I think I might be losing perspective, but there is a woman at work who is really starting to grate on me.

You cannot tell how funny the joke/comment she is laughing at is from how loud and long the laughter – you can only tell how important the teller is to her career. When you apply that barometer, it’s remarkable how accurate the amusement versus career-progress correlation is. It’s really starting to get on my wires – she even followed a bout of particularly forced laughter with a breathless “brilliant” today – like some sort of sitcom.

I suspect she doesn’t even realise she is doing it any more.

Does this make me petty, or am I in the ‘right’ because I simply cannot be that insincere?

Tell all your workmates, word will eventually get out, and if it doesn’t at least you can all laugh at her.

Just let it go… You start talking about her behind her back, she finds out and turns it into you being a bitter person because she is getting on with what she thinks will help her career.

Odds on the people that need to know she’s a kiss ass will know anyway.

Would you?

“Just let it go” +1

They’re everywhere. In my experience people aren’t as calculated as one can perceive them to be; so usually it’s your own issue, rather than theirs.

Saying that, plenty of idiots around. Sellotaping phone receivers still amuses me. “Ring ring”….”Hello, self important person here”….”Ring ring”

Watch the office. Will bring back your perspective.

I don’t see how it’s any of your business or how it effects you. People get on in life in many ways, in your opinion this person is brown nosing, they might not be, it’s just your perception. If they are, what’s so wrong about it? Just get on with your own work/career.

Toys, I agree with you but the OP’s perspective could be (i’m guessing) hinging on your last 8 words.

In some companys – i.e. mine, “brown nosing” and more specifically politics is the way to the top. I accept my limitations, but personally having sat at C level, then been demoted by positional restructure, then to have complained in a constructive way, in writing, accepted by my managers and hr that I have been denied promotion and sit in some way bored an under used (despite working hard) I have watched all the “brown noser’s” move onwards and upwards.

Because I refuse to do it and am useless at politics, I’m destined to be doing the same job until retirement, unless I move company’s. Like the OP, I cringe at some people’s obvious public lick a*se tactics, and then again at their rise to the top a few months later.

People who are saying “just get on with your own work” are probably right – thank god for the cathartic relief that the STW forum can bring!

Seriously though, she is taking golf lessons because all the men in her line of work go on corporate golf days! Imagine all the opportunities for getting where castor oil can’t during 18 holes of golf!

I’m probably a bit negative at the moment – despite having had a pseudo-promotion. The flip-side to this is that it throws me to the wolves a lot when it comes to the board of our parent company. No problem, really – with greater reward comes greater responsibility and all that.

Except that the gloss is somewhat dulled by someone in another area getting a ridiculous payrise by announcing they are leaving and being ‘persuaded’ to stay. Unfortunately my job means I get to find out exactly how much persuasion was required. Needless to say I think this is also a disgrace given the fact that said person has delivered very little concrete since joining the company, but has now embarked us on a course where she has become apparently indispensible.

What price loyalty? I now know – and it’s a lot – particularly when there hasn’t been a general payrise for three years and the rented office plants were removed, and the options on the coffee machine reduced to save a few pennies. Not to mention making people pay for their own Xmas party last year. I do not have a problem with these things at all in their own right, but if it’s ‘paid’ for someone to put a gun to the company’s head and extort a payrise then I think it’s a bit rotten. This person even cost us £600 putting the wrong fuel in her company car.

And yes, I do think this second person will be caught out in the end – but who cares with all that lovely dosh in the bank?

I have no problem at all with rewarding good performance and punishing bad – it’s just when the standards are applied differently that it becomes annoying.

Anyhow – bike ride tomorrow, so all’s well in the world again.

Creeps always get well thought of by themselves, and hated by the workers,

Perhaps just say loudly , IT WASNT THAT FUNNY, and ducck to avoid the knife between your shoulder baldes.

ducck to avoid the knife between your shoulder baldes

All very well, but it’s the one you don’t see coming in the dark that you need to worry about!

At least she is dead obvious. It’s the well sneaky ones you have to watch.

One job I worked in all the management suck-arses started wearing crosses around their necks, as the big boss was well known to be religious.

Vom-city.

Can’t believe no-ones mentioned her shoes.

Danny, seriously -let it go. Not dismissive of your concerns, but it’s not worth it.

I think from your OP you probably know you’re getting too wrapped up in this issue; get out and ride, watch the office and read a poem called “desiderata” – bit flowery, but it’s top for regaining focus.

all the management suck-arses started wearing crosses around their necks, as the big boss was well known to be religious.

Jesus(!)

I think I’ll be alright – so long as I’ve got you lot to sound off to!

I’ll just keep doing my best etc and managing to fit a few bike rides in as well.

I’ll just keep doing my best etc and managing to fit a few bike rides in as well.

Put some biking stuff up on your desk, no doubt one of the bosses will be into biking and give you an in to get common ground and get ahead where she can’t.

no doubt one of the bosses will be into biking and give you an in to get common ground and get ahead where she can’t.

I think you’re trying to draw me there(!)

