Game players at work trying to undermine you…

How to get them to give over and get on with their own job.
One of my colleagues at work (Same level as me but used to be my boss) has just been demoted.
She’s very insecure and not very good at her job. And has previous – she’s been in front of HR at least once and wound up quite a few people in the business.
But she plays the head of dept like a cheap fiddle. Although given that he’s just given her old job to an outsider I figure he knows how manipulative she is…
I’m contracting and get on well with the new boss. I think she’s scared they’ll edge her out and give me her job. I have far more appropriate experience, qualifications and approach so this is quite rational.
Since I got there she’s been loading me up with admin 2 grades below my role, giving me the wrong steer on most things, tried to take credit for some of my work and being generally pretty bitchy about colleagues so I know she can’t be trusted and is not supporting me.

Question is, other than hope and pray and keep my counsel or involving HR, how do I stop her generally trying to undermine me and go and play her games with someone else.

From her general way of operating I’m sure she’s undermining me to the Head of Dept, although I have no proof. I’ve already complained to her about the admin and she said I was romanticising the job description… so there’s no hope of getting an honest/adult response by speaking to her dirct

keep a record of problems, and dont trust others in your work place.

As i got told once , when i had problems with a woman boss at work, whatever you do, even if you bring peace to ireland, and become the pope etc, you will have about as much chance of impressing susan as a snowball has of existing in hell, she is out to get you out no matter what.

and she did.

I’m contracting

Why do you give a s**t? As a contractor you don’t need get involved in politics, just take the money with a nod and a smile.

I think the fact that she’s been demoted suggests senior management lack confidence in her. You may be blowing this out of proportion but the best way you can beat sneakiness IMO is keep delivering on your promises. Make sure people know what you have said you will deliver and then just do it.

It’s hard for someone else to take credit for what you do if you consistently perform well in an honest and open manner.

I’d also converse at an email level with her about business. That way you always have a formal record of any discussions.

(EDIT – wrong thread, not sure what happened there)

Get her preggers. 9 months of peace.

Challenge her to a game of Jenga.

What did TeeJ do?

{mods, I could do with a 2 week ban? I’ve got some work I need to do, ta}

TJ banned for life ???? what did he do?

Sorry to Hijack

Shoes
Wee

Why do you give a s**t? As a contractor you don’t need get involved in politics, just take the money with a nod and a smile.

That’s my plan. But because she’s threatened she’s bringing it to me!

Good advice re recording things and I will start. But all that does is give me a record if I take it to HR which I’m trying to avoid, it’ll make matters worse, not better.

I have been making sure I add value in as many places as possible. Some of my colleagues have been clients of mine in the past so I’m sure whatever negative whispers she’s putting into the Head Of’s ear are countered by the positive feedback he hears from everyone else.

The new boss and I also have a similar approach and he likes what I have to say.

I think the fact she’s realising her games aren’t fooling the Head Of are part of the problem…

I guess all I can do is make sure my relationship with the new boss and Head Of are good (which they are) and let them make their own judgement and let things play out. They’re not fools…

It’d just be nice to be allowed to do my job in peace without having to deal with the failures of someone else’s parents!

Keep a note of all of your communications with her, don’t let her tell you anything without noting it down explicitly.

It may seem petty, but you’ll have chapter and verse if it blows up.

Game players will never change, all you can do is protect yourself as best you can and let them dig their own hole.

Ah good old office politics, can’t beat it.

We’ve got a twonk at my work. Constantly tries to undermine everyone, constantly jumps in to every conversation to try and get his neb in, wants to be involved in everything until he decides its not juicy enough. Never completes anything, steals other peoples work, says he’ll do things and never does, and best of all…..lies about his figures. Tries in no way to be a part of a team that works great together……..but the bosses worship the ground he walks on and the team leader fancies him so backs him up and puts him forward for things constantly so no-one else gets a crack at anything.

The bhuddist in me believes in karma and it’ll all work out in the end, but there’s always the hope he gets twatted by a bus

Keep your head down, do a good job. If your theories are right, they’ll bin her off soon and it’ll be a non-issue. If not, you’re a contractor, move on.

As a contractor there is nothing you can do really.

But have a word with the new boss and make sure they know a little history. If I had started in that role I’d like to know who internally was applying/doing it and watch them for back stabbing/sack them.

Write it all down too but if shes got unions involved or anything like that then tough, not much chance of them selling out one of theirs for a money grabbing trouble making contractor. (which your probably not but…)

If she’s been demoted and in front of HR, her head of department is going to know that. Might just be that he’s a bit weak, and rather than dealing with her behaviour properly, he’s letting it slide/pacifying her for an easier life, or allowing her enough rope to hang herself.

