Work culture

After an interesting incident yesterday where one of my co workers tried to throw me under the bus I got to thinking,
"dose everyone put up with this silliness?"
Essentially they tried to catch me out on a failing and CCed multiple managers into the email chain in an attempt to make me look incompetent, that said they ended up looking a fool, as per normal I had done my job but they had failed to theirs as it turned out which I had a good laugh about.
How's the work culture where you are?
Dose this "team work" I keep hearing about acctualy exist?

It doesn't exist in the last two companies I've worked. My current role is one where I have an office and hold a senior title. I'm not kidding when I was called into a meeting last week where I was told the previous day I was talking to people too much. The TWO people I talked with (one of which was a supervisor) I stopped and asked them if they felt I was spending too much time talking to co-workers. Both said they actually felt I hadn't been spending enough time around the office. I've been working thru lunch the last two months, keeping my head down and I get falsey accused of doing the total opposite. Of course, couldn't give me any specifics either. Our work atmosphere is one where no one gets a pat on the back, the only interaction you will get with your boss is a routine rear end chewing. Needless to say, we have a big morale problem.

So no, I've yet to find a place where people actually want to help one another and work for a common goal.

It depends on where you work, I guess. All of the companies I've worked for have had great culture. I've honestly never seen anything like what you describe. There's some mild "finger pointing" between folks that are far separated in the org chart, but folks that are close to me seem to have my back. I work in hi-tech. Maybe that's the difference?

I have had people attempt it, but my bosses know that I will not lie to them. I have fixed a heck of a lot of things that others couldn't, but I have screwed up a time or too, also. I always admit when I have screwed up (sims are complicated machine, and things happen), and they know that.

There are always people like that, wherever you go. I've been able to work around them, for the most part.

It seems to me that the people that have their stuff together also have a target on their back. I experience this a lot. I don't know if it is that folks need to make themselves looks good and nit picking my work for flaws is their way of doing it but I just shrug it off with a "Your attention to detail is impressive... Why didn't you get this position?" They failing to see the schooling, self-improvement, and *** chewings I've taken to better myself for the companies good. Meh, all I can do is do my job and stand on my reputation.

There's always a pack around where I am that are out to get you, or trying to one up everybody. Probably though, almost 100% of the time those people don't last long, or get caught doing something really stupid.

I've worked for a large auto company and a large defense contractor. Both had somewhat toxic work cultures but in different ways. There were a lot of good, hardworking people at both, but they also had their share of people that their only objective was to climb to the top, no matter who they stepped on to get there. I now work for a small manufacturing company (50-60 people at our local facility). Everyone comes in and does their job and I think that we all have a shared common goal. There's not really any office politics because the company is just not big enough to support it.

Dave:
As a Leadership (minor in Organizational Management), Major myself, it's such a shame that no one in your organization is willing to be your mentor and take you under his/her wing (some people are professionally insecure, and/or afraid of change and the future).

It's also such a shame that some seek to obtain such things as glory, (power, money, influence, ect...), and utmost the need for survival, can justify the use of immoral and unprofessional means (i.e., 'throw [you] under the bus'), to achieve those ends.

Not knowing very much about you (I, on the other hand served 24yrs in the Army and worked for Uncle Sam [green suit to suit], at the middle-level management scale for 10 more years), you do mention 'work culture'...,but really it's 'office politics' at stake (i.e., what are your positions, where do you stand on issues, are you in the 'click' [if there is one in your organization...a better term would be cronyism],
ect...).

In it’s simplest form, 'office politics' is simply about differences between co-workers at work; differences in opinions and sometimes conflicts of interests that are very often manifested into 'work culture'.

I don't believe in 'office politics' because for one thing...I'll never forget whom I worked for; the Service member in uniform (most likely in 'harms way'...having been there...done that and got the T-shirt), and Civilians in support of the Warfighter. When faced with 'real-world and high operational tempo situations' at my past level (maybe higher up the 'food-chain' they like to play that game), there is no place for 'office politics'. I firmly believe it it's all about professionalism, communications and relationships in the work place.

Word to the wise, I always tell my subordinates , peers and colleges..."Leave 'office politics/work culture' at home...just bend with the Wind or it will blow you right over".

Look, Learn and Listen (don't be the "The Nail that stands out [and] gets hammered first". Japanese Leadership Proverb),...then opportunity will naturally come your way!!!

