Struggling with Office Politics: How Do You Handle Senior Colleagues Resistant to Change?

Hi Seniors, please help me combat this office politics. All the people working in my organization are very senior to me and have been working with the organization for almost 10-15 years. They don't like changes and do not want any changes in their working style as well. I'm going mad with these people and frustrated.

Facing Challenges with Senior Colleagues

One day, my senior humiliated me, saying that whatever I'm maintaining in the leave record is wrong and whatnot. She is from the Finance department. Why am I supposed to answer her? I have done my job 90% correctly and received the same report from my reporting manager. Why does she keep poking and irritating me? I didn't lose my temper, controlled myself, and answered her. However, she continued questioning like a devil, reaching its peak. I then took permission from my boss and left the office half an hour before closing time.

If I keep silent, they think I'm wrong in my work and start gossiping about me in the office, making satires.

Seeking Suggestions for Handling Office Politics

I don't know how to handle this situation. I'm going mad with these people. Please give me any suggestions on handling this situation. Please help.

You could have provided vital information such as your designation, how long you have been working in the company, and the designation of your manager. Since you mentioned maintaining leave records, I assume you are from the HR department.

In your post, you referred to only one troublemaker, even though the post's title is "Office Politics." Is this person the only one causing issues, or are there others as well? If there are more, in what ways do they trouble you?

When a finance personnel humiliated you, did you report it to your manager? What was his/her response?

Why did the finance personnel check the leave records? Was this part of an audit activity? What were the objections raised, and did you take note of them? Have you investigated why those flaws occurred and taken corrective action?

It's commendable that you remained composed when confronted by the finance personnel, despite feeling overwhelmed inside. It's important to manage emotions as they can cloud rational thinking. You may find this article on "How to Accept Criticism With Grace and Appreciation" helpful.

All the best!

Regards,
Dinesh V Divekar

[Email Removed For Privacy Reasons]

Dear Dinesh,

Thanks for your reply. Yes, I have been working as an HR Executive for 2 years. I should have mentioned the post as "Criticism" instead of "Office Politics." There are many people who continuously criticize me and my work in the HR department. They make fun of the department, calling it a waste and disregarding employees' needs. They even tease me about using a diary at the office, which I maintain for day-to-day tasks, pending work, and to-do lists.

I have informed my reporting manager about these issues, and he mentioned that he is happy with my work and has no concerns. He assured me that he will discuss the matter with the Managing Director and take necessary actions.

Our office has a biometric machine, but it has not been functioning properly for 2 months. I manually recorded all leaves for December and processed the payroll. However, when I was on leave in January, I missed tracking leaves for two days. Upon my return, I found out that the front office executive also did not keep a record. I informed my reporting manager about this, but it remains unresolved.

Considering this a major issue, my manager accused me of maintaining inaccurate records for the past year and shouted at me. She did not offer any guidance but instead criticized me harshly, which left me feeling unsupported. Consequently, I left the office after seeking permission.

I understand that this behavior is not acceptable, and it seems deliberate. Another manager has also been criticizing my work. I am actively seeking another job and hope to join a different company. However, I am concerned that I may face similar challenges elsewhere. I aim to confront such situations and become stronger to handle any adversity. Please provide guidance.

Thank you.

Handling Criticism and Office Politics

Thanks for your reply. Yes, I have worked as an HR Executive for 2 years. I should have mentioned the post as Criticism instead of Office Politics.

There are many people who are continuously behind me and my work. They make fun of the HR department, saying that it is a waste and does not consider employees' wants.

They even make fun of my usage of a diary in the office, which I maintain for day-to-day work, pending tasks, and things to do.

Yes, I have informed the same thing to my reporting manager, and he also said that he is happy with my work and has no concerns. He mentioned he will talk to the MD in this regard and take the necessary actions.

Actually, we have a biometric machine in our office, but it's not been working properly for 2 months.

I manually noted all the leaves for the December month and processed payroll. However, in January, I was on leave, and the tracking was missed for two days.

After returning from leave, I found out that my front office executive also didn't keep any record of the leaves. I informed my reporting manager, but it is still pending.

Taking this as a major problem, she mentioned that the records for the past year are also wrong and shouted at me. She didn't offer any suggestions but continued shouting, which made me feel low. I felt unsupported and left the office with permission.

I know it's not her part, but she was intentionally doing all of this. Another manager who is also criticizing me has probed her as well.

I'm looking for another job and want to join another company. I'm not very sure I won't face the same problem there. I want to face these situations and become stronger to handle any situation. Please help.

Final comments: In every job, there will be ongoing problems. Overcoming challenges is part of leadership. While you may consider changing jobs, ensure it's not due to negative reasons. Critiques, even though harsh, can help refine your work quality. Choose wisely!

All the best!

Dinesh V Divekar

I am happy that you are voicing your concerns on a good platform. I faced such a problem; in fact, I am facing such a problem even now. I joined as an HR executive in one of the automobile firms. The composition of people here is similar to what you have mentioned in your post. Here, people also show their resistance in different ways. For example, they have information without which I will not be able to complete my tasks, but even then, they are reluctant to provide such information. They have time to comment on activities done by the HR department, but they will not give inputs in the initial stages on how to perform tasks in a better way even when asked.

Solution to Your Problem from My Perspective

1. Have patience and listen to whatever they say, even if it seems irrelevant. Just consider their statements once because, ultimately, they are our customers. As HR professionals, we need to have customer focus (and also keep your customer in mind in everything you do to ensure it benefits them). When you listen to what they have to say, they will understand that you are open-minded, and it will also strengthen you internally. Finally, this is my perspective; it is up to you whether to consider it or not.

Thank you for your valuable inputs and for educating me on the root cause of the problem. The major issue here is the lack of support. Even when they are wrong, they do not accept it and counter back to me. I will explain the situation to my manager, and he says that he understands and will take care of it. However, at the end of the day, I am neither supported nor given a helping hand.

Anyways, life has to go on with both good and bad. I know this, but I am feeling a little low, which could lead to loneliness and depression. That is the reason why I want to change this job ASAP. I am trying out for a new job... :) Let's hope for the best.

Regards