Q & A Table of Contents
They’re Bad-mouthing Me; What Should I Do?
From: Roger, Chicago, Illinois
Question: I have worked extremely hard for 18 years for my company and have been considered a "High
Performer" or "High Potential" employee for the largest part of this tenure. Today, I find myself
paralyzed in my career by one person in management that has taken a personal approach, not a
professional approach, against me.
This correlates to another younger person, competitive to myself, telling this Sr. Mgr. bad things
about me that were unsupported and untrue and a bunch of negative hearsay. This situation has become
so bad that this Sr. Mgr. runs around, telling others, who do not know what to believe, who tend to
absorb this. I addressed the issue with this Manager head-on and they said all the right things and
denied they would consider me back in their part of the organization and really acted as if they were
never stated. The next thing I know, I'm transferred to a higher level position (Sub-Class) not a
promotion, to a less desirable location away from my wife's family, in a high cost area. Family's
unhappy, I'm unhappy.
I do not know if this Sr. Mgr. orchestrated this or what is really going on, but in any case I need to
resolve the issue and do not know how to tackle it. I have never been in this position as my work has
always been exemplary and my dedication and commitment to my company and career have been virtually
unparalleled. Usually, I'm talked about as someone you would love to have on your team -- contrary to
what seems to be spreading around about me. What should I do? Leave the company and start over? I
have used some of this negativity to re-invent myself and bring an even stronger performance, but I do
not know if this will overcome this random negative spirit being spread about myself.
Response: When people are saying bad things about you, proving you are innocent after others have
declared you guilty is extraordinarily difficult. It is similar to the dilemma of a man who is asked,
“Have you stopped beating your wife?” If he says “No!”, does that mean he has never treated her
violently or that he continues to behave badly?
You need to take a serious approach to figuring out your best course of action — and the means for
pursuing your interests.
The first step, preferably with your wife’s involvement, should be to take a look at your personal
interests as they relate to your career. For example your question mentions problems with your
current location’s distance from family. You have to figure out where you want to be, what sorts of
job would serve your interests, and whether your current employer or another company offers better
opportunities.
Your next step should help you establish your BATNA (Best Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement) -- in
this case what options you have and your fall-back position should your top priority not be a likely
solution. Thus, before negotiating within our company, it would probably make sense to look see
whether you can get any job offers from within your industry — or even from a different business
sector that appeals to you.
The step after that revolves around understanding the interests that are likely to drive the decisions
about your employment within your current company — and any others where you might find opportunities.
Only after you have done this preparatory homework should you develop a negotiation strategy aimed at
serving your interests. Keep in mind that your apparent reputation within your current company is not
something that can be modified by whining, by proclaiming your innocence, by blaming others. If you
communicate a belief that someone’s out to get you — that makes it sound true or can at least sound
paranoid.
You have to figure out whose decision really counts when it comes to deciding whether to offer you a
different job in a different location. Try to learn whether any negative rumors about you have
reached those decision-makers. If you can gain access to the written evaluations in your personnel
file, that could be helpful.
The situation in which you find yourself is very challenging. Your good luck will depend on your good
preparation.
Good luck,
Steve
| 
