Office Politics - My most and least favorite game

[RevolverRob]

Today a colleague took exception to an email I sent around with information (and my opinion) attached to it, regarding some political issues going on our campus.

Rather than send me an email in response though, she chose to (attempt) to publicly chastise me for being unprofessional on Facebook (why? ).

In reading her response it was clear she had misunderstood my position. I wrote her an email clarifying my stance, why I hold it, and why I view this as an important matter. She responded to my email, by chastising me again for being unprofessional, but conceding that I had a point and that a she felt a community discussion about these issues would be good.

So, my response to her continued attempts to take a moral high ground and call me unprofessional, was to say, "I'm glad we both agree these are important issues for our community to address. I look forward to working with you on generating a community discussion and hearing your ideas for how to tackle these problems."

I KNOW that is not what she intended to do, because she has avoided getting involved in this issue for months now. But that's what just happened. Now to find out will this colleague put up or shut up? - I'm okay with either approach, personally. I do find it amusing that some folks just don't know when to quit. It was an email with information and a (mild) opinion attached to it. Of the recipients she was the only one who chose to respond with anything besides, "Thanks for the info."

I admit I derive a pleasure from these types of games. Simply because I am good at them...I really should have been an attorney.

[Totem Polar]

Office politics. You have just reminded me that I had intended to post some whoppers from the fringes of academia in another thread. Re, your post: A) give 'em hell. B) the older I get, the more I really like specific people, and the less I like "people."

[GardoneVT]

"A closed mouth garners no foot."

[Drang]

"It is often better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak up and remove all doubt."
(As usual, attributed to both Abraham Lincoln and Samuel Clemens, and as usual, incorrectly.)

Or, as Will Durant said, "Nothing is often a wise thing to do, and always a wise thing to say."

[okie john]

I avoid it as a rule, but sometimes that's not possible. On those occasions, I have gotten a couple of people out into very deep water before they remembered that they couldn't swim.

I wish I didn't enjoy that as much as I do...


Okie John

[Erick Gelhaus]

Office politics? Try being the vice president of the employee association when five (maybe six now) people have announced they want to be elected the head of the organization. And two currently are in the administration, one retired a few years back, and the others from the outside.

Life is good!

[StraitR]

You mean a liberal took offense to a contrarian opinion and instead of coming directly to you, they went straight to social media to rant and attempted to shame you? WHAT?!?!?

Sorry, I'm not trying to downplay your current predicament, because I feel for you, but it's just so status quo. Happy hunting.

[Hambo]

I do find it amusing that some folks just don't know when to quit.

You might apply that to yourself in this case.

[Stephanie B]

You mean a liberal took offense to a contrarian opinion and instead of coming directly to you, they went straight to social media to rant and attempted to shame you? WHAT?!?!?

To my mind, that's a lot of assumptions about things that were not stated in the OP.

[orionz06]

It's not just the left/"liberals" that use social media as a weapon. I'm not going to name names or point fingers but plenty of right/"conservative" people do the same thing and run to Facebook/Twitter/forums at the slightest hint of perceived offense to rally the troops and start a "war". It's good for pageviews, but I personally find it unseemly.

So much this. Everyone is sensitive about their pet topics and they can easily go from zero to full fucktarded in an instant, some are sitting there just waiting for the opportunity.

We should all be aware of a few instances of things just like that. Hell, in some ways the defense of The Gadget to those who refuse to learn how it works/make incorrect blanket statements is just the same. Just as folks waiting to jump all over Pincus, XD's, etc.