by Ben Tasker

Created on: March 03, 2009

We have all seen those in the workplace that try to curry favour with the boss, but on some occasions it is far more serious than that. There are those who will do anything to gain favour or attention, no matter who loses out.

I was on the receiving end of a discussion with my boss today, because someone in another office is that desperate to be noticed that he will raise any tiny issue as far up the chain of command as possible. The discussion was about some duplicate hastenings sent out to this guy, and he had returned them higher up the chain asking why he had received three different levels of hastening when he had sent clearance details? What he failed to point out, and what subsequently went un-noticed down the chain was that he had sent clearance details after the second hastening. It's quite likely his clearance information was delayed in the post, so the third hastening went out before the clearance details were actually received and processed.

Thankfully, I know my job and keep pretty good records so there was no direct harm done. But there are side effects, quite aside from the intense frustration you feel when trying to explain that you haven't failed to follow procedures, or the feeling of intolerance you suddenly develop towards the guy wanting to paint you in a bad light. This kind of episode has future ramifications, whilst I followed procedure and was not at fault, this storm in a tea cup is likely to be remembered if I go for promotion. Except that the actual details will be forgotten, only the fact that one of my colleagues highlighted what he believed were inefficiencies in my working procedure.

This guy is a bit of an extreme example, he is well known for such behaviour, and is a constant source of aggravation in the office. That said, his actions still have consequences for those on the wrong end of his latest promotion scheme. His attention seeking not only takes hours out of our working day, but can also make people feel very victimised. It's all very well being good at your job, but when your boss starts asking questions about procedures you cannot help feel a bit un-nerved, in this case it's seldom the fault of your boss but usually of someone higher up.

We are quite lucky in that everyone seems to know this guys game, and the chances are high that his behaviour is probably reducing his chances of promotion, but it could also be reducing ours. Teams are supposed to involve a bit of give and take, but it just doesn't work when one member is looking out only for themselves. It doesn't matter whether they are a colleague in another office, or someone you see everyday, the ramifications are very very similar.

If you do spot a colleague trying to curry favour, it's usually best not to call them on it. People that ambitious will quite happily target their efforts at one person, it's best not to become the target. Remain confident in your job, keep meticulous records, and always ensure that you can prove what you did, when and how. At least that way if a finger is pointed in your direction, you can shrug your shoulders and say 'Not me guv, he must have got it wrong!' believe me when I say that it is hugely satisfying to turn the finger back towards the brown nosers.

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