Undermined
I had an altercation with a co-worker today that left me with a not-so-fuzzy feeling.
I was recently promoted, which puts me in the same circle as this person. I made a decision and enforced it, and immediately received a phone call. I had spoken to my boss prior to making the decision, and he backed me up on it, so I was pretty confident that I had made the right one. Until the call came.
"Why did you do this?"
"Because allowing it to happen would be bad business."
"But I signed off on it."
"I realize that, but that doesn't make it right."
"Well, you just basically overrulled my decision and made me look bad in front of my staff."
I paused for a moment. So he wanted me to reverse my decision and make ME look bad in front of MY staff so that he could save face for making a bad decision?
"I understand that you're not happy about it, and I'm willing to discuss it, but it doesn't change the fact that it's bad business."
"Well that's the way business has always been done until you came along."
Ahhh...Ouch. So are we saying I don't know what I'm doing? Doubt started to creep in. Maybe it wasn't a good decision; after all, in the end the customer may suffer. Now he was under my skin.
"That still doesn't make it right. I have a department to run."
"I'm just telling you this is the way it has always been done. If I sign off on something, then there's obviously a reason that I signed off on it, and you don't need to question that." (So basically, anytime this man signs off on something, right or wrong, my opinion isn't worth shit. Hmmm.)
"Fine, we'll do it this time, but it will be addressed in the future."
"Uh huh, okay. I have real business to attend to now." Click.
And as I replayed the conversation over and over in my head, I began to grow angry. I had just been a victim of the "hard close." Seeing that I'm married to a salesman, I usually see that tactic a mile away. But mixed with a good healthy dose of condescension and intimidation, it's a little bit harder to deal with than I anticipated.
Welcome to management. I'll be ready next time.
I was recently promoted, which puts me in the same circle as this person. I made a decision and enforced it, and immediately received a phone call. I had spoken to my boss prior to making the decision, and he backed me up on it, so I was pretty confident that I had made the right one. Until the call came.
"Why did you do this?"
"Because allowing it to happen would be bad business."
"But I signed off on it."
"I realize that, but that doesn't make it right."
"Well, you just basically overrulled my decision and made me look bad in front of my staff."
I paused for a moment. So he wanted me to reverse my decision and make ME look bad in front of MY staff so that he could save face for making a bad decision?
"I understand that you're not happy about it, and I'm willing to discuss it, but it doesn't change the fact that it's bad business."
"Well that's the way business has always been done until you came along."
Ahhh...Ouch. So are we saying I don't know what I'm doing? Doubt started to creep in. Maybe it wasn't a good decision; after all, in the end the customer may suffer. Now he was under my skin.
"That still doesn't make it right. I have a department to run."
"I'm just telling you this is the way it has always been done. If I sign off on something, then there's obviously a reason that I signed off on it, and you don't need to question that." (So basically, anytime this man signs off on something, right or wrong, my opinion isn't worth shit. Hmmm.)
"Fine, we'll do it this time, but it will be addressed in the future."
"Uh huh, okay. I have real business to attend to now." Click.
And as I replayed the conversation over and over in my head, I began to grow angry. I had just been a victim of the "hard close." Seeing that I'm married to a salesman, I usually see that tactic a mile away. But mixed with a good healthy dose of condescension and intimidation, it's a little bit harder to deal with than I anticipated.
Welcome to management. I'll be ready next time.
posted by Kristie at 10:08 AM
5 Comments:
At some point you should ask him how he feels about progress. If he says he's for it, then say, "Ok, this decision is about progress do you have a problem with it."
Or justlet him cut his own throat. He will eventually.
~Jef
Argh. Stupid, stupid, brainless politics. The main reason (besides the baby) that I will do anything I can to never go back to the corporate world.
I applaud you for handling it so gracefully!
And Jef is right. the jerk will eventually do himself in with stupid moves like that.
Next time he calls griping about a decision he made that got over ruled, just simply say, "you should thank me for fixing your mess. Next time get it right!" Then hang up.
Hi, well be sensible, well-all described
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