Have you noticed a lot more whispering in the office lately?
Tough economic times make things definitely more cut-throat in the workplace, and it’s not just in the sales & marketing areas. People can stop being nice and start being not just “real”, but downright ugly in the effort to keep their own jobs.
My example is how my beloved director had to take the fall for something that was a total setup by a very deceitful executive. It should have been him on the block, but he was Machiavellian in his tactics to cover his own and throw the blame onto someone who was on leave and not around to counter his misinformation. Others in our IT area have caught this bug and have started to become controlling, condescending, and not very nice towork with.
What are your strategies for dealing with these people? How do you react when you suddenly find yourself in the middle of liars, manipulators, and over-ambitious peers willing to throw anybody under the bus for their own advantage? Let’s face it, these days you probably can’t just run out and find another job. Unethical people and bad leadership are everywhere unfortunately. I have found that it’s not something you can run away from. My problem is that I don’t want to become like them, but I don’t want to be a patsy either.
How can you ensure your own safety if you’re more of a Charlie Tuna and less of a Jaws? Oh, and maintain your integrity at the same time!
k-g