HBR Guide to Office Politics by Karen Dillon

Author:Karen Dillon [Dillon, Karen]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi, pdf
Publisher: Harvard Business Review Press
Published: 2014-11-17T22:00:00+00:00

Bring your boss into the loop

Don’t just hope your boss won’t notice any adjustment problems you and your direct report are having, advises Walker. Let her know it’s been a tough transition and explain how you’re approaching the situation. She may have anticipated difficulties on both sides but held off to see if you could figure out a path on your own first, to show she does consider you to be in charge now. But asking her for guidance won’t make you look “green” in your new role. View it as a chance to highlight your problem-solving abilities. Describe your game plan, but let her know you’d appreciate her feedback and other suggestions. Complaining about your employee’s behavior without detailing what you’re doing to manage it will only lead your boss to think that you aren’t taking ownership. If she offers help, don’t be afraid to accept. Is your former peer continually doing end runs around you? Ask your boss to redirect him back to you when he tries to go over your head with a problem. But keep your tone even and calm: Present yourself as sensitive, patient, and on top of the situation. Raising and addressing issues in a prompt and professional manner will help your boss see your management skill.

What if your colleague still acts up after you’ve tried all these tips? Then it’s time to wield your new legitimate authority, says Stewart Tubbs, former dean of the College of Business at Eastern Michigan University.

“I had this situation myself with a couple of people who had wanted to be dean but didn’t get the job,” says Tubbs. “Boy, they were not about to cooperate with me when I was appointed instead. Eventually, I had to sit them down and say ‘We can do this the easy way or the hard way. The easy way is I’ll support you, you’ll support me, and we’ll work together. The hard way? If you don’t come around, we’ll have to start making things formal. We’ll have 30-, 60-, and 90-day performance reviews. If you continue to rebel and aren’t meeting your goals, I will take up the matter with HR in formal disciplinary proceedings. All things considered, I’d like to do it the easy way.’” Eventually, both colleagues left the university, having never really come around. But Tubbs felt that he had done all he could to get the relationships back in line before resorting to dramatic measures.

Of course, you can say all this in your way—in your own voice. But if you’ve tried everything else to no avail, you’ll probably need to pull rank to put an end to the game playing.

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