Are you scared of a colleague because he is waiting to take away credit for your work? Do you feel uncomfortable sharing new ideas in front of him? Is there a person in senior management who spews abuse behind your back?
It happens to geniuses and intellectual giants too. To take an instance, the rivalry between Tesla and Edison. Tesla worked for Edison, but the latter though that Tesla’s ideas were brilliant but impractical. Tesla came up with the A/C (Alternating Currents) method to bring electricity to people, while Edison thought that D/C (Direct Current) was a better method. In a debate, Edison bet him $50,000 if Tesla could make his idea work. After a work of several months, when Tesla succeeded, Edison replied that it was a mere joke. Edison also made the world believe that he invented the A/C current. He pulled a perfect vulture stroke over Tesla.
In the telecom series Suits, Louis often thinks that Harvey is a vulture.
If you are aware of such predatory behaviour at work, but cannot trace the rat in your cohort, here are some ways to identify the person.
Too charming can be harmful
If a person sounds fake while being nice or is too charming to be true, that person could be harmful. Such people overcompensate their inner meanness with outer charm. So beware of these charmers at work.
Too many questions
Predators are always looking for details to make you more vulnerable. So while there are many ways to dodge answering too many questions, you can identify a predator this way. They will always waylay you on the way to the coffee machine or on the way out, and ask seemingly harmless questions. But be tactful with them.
Unsolicited advice
The predators want to be nice before the kill. So they give unasked for advice. Never fall for the trap, as it may make you more vulnerable. Always take suggestions from everybody, but go with your instincts for the final decision.
Observe and learn
Learn from other victims. If someone at work shares a bad experience, learn from their mistakes. These are the red flags to keep yourself safe. For instance, Vishal Sikka’s resignation teaches us how not to ruffle your boss ever.
Be honest with your work
This is the best solution to avoid predatory politics at work. Nobody can take away your credit or reputation when you do your work well.
With these tips and tricks, you can stay away from the vulture at work.
