Getting your player ready...
Dear J.T. & Dale: I recently received an email that pointed out a minor mistake I made at work. The author copied my manager, her manager and several co-workers. The mistake is easily corrected, but she strongly hinted that I violated our company’s ethics policy. I’ve uncovered dozens of similar errors and have worked with staff to correct them, without accusations of shady ethics. How do I respond to her veiled accusation? – Sue
DALE: Give in to your anger and you’ll make it a battle, which will focus attention on the mistake, and people who wouldn’t even read the email, much less take its hints, will be forced to pay attention and take sides. Still, you can’t ignore the situation. So here’s a chance to practice the entertaining and profitable art of office politics. (Yes, “entertaining and profitable” – if you’re one of those who get uppity and say, “I refuse to play office politics,” you’re still playing them, and if you actually mean it, you’re playing them badly.) First, go to the sender of the email and have a conversation – not a confrontation, a conversation. Your goal is to win back her confidence in your professionalism, just like you’d win back an unhappy customer.
J.T.: Then go to your boss and say: “I got this email, and I’m concerned about its questioning of my ethics. These mistakes are not uncommon, so I thought it would be a good time to agree on a proper strategy to deal with them. That way, we can ensure that nobody’s feelings get hurt and that the problems are resolved to the company’s standards. Can we do that?”
DALE: Beautiful. That’s office politics at its best. Your co-worker was claiming the high ground, but instead of getting defensive, you take even higher ground. Not only are you correcting the mistake, but you’re leading the effort to prevent future mistakes.
J.T.: And instead of dividing the team, you’ll be bringing it together, which means that email was an opportunity to do something powerful for your company and your career.
Dear J.T. & Dale: My 20-year-long, great career recently got tarnished by double standards and malicious gossip. I followed the chain of command to squelch the inappropriate behavior of a manager. My supervisor then pulled some “dirt” and recounted some “fairy tales” to discredit me, and I was terminated. Question: In seeking future employment, how would you handle it when they ask for a reason for termination? – Paul
DALE: When you go over the boss’s head, you are forcing management to make a choice, and they usually choose to side with management. Going forward, you’re facing the same bias – a hiring manager is going to tend to see the manager’s side. Even if you are right on the facts, they’ll believe that you should have persuaded your boss, not gone around him or her.
J.T.: Whenever hiring managers see that you were terminated from your last position, they naturally will be concerned and curious. Trying to avoid their curiosity is the fastest way to make sure you don’t get a job offer. You have to tell your story as objectively and convincingly as possible. It might sound something like this: “I went to the higher authorities in the company when I felt something was being done against policy. My manager took exception to my action, and soon after, I found myself being let go.” Then – and this is most important – you close out your explanation with what you learned from the experience. A future employer wants to hear how you plan to make sure it doesn’t happen again.
DALE: You can do that in a way that makes the interviewer believe you understand management’s role. You demonstrate understanding by saying, with a smile: “You’re probably wondering if I’m a troublemaker. Well, I’ve had dozens of managers in a 20-year career and never had a problem before, and I plan to never have a problem again. I just need a manager who tries to do the right thing.”
The only employers who wouldn’t appreciate that sentiment are those you wouldn’t want to work for.
