Jambodj

Couldnt put it better. It is quite a sensitive area the bitching as im sure some of it is boredom but i am biting my tongue at the moment!

scrubbedexpat091

I just avoid working in an office, but admin drama still seeps out into the front lines.

LotusEater33

Well, after starting this thread I just had a most infuriating meeting.

There is a guy who has made it obvious he is going to be my nemesis.
His boss set up a meeting with an "unclear agenda" - I had asked what the topics were but got no answer. So the meeting happens today, and it was basically an open snitch /complaint session on me. This is after I had asked him privately a couple of weeks ago if he had any frustrations (due to his body language) but he said nothing to my face.
I also come across a lot of "rebuttal".

We had a new manager join our team in Jan, and there was moaning in the team because of various reasons - they thought he was friends with the associate director, he didn't have enough experience etc.
3 of the members have decided to give him such a tough time. In our team meeting last week, one woman was completely disrespectful to him - basically trying to undermine him and it seemed pre-planned.
In my 22 years of working in the UK, I've never seen anything like that.

kins

The worst office politics I've experienced was at Cap Gemini in London.

Second worst was my last employer in Maine. (Won't name them in case I need to go back at some point.)

Bob

Fake it till you make it, approach seems pretty rife where I am and what I've experienced.

The watercooler kind of back stabbing and politics just seem far more brutal than what I experienced in the UK, where it just wouldn't work because everyone went to the pub after work and you'd get called out on the BS after a couple pints, so complaints were far more direct and taken at face value.

One thing that seems consistent, everyone blames all the ills and inefficiency on the last person to leave the company though

Anian

I've seen worse in the UK, although that was probably because my UK jobs involved more low paid high-stress work, so people used to bitch to let off steam. They bitched about whoever wasn't in the office at that moment, and it was constant. Even the nice guys got stabbed in the back. I wonder what they said about me, since I just refused to talk to them most of the time due to it. I got on better with the guys who could barely speak English.

MarylandNed

I don't think you can extrapolate anecdotal experiences to an entire country. It really does depend on the people you are working with.

One thing that I have noticed in my US jobs, is a general desire not to say anything negative or controversial. I work on a project team here in the US that also has team members in the UK. When we have project status meetings, the UK people tell it straight exactly like it is - warts and all. The US folks tend to skirt around issues and be overly optimistic as if having bad news to tell is somehow a trait that will affect their career.

IlAlfie

This! There are 6 or 7 Brits in a team of about 40 so I'm not alone but I do find that people can be very optimistic and/or hiding their true feelings on something. I've been frustrated by a lot byzantine operational stuff which I've called out here and there. Nothing terribly serious but just a lot of inefficiency (it IS a university, after all). Most people agree with me but I don't think being the one calling it out and trying to fix it is always seen positively. My boss thinks it's healthy and has been grateful as it's been going on for years and the British big boss is quite keen and encouraging me but I do get the impression that a lot of the Americans think you should just keep it to yourself.

cxx

I had a few jobs in the same company in the US and experienced everything from total backstabbing to absolutely none, however the best job was with immigrants. One group were all new hires and absolutely determined to ensure they were the only survivor even though there could have been opportunities for everyone, and in the end all but one was "sacked".

LotusEater33

I've witnessed a lot of this, kind of "elephant in the room" syndrome in some meetings.

scrubbedexpat091

My co-workers don't like me because I make them look bad...lol

Not my fault they don't understand their job.

Rose tea

We have infighting and falling outs, but no more than a typical office. I have very close working relationships with many people here. Anyone who was really trying to start something wouldn't last long; it's not how the West really works in my experience.

I have noticed that a lot of what passes for typical office banter in the UK would be viewed as harassment (racial, sexual etc.) here and would be frowned upon. Don't think it would escalate to an HR intervention as we like to take care of things ourselves when possible, but it would be discouraged by supervisors.

veryfunny

You are correct but you have yet to see all of it yet. Over here people get fired in the UK people get passed over for promotion.

Obviously it depends on the company but that is what I have noticed the most.

veryfunny

Been there, done that, just watch your back because the blades will be coming!

Fred16

Few things made me laugh
Meetings
There was a daily meeting for each team
First meeting 1000-1015
Next 1015-1030

Second meeting staff would gather outside the meeting room and would do nothing if first meeting overrun, even if half an hour.

What are waiting here for, doing nothing
Can we discuss things here
No meetings have to be discussed in the meeting room
Its the procedure
Not as if it was top secret stuff

Worse if a Monday during NFL season, meeting would be taken up by fantasy football more than work

I agree they dont like telling as it is

A new IT internal software was being installed that was terrible, with no search facility and ugly interface, that was replacing a fully searchable database, that is used to help solve problems

Showed my 6 year old and he laughed, told US IT this, told further people above my pay grade and was told, decision made, deal with it and dont get involved in things that dont concearn you

2 years later after $$$$$$ in investment was taken out and replaced with the software that had a search facilty



Little off topic
When I first called customer in US, I said give me 5 mins to get a brew ( tea to me) and we will continue
Customer called manager wanting to know why i went for a beer!



Lunch times are sooooooo boring!