Denise Brouillette

No one likes to think that political enemies exist at work. We'd prefer to believe that our colleagues are in it for the good of everyone. The fact is, most of us are in it for ourselves. 

We hold jobs for a variety of reasons, one of which is that we're excited about our careers and where we'll go with them. That's an example of being in it for ourselves. Another reason we go to work every day is to support the lifestyle that we have -- to pay the mortgage, to be financially able to buy the necessities of life, to save so that we can give our kids the opportunities we had, or didn't have, in life. That's another example of being it for ourselves.

Considering those two examples, because we have career aspirations and because we need to support ourselves and often others in this world, we have to be conscious and strategic about our careers. And that means that we might engage in behaviors that to others might be perceived as detrimental to their own purposes or careers. And because of that, we might be seen as the enemy in someone else's eyes. Just as those around us who are striving for advancement and going after higher-paying leadership positions, sometimes at our expense, might be seen as the enemy in our own eyes.

The Enemy Defined. We hear that word "enemy" and we shudder. We think of someone who is purposely out to get us. While that may be true in some cases, it's often not. But just because someone might not intentionally set out to cause us to fail, that doesn't mean that we don't suffer the inadvertent fall-out from their behavior, even if they are unknowingly casting us in a bad light either by their words or actions. Whatever the motivation, if people around us are acting in ways that cast a negative light on us, the outcome for us is that it's detrimental to our careers. So in that regard, they can be viewed as enemies.

If you don't like using the word "enemy", substitute it for anything else that works for you -- you can call them the "unconscious" or "ego-driven" or "out for themselves" or whatever. It doesn't matter what you call them, the outcome for you isn't good, and in that regard, they're still enemies of your advancement, or enemies of your high-quality output.

So let's get right down to it…an enemy is anyone who might cause harm to your career, either consciously or not. Often these adversaries seem to swoop in out of nowhere and take you by surprise. People who fit this description could be (but are not limited to)…  

1. team members who aren't pulling their share and therefore could adversely affect your work products,
2. people delaying getting something important done for you,
3. people who are taking credit for your work,
4. a boss who's not giving you challenging assignments or visibility
5. a boss who may be taking credit for your work), and
6. those who are activity sabotaging you in the organization.

Because we might not categorize the first 5 situations as blatant sabotage (even if they might be), we don't think of them as falling into the category of "political enemy." But make no mistake about it, they are in that category. Anytime someone else's words or actions cause you to either fall out of favor with those who make decisions about your future, or overshadow your accomplishments so that you never or hardly ever have the opportunity to be considered favorably by those who make decisions about your future, that's a political enemy.

Take a look and see if you have…

Team members who aren't pulling their share and calculate the adverse affect their behavior is having on your reputation, on your brand. Then figure out how to head the negative fall-out off before it significantly affects your standing.

People outside your team who are delaying getting important work done for you. They're interested in their careers as well and probably what you're asking for isn't at the top of their priority list. If that's the case, you'll need to have a strong influence case for getting their attention to your needs.

People who are taking credit for your work. In this case, you clearly need to have a plan for how you can be sure that those who need to know, in fact, DO know about what you're producing.

If you've got a boss who isn't giving you challenging assignments, find out why. Maybe your boss doesn't know what you want (so not a political enemy, but someone you may need to be more explicit with about your future). Or it may be that your boss doesn't care about what you want (in which case, she or he could fall into the political enemy category), so your strategy about your boss needs to consider that possibility.

And what about the boss who's taking credit for your work? That may be inadvertent or intentional. You'll need to find out which it is. Either way, you'll need to tread carefully once again. But one thing to keep in mind, NEVER make your boss look bad in front of others, no matter what. Find another way to get the word out about your contributions without it being at the expense of your boss' reputation or career plans. That's a fatal career limiting move.

Finally, if you have someone who falls into Category 6 -- people who are actively sabotaging you in the organization…that calls for a whole other strategy.

Over the course of your career you'll always run into others who have their own agendas. It's human nature. Some may be out to get ahead at your expense, most are not. But that doesn't mean our reputations don't suffer because of their words or actions. So keep that in mind and have your plans and strategies ready for dealing with the several types of people you'll run into in life -- or maybe this week!