The horrible colleague / office politics thread

[Yewheng]

The target is not me, I am just copied into all their correspondence from middle management argument to now senior management.

 

The whole thing now is :

 

- Overseas colleague write to HOD to complain abt this colleague work.

- HOD replied and defended the colleague asking this overseas colleague to respect this colleague.

- Overseas colleague country manager came in to defend this overseas colleague and say he is good at his work and will not anyhow complain abt others. (Complained colleague not copied in, but I am.)

- HOD replied that they should not question abt the work done here and respect this colleague as the overseas colleague is not here doing this colleague's work. (Complained colleague not copied in, but I am.)

- Country manager ask for conference call with HOD whole team. (Complained colleague not copied in, but I am.)

- HOD ask for director and whoever copied in the email correspondence to attend. (Complained colleague not copied in, but I am.)

- Director now on summer vacation, will be back on monday.

 

 

The whole thing is none of my business, its not my department at all. I just hope that colleague dont kena pressure, then resign. Then everyone will start saying I am the cause of all this.

 

I wana write to all of them not to copy me in their correspondences anymore as it does not concern me. Like that can?

 

Wa seh, this is office politics. Darn accurate reflection. This also shows how ineffective things are working for just a f--king small case. But well since you not in wrong, perhaps they also not happy about the complain and just want to trash it out. It may work well or it may not. But hopefully it come to a very good conclusion and not like you said they felt time wasted and blame you for causing all these.

 

But you can also think of it another way, and try to hint to those you know in the conference that it's not easy for those people who will just want to personally come down from overseas to have a conference to clarify things and perhaps it's also a good chance to build repo and have a better working relationship after the conference. Like that somewhat if time is wasted, another side objective is met and everyone will not feel so piss off as they know they had make some progress in building relationship with counter parts.

[Yewheng]

Me only a small little fly here. Now kena sucked into their argument for nothing. Just applied for leave on monday, hope to siam the conference call when director is back.

 

To me I feel you no point hiding and be upfront and truthful about what is your good intention turns out to be so serious as they so put it, and at same time really need to hint to them that it is really a good chance to build good relationship beside talking about the complain issue. Hopefully can divert some attention away too.

 

* It's like people have objective in mind to settle something, that's why they make a point to arrange for free time to come and clarify and sort things out. So if objective is not met or they felt they wasted time, the feeling is no good. So to make them feel better is to really to at least let them sink in that the time is not wasted as whatever meeting in the conference is an every opportunity to build good relationship. It's like playing with mind game. :D

 

I don't know how you going to do it, but I feel it just have to be done this way as people already make arrangement to come down personally for conference and thus the most important point is to really make the person feel good, which is to make sure they know that no matter what outcome, their time is not wasted.

 

Edited August 7, 2013 by Yewheng

[Icedbs]

Me only a small little fly here. Now kena sucked into their argument for nothing. Just applied for leave on monday, hope to siam the conference call when director is back.

 

Bro, no time to look back the last 12 pages of post, but why were you even inside this email loop in the first place?

Edited August 7, 2013 by Icedbs

[Little_prince]

So in your opinion. Is the complain warranted? Or is the oversea colleague stirring s--t?

[Little_prince]

So in your opinion. Is the complain warranted? Or is the oversea colleague stirring s--t?

[Jman888]

Bro, no time to look back the last 12 pages of post, but why were you even inside this email loop in the first place?

 

 

he started it [laugh]

 

no need to read 12 pages, the actual story start in page 9

Edited August 7, 2013 by Jman888

[1fast1]

The target is not me, I am just copied into all their correspondence from middle management argument to now senior management.

 

The whole thing now is :

 

- Overseas colleague write to HOD to complain abt this colleague work.

- HOD replied and defended the colleague asking this overseas colleague to respect this colleague.

- Overseas colleague country manager came in to defend this overseas colleague and say he is good at his work and will not anyhow complain abt others. (Complained colleague not copied in, but I am.)

- HOD replied that they should not question abt the work done here and respect this colleague as the overseas colleague is not here doing this colleague's work. (Complained colleague not copied in, but I am.)

- Country manager ask for conference call with HOD whole team. (Complained colleague not copied in, but I am.)

- HOD ask for director and whoever copied in the email correspondence to attend. (Complained colleague not copied in, but I am.)

- Director now on summer vacation, will be back on monday.

 

 

The whole thing is none of my business, its not my department at all. I just hope that colleague dont kena pressure, then resign. Then everyone will start saying I am the cause of all this.

