Many times I have heard the mantra of the employee who came to tell me of the bad acts of one of their teammates. Clearly, they thought that not only would I immediately act on it, but that I would also be grateful for their report. Each was shocked when I spent the rest of the meeting discussing the actions they could have taken before bringing it to me. It is a hard lesson in what teamwork really means.
Pushing everyone else down, is not an act that raises you up. You merely remain standing over those you have injured; and when they find out that it was you that did it, they will resent you for it. You should never assume it won't get back to them. It always does. And, consider this: you never know who they will grow up to be. If they become the boss, you are screwed. Enemies have long memories.
In government employment, where work is often thankless and compensation is highly regulated, the one who advances without obvious and credible good reason is often assessed by the rest with a chorus of “why him and not me?” Resentment is a hazard, and left untreated, will develop into the sport of "taking 'em down."
But it’s not just government employment that has difficulty with this rule: politicians, comedians, and lawyers are all rewarded for ignoring it.
However, if you work with those who often act badly, it is difficult to NOT do onto others as they do onto you. But the truth is, you don’t have to "take someone out" because people take themselves out. Those who advance without the training, without being tested, now have power they wield recklessly. They will piss off the powerful eventually.
This is the hardest rule. It is not enough for you to report that you witnessed something wrong, you have to help your teammate do the right thing. Do all you can, and only after that - and to protect the team, the boss, and the mission - do you escalate. If you don't know how to do all that, ask the boss for advice. You're not a rat if you ask what you can do to help.
Taking the high road is hard on your knees, but the view is worth it.
-AR
© Aron Ruthe, 2015
thiasuswake.blogspot.com
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