Tuesday, September 13, 2005

That Sound You Hear? The Odd Wife and Even Husband Exhale

The word that came in last night was the final one in that we have definitively made the deal to move to a better office of our own making. Just like that the anger dissipated, the stress evaporated, and all the current crap we have had to deal with looked like a pile of Nerf toys.

Today while at lunch with our core group CB, who was home embellishing illness, called the main players to "inform" us that PlayBoy was jumping ship. Hilariously she then said he was turning his back on the company, and that he had offered her a position, however she was staying so as not to abandon her group of "important people." I suppose that we are supposed to overlook how she was right in the thick of the planning of things just a week ago but has pulled out because her role was not significant enough.

Without boring you with the esoterics of our situation I will hopefully educate you on surviving office politics by what I have learned. TOW has said repeatedly how CB underestimated her, and the core to estimation is determining value. CB is playing the game from a power angle--namely keeping her power--and hopes to maintain her power by surrounding herself with loyal sychophants. Here is her error: this is all a business decision. We did not align ourselves with PlayBoy because he was the "coolest" one in the office. It was because he could deliver the business. If CB had a deal that was solid and kept us employed we may be wishing PlayBoy luck in his new venture. But from day one we knew he was crux to any success story, and CB's slathering promises are valueless in the end.

Another example: When The Odd One joined this company she came over with a longtime friend("S-ette")from her previous office. S-ette is a 26 year old school girl who often tries to play her coquette charms in her favor, though she doesn't quite have the chops to use them with any success. For some time she was openly flirting with PlayBoy and when he began to respond she got spooked, and rather than telling him to back off she ran to tell on him to his manager.

Not long after I came over I noticed she had ceased talking to us completely. Then she was noticably absent from functions with CB and her family, where the rest of the office strove to join in to be noticed. We soon learned why. S-ette had become the darling of the couple who runs the company, hoping to gain in stature as a result However everyone soon knew she was gossiping around to get dirt and whispering anything that went on in the office to the owners. (Ironically most anyone who has ingratiated themselves with the owners has found a quick exit at this place.) TOW and myself were silent on everything around her.

A few weeks ago the clandestine meetings with our group had begun and S-ette had heard about us getting together with PlayBoy and others. She played hurt that she wasn't included but her pouty lip did not garner her an invite or information about the meeting. Suddenly S-ette was our friend anew, calling constantly and wanting to do things after work. She's still waiting. She's also not coming over to the new company, even though it is being run by her two tightest friends from their old office.

S-ette and CB made similar mistakes in largely different ways. Looking out for themselves, looking for angles and quick paths, and saying whatever was needed to get ahead. What is telling is tha the core of people moving on together have one similar trait: they all actually do good work and gain merit by performance. They also all despise the management and ownership and cannot wait to escape. I almost want to say we are lucky, but in truth it is a result of making sound decisions based on quality people.

Posted by Anonymous :: 7:18 PM :: | ---------------------------------------