 

I wana write to all of them not to copy me in their correspondences anymore as it does not concern me. Like that can?

 

It's a little too late for you now, but there's an important lesson to be learnt here, and it goes counter to what we've been taught as little kids - "help others as much as possible").

 

Well, don't. Not unless you're sure that it's not going to come back and bite you in the arse. Certainly this may not apply to real "hero" or "good samaritan" situations, but it certainly applies to office scenarios where life and limb are not at stake. Sometimes, as long as it's not someone higher up in your direct chain of command asking you something, not getting involved is the best policy. You may develop a reputation as "unhelpful", but that's as far as it goes. It's much better than being "the backstabber".

 

So, for future reference, how could you have avoided this sh*tstorm? Some suggestions:

 

1) If you don't want to appear completely unhelpful and yet want to protect yourself from being directly implicated in the complaint email chain, delete all trace of the original email and just send a completely fresh email to this colleague with just the HOD's email and a neutral subject line like "Re: that info you requested". Even if this is forwarded around, it doesn't really implicate you - you can always state that you didn't know what that info was for. If someone is really out to corner you using the original email sent by the requesting guy (which mentions the pending complaint), just play it dumb and say you rushed through that email because you were very busy, just gleaning that they were requesting a HOD contact, which you were happy to provide. You didn't realise there was any special sensitivity to it, etc. etc. But I doubt anyone would want to confront you with proof like this, since you didn't actually do anything illegal or counter to company policy.

 

2) If your HOD has a secretary, you can reply to the email giving the secretary's contact, and asking them to liaise with said secretary to get the HOD's contact details. Usually, even "careless" people are leery of cc-ing secretaries in this sort of sensitive complaint email. Even better, just reply with the secretary's phone number, so that they can contact the secretary themselves to find out the email of the HOD. Another layer of insulation to ensure there won't be directly be an email chain with your name in it.

 

These options are better than just rebuking the query entirely (you never know how badly you'll piss the other guy off), but you still protect yourself from this sort of thing happening.

[Yewheng]

It's a little too late for you now, but there's an important lesson to be learnt here, and it goes counter to what we've been taught as little kids - "help others as much as possible").

 

Well, don't. Not unless you're sure that it's not going to come back and bite you in the arse. Certainly this may not apply to real "hero" or "good samaritan" situations, but it certainly applies to office scenarios where life and limb are not at stake. Sometimes, as long as it's not someone higher up in your direct chain of command asking you something, not getting involved is the best policy. You may develop a reputation as "unhelpful", but that's as far as it goes. It's much better than being "the backstabber".

 

So, for future reference, how could you have avoided this sh*tstorm? Some suggestions:

 

1) If you don't want to appear completely unhelpful and yet want to protect yourself from being directly implicated in the complaint email chain, delete all trace of the original email and just send a completely fresh email to this colleague with just the HOD's email and a neutral subject line like "Re: that info you requested". Even if this is forwarded around, it doesn't really implicate you - you can always state that you didn't know what that info was for. If someone is really out to corner you using the original email sent by the requesting guy (which mentions the pending complaint), just play it dumb and say you rushed through that email because you were very busy, just gleaning that they were requesting a HOD contact, which you were happy to provide. You didn't realise there was any special sensitivity to it, etc. etc. But I doubt anyone would want to confront you with proof like this, since you didn't actually do anything illegal or counter to company policy.

 

2) If your HOD has a secretary, you can reply to the email giving the secretary's contact, and asking them to liaise with said secretary to get the HOD's contact details. Usually, even "careless" people are leery of cc-ing secretaries in this sort of sensitive complaint email. Even better, just reply with the secretary's phone number, so that they can contact the secretary themselves to find out the email of the HOD. Another layer of insulation to ensure there won't be directly be an email chain with your name in it.

 

These options are better than just rebuking the query entirely (you never know how badly you'll piss the other guy off), but you still protect yourself from this sort of thing happening.

 

But since his name is already inside, how can he not be involved in this conference. So no choice, really have to think of a way to make everyone feel good. The " feel good " feeling does have some psychology impact. Well.. I believe he will say no more next time.

Edited August 7, 2013 by Yewheng

[Mustank]

he started it [laugh]

 

no need to read 12 pages, the actual story start in page 9

 

 

[Adrianli]

Bro, no time to look back the last 12 pages of post, but why were you even inside this email loop in the first place?

