Looking for some advice on how to handle an issue with a peer. Hoping the MT community will have the answer.
BLUF: For about the last year a peer of mine has been going to our mutual boss and our bosses boss about issues involving my directs. My directs are completely independent of his directs, they have no interaction with each other and do not depend on each other for anything. So why should he feel the need to go above my head before talking to me? In addition, most if not all the time the issues are nonexistent or he has embellished them to sound far worse than they are. When the issue is legitimate, it is a small issue and one I have already dealt with or am in the process of dealing with. To be clear none of the issues are ethical breaches, rather just the run of the mill issues every manager deals with. For example: one of my directs having an issue with another directs “attitude”.
To make matters worse, my conversation with my boss or bosses boss starts out with “ I have heard….”. Never am I told where it was heard from and when I ask for specifics I get vague remarks. Up to this point I have never gotten defensive. If the issue is legitimate I explain that I am already aware of it, what I have done or am doing and what the outcome was. If it is not legitimate, I provide details to illustrate that what they have heard is not accurate.
I was not sure at first who was doing this, but a process of elimination on who would know what in a particular case confirms it is my peer doing this. I strongly feel that this is being done to make me look bad. My company is going through a re-org and I believe my peer is trying to make me look bad so that if a position is eliminated it will be mine and not his. I feel like I should tell my boss and bosses boss that I believe my peer is doing this purely for self gain. If it were otherwise, why not just speak to me? Other than this, this peer and I have a very strong working relationship. I am just tired of constantly defending myself.
One other important point. Due to a past re-org, my boss and bosses boss are new to working with me. They have worked with my peer for 10 years.
Any thoughts on what I should do?
Very little.Your bosses
Very little.
Your bosses aren't that dumb and your peer isn't that smart. They know what's up. The most I would do in your shoes is say, the next time it comes up through your boss, "I know you can't tell me where you heard it and I understand why that is. But wherever you're hearing it I'm sorry you keep having to deal with it. If they'd just come to me it could be addressed easily. This is run of the mill management stuff." And I'm not even sure I'd do that.
They know. Ask yourself, what's the real thorn in their sides right now? The direct who can't handle situations that come up within their own team, and doesn't work with their peers or even talk to them about problems to get things done? Or you?
The only real reason to act is if you think these issues are persistent and large enough that it really does cast you in a bad light. But if that's the case you should be looking at how you can make things better, being introspective, not scrambling to defend. Because you'd then be admitting there is a problem to be fixed. So fix it.
Thanks
Thank you Stevem. I have been operating under the premise that my boss will see this for what it is, and he probably does. I have a good reputation and a good track record which helps. Good point on who is really being the throne in the bosses side, I had not looked at it that way. You are correct I belive. My boss has a lot on his plate and the constant drum beat of "issues" that are being heaped on his plate does not help. Especially when he follows up with me to find they are either not real or have already been dealt with. I will continue to forge on and perform my job to a level of excellence.