Like desperate survivors in a lifeboat, managers whose jobs are jeopardized because of company change sometimes resort to tactics they wouldn’t ordinarily consider.
One of the worst—backstabbing—often increases during a stormy period, but it can occur even in a normal business climate. It pays to be on the lookout for colleagues or superiors who may be out to undermine you so that you can decide when and how to respond.
- Motives. Backstabbers‘ actions are often triggered by several different things, rather than one particular factor. A sense of insecurity, which may be heightened during a period of transition, is most often the reason why someone tries to discredit you. You may exude an air of competence that the underminer perceives as threatening. Or your responsibilities may overlap territory the backstabber regards as his— or hers—alone.
During a restructuring, you may in fact be a real threat to someone who is willing to resort to devious means to get rid of you. Even in stable companies, healthy competition among peers for the few top management spots can turn sour. Finally, someone may be out to get you because you inadvertently said or did something that was misinterpreted.
- Tactics. Backstabbing is like guerilla warfare—the enemy’s actions are often invisible, but the results aren’t. One of the most common tactics is badmouthing. It can happen in meetings when an enemy says something disparaging about you—but neither you nor an ally are there to dispute it. Clever backstabbers often badmouth their victims to superiors who are their allies. The information is then often passed along from a “neutral” source to your mutual boss.
Spreading rumors about your work or your personal life is another favorite strategy of backstabbers. But they run the risk of digging their own corporate graves if they’re found out to be the source.
Sabotage is another tactic. Backstabbers have been known to steal mail and memos, scramble computer disks, change important times on computerized calendars, and fail to pass along important messages.
Backstabbers can also create roadblocks to your doing a good job. They may withhold critical information, sit on reports you submit, or even try to set you back by pointing out flaws in your work to important people.
- Remedies. Once you realize that someone is trying to undermine you, analyze the situation before reacting. The first time a backstabber attacks, you may be better off ignoring it, especially if the stakes aren’t that great. The advantage of letting your work speak for itself and appearing unflustered is that the backstabber may retreat because you haven’t provided any fuel for the conflict. On the other hand, the person may perceive you as being cowardly and escalate the mischief.
When the stakes are great, or the backstabber’s actions are damaging, it’s best to confront him or her, preferably in private. You don’t have to make accusations. It’s often sufficient to let the individual know that you’re aware of what’s going on. You might say, “Someone has been saying untrue things about my work. I don’t know who it is, but if you hear anything, I’d appreciate your letting me know.” If you deliver the same message to others, it’s likely that you’ll neutralize the backstabber’s actions because others are likely to catch on to his or her tactics.
Confronting someone directly can be effective if this individual has made no attempt to hide his or her campaign. But threatening to go to your mutual boss is likely to backfire. A backstabber can defuse this by telling your boss, “Joe thinks I’m out to get him.” Then when you do come in with a complaint, your boss may question whether it’s legitimate.
Defending yourself to management, in any event, should be done carefully. It’s in your best interest to be cool and to have objective proof of the backstabber’s ploys in hand. If you don’t, you’re better off alerting management that someone is undermining you, that it’s not doing you or your staff any good, and to let you know if they hear where it’s coming from.
Observation: The best preventive measure you can take is to make allies who are likely to alert you to potential underminers or defend you against detractors on an ongoing basis. You will find that this is a wise precaution to take.
More about: Dealing With Backstabbing
- Managing Stakeholder Relationship Part 1
- Things You Can Do to People When You're the Boss
- Jobs and new Careers exploring
- Making the Grade in a New Position
- Taking a Temporary Step Down
- A major Industrial and Economic problem: Absenteeism & Boredom
- Are Formal Performance Appraisals Enough?
- The Mission Statement: A Big-Picture View
- Dealing with sexism at work continue...
- Practical Intelligence for On-the-Job Success