 

Short story :

 

Overseas colleague ask for other department HOD contact to complain abt colleague from that department in our work discussion email. I gave him. He sent complaint email to HOD with my original work email I replied him. From then on, I am copied in every emails they shooting each other.

[Adrianli]

So in your opinion. Is the complain warranted? Or is the oversea colleague stirring s--t?

 

IMHO and for MCF readers only. The complained is warranted as from what I see, the work done was sloppy. Maybe just a simple reminder to that colleague. But it has escalated until middle management taking sides and protecting their own subordinates.

[Adrianli]

It's a little too late for you now, but there's an important lesson to be learnt here, and it goes counter to what we've been taught as little kids - "help others as much as possible").

 

Well, don't. Not unless you're sure that it's not going to come back and bite you in the arse. Certainly this may not apply to real "hero" or "good samaritan" situations, but it certainly applies to office scenarios where life and limb are not at stake. Sometimes, as long as it's not someone higher up in your direct chain of command asking you something, not getting involved is the best policy. You may develop a reputation as "unhelpful", but that's as far as it goes. It's much better than being "the backstabber".

 

So, for future reference, how could you have avoided this sh*tstorm? Some suggestions:

 

1) If you don't want to appear completely unhelpful and yet want to protect yourself from being directly implicated in the complaint email chain, delete all trace of the original email and just send a completely fresh email to this colleague with just the HOD's email and a neutral subject line like "Re: that info you requested". Even if this is forwarded around, it doesn't really implicate you - you can always state that you didn't know what that info was for. If someone is really out to corner you using the original email sent by the requesting guy (which mentions the pending complaint), just play it dumb and say you rushed through that email because you were very busy, just gleaning that they were requesting a HOD contact, which you were happy to provide. You didn't realise there was any special sensitivity to it, etc. etc. But I doubt anyone would want to confront you with proof like this, since you didn't actually do anything illegal or counter to company policy.

 

2) If your HOD has a secretary, you can reply to the email giving the secretary's contact, and asking them to liaise with said secretary to get the HOD's contact details. Usually, even "careless" people are leery of cc-ing secretaries in this sort of sensitive complaint email. Even better, just reply with the secretary's phone number, so that they can contact the secretary themselves to find out the email of the HOD. Another layer of insulation to ensure there won't be directly be an email chain with your name in it.

 

These options are better than just rebuking the query entirely (you never know how badly you'll piss the other guy off), but you still protect yourself from this sort of thing happening.

 

No more next time for me!!! One time experience is enough. I am now officially a dumb n mute in the office. Looking for early release on this holiday eve.

[1fast1]

But since his name is already inside, how can he not be involved in this conference. So no choice, really have to think of a way to make everyone feel good. The " feel good " feeling does have some psychology impact. Well.. I believe he will say no more next time.

 

As I said, now it's a little late for him. His only recourse is to follow the plan he himself suggested - on the day of the conference call, take leave. It would be best if he happened to fall sick on that day and needed an MC, since noone can help falling sick.

[Yewheng]

As I said, now it's a little late for him. His only recourse is to follow the plan he himself suggested - on the day of the conference call, take leave. It would be best if he happened to fall sick on that day and needed an MC, since noone can help falling sick.

 

Ya fall sick is another good idea. [laugh]

[Little_prince]

As I said, now it's a little late for him. His only recourse is to follow the plan he himself suggested - on the day of the conference call, take leave. It would be best if he happened to fall sick on that day and needed an MC, since noone can help falling sick.

 

bad idea. make yourself look back and unprofessional.

[Adrianli]

Just an update. No one copied me in their email correspondences and no one told me of the video conference call. Been peaceful for the last two weeks.

 

That colleague n me back to good working terms. She asked for help, I volunteered to help her in some of her work.

[1fast1]

Just an update. No one copied me in their email correspondences and no one told me of the video conference call. Been peaceful for the last two weeks.

 

That colleague n me back to good working terms. She asked for help, I volunteered to help her in some of her work.

 

I don't think you ever said it was a ger before. Chio or not?

 

You can offer to take her to dinner to make it up to her.

Edited August 27, 2013 by Turboflat4

[Jman888]

I don't think you ever said it was a ger before. Chio or not?

 

You can offer to take her to dinner to make it up to her.

 

 

he did mentioned, you not paying attention and nothing close to choi so forget it [laugh]

Edited August 27, 2013 by Jman888