Is the corporate world really this conniving?

[CityGal]

One of my co-workers and I joined the company at the exact same time and because of this we were really close. We would hang out after work and call each other up. We would tell each other almost everything or at least I did. I know that money is always an issue with people. When we would get our yearly bonuses and raises, I would not hesitate to tell her how much I got (if and when she asked) because stuff like that didn’t matter to me—heck I was excited to be seeing four numbers in my bonus. If I would ask her, it would always be some sort of story…never really as ‘accurate’ an answer as I would give her. Anywho….fast forward….I got promoted to another department after the year and she stayed in the same department for a little over a year. Until recently they promoted her to management and got double of what she was making…heck….i would love to make what she’s making. We rarely talk now because I noticed a few things about her I didn’t like or she would act really weird towards me. Through the grapevine I hear she got another promotion to another department (this is about maybe a month after she got the management position). As I sit her with my caseload of work, I begin to backtrack of how it was in the beginning. She would get in around 10 or 11 when we had to get in by 9:30. Would take two hour lunch breaks. Would call out sick every other week—and give the lamest excuses, but hey they worked….and now she got two promotions within 6 months. What am I doing wrong or not doing? I don’t want to stay at this job because it seems I could be doing much more with my life…although it is a cool job to have—def. not for the money. Jeez…it’s like the QLC is creeping back up again. There are like little instances where I could remember her sort of being gossipy and a little conniving. She is always in the know about things. If something is going down in the office, she already knew about it. So…I’m concluding that this is how people get ahead in the corporate world…well at least some. A little ranting…I’m trying to stay calm about all this….bc I’m here stuck with a bunch of cases…doing extra responsibilities when all I want to do is go home or sit on the pier looking at the sail boats.

Sorry for any typos....can't really edit any of them bc I have to get back to my miserable cases.

[cache]

I think once companies get infested with less than adequate management, it is difficult to get rid of. Competent managers understand that better employees should be promoted because it will help the business, even if that means a subordinate getting promoted over them. Less than competent managers are afraid for their positions, so they will only promote people that they know they can stay above. Those that the less than competent manager believes are smarter/more efficient/whatever than he/she, will not be promoted because the manager can use them to make him/herself look better, and prevent anyone from leapfrogging them on the ladder aka maintain the status quo.


Edit: Grammar correction so I dont offend wordsmith :huge:

[MollyMe]

Maybe she is sleeping with people.

But seriously, management is about getting things done through people. It is not so much about how well you do you job or did your old job, but how well your subordinates do their job. She might have had really good interpersonal skills. Maybe she could really talk herself up in an interview. It's also about being able to play the politics game and being in with the right people. Pushed her work off on other people = good at delegating and getting things done without any formal authority.

The worse thing is when people are promoted because they have been their the longest. I saw that happen to one guy and he made the worse manager. He kept applying for jobs and getting rejected because he had serious problems dealing with others. Eventually, he got a job because there were no other qualified candidates.

At my last job, the guy who never came in on time, always left early, never really did anything, got the promotion. Why? He was a good talker. He knew how to talk to higher-ups. He knew how to make decisions. He knew how to supervise. He honestly was better at management than being a worker-bee. But it stinks to see someone slack off and get promoted.

[Kitty]

Sorry you're feeling down about your job and situation. I would try not to compare yourself to this other girl though - it's only going to make you feel worse. Who knows why she got promoted. I think with almost all jobs (corporate and otherwise) promotions aren't always based on what's fair and what's right. It sucks, but it's kind of just the way it is.

[WorkInProgress]

Sorry you're feeling down about your job and situation. I would try not to compare yourself to this other girl though - it's only going to make you feel worse. Who knows why she got promoted. I think with almost all jobs (corporate and otherwise) promotions aren't always based on what's fair and what's right. It sucks, but it's kind of just the way it is.

Agreed. Hope you feel better about job stuff soon, CityGal!

[CityGal]

Agreed. Hope you feel better about job stuff soon, CityGal!


