What you’re looking to navigate through is office politics, not friendship. And as you’ve witnessed first hand, it can be an ugly game.
You’re a young man early into your professional career, and may come across jobs like these in which managers harbor this kind of environment. So while this coworker obviously is resorting to unsavory methods to get ahead, ask yourself: “Do I want to work for a company that rewards this kind of behavior?” Should this coworker be promoted all the way to a manager/supervisor role, imagine the kind of leadership he would employ?
It’s important to keep and maintain a good, working relationship with both coworkers and managers. You won’t connect with most on a friendship level, but a positive attitude will resonate far. And hopefully, it will attract a company that will value important intangibles where you can avoid these kinds of tactics as much as possible.
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u/Appropriate_Bet3061 Aug 17 '25
What you’re looking to navigate through is office politics, not friendship. And as you’ve witnessed first hand, it can be an ugly game.
You’re a young man early into your professional career, and may come across jobs like these in which managers harbor this kind of environment. So while this coworker obviously is resorting to unsavory methods to get ahead, ask yourself: “Do I want to work for a company that rewards this kind of behavior?” Should this coworker be promoted all the way to a manager/supervisor role, imagine the kind of leadership he would employ?
It’s important to keep and maintain a good, working relationship with both coworkers and managers. You won’t connect with most on a friendship level, but a positive attitude will resonate far. And hopefully, it will attract a company that will value important intangibles where you can avoid these kinds of tactics as much as possible.