I’m not that bothered with trying to get an ‘in’.

Anyway, none of them are into biking – I’ve asked(!)

Just joking – this has been good for me, I think. Venting a bit of spleen is good once in a while.

I think we are all contradictions when it comes to ‘getting on’ – unless you’re in the 1% who really love their job and would do it unpaid.

It’s like debasing yourself in an interview – pretending that you’re going to be a servant to your employer first and foremost, not bringing up anything like family arrangement, school drop-off etc and swearing an oath of allegiance. Whilst knowing full-well you are only doing it for the cash at the end of the day.

You can throw Maslow’s hierarchy of needs at me if you like, but ask yourself this:

“If I won the lottery, would I still do my current job?” (not “would I still do some work?”).

If you’re honest about 99% of people would say “no”.

I’d be a cricket groundsman I think (it’s always interested me) – but not what I currently do.

But this is getting a bit self-indulgent. I’m not starving, I’ve got a great family and I ride a mountain bike – so in the great scheme of things I’m probably in the most priveledged 10% of people alive.

I think that’s called perspective…………

But this is getting a bit self-indulgent. I’m not starving, I’ve got a great family and I ride a mountain bike – so in the great scheme of things I’m probably in the most priveledged 10% of people alive.

I think that’s called perspective…………

good for you.
play the game. or don’t. don’t begrudge those who do, however poorly. may be the only hand they have to play.

People like that are everywhere – They’re def in our company.

Lots of people know it too.

I think the trick is to not get annoyed but DO MAKE FUN!

Practical jokes on these people are a must…

Just see it a as a challenge to publicy humiliate (anonomously obviously) 😈

That Desiderata poem is bang on! It’s all relative, get a sense of perspective and it kind of all falls away into something inconsequential to you. You have a decent job, be happy with that, bloody hard to come by! or just piss in her tea. whatever works for you lol. I rip the piss out of people where I work that have “high aspirations” but no real skills/talent etc. Everyone is equal and on the same level in my book. Doesn’t get me far, but I don’t care about my job or the place I work. maybe that’s the solution 😉

Our Sales Director laughs like the vampire off sesame street.

Always makes me chuckle, and I’ve used the sesame street image in his Outlook contact 😀

I know how much this stuff grates. My ex-boss who’s just been demoted plays a similar game with Head of Dept. Luckily he appears not to be as much of a fool as we thought and hence he’s demoted her…

It’s possible her games aren’t getting her anywhere and that the recipient actually spots exactly what she’s doing and it has no impact, or he/she just thinks she’s a fool.

IME people who play games at work do it because they lack the confidence to believe they can progress by doing a decent job.

My advice, pity her, watch her carefully and stop letting it bother you… (too many people like that around, you’ll spend all day getting bothered!)

But this is getting a bit self-indulgent. I’m not starving, I’ve got a great family and I ride a mountain bike – so in the great scheme of things I’m probably in the most priveledged 10% of people alive.

Which is exactly where I ended up. Job wise we are all on different steps of life’s ladder. I don’t worry about these people any more as I’ve accepted your statement above. I do however have the self satisfaction that not matter what there job title, 30kph average on a road bike / a balls out Afan descent is utterly beyond them, and on that particular ladder, I win (versus my office colleagues anyway. : D )

may be the only hand they have to play.

That’s pretty much the conclusion I have reached. Why doesn’t their work say enough about them?

I’m rubbish at office politics. I just tend to keep myself to myself.

Years ago in a previus job made a cup of coffee for the new boss, and upended the kettle to get the water out, a creepy woman runs over and shouts dont give the new boss the old water use fresh water.

I was going to point out the water came out of a tap and pipe, and was stored before that in a large tank in the roof, so water was probably a few days old already.

Ever noticed brown nosers addopt a slightly stooped posture when talking to the bosses.

Last time I heard, one of the brown noses at a place I used to work, was getting through a couple of bottles of wine a night, more at weekends!

They had become what I always said they’d become, a whipping boy to the boss.

Not sure to pity them or gloat smugly.

My theory is that all brown noses end up like that eventually.

I have a similar problem at my work, the company thinks the sun shines from the proverbial but he only does half a job. I’m not perfect, but I am sick of picking up his work for him (I know, karma and all that)

Thing is, bigger the ego, harder the fall. He was nominated for a company award and he didn’t get it, he could not hide his disappointment one bit and I take great solace in knowing it will irk him for a long time to come.

These people aren’t worth the time, just remember, their home life is probably bollocks and they overcompensate at work

dogbert – Member

These people aren’t worth the time, just remember, their home life is probably bollocks and they overcompensate at work

Two of the biggest I know – one is travelling round the world on a nightmare rate of knots regularly due to his latest promotion, missing his 4yo and 1yo grow up. The other is so selfish he told me he’d never have kids because the were “too expensive*”

*he earns way over 100k, as does his wife.

Do your own forced laughing when you hear her doing the same at the other end of the office. Go instantly from full on guffaw to dead-pan without looking over.

I love being agency scum – I don’t have to get involved…!