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Why your toxic colleagues climb to the top

fastcompany.com

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Re: Why your toxic colleagues climb to the top

#11

Post by belter »

Story time for the young kids in the room: Once upon a time, in my role as a technical consultant for hire at a large multinational corporation, I found myself tasked with a management board presentation. I was filling in for several project managers who were otherwise engaged due to urgent commitments.

My responsibility was to elucidate the difficulties stemming from the company's current internal systems integration architecture. I was to outline immediate measures for mitigating existing issues and offer a comprehensive plan for long-term resolution. With only a few days' notice, I prepared the required technical material, knowing well that the management board I was to address had a decidedly technical inclination.

As I delved into the presentation, I began to perceive an escalating sense of discomfort in the room. I quickly sought to discern whether the material was perhaps too tedious or excessively technical. Although the management board was known for its technical expertise, I couldn't immediately pinpoint the cause of the unrest. However, clarity struck in a sudden flash when a senior member of management hesitantly inquired, "Why are you using Mark's materials?" Mark, a pseudonym in this story, was the absent CTO who should have been present at the meeting.

After an instant of cognitive dissonance, the truth become clear...The CTO, who had engaged my services as a technical consultant, had been presenting my work to the management board for months, all the while assuming full authorship of the technical reports and presentations...

Re: Why your toxic colleagues climb to the top

#12

Post by ttr2021 »

belter wrote: post #11

Story time for the young kids in the room: Once upon a time, in my role as a technical consultant for hire at a large multinational corporation, I found myself tasked with a management board presentation. I was filling in for several project managers who were otherwise engaged due to urgent commitments. My responsibility was to elucidate the difficulties stemming from the company's current internal systems integratio…

Dude, I had a colleague, senior to me, do the opposite. I had an idea that I struggled internally to get off the ground for months and months. I pretty much did all the research, found the contacts, got the architecture direction, sought feedback and buy in from multiple stakeholders - including him. Practically I was ignored.

After about 6 months, he's presenting this identical idea to our team!

Guess what, it was approved by upper management!!

Except, the lack of details he had in his super high level stuff lacked any insights, so I called him out in the next meeting and basically said have you seen this document I've been socialising for the last 6 months!?

He said it was 'different'..

Re: Why your toxic colleagues climb to the top

#13

Post by ttr2021 »

ttr2021 wrote: post #12
belter wrote: post #11

Story time for the young kids in the room: Once upon a time, in my role as a technical consultant for hire at a large multinational corporation, I found myself tasked with a management board presentation. I was filling in for several project managers who were otherwise engaged due to urgent commitments. My responsibility was to elucidate the difficulties stemming from the company's current internal systems integratio…

Dude, I had a colleague, senior to me, do the opposite. I had an idea that I struggled internally to get off the ground for months and months. I pretty much did all the research, found the contacts, got the architecture direction, sought feedback and buy in from multiple stakeholders - including him. Practically I was ignored. After about 6 months, he's presenting this identical idea to our team! Guess what, it was a…

But didn't hesitate to go back and use all my notes, research and contacts to quickly backfill all his lack of details with my stuff!

Re: Why your toxic colleagues climb to the top

#14

Post by euroderf »

rainim wrote: post #8

A toxic world. We live in a world where good people being silenced and bad people become creators, influencers... And kids grow up being taught (being influenced) by admiring fake things: fake smiles, fake tears, fake beliefs, fake beauties... I don't think the words "social skills" are correct. "Dark skills" are more suitable, just like the dark patterns. All come down to the human nature.

Still though, useful skills for an A.I. ...

Re: Why your toxic colleagues climb to the top

#15

Post by thumbuddy »

ttr2021 wrote: post #12
belter wrote: post #11

Story time for the young kids in the room: Once upon a time, in my role as a technical consultant for hire at a large multinational corporation, I found myself tasked with a management board presentation. I was filling in for several project managers who were otherwise engaged due to urgent commitments. My responsibility was to elucidate the difficulties stemming from the company's current internal systems integratio…

Dude, I had a colleague, senior to me, do the opposite. I had an idea that I struggled internally to get off the ground for months and months. I pretty much did all the research, found the contacts, got the architecture direction, sought feedback and buy in from multiple stakeholders - including him. Practically I was ignored. After about 6 months, he's presenting this identical idea to our team! Guess what, it was a…

This is why stratagems like quiet quitting exist.

Re: Why your toxic colleagues climb to the top

#16

Post by thumbuddy »

I love how the punchline of the article is, "if you are in management you can stop these people!". But 98% of people in management are these people. The remaining 2% are on the short list by their toxic managers for dismissal. Almost all hierarchys in companies exist so dark personalities can exploit others. Plain and simple.

Re: Why your toxic colleagues climb to the top

#17

Post by ttr2021 »

thumbuddy wrote: post #16

I love how the punchline of the article is, "if you are in management you can stop these people!". But 98% of people in management are these people. The remaining 2% are on the short list by their toxic managers for dismissal. Almost all hierarchys in companies exist so dark personalities can exploit others. Plain and simple.

Funny but true!

Re: Why your toxic colleagues climb to the top

#18

Post by climb_stealth »

belter wrote: post #11

Story time for the young kids in the room: Once upon a time, in my role as a technical consultant for hire at a large multinational corporation, I found myself tasked with a management board presentation. I was filling in for several project managers who were otherwise engaged due to urgent commitments. My responsibility was to elucidate the difficulties stemming from the company's current internal systems integratio…

What happened afterwards? It's not quite clear from your writing whether the truth was clear just to you or to everyone involved :)

Re: Why your toxic colleagues climb to the top

#19

Post by belter »

climb_stealth wrote: post #18
belter wrote: post #11

Story time for the young kids in the room: Once upon a time, in my role as a technical consultant for hire at a large multinational corporation, I found myself tasked with a management board presentation. I was filling in for several project managers who were otherwise engaged due to urgent commitments. My responsibility was to elucidate the difficulties stemming from the company's current internal systems integratio…

What happened afterwards? It's not quite clear from your writing whether the truth was clear just to you or to everyone involved :)

CTO still at the company. I resigned both on moral grounds, but also because despite the nice hourly billing fee I was charging, I understood the relationship with the CTO, from them on would be ...Let's say...Toxic? :-))

Re: Why your toxic colleagues climb to the top

#20

Post by ephaeton »

thumbuddy wrote: post #16

I love how the punchline of the article is, "if you are in management you can stop these people!". But 98% of people in management are these people. The remaining 2% are on the short list by their toxic managers for dismissal. Almost all hierarchys in companies exist so dark personalities can exploit others. Plain and simple.

Sad but true!
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