John knew his manager was jealous of him and had been out to get him for a long time. But when the manager assigned John’s team a prestigious and difficult task, John figured his boss had relented and was making a peace offering. John would be in the spotlight. He’d have a chance to shine.
John immediately and eagerly accepted the challenge. As it turned out, that was a mistake. John should have been more wary. He should have stopped to specify the parameters of the project before agreeing to take the assignment.
After the company announced John was in charge of the new project, calls came from important people congratulating him on getting this high-profile responsibility.
Then strange things began to happen.
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Survival Strategy: Accept responsibility only when you have authority
John’s manager laid the groundwork for John to fail. His negativity, harassment and demeaning actions undercut John’s effectiveness and his team’s chances of success.
There are two major lessons for John. The first one: Never accept a gift from an enemy. Just ask the Trojans about that wooden horse they accepted from the Greeks.
The second lesson for John: Accept responsibility and accountability only when you have authority.
The traps John fell for started with accepting responsibility and accountability without the necessary authority or decision-making power. It wasn’t fair. But “unfair” as a defense won’t save you. The world still operates the way it always has. You must protect yourself by recognizing hidden agendas and by following a few simple guidelines:
- Never accept a gift from an enemy.
- Never accept responsibility and accountability unless you have authority.
- Never let unfair attacks by your enemies go unanswered. It’s important to defend yourself. Think tactically, get allies to help you and document what’s happening.
The best way to learn how to recognize and stop bullies who are out to get you is to hire Dr. Ben for personalized coaching and organizational consulting to create a workplace culture you want.
Design and implement an effective plan that eliminates the high cost of low attitudes. To get the help you need, call Ben at 1-877-828-5543.