Help ! I've Got a Target On My Back at Work
Dear Ron, I recently completed a big project for which I received a lot of accolades, but I've noticed that some of my colleagues are treating me differently now. It seems as though they're scrutinizing my work more and hoping I'll slip up, which I didn't expect. What should I do?
In any competitive organization, when you become identified as someone who makes a major contribution and who has greater possibilities for advancement, you should expect that competitors will emerge. And once you know that you are on track, you need to figure out who your likely competitors are and accurately assess them.
Some competitors will come at you directly and openly question you and try to create the impression that you're undeserving of your recent praise. Others will be less open but will be looking to call out any gaps in your performance. And lastly, there will be a group that will have taken note of you but have chosen to deal with you later. So your first step is to identify who's who so you can respond appropriately. Ideally, you want to anticipate their responses as much as possible, so that you can be more pro-active and strategic in your response, rather than simply reactive.
For the direct and frontal folks, the key is not to get engaged in an open fight. If you do, you'll be drawn in on their terms, and the likelihood is that person is going to convert this to their advantage. So stand your ground, stick to the facts, and if necessary, get some support from your backers at your company. What you want to be doing behind-the-scenes is casting some doubt on these folks' judgment and actions, and getting senior folks at your company to support this impression of them.
With the more passive competitors, be aware that that they're looking for you to stumble and will be ready to point it out to your colleagues. Your overall strategy here is to keep making points and drive for another highly visible result, knowing that this may trigger even more competition. The trick is not to rest on your laurels, but pick up more points and drive more results so that you can win even more supporters at your company. This is the time to let others at your company know who you are, with the caveat to be aware of the existing political alliances at your company and not get crossed up by them. You want to use this time to get as much support as you can, and deliver more results that confirm the positive impressions you've started to form in others.
Finally, for those in the last category who are simply biding their time, be aware of their presence for now and the fact that they're gauging whether they have strength and ability to compete with you. They're looking at whether they have the right relationships, circumstances, and arena to engage you, and are likely being more circumspect until they know. But you should know who they are and what their strengths and weaknesses are for when they eventually do engage with you. Good luck.
Photo courtesy of Flickr user Andrew Feinberg
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