Dear Ms. Corporate Manners,
Being the new guy at work, I notice some of the associates treat me like an outcast. It’s not all the time but time to time. Just recently a fellow associate approached me to let me know the group I worked with kept something from me so I would not let this person (fellow associate) know. This person and I are not very close and we do not talk everyday, but the group I work with knew we were acquaintances. I feel very outraged that people I work with would have such childlike behavior, especially since the one starting it is my manager. I understand if you may not like someone, but to go out of your way and get a group of people you work with to hide something like new pennies from a fellow associate is just childish. How do I cope with this? It really makes me feel like they are separating me from their group, even though some are nice to me, and I can’t believe all of them would go along with it.
Thank You,
Cooked Goose from Clarksdale
Dear Cooked,
I question why a fellow associate would tell you something so hurtful in the first place. It could be that he or she has made assumptions and passed them on to you, and now you also are making assumptions about your work group. Why don’t you set a great example by being the one in your group who always assumes higher intent and refuses to participate in gossip?
Sincerely,
Ms. Corporate Manners
© Penny Aviotti and Ms.Corporate Manners 2003 – 2013.
