vent since you're justified, drain off the feelings, and then formulate an ongoing plan for "emotional first aid," surrounding yourself with loved ones, sources of positive strokes, and ways to reaffirm your ethical, values-based life. It sounds like the bruise that hurts most is this slur on your character. So remind yourself of all you do that is ethical and find ways to "fill your bucket" to repair your self-esteem that has suffered a blow.

WHY AND HOW THIS HAPPENED
We're in the dark as you are regarding the boss' motives, but we can tell you this–– it happens all the time.

There are lots of sharks out in the world of business and the politically savvy, astute person is not naive about hidden agendas, ulterior motives, power plays, and sabotage. It doesn't mean to be pessimistic and dark about the world, but to recognize the best and worst of it, since both are true. Perhaps the middle manager you say is lying was threatened by your expertise, perhaps SHE was fed a line about you by someone else. We have no way of knowing, but we do wonder whether you are a typical good producer who has political blind spots by only thinking their good work alone will help them to survive and thrive, when it usually won't. You can argue it should not be this way, but in most companies, competent people are often too humble and blow it by not having enough of a visible network of relationships with many people who know their work, as well as having their "hand print on their work" enough to protect and buffer themselves from this kind of blind-siding behavior. If you are asking yourself how people could know you so little, perhaps you need to extend yourself a bit more to ensure that people DO know you better. They might even stick up for you more, since network often will, especially if you have alliances with strong, powerful people in high places. But we are far from surprised, and invite you to let go of the outrage and realize that people sometimes do snakey things.... because they CAN get away with it and it serves their self-interest. Sad but true, so we don't want you to be doing water ballet in the shark tank. Don't become a shark, but don't be a victim. We wonder if you were too meek, too unconnected to power, and not visible enough with your accomplishments in a wider and higher band?

REPAIRING YOUR REPUTATION
You cannot make someone start to trust you, and you might even find that "you can never go home." You may need some space yourself if you feel friends have dropped you instead of sticking up for you.

So you may or may not find solace in trying to mend bridges, but try to come from a place of forgiveness eventually or it's like swallowing poison and hoping it'll kill the other person! Not easy right now, but later, perhaps you will discover that the relationships either were never as strong as you hoped (to be nourished more in your next job?) and/or that the people you trusted might really know what's up but be living in fear themselves, lest they be fired for supporting you. So if you decide to reach out to others, make sure they do not feel strong-armed or threatened by you. Let them know in a mailed note or live conversation (no email, no voicemail) that whatever happened, you know you did nothing unethical but understand that you don't know their circumstances and don't expect them to do anything, only believe you if possible. Your intent might only be to have them know your truth, no defend you, call back, or anything. It's as if you simply want to make your peace with what is true and have the record straight between you and those you cared about even if they say nothing back. Let them know that brings you some closure until you are legally freed from wrongful accusations. Just remember, whatever you say might be passed along so be careful how and what you communicate. Then pursue what legal avenues you research as appropriate.

Finally, of course, in your new job, remember to be wiser for this and build networks, promote your contributions so they are not a secret, prevent sabotage by having a power base with important people by being visible and helping important people. Also, remember that the saboteurs may be miserable people, insecure and scurrying for power at any cost. One day let's hope they look in the mirror when they have few real friends, and maybe they will not like what they see in their lonely moated castle.

Thanks for writing to Office-Politics.

Best,

Rick and Marty

Rick Brandon, Ph.D. and Marty Seldman, Ph.D., Co-authors
Survival of the Savvy: High-Integrity Political Tactics for Career and Company Success
www.survivalofthesavvy.com