Sunday, August 3, 2008
chapter 4: corporate politics in perspective
This is an example of office politics.Key learning point:
1) This is the reality of the world. So what if you are a valuable employee? She was with the company for 7 years; she does the pay roll, customer count, the first to arrive and the last to leave. She did not even take a vacation in 3 years and so on. Your boss actually compared you to a $10 coffee machine! What a joke.
Well, we all know that politics are indispensable in the working world. The lectures and tutorials really taught us some really useful way to suck up to the boss, gaining support from colleagues and subordinates. However, do you believe that there are really people in this world that do not care about office politics and sucking up to the boss? Well, there is one real life example in my workplace.
Just a brief introduction, this is Jenny (on the left) and Doris (on the right). Doris had been with the company for 3 years already whereas Jenny only re-joined the company last year (she used to be with Spring 3 years ago).
Doris is really one of the MOST straightforward people I’ve come across. She really voices out her views and thoughts, even to the bosses and supervisors. There were quite a few times that she quarreled with them. However, as this is a reality, the bosses did not do anything, as she was a great salesperson. Her shop attains the target every month and she had a lot of regular customers. She does not care whether do the bosses like her or not. However, she was really serious when it comes to work and she could really blend so well with the customers. She really does not practice office politics at all and she is a woman of her words. She was quite unsatisfied with the company and had left in July 2008. She is not one who keeps saying she want to quit and not do it. She says it, she does it. I am sure a lot of us are going to miss her laughter.
Jenny is a totally different example from Doris. There were also times when Jenny was unsatisfied with the company, however, she only complains to her fellow colleagues and does not dare to do it in front of the bosses. Of course, she is trying to create a positive impression in front of the bosses. I have been hearing her saying she wants to quit since 3 months ago but she is still with the company anyway.
Jenny is cleverer in a sense that she phrases her words really well and thus she creates a harmonious relationship with fellow colleagues. However, as for Doris, it is either people like her or hate her. But I personally prefer Doris’s character, as she will not backstab you. She will only stab you in the front, without hiding. Haha!
After entering the working force, I have been putting a mask at work. No matter how much I dislike this particular colleague, I still have to put on a smiley face and joke with her. Why is this so? You can’t expect me to give her a black face right? How am I going to continue working with her then? *Grins* This is just 1 out of the many basic survival skills. I still have much more to learn!
A cartoon to share:
Reference: http://www.grantland.net/3354.gif