Thank you all. I really do think it is all about the politics and how you talk with people. It sucks!

[yankeeyosh]

Well, I think that unless you have been under a rock, you know what my position is. And I'll continue to preach this message till I'm blue in the face.

First of all, I am NOT a fan of people getting promoted...especially to managment positions...before their time is due. If you have two or three years' experience, you should not be doing a job that traditionally requires 7-10 years' experience, unless you're an exceptional case. Otherwise, it will likely be a major struggle, and there is a large chance of failure. As I said, there are exceptions, but this has historically been a very bad way to choose individuals for these types of positions. I don't think I can make myself clearer...if you disagree with this or don't see this, I really have nothing more to say except that I hope you think about this for a second.

Second, and more relevant to this thread, I think it's a disgrace of WHO is getting promoted to these positions. Time and time again, as I've seen on many, many different occasions, people have been given positions that they really don't deserve. It's one thing to get a quick promotion if you work 80 hour weeks all the time. If you slack off, and really don't show management characteristics, then I would never, EVER consider you for this type of position. Yet, in this century and in this generation, this is occurring all the time, and I think that America is in big trouble if this continues to be a trend...companies being run by unqualified and/or uninterested individuals is not something I can tolerate.

[CTGirl]

Thank you all. I really do think it is all about the politics and how you talk with people. It sucks!

It can be rough when you're not the one reaping the benefits of it, but the thing is, as much as some people hate it, whether you're in corporate america or government, or whatever, if you want to get ahead, you've got to know how to play the game.

If you don't like the way it works, and dont have fun playing the game, you should try to get into a different field or a different company where you wont have to.

[wordsmith]

Very little is fairly done, in fact, things are more often unjust than just. If you take people's arbitrary assessments of you and others and play the pointless game of "how do people see me stacking up" as a measuring stick for your own worth, you're going to be in for a life of disappointment.

[CityGal]

I think some of you are misunderstanding me. After I moved to the other department we sort of didn't become equals anymore. If either of us got promoted was bc of our own 'merits'. Her first promotion in that department was bc I mentioned to her how I thought it was unfair that after two years she hasn't gone anywhere and is in the same spot. This piece of advice made her talk to the boss and thus creating a new position and more money for her. After the boss quit she got his job. Once she got the new position she started coming in on time, taking shorter lunches, and staying later...so she has been getting paid for her work. Now that she is moving to another department I really think it's bc she is sort of chumy chumy with the head of that department. All these politics! Seriously why are they necessary. So let me I guess sum up what I've come to learn in the business world.

When you first start working your pay is not really equal to the amount of work you do. You normally have to put in double the work to get half of your pay.

Who you know can really help you make it in the world. Being friendly and knowing how to talk to people also gets you places.

Politics are everywhere!!

Seriously, can we start a handbook on working? List certain rules we should follow, how to go about doing things, etc. sort of like a company handbook...we should really create a handbook for us working 20/30 something year olds.

[SmilesSoSweet]

Maybe she is sleeping with people.

Yeah, maybe she really is sleeping with the higher ups. Or she could be related to someone that has higher authority and can promote her just because? I don't know.

It does suck. But the one thing I have learned is to NEVER talk about salary, bonuses or any other benefits with any other employee at your office no matter how "close" you are to them.

[dengeist]

I'm thinking by her talking to "the right people" (some would call this brown nosing), she got noticed faster and moved up. The first promotion seems like it was luck, she just happend to be in the right place at the right time. The second seems like she actually started putting in some work.

I know it sucks, I've seen people totally undeserving of positions get them and people that deserve them get nothing. It might benefit you to do the same thing now that you know how "the game works."

[wordsmith]

It might benefit you to do the same thing now that you know how "the game works."

If you care about playing the game and the possible payoffs. If you don't care, don't bother.

[Kitty]

I agree that it's not a wise move to talk about salary with coworkers.

[ScottyTheBody]

Maybe she's really attractive and really flirty





lol