I don’t know about you, but I always thought modesty is a virtue. Not anymore! While it obviously has its place, the workplace, I have found, is scarcely that place. Here, what is on the outside matters as much, possibly more, than what is inside.

Seeing as good old Wazua is not an agony uncle type of forum, I’ll keep the details of my tribulations to a minimum. The object of my post is to share what I consider might be useful information to those yet to face a similar situation. They would do well to avoid it.

After slaving day and night (and I mean that literally), for a project at work, we’re finally on the home stretch, a year and a half down the line. It’s been a success, no doubt, and a glorious moment for the whole team. However, as is often the paradox in life, those who worked hardest in terms of real output also happen to be the ones who wrote the fewest emails and hustled the least to take credit for their work. And I am talking peers here, not team leaders and members.

While the “workers” buried themselves in productive activity, the “vultures” sat by waiting for every milestone they (the “workers”) neglected to take credit for and pounced on it with much ado. It was easy, really. Send out emails to the bosses announcing the achievement of milestone xyz by “the team” and call later, just to make sure.

In ignorance, we, the “workers”, assumed no harm or danger, forgetting it was only the vultures’ names that made it to the boss’s inbox. Now the chickens have come home to roost. It’s payback time, promotions, accolades and all. It is an easy guess whose chest is heavy with medals. The “vultures’”, of course.

Wouldn’t feel bad at all if the vultures had contributed much real work. But they didn’t. In trying to understand this contradiction, I stumbled upon what I thought was a helpful article on line. Here’s the link. I’ve only worked for a few years now. I know there are people here on Wazua of less, equal or more experience. Your thoughts please…

The work place is a political space, and you must know yourself and your position in relation to other players' intimately.

Then use your knowledge to gain and maintain power, and the vultures will turn to doves.

I feel Mr. Seppukus' predicament. What can I add?

I feel you seppuku!! Just like marketing whereby the marketer needs to make sure his product is known to the mass market, in office environment one needs to ensure that what he/she does is seen by the superiors so that they ought to know what is happening.
That said most supervisors actually don't care how some product or project was accomplished as they only worry of delivery, in fact if not careful most organizations if they realize you are talented in some field they use you to achieve their goals and dot care about you...as it all boils down to selfishness.
And this explains why there is high turnover in start up companies more so private ones...as the employees soon realize no mater how hard they work..compensation in terms of recognition and monetary goes to the highest person in the peak or those "close" to the decision maker....they can even at times in meetings shoot down your ideas only to paraphrase them and come up with them as your own.....talk of the worlds best ever pyramid scheme!!!
That said learn the behaviors of the people you work with especially if it is a large office understand how to deal with them accordingly as some especially in technical fields are only good in composing and sending emails,organizing parties etc etc and they are the ones the bosses think they are the "best" as even the so called bosses are just there doing M and E .......Meetings and Emails as they wait for the Pay cheque!!!

my two cents

@Toxicity True, that. Some managers tend to be very out of touch with the goings-on below them. This is especially the case with those managing highly technical (specialized) employees while they themselves know jack in the field - which happens fairly often by the way!

@xyzee How did the truth come out? How I wish for a moment like that right now!

Anyway now I, and hopefully a few more Wazuans, know better.