Office politics - point scoring!

pickledonionspaceraider

Hi there all,

I work in a small office environment, and we have an older lady who is in a less senior role than myself. I am having real difficulties with this lady, as she is constantly trying to score points..You know the kind, the one who ignores the phoes/customers but when a manager comes in is breaking her neck to deal with things..and she is constantly trying to get me in trouble for minor things.

This lady is an admin assistant, who does not fully understand/or had training for my role or what my job objectives are. Last week, I walked in on her discussing with a manager a task I had completed earlier in the day, and how she would have done it differently - and a few days later, when one of the managers came in, she attempted to make me look a fool again, by explaining where she thought I had made a mistake, and the manager told her that I had dealt with it effectively hence not really sure why he was getting told etc.

I physically sit very close to this woman, and I know that she watches what I am up to, listens in on phone calls etc instead of doing her actual work.

Any ideas how I can handle this? I am not a very confrontational person, and this is making me want to hand in my notice! I dread going to work these days because of her

1940sGal

God I know this type. We have several similar to her. Nosey old hags whose lives must be an absolute bore because they seem to get so excited by what others get up to. Seriously, how boring must you life be if the most excitement you get is either from gossiping about others or taking pleasure from making them look/feel small?! Makes me laugh tbh.

Rant aside, can you speak to your manager about how she is making you feel? Get his opinion on your performance? Though I know you've said he told her you'd done a good job. Besides which if he thought she would be better in the job, she would be the one doing it. But she's not, you are. She's very likely jealous, and hates the fact that someone younger is in a more superior role.

I know she's making you feel crap, but please don't let her bully you in to resigning. Because that's what she's doing. Bullying you. So go to your manager and talk your worries over with him. And let the old hag stew in her own bile.

BitterAndTwisted

Sounds like if she's given enough rope you won't have the trouble of hanging her yourself.

Ignore her and her shenangans. I'm sure the managers have a measure of her already. You're more senior, so are far more important to the organisation than she is, if she was considered competent she'd have had your job some time ago.

meritaten

re-arrange the office if you can so you sit opposite her. and dont be too chummy - she isnt your friend.
as for listening in to phone calls - dont be afraid to give the 'thousand yard stare' if she is obviously listening in! Then ask her if she hasnt got any work to get on with?
Let her bad mouth you - sounds to me like the boss is happy with your work and her constant belittling wont do her any favours!
As long as you do the work to the bosses satisfaction this person cant do you harm can they?

pickledonionspaceraider

1940sGal wrote: »

God I know this type. We have several similar to her. Nosey old hags whose lives must be an absolute bore because they seem to get so excited by what others get up to. Seriously, how boring must you life be if the most excitement you get is either from gossiping about others or taking pleasure from making them look/feel small?! Makes me laugh tbh.

Rant aside, can you speak to your manager about how she is making you feel? Get his opinion on your performance? Though I know you've said he told her you'd done a good job. Besides which if he thought she would be better in the job, she would be the one doing it. But she's not, you are. She's very likely jealous, and hates the fact that someone younger is in a more superior role.

I know she's making you feel crap, but please don't let her bully you in to resigning. Because that's what she's doing. Bullying you. So go to your manager and talk your worries over with him. And let the old hag stew in her own bile.

Thanks 1940'SGal. I didn't realise, but it is bullying isn't it. I am being bullied by someone who is older than my own mother...

I did speak to my Manager very brieffly the other day, but I did keep it very brief as I don't want to appear petty - up until recently I did see my future with this company. He seemed happy with my preformance and didn't seem to have picked up how difficult this was getting for me. He did say ''if she focused more on her own work, she wouldn't be so behind'' as there are piles of paperwork that she hasn't/cannot deal with and the managers have to bail her owt at least once a month.

I honestly think that she is viewed as harmless, as that is what I thought of her until I had been working with her for a couple of years. I really will try with this situation, but its so difficult to be stuck in an office with someone who behaves like this for nine hours a day .

pickledonionspaceraider

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

Sounds like if she's given enough rope you won't have the trouble of hanging her yourself.

Ignore her and her shenangans. I'm sure the managers have a measure of her already. You're more senior, so are far more important to the organisation than she is, if she was considered competent she'd have had your job some time ago.

True. She is very dithery and does make mistakes on a regular basis. Mistakes that will have a knock on effect to the next few days roles, or will result in me getting phone calls from other staff members until very late in the evening trying to guess what she has done. I would never mention this to her, as it totally isn't my place to do so I am not her manager (although she does get to find out her mistakes), and like I said in my first post I am not very confrontational at all. If myself or another staff member were to make mistakes, she would point them out to us, laugh, and then point them out to the next manager who comes on site, before they have taken their coat off. I have seen this happen and it makes me so angry.

pickledonionspaceraider

meritaten wrote: »

re-arrange the office if you can so you sit opposite her. and dont be too chummy - she isnt your friend.
as for listening in to phone calls - dont be afraid to give the 'thousand yard stare' if she is obviously listening in! Then ask her if she hasnt got any work to get on with?
Let her bad mouth you - sounds to me like the boss is happy with your work and her constant belittling wont do her any favours!
As long as you do the work to the bosses satisfaction this person cant do you harm can they?

Thank you Meritaten, To be honest I would love to sit well away from this woman. Work is a strange senario and you can get thrown in to a situation with people you wouldn't normally give time of day to at a bus stop :eek:

Because of the lay out of our office there is no possible way for me to move away from her, I sit within six foot of her

Funky_Bold_Ribena

Who is her boss compared to you? Do you have the same manager? Does your manager manage anyone who manages her?

3v3

pickledonionspaceraider wrote: »

...
I work in a small office environment, and we have an older lady ...

pickledonionspaceraider wrote: »

Thanks 1940'SGal. I didn't realise, but it is bullying isn't it. I am being bullied by someone who is older than my own mother...

:huh: What does her age have to do with anything? :huh:

I think meritaten has given you some good advice regarding tactics on how to deal with her behaviour.

Unfortunately there is nothing you can do about her age
You may want to reflect on why you feel it is so relevant that you mention it twice?

RedBern

3v3 wrote: »

:huh: What does her age have to do with anything? :huh:

I think meritaten has given you some good advice regarding tactics on how to deal with her behaviour.

Unfortunately there is nothing you can do about her age
You may want to reflect on why you feel it is so relevant that you mention it twice?

Perhaps it's that an older woman should know better, and the OP behaves with respect or feels she should behave with respect (and even deference ) to an older colleague.

Good advice already. I would add that you could try asking her if there's anything she needs help with as you've had a couple of queries and she seems to have an awful lot of paperwork backing up in her tray. nd then say 'ah well, we've both got lots to get on with, I'll leave you to it!". If she eavesdrops, stop your conversation and say 'sorry, did you want something?' or say to whoever is on the 'phone 'I'll have to go, someone's waiting to speak to me/trying to Ttract my attention.' That should stop her.

Don't let her upset you. It is bullying, but if you're a little more assertive she'll back down, bullies always do.

VestanPance

People who act like this in the workplace are more often than not trying to cover up for their own inability to do the job correctly. What they are trying to do is deflect their mistakes into someone else.

Best just to ignore folk like that and keep things professional. At some-point they either tend to dig their own grave, or brown nose their way to middle management! :eek: