Office Politics

MiSTeRYoSA · Feb 14, 2000, 08:43 PM

Things are getting complex once the number of
employees in your company increases. Of course, there are promotions, but in our case, one should apply for the next higher position. The thing is, some people did not go through this process but instead, they were "appointed." Then, there's this "turnover" thing...geez! I hate it when I see my friends leave. A part of me dies and I can't help but think of what went wrong. They say, you "work to live" and "not live to work." The latter is true for me (as of this writing). Well, just wanted to ask you as to when one should resign and give up what he/she has right now in a company? Is it just a phase to feel that you are bored and everything seems routinary? This is my second job...I've stayed with my first job for 9 months and for this one...it's a year and almost 4 mos...u got it right...I'm thinking if I should stay or not. By the way, the people are great, I enjoy their company, the work place is clean and the office is near our place. It's just that I feel so stressed out. I sacrificed a lot like Bdays of loved ones, friends, gimiks with long lost friends....name it...I hardly see my family when I have a night sked. So what do you think?

***Ada*** · Feb 14, 2000, 08:57 PM

I can relate. I resigned from our company recently because, aside from the fact that the routine job really got to me, I didn't like the way the company was being run anymore. I thought it was a perfect company -- no intrigues, palakasan and the other nasty stuff that usually plague a company. But now I'm not so sure anymore. I find myself questionning the qualifications of those who are promoted. Also, I don't feel the team spirit anymore; it's like "every man for himself" nowadays. So even if I had to leave a lot of people I really loved working with behind when I resigned, I felt that it was the right thing to do.

Ira · Feb 14, 2000, 11:34 PM

Is your boredom a temporary rut, or do you think it's a permanent thing? How are the compensations and the perks? Can you imagine working there longterm (or do you feel nauseated just by the thought of it)? Are opportunities for promotion adequate? If they promote you, do you think you can still be excited about work or is it a total drudge already, even if they make you CEO?

Answer these questions, they may help you decide. It doesn't matter whether you've worked with them for a long time already. If you don't feel happy and content with your work anymore, by all means, quit.

GeePers · Feb 15, 2000, 04:54 AM

Sadly - stress/family and personal sacrifices quite often/usually may come w/ the job title. And, sounds 2 me promotions in ur office is based on favoritism/clout - not what u know but whom u know - 'di rin maaalis 'yon - even hard 2 prove if u decide 2 go legal.

For yuppies, as I feel most of you here are, it's very ez 2 say & do "quit" - 'ksi they seem 2 have d young age advantage - although it's against d law 2 discriminate a person fr a job 'cuz of age, plus company benefits given are lesser - 2 d advantage of company. OTOH, older workers, who after having put in long years of hard work/dedication/loyalty/length of service and have amassed experience, can't just pick up their personal belongings & say bye-bye - despite harassment/tension in d workplace. Besides personal economic reasons - some other considerations that make older workers think twice b-4 quitting a job & job searching tougher are d mergers & acquisitions, happening left & right, eventually leading 2 downsizing & consequently tightening the job market & IMO, no matter what d law says re. age-relatd job discrimination - it's there.

Recently read on da web 'bout a new office heartache - bully bosses in America - we all hav/had one, I bet - one more added stress, di ba? BTW - there's even a nationwide association of employees who has/had bullies for bosses.

Talked fr experience - njoyd my work/co-workers. Un4tun8ly have been a victim of a bully of a supervisor & a merger. Buti na lang - may severance pay w/ co. benefits & unemployment insurance attached 2 d lay-off 6/99

- malas nga lang - still unemployed till now.

Nway, hang in there & hope u make a wise decision that will not make u regret 4 da rst of ur life.

***nix*** · Feb 15, 2000, 03:35 PM

Right now in the Philippines, it is an employer's market, meaning, the supply of good jobs available is fewer than the number of applicants and talent. Thus, employers get to choose who they want to hire, train, and keep. The huge amount of available talent makes several employees expendable.

There will always be office politics and it would be difficult to find a job that you would consider to be a perfect fit. I would say that you should search within yourself just what exactly it is you want to accomplish in your career, and how best would you want to go about doing it.

Basta, there are several ways of finding fulfillment in your work place. Keep a positive mindset, and you'll be fine.

zimdude · May 2, 2000, 07:24 PM

I think the key is you shouldn't treat the stuff in the office as work - you should just be playing and enjoying yourself - and go for companies that encourage that mindset.

***Kaboom!*** · May 3, 2000, 07:57 AM

To be trite:

"Find something you love to do and you'll never have to work a day in your life"

Peace.

zimdude · May 14, 2000, 04:35 PM

Yup!

Anyone here have experiences in M&A (Mergers and Acquisitions) ?

senator yak · May 17, 2000, 11:49 AM

zimdude - what about mergers acquisitions?

Gilbey · May 22, 2000, 03:25 AM

mergers and acquistions... i used to do a lot of acquisition audits... ugghhh so detailed... what about them?

to stay or not to stay.. just ask yourself if you are happy....

BoyNeedsClue · May 24, 2000, 05:14 PM

culture changes and clashes in mergers?

jp.42 · Dec 2, 2000, 11:06 AM

One of our PXers mentioned this on the other thread. He had to leave his wonderful job because of this. Do you have any experience with this?

AlphaMale · Dec 16, 2000, 12:29 AM

The 1st time I experienced office politics was unfortunately in my first major job way way back. I don't really feel bitter about it now, I did then of course. Now I feel like it serves more as a lesson than anything.

I was in Marketing, and I picked up on one of the ideas of the engineers which was pretty ahead of its time. It allowed the payment of client's bills over franchised booths.. this was back early '90s.

Anyway I did the legwork for it, promoted it and even did the brochures for it. The next thing I knew the incoming GM took everything I had, presented it to the big bosses and got it approved with nary a mention of me, taking all credit. GM was even sneaky, scheduling the mtg. at a different time than was posted so that when I arrived it was already finished. Apparently it served as pakitang-gilas because GM was just newly hired.

I swear I wanted to commit murder at that time, but I just weighed my options, decided that there was no way I was gonna get anywhere there because I just didn't feel the need to work with losers anymore, and just left.

I had since worked in a variety of companies, and all have their own versions and amounts of it. For what it's worth, I learned from that experience and had since decided na pagdating sa pera, some people forget alliances, friendships, all forms of kahihiyan, and sometimes even common sense. They just chase after it like flies to ****.

Yes office politics can bring one down, but in my case it taught me to start looking beyond the flashy surfaces and look at people for what they are. It indirectly taught me to discern the gems from the turds.

zimdude · Apr 1, 2001, 04:24 PM

How do you handle stress at work? I have to learn more about stress management... how to handle things when things are out of your control.

If the problems are within your control - then that's FUN

jason bourne · Apr 19, 2001, 09:43 AM

this topic is timely...all the time pa nga eh..

me also work for 3 long years and what that i find it boring na...kahit na i've been promoted 3 times din...pinagpalit ko pa rin siya. im not really after the position ot title of this or that....what im after is the....basic thing of all....my SALARY!!! dont be hipocrite... kaya ka nga lumilipat opisina dahil sa Sweldo di ba? Pero its will be the same again... kasi your wroking for the other person pa rin, your BOSS.

here's a little story to pondr upon:
Pedro, a typical employee who is, masipag, matiyaga at model employee. one day, nakita si Pedro ng boss nya and he said "Pedro, doblehin mo pa sipag mo para next year makabili AKO ng Pajero". So, Pedro obeys his boss and after a year, me Pajero na Boss nya.

think over this...and sana you'll find some lessons in the life of an office employee like Pedro.

just do this and you'll be free "Boss you're FIRED!!!" and viola...your on it, free at last.......

seriously, i resigned because if im not going to, what i've been doing in the last 3 years of my life, im sure will be the same with my next 3 years in that company....and more.

but my work motto is : "if you work, love your work and you'll enjoy the rest of the day" so if someone doesn't feel his love for the job.....my Advice...GET OUT and look for other greener pastures!

One solution to get out of it for life : Be an enterprenuer! its what we need to be nowadays....

mahirap · Apr 23, 2001, 11:40 AM

hayyyy buhay! minimum na, wala pa natitira sweldo...hmmmppp!!!!

zimdude · Apr 24, 2001, 01:53 AM

I wonder where the "all my money is going to my boss" thinking is coming from... I think it only applies to those of you who work for the owner... my boss here doesn't own the company either! And in multinational or public companies, "the boss" is actually the shareholders.

I think it's good to go entrepreneur, but not just because you envy "the boss." My few cents' worth.

***Leigh*** · May 18, 2001, 01:06 AM

I wanted to revive this coz i know a lot of people are in the middle of their own crisis.

I personally think that a person should resign already if he/she is not happy anymore, meaning when you wake up in the morning, "you have to go to work coz you have to", not like "i am going to work to learn or share something".

i think, it's not just a phase when you have been experiencing this for more than a month now, or more pa. Another thing, missing the most important events may actually matter in your personal priorities...maybe if you have set your priorities black and white, then, there won't be a problem.

Q · May 18, 2001, 05:24 AM

As long as you're not the boss, you can never truly have piece of mind in your workplace, and there will always be politics to contend with. Sorry to say it, but usually politics gets worse as your career progresses.

My advice to you young 'uns: If you have the means, seriously think about starting your own business. Do your research, work hard, and go for it. *Especially* if you're the type who's hungry to get things done, eager to challenge your own abilities, and have no committments like a family, a mortgage, etc. It's much harder to "start over" as you get older. Experience is the best teacher. If at first you don't succeed, you will succeed eventually.

In addition, I think the Philippines would be a much more prosperous place if more people could get out of this "I-need-to-depend-on-someone-for-work,promotions,status, etc." type of thinking. Change has got to start somewhere. Why not with the talents of the new generations?

zimdude · May 18, 2001, 02:39 PM

I'm happy not being the boss, and working only at the stuff that I enjoy. I'm happy that I don't have to attend meetings much of the day and go out of the office. I'm happy and feel productive.


Feb 14, 2000, 08:43 PM	#1
MiSTeRYoSA OnE DaY At a TiMe! Join Date: Aug 1999 Location: UtOpIA	Office Politics Things are getting complex once the number of employees in your company increases. Of course, there are promotions, but in our case, one should apply for the next higher position. The thing is, some people did not go through this process but instead, they were "appointed." Then, there's this "turnover" thing...geez! I hate it when I see my friends leave. A part of me dies and I can't help but think of what went wrong. They say, you "work to live" and "not live to work." The latter is true for me (as of this writing). Well, just wanted to ask you as to when one should resign and give up what he/she has right now in a company? Is it just a phase to feel that you are bored and everything seems routinary? This is my second job...I've stayed with my first job for 9 months and for this one...it's a year and almost 4 mos...u got it right...I'm thinking if I should stay or not. By the way, the people are great, I enjoy their company, the work place is clean and the office is near our place. It's just that I feel so stressed out. I sacrificed a lot like Bdays of loved ones, friends, gimiks with long lost friends....name it...I hardly see my family when I have a night sked. So what do you think?


May 3, 2000, 07:57 AM	#7
*Kaboom!* Administrator Join Date: Jul 1999 Location: Metro_Manila	To be trite: "Find something you love to do and you'll never have to work a day in your life" Peace. __________________ www.kaboomphilippines.blogspot.com


Apr 1, 2001, 04:24 PM	#14
zimdude indietechartist Join Date: May 2000	stress How do you handle stress at work? I have to learn more about stress management... how to handle things when things are out of your control. If the problems are within your control - then that's FUN


Apr 24, 2001, 01:53 AM	#17
zimdude indietechartist Join Date: May 2000	"boss mentality" I wonder where the "all my money is going to my boss" thinking is coming from... I think it only applies to those of you who work for the owner... my boss here doesn't own the company either! And in multinational or public companies, "the boss" is actually the shareholders. I think it's good to go entrepreneur, but not just because you envy "the boss." My few cents' worth.


May 18, 2001, 01:06 AM	#18
*Leigh* Moderator Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Metro_Manila	I wanted to revive this coz i know a lot of people are in the middle of their own crisis. I personally think that a person should resign already if he/she is not happy anymore, meaning when you wake up in the morning, "you have to go to work coz you have to", not like "i am going to work to learn or share something". i think, it's not just a phase when you have been experiencing this for more than a month now, or more pa. Another thing, missing the most important events may actually matter in your personal priorities...maybe if you have set your priorities black and white, then, there won't be a problem. __________________ log on to www.pinoyexchange.com


Feb 14, 2000, 08:57 PM	#2
*Ada* Administrator Join Date: Jul 1999 Location: Makati CBD	I can relate. I resigned from our company recently because, aside from the fact that the routine job really got to me, I didn't like the way the company was being run anymore. I thought it was a perfect company -- no intrigues, palakasan and the other nasty stuff that usually plague a company. But now I'm not so sure anymore. I find myself questionning the qualifications of those who are promoted. Also, I don't feel the team spirit anymore; it's like "every man for himself" nowadays. So even if I had to leave a lot of people I really loved working with behind when I resigned, I felt that it was the right thing to do.


Feb 14, 2000, 11:34 PM	#3
Ira Member Join Date: Oct 1999	Is your boredom a temporary rut, or do you think it's a permanent thing? How are the compensations and the perks? Can you imagine working there longterm (or do you feel nauseated just by the thought of it)? Are opportunities for promotion adequate? If they promote you, do you think you can still be excited about work or is it a total drudge already, even if they make you CEO? Answer these questions, they may help you decide. It doesn't matter whether you've worked with them for a long time already. If you don't feel happy and content with your work anymore, by all means, quit.


Feb 15, 2000, 04:54 AM	#4
GeePers Registered User Join Date: Jan 2000 Location: LA-LA-LAND	Sadly - stress/family and personal sacrifices quite often/usually may come w/ the job title. And, sounds 2 me promotions in ur office is based on favoritism/clout - not what u know but whom u know - 'di rin maaalis 'yon - even hard 2 prove if u decide 2 go legal. For yuppies, as I feel most of you here are, it's very ez 2 say & do "quit" - 'ksi they seem 2 have d young age advantage - although it's against d law 2 discriminate a person fr a job 'cuz of age, plus company benefits given are lesser - 2 d advantage of company. OTOH, older workers, who after having put in long years of hard work/dedication/loyalty/length of service and have amassed experience, can't just pick up their personal belongings & say bye-bye - despite harassment/tension in d workplace. Besides personal economic reasons - some other considerations that make older workers think twice b-4 quitting a job & job searching tougher are d mergers & acquisitions, happening left & right, eventually leading 2 downsizing & consequently tightening the job market & IMO, no matter what d law says re. age-relatd job discrimination - it's there. Recently read on da web 'bout a new office heartache - bully bosses in America - we all hav/had one, I bet - one more added stress, di ba? BTW - there's even a nationwide association of employees who has/had bullies for bosses. Talked fr experience - njoyd my work/co-workers. Un4tun8ly have been a victim of a bully of a supervisor & a merger. Buti na lang - may severance pay w/ co. benefits & unemployment insurance attached 2 d lay-off 6/99 - malas nga lang - still unemployed till now. Nway, hang in there & hope u make a wise decision that will not make u regret 4 da rst of ur life.


Feb 15, 2000, 03:35 PM	#5
*nix* Administrator Join Date: Jul 1999 Location: Metro_Manila	Right now in the Philippines, it is an employer's market, meaning, the supply of good jobs available is fewer than the number of applicants and talent. Thus, employers get to choose who they want to hire, train, and keep. The huge amount of available talent makes several employees expendable. There will always be office politics and it would be difficult to find a job that you would consider to be a perfect fit. I would say that you should search within yourself just what exactly it is you want to accomplish in your career, and how best would you want to go about doing it. Basta, there are several ways of finding fulfillment in your work place. Keep a positive mindset, and you'll be fine.


May 2, 2000, 07:24 PM	#6
zimdude indietechartist Join Date: May 2000	I think the key is you shouldn't treat the stuff in the office as work - you should just be playing and enjoying yourself - and go for companies that encourage that mindset.


May 14, 2000, 04:35 PM	#8
zimdude indietechartist Join Date: May 2000	Yup! Anyone here have experiences in M&A (Mergers and Acquisitions) ?


May 17, 2000, 11:49 AM	#9
senator yak Member Join Date: May 2000 Location: Manila	zimdude - what about mergers acquisitions?


May 22, 2000, 03:25 AM	#10
Gilbey Registered User Join Date: Feb 2000 Location: PASAY	mergers and acquistions... i used to do a lot of acquisition audits... ugghhh so detailed... what about them? to stay or not to stay.. just ask yourself if you are happy....


May 24, 2000, 05:14 PM	#11
BoyNeedsClue Member Join Date: Apr 2000	culture changes and clashes in mergers?


Dec 2, 2000, 11:06 AM	#12
jp.42 Member Join Date: Aug 1999 Location: marikina city,	One of our PXers mentioned this on the other thread. He had to leave his wonderful job because of this. Do you have any experience with this?


Dec 16, 2000, 12:29 AM	#13
AlphaMale Member Join Date: Jun 2000	The 1st time I experienced office politics was unfortunately in my first major job way way back. I don't really feel bitter about it now, I did then of course. Now I feel like it serves more as a lesson than anything. I was in Marketing, and I picked up on one of the ideas of the engineers which was pretty ahead of its time. It allowed the payment of client's bills over franchised booths.. this was back early '90s. Anyway I did the legwork for it, promoted it and even did the brochures for it. The next thing I knew the incoming GM took everything I had, presented it to the big bosses and got it approved with nary a mention of me, taking all credit. GM was even sneaky, scheduling the mtg. at a different time than was posted so that when I arrived it was already finished. Apparently it served as pakitang-gilas because GM was just newly hired. I swear I wanted to commit murder at that time, but I just weighed my options, decided that there was no way I was gonna get anywhere there because I just didn't feel the need to work with losers anymore, and just left. I had since worked in a variety of companies, and all have their own versions and amounts of it. For what it's worth, I learned from that experience and had since decided na pagdating sa pera, some people forget alliances, friendships, all forms of kahihiyan, and sometimes even common sense. They just chase after it like flies to ****. Yes office politics can bring one down, but in my case it taught me to start looking beyond the flashy surfaces and look at people for what they are. It indirectly taught me to discern the gems from the turds.


Apr 19, 2001, 09:43 AM	#15
jason bourne Member : PAKU - KIA Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Evrywhere, Anyw	this topic is timely...all the time pa nga eh.. me also work for 3 long years and what that i find it boring na...kahit na i've been promoted 3 times din...pinagpalit ko pa rin siya. im not really after the position ot title of this or that....what im after is the....basic thing of all....my SALARY!!! dont be hipocrite... kaya ka nga lumilipat opisina dahil sa Sweldo di ba? Pero its will be the same again... kasi your wroking for the other person pa rin, your BOSS. here's a little story to pondr upon: Pedro, a typical employee who is, masipag, matiyaga at model employee. one day, nakita si Pedro ng boss nya and he said "Pedro, doblehin mo pa sipag mo para next year makabili AKO ng Pajero". So, Pedro obeys his boss and after a year, me Pajero na Boss nya. think over this...and sana you'll find some lessons in the life of an office employee like Pedro. just do this and you'll be free "Boss you're FIRED!!!" and viola...your on it, free at last....... seriously, i resigned because if im not going to, what i've been doing in the last 3 years of my life, im sure will be the same with my next 3 years in that company....and more. but my work motto is : "if you work, love your work and you'll enjoy the rest of the day" so if someone doesn't feel his love for the job.....my Advice...GET OUT and look for other greener pastures! One solution to get out of it for life : Be an enterprenuer! its what we need to be nowadays....


Apr 23, 2001, 11:40 AM	#16
mahirap Abu.. financier!!! Join Date: Apr 2001	hayyyy buhay! minimum na, wala pa natitira sweldo...hmmmppp!!!!


May 18, 2001, 05:24 AM	#19
Q Grad Student Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: Florida	As long as you're not the boss, you can never truly have piece of mind in your workplace, and there will always be politics to contend with. Sorry to say it, but usually politics gets worse as your career progresses. My advice to you young 'uns: If you have the means, seriously think about starting your own business. Do your research, work hard, and go for it. Especially if you're the type who's hungry to get things done, eager to challenge your own abilities, and have no committments like a family, a mortgage, etc. It's much harder to "start over" as you get older. Experience is the best teacher. If at first you don't succeed, you will succeed eventually. In addition, I think the Philippines would be a much more prosperous place if more people could get out of this "I-need-to-depend-on-someone-for-work,promotions,status, etc." type of thinking. Change has got to start somewhere. Why not with the talents of the new generations?


May 18, 2001, 02:39 PM	#20
zimdude indietechartist Join Date: May 2000	I'm happy not being the boss, and working only at the stuff that I enjoy. I'm happy that I don't have to attend meetings much of the day and go out of the office. I'm happy and feel productive.