Chapter 2
The Boss Who Pits You Against Your Colleagues
The Problem
Your boss has you competing against your peers for her respect and attention. It’s a “reindeer games” scenario—only one of you can win some coveted prize, whether it’s the chance to lead a team, get a promotion, or just have a moment in the limelight. She has created a horrible, cutthroat environment for an otherwise collegial group of direct reports.
Why It Happens
Though some bosses don’t realize they’re creating this problem, in many cases it’s a deliberate management tactic: Task several people with solving a business challenge, and make it an implicit horse race. Even when a promotion isn’t on the table, senior executives often leave roles and responsibilities ambiguous ...
Get HBR Guides to Emotional Intelligence at Work Collection (5 Books) (HBR Guide Series) now with the O’Reilly learning platform.
O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.