You’re the same level and she’s giving you petty admin tasks?
A simple “no” should suffice.

The bhuddist in me believes in karma and it’ll all work out in the end, but there’s always the hope he gets twatted by a bus

Brilliant.

Keep calm and carry on invoicing 😉

As others have said you are a contractor so you should try and not care. Just delver, smile and invoice.

And Karma, I love karma. Here is this weeks karma moment. Before I sold my consulting business I had a guy working for me who was really hard work, not trustworthy and on the take. I managed to exit him but he decided to try and go head to head with me and my business. He had taken a lot of IP with him and was being pretty disruptive. Thankfully our clients did not like or trust him either. Fast forward 3 years and I am sitting in a CEO seat at the moment for someone temporarily. I saw him there, briefly. His biggest client by a long way. Terminated contract immediately, exited. Childish I suppose but he was rorting them anyway and internally nobody valued the services. Best part is I am doing something else next week and lo and behold they are there as well, probably their second client. I am looking forward to Monday !. Treat people the way you wish to be treated.

Have you anything, absolutely anything, non- work related in common with boss? Could you find any excuse to go for a drink after work with him, or even “accidentally” bump into him after work?

Then drop it into conversation with Ms Bitch. “Apparently there’s going to be some changes round here” looking here squarely in the eye and smiling knowingly.

She takes credit for your work? Can you do something really badly then let her take the credit for that – maybe start being really, really nice to her, offering to help her out.

Undermine her confidence – look at her work and ask if she’d like you to make it more presentable, ask if it’s “that time of the month” (women get really wound up by that), if no – “sorry I thought with the way you’ve been behaving), if yes, just nod wisely and walk away. Or ask if she’s pregnant – same thing, really

Undermine her confidence – look at her work and ask if she’d like you to make it more presentable, ask if it’s “that time of the month” (women get really wound up by that), if no – “sorry I thought with the way you’ve been behaving), if yes, just nod wisely and walk away. Or ask if she’s pregnant – same thing, really

see?

Couple of people here I’ll only deal with by email, or if they ring for something I’ll send them an email 10/15 mins later ‘just to confirm blah blah blah’. Annoying but has saved me getting a bollocking a couple of times over the last few years.

A fair while back, I dealt with a couple of people who tried to blame things on my dept/me to cover up their mistakes. I always just made a point to refute it with facts which made them look really stupid. Stopped almost immediately. Harder if you don’t see the politics being played but it sounds like you know what’s going on.

see?

😆

mrs toast – that’s mal from Firefly 🙂

I just finished watching that series. I’m still in shock that they canned it 🙁

mrs toast – that’s mal from Firefly

Indeed! When in doubt, deploy the emergency Fillion!

Err if she’s the same level and doesn’t have the best rep anyway then grow a pair. Call her on any bullshit she does (directly) and if it continues then do it publicly or discuss it with the new boss (who probably has as much to worry about from the conniving witch as you do).

The bhuddist in me believes in karma and it’ll all work out in the end, but there’s always the hope he gets twatted by a bus

That would indeed be kharmic! 😀

Coatsey has been trying to ‘break’ me by reapetedly pointing out I didn’t want to drop that spanner in the oil 👿

Err if she’s the same level and doesn’t have the best rep anyway then grow a pair. Call her on any bullshit she does (directly)

That’s pretty much what I’m doing now she’s same level. Am trying to get some ideas from STW how to do this without it turning into an open bunfight – she’s not comfortable with being challenged.

She really doesn’t like it – now she can’t use hierarchy to hide behind my challenges. It’s quite embarrassing actually, watching her trying to twist her way out of sounding like she doesn’t know what she’s doing, and just digging herself deeper…

I recommend the Cone of Silence. Say nothing to her ever, except minimal Yes/No. She will run her mouth off and dig herself in deeper, I know the type.

I’d agree with hels. Why let yourself get dragged in? Deal with her only when you have to and make sure anything said/done is confirmed by email. Your arse is covered and she’ll soon realise she can’t get anywhere.

If you start pointing things out to management you’ll just look petty yourself. If they really do have an issue with her and you’re as respected as it seems then at some point they’ll ask your opinion, at which point stick to the facts and keep emotion out of it.

Teach people how to treat you.

Don’t take $h1t from anyone.

The bhuddist in me believes in karma and it’ll all work out in the end, but there’s always the hope he gets twatted by a bus

The bhuddist in you only represents a very small part of your personality then? 😆