Those corporate games, Part I

I thought it would be good to highlight some of the more consistent corporate political posturing that I see and hear.

The point is NOT to say, “Ain’t it a shame that people behave so poorly,” but to make you cognizant of what may well be going on at work that you may either ignore or don’t know how to handle. I’m not providing solutions (you can hire me for that..) but to think twice on various behaviour at work–and subsequent reactions.
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1. NIMBY (not in my back yard)
   The turf war executive who has a territory/region, a piece of the business, and guards over it zealously. They’re the ones with the bumper sticker that says “He who has the most toys wins” because their concern is about possessions only. They will gauge their effectiveness and worth by the size or revenue of the territory they control. Their template is strictly on who is entering their turf and why, friend or foe. Don’t step into their region without asking permission; you’ll get shot.
2. I Never Said That (also look up “Gaslighting”)
   The exec who makes others crazy by making them think they’ve lost their mind or memory. What is said in private is reversed in public (or vice versa) and when asked they will often reply with a shake of the head, a smile, and a “I think you’ve got that wrong–I never would have agreed to that,” which makes the other party confused.

   Even if you corner them, they’ll wriggle out, saying that was not what they meant. They won’t write on email much, and often dodge commitments. They’re hard to nail, but more often than not they get outed, as people compare notes (although there are always exceptions..)

3. Am I Paying You to Think or Do As You’re Told?
   This is the best advice I can give for new young grads coming into their first corporate job–the boss is always right. The “when I need input, I’ll tell you” attitude still very much exists at senior levels of management. The subordinate who doesn’t understand how their superior thinks and behaves will often overdo it and try to outshine the boss. They will soon be drawn, quartered and executed.
4. She’s Great, But..
   Almost all of us play this one, the backhanded compliment which can also make or break careers. The reason it is so prevalent is that no one in an organisation likes to openly trash someone else, so the dissing is often couched in polite terms. It is when someone takes it to new heights of negativity and criticism that you need to be aware. Hear are some actual lines I’ve heard and jotted down:

   Oh, she is so terrific with everyone when we all went out last night. The way that girl can drink, party animal! I’ve never seen anyone so tiny drink so much–isn’t she something?

   That project presentation you put together is impressive, but haven’t you thought about where the funding will come from? Don’t you know how tight they are, and there is no question they’ll reject it. What were you thinking?

   I heard he wants to get into management and run that BU. And he really is great, a little rough around the edges with the staff, but he is so good in sales it would be hard to lose that revenue if he was running a BU right now, don’t you think? I personally think in another year or two he’ll be more polished–don’t you?

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When you hear things in the office, don’t ignore them because you’re too busy. Think on perception–yours–and what is being said. Ignore the buzz at your own peril.