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Betrayal

Here are the questions filed under this category. To read Ken's advice on any item, click on the link "Read Ken's Answer."


I left a company a year ago on very good terms. I was contacted recently by an old co-worker who wanted to know about the Christmas bonus, since he is planning on staying on just long enough to get it and then leave. Do I keep quiet about this? My allegiance is with my former managers, and I don't want to be blamed if they find out I knew.
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We work closely with another department, but their supervisor is creating difficulties for us. Several employees in our department agreed to mention this to our manager in our next meeting, but when I brought up the problem, our manager disagreed with me. Once this occurred, none of my fellow employees supported me or said one thing about her. I feel totally betrayed and am unsure what to do now.
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I am in senior management position, and I mentioned some confidential information to a mid-level manager and told him it was not to be discussed with anyone. I was shocked when one of his employees came up to me later and knew all about it. I'm not sure what to do. Do I confront this department head or simply never tell him anything in confidence again?
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During a job interview, I was promised all sorts of things that have never materialized. I have continued to ask for them since I accepted the job, but management just ignores my requests. Do you have ideas about why companies lie and what I should do?
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A friend of mine at work went to my boss and told him that I am having problems with part of my job, and that is just not true. I told this friend a while back that I do not like all the paperwork, but that's it. She told me she went to my boss just to help me. How should I deal with this?
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I meant to tell my boss about a problem that developed here, but I got busy and forgot. She then got in huge trouble, and now she's saying that I did this to make her look bad. That's not true, but I don't know how to convince her.
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I am an accountant in a small commercial real estate company. There is a generous owner, a secretary, another accountant, and myself -- I am female. The secretary and I have always been great friends, but the other accountant is constantly gossiping about me and my work to her. He and the owner are both in love with her, and she is married. She tells me she does not know what to say to the accountant when he wants to vent about me. Do I confront him or ignore them both?
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Whenever I talk with my manager, he inevitably brings up my co-workers and tells me things about them that are not my business. He likes to talk about who is struggling and who he just counseled. This puts me in a bad position, but I don't want to tell my manager how to manage. What do you suggest?
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I hired a new assistant, and now I feel that she is trying to undermine me and get my boss upset with me. She is very clever and smooth, and she has totally won my boss. I don't want to meet with her and sound paranoid, but I fear that something is going on here. What should I do?
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When I ask one particular employee about a project, she gives me an update, but often holds back important facts. I rely on her comments when I report to my manager, and I end up looking foolish because I am unaware of information that she suddenly possesses. I told her that willfully holding back facts is a form of lying. She said does not lie and is only trying to provide the information I want.
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I have one manager who reports to me, and I work with her on a regular basis to make improvements in her department. We work well together, but when the two of us meet with my manager, there is a problem. The manager who reports to me makes it sound like she is the only one responsible for improvements in the department. I am reluctant to say anything to her or to my manager because I think I would look weak. How should I handle this?
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Whenever my boss comes around to my department, I have one particular employee who typically makes a comment that puts herself in a positive light and makes me look bad, and sometimes she's not quite truthful or does not give the full story. Do I lower myself to say something to her, or should I just let it go?
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I made a mistake on a project and I am trying to correct it. One of my co-workers found out about it and told my boss. It is just a matter of time before my boss calls me into his office for one of his trademark verbal bashings. What is the best way to prepare for this?
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One of my co-workers and I occasionally work together on assignments from our manager. I had considered this co-worker a friend. He and I discussed a particular project to improve operations in our area, and our manager discussed it later with him when I was out of the office. Instead of working with me on it, my "friend" did it himself and took all the credit. It was an easy and very visible project. I am upset and want to know the best way to handle this.
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I took a few days off around the holidays, and I asked my assistant to give me a call if any problems arose. However, when one arose, she contacted my manager and turned a minor issue into a crisis. Now my manager is upset with me. If my assistant had simply called me, none of this would have occurred. What's the best way to deal with her?
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I was upset with one of my fellow employees, and I made a comment about her in confidence to one of my friends at work. My friend broke our trust and told her what I said. I'm very upset and don't know what to do now.
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When we have department head meetings, one particular department head always takes shots at me. He does not make direct comments about my work, but he implies that I have failed. He is friendly enough between meetings, but that ends when the meetings start. How should I deal with him?
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A friend at work and I discussed some problems I was having on a particular assingment. Afterwards, he tood what I said and went to our boss. Without any notification, our boss took the assignment from me and gave it to my friend, and neither one informed me. I heard about the change from another co-worker. I am very upset. What should I do?
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