Now to the matter of my Fee...it's 'Pro Bono', but you will have to 'tap' for a beer.

[FONT=&amp]"Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day again". Confucius[/FONT]

I have had this happen several times to me. Having said that I don't think it has every been another male co-worker that acted this way.

We have a few whiners like that around, but overall its pretty darn good. My old boss would fall into the trap of listening to the whiners. My new one knows they are full of crap. We have 2 guys that work on one of our presses on nights that cause the most problems. They will email me, and copy the pressroom manager, who I report to as well, about an issue with my department that has "been going on for a long time". Usually they have no idea what they are talking about. Its obvious to everyone they are just trying to suck up the boss. It gets dangerous when you have someone that takes those type of people seriously though.

I work from a home office, so I don't see much of this kind of behavior. Although there are other challenges presented.

My previous firm was a very traditional one that clung to outdated values and was heavily divided by religion and politics. A lot of people did exactly as you described "throwing others under the bus".

Main issue was the office politics you had to get round to be in any way successful, which I did alright at but not great. It really was about who you knew in the place - all the senior team were "best mates".

Family played a big role also, if you had any relatives having worked in the organisation this pretty much guaranteed quick promotions and recognition. So for me coming in as a relative nobody (no family in the place) and playing the game for almost 8 years I think I did reasonably well (i.e. moderate salary) however several years of knocking my pan in and seeing a lot of people get promoted around me left me feeling disillusioned and under appreciated.

I've now been made redundant from that place, but to be honest it could be a blessing in disguise as the high stress levels coupled with appalling management was starting to effect my health so I think had I not have been forced out I probably would have left.


Thanks,

R.

Happened to me once when I got one of my dream jobs when I was 21. Guy who came into my job everyday got a job at a beautiful resort as a restaurant manager. I was an assistant manager at a restaurant he visited. His mother worked nearby at a tailor. So they knew me pretty well. I stopped by the resort to interview for a job and he saw me. He was worried I was coming after his job or would be competition or idk what he was thinking but he said all kinds of negative things about me to the management. That I was unreliable and a bad worker and who knows what. I didn't get that job because of him. But I was nothing but good to the guy and his mother, always took good care of them.

Pretty much everywhere I worked has had mostly good people, but with a few toxic office politicians ruining it.

It depends on leadership. I work for a large retail chain with over 1,000 stores nationwide. One store could have a crappy culture, the next could be awesome. It all depends on the leadership in the store. I think they set the tone for the whole store/company.

I recently interviewed to work at Lyft corporate offices in Nashville. I was blown away by the difference in culture. It was a complete culture shock just being there for an interview. I can't imagine what it must be like to work there. I immediately got the vibe that every one there loves their job. Unlike my store, where I get the vibe that no one cares.

It might be slightly different where I work but blokes that do that sort of thing or just go about "snekking" the management either change or don't last that long. The management "yes men" type aren't appreciated either. If someone tried doing that to me I would physically break them, it's not how a professional acts.

To that same end if I saw a mate had left a computer logged in (and I'd hope he'd do the same to me) I would absolutely send a few e-mails out to his bosses. Thing's like that are fine as long as everyone else can see it's a joke and it isn't to actually furthur yourself.

I often think I'll struggle in a normal work environment when I get out

at one of my current jobs, i spend most of the time im there arguing with a coworker. im not normally someone who goes looking to argue, but this guy spends all of his time complaining about everything, his pay, the hours he works, the job, the customers, his life. non-stop everyday. he gets a base salary, plus commission on sales the store does. the more the store makes the more his commission check is. he complains his extra check is too low, yet refuses to go and make sales. he even says, in ear shot of our boss that he wished he would be fired. honestly i have no idea how he is still employed. honestly i dont mind it, because i can focus all my frustration into calling out his issues. not to mention he is thirty and still has his mother cook and do laundry for him.

Company culture is set from the top down. The signals the leadership send permeate any organization.

I am blessed (most days) to work for myself, so no office politics at all.

If anybody literally tried to throw me under a bus he'd have 2 choices and neither of them would be good
1) A citizen's arrest followed by a night in a Police cell
Or
2) A night in a Police cell sleeping off a very hard right uppercut to the chin for trying to resist a citizen's arrest !!
'Nuff said !! lol