The New York Times, May 1, 2005, Sunday

Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company
The New York Times

May 1, 2005 Sunday
Late Edition - Final


SECTION: Section 3; Column 1; SundayBusiness; OFFICE SPACE: CAREER COUCH; Pg. 10

HEADLINE: A Co-Worker Wanted The Job You Got

BYLINE: By CHERYL DAHLE.
Workplace or career topics may be sent to ccouch@nytimes.com.

BODY:
Q. You accept a position with a company that recruited you to manage a high-profile project. A few weeks into the job, you learn that one of your project members applied for your spot and still thinks she should have gotten it. How can you turn sour grapes into the fine wine of teamwork?

A. It's hindsight now, but when you take a new job, you should always ask who else at the company applied for it, said Dr. Gerald Lewis, faculty coordinator of the organizational continuity management program at Boston University. Push for the information if someone in human resources says it is confidential, Dr. Lewis said: ''You're not asking why they didn't get the job. Besides, you're going to find out anyway, and it's in the company's interest that you walk in prepared.''

Q. Once you know about an also-ran, what should you do?

A. Approach this person directly, to assess if she is bitter and to set the tone for a positive relationship, said Samuel B. Bacharach, author of ''Get Them on Your Side'' (Adams Media) and director of the Institute for Workplace Studies at Cornell University. ''What you're trying to do in managing is control a coalition of people,'' he said. ''The message you want to send to this person -- and every person who reports to you -- is, 'I'm involving you on these terms, and I need you on my side.'''

Q. Should you let on that you know she applied for your job?

A. Yes, it's best to acknowledge that explicitly, without gloating, Professor Bacharach said. You want to get it out on the table, but then move quickly to define what your relationship will be.
When Amy Pearl interviewed in 2001 for an engineering director's role with a communication device company based in Santa Clara, Calif., she knew that one of the managers interviewing her had been rejected for the position. So she addressed it in the interview itself. ''I frankly and nicely told her that I knew she had been interested in the job, and that I hoped I had something to offer her as a boss,'' Ms. Pearl said. ''When she was grilling me about how I viewed and handled some particular engineering management issue, I got her to talk about her experience and problems she encountered. Then I gave her some concrete advice.''
Ms. Pearl, who landed the job, says the contender was a loyal supporter because Ms. Pearl had demonstrated her usefulness as a supervisor early on.

Q. What else do you want to get across?

A. Convey your respect for the skills and experience that the person brings to the team, Professor Bacharach said. ''You have to acknowledge the people who've been there on the scene and working before you showed up,'' he said. ''You have to show respect.''
Susan Sorstokke, 49, was transferred to Pennsylvania in 1981 to manage a technical department of a Fortune 500 company that subcontracted to do nuclear energy research for the federal Energy Department. She worked with a more experienced engineer who was almost twice her age and had been passed over for her position.
''I was always very, very respectful of his depth of experience,'' Ms. Sorstokke said. ''That went beyond just acknowledging his direct input to the way I interacted with him. For example, I never, in the entire three years that we worked together, called him to my office. If I wanted to meet with him, I always went to his office. I was very careful of never pulling a power play.'' As a result of her deference, she said, the engineer was never a problem.

Q. Should you worry about a mutiny?

A. Typically, you can nip a ''countercoalition'' in the bud by approaching each individual on your team early in your tenure, to build good relationships, Professor Bacharach said. Having the whole group move forward on the task at hand is the best way to short-circuit any discontent, he said.

Q. What if someone challenges you belligerently?

A. You need to clearly confront them and put a stop to that behavior, Dr. Lewis said.
Ms. Sorstokke encountered another difficult situation when she took over a construction contracting division with the same company in New Jersey in 1987. An administrator in the office often muttered sarcastic remarks indicating that she believed she should have had a shot at the job, Ms. Sorstokke said.
Ms. Sorstokke defused the situation by asking the woman to fill in for her while she was on vacation and to handle all the problems that turned up in her in-box.
''It was my way of forcing her to recognize that she couldn't do what I did,'' she said. Ms. Sorstokke said she returned to a full in-box -- and an absence of muttering.

Q. If sour grapes persist, should you fire a malcontent?

A. If her attitude is sowing dissension in the group and affecting her performance, she should be fired, Professor Bacharach said.
Beth VanStory, 42, ran into a problem after she joined the Internet division of a television channel in 1995. Despite numerous overtures to build a positive relationship, she said, a manager in her department was sulking more than performing because she had not gotten Ms. VanStory's job. Ms. VanStory said she felt that this could have an impact on the team, so she issued an ultimatum: ''I told her it was up to her. 'I'll work with you on a development plan to get your work here back on track, or I will work with you on a search plan for your departure.''' The manager chose the development plan and turned her performance around.
In any case, Professor Bacharach said, ''If it turns out that the place isn't big enough for both of you, you want to be the one left standing.''