New group of coworkers is ‘trouble’

Q: Although I have loved my job for twelve years, things have been going downhill ever since some new people arrived. Now I have a group of coworkers who are nothing but trouble. These petty, spiteful backstabbers constantly criticize the rest of us and keep trying to change the way we work.

My manager is no help because she’s just as bad.

If you complain about a coworker, she either ignores the problem or makes things worse by telling the person what you said. I’ve heard her make negative comments about the staff and question our abilities.

I’m afraid to go over her head because life would be hell if she found out. Besides, our new vice-president supports the changes she is making, so he probably doesn’t want any complaints. How should I handle this?

A: Reading between the lines, I assume your boss is also new and the vice-president placed her in this role. If so, his support for her is hardly surprising because he’s the one who chose her. And if your manager hired the annoying coworkers, she is similarly likely to support them.

In that case, you are facing a dilemma often encountered by long-term employees. When a new executive arrives, major changes follow almost inevitably.

When this occurs, one common mistake is to view these changes as “wrong” rather than simply “different.”

You have correctly concluded that complaining is not a wise move at this point. But if you make a sincere effort to welcome new people and new approaches, you may find that management is open to wellintentioned suggestions which are properly presented.

On the other hand, if you determine that the place you knew and loved has disappeared forever, it may be time to polish up your resume. Because even though you can’t bring back the past, you might be able to find it elsewhere.