Caught between the deep blue sea and the devil

There is an oft quoted Bengali proverb, ‘Rajay rajay juddho hoye, ulukhagrar pran jaye.’ Translated to English it means, “Ordinary folks suffer when power rivals fight each other.” Does it not sound all too familiar in the context of workplace? Probably, yes. A corner-side talk over a cup of tea, or a casual conversation during a lunch break, it is not unusual to come across disgruntled employees sharing frustration over how they get sandwiched over an ego tussle involving two senior members in the same department. Circumstances like these lead to one getting caught between the devil and the deep blue sea. Let us share one such instance.

A decision was taken by the VP (HR) – Swadesh - that 25 successors to critical positions have to undergo a six-month long development journey. It involved various development initiatives which included working on live projects, attending workshops and reading books/ articles in line with the Individual Development Plan (IDP). The IDPs are tailored around 70:20:10 principle of learning. Swati was assigned the responsibility to execute the project who reported to Jatin, AVP (HR).  Swati’s skip manager is Swadesh. Now, comes the twist.

Swadesh took the above decision without discussion about it with Jatin. So, it was Swati’s responsibility to inform Jatin about the same although it was Swadesh who should have conveyed it by virtue of being the department head. Swati anticipated what lay ahead of her and she was visibly nervous. When Jatin got to know of the six-month development journey of the critical successors he was furious. He screamed at Swati and also refused to speak with Swadesh on the issue! The matter did not end there.

It so happened that a few days later Swati had to raise a Note for Approval (NFA) for a workshop on Executive Presence for the above cohort. The request for approval was shot down by Jatin to whom the system-generated mail was triggered. “Swati”, Jatin wrote, “offer me a detailed justification for such a course.” Once again the NFA was raised but it also met a similar fate. This time the request was turned down on the ground of ROI not being worked-out adequately. On the third occasion it was about budget.

The CEO is aware of all this and yet he refuses to step-in except acknowledging the problem!

An exasperated Swati reflected, “What do I do now? If I go to Swadesh he will put the blame squarely on me and tell me that I lack agility and not smart enough to get work done. That I am responsible for failing to meeting timelines of critical projects. From Jatin’s stance it is quite evident he will ensure the approval does not easily and timely execution of the project gets delayed. And amidst all this, none will speak to each other.”

No wonder a frustrated Swati has started looking for a better opportunity unable to cope with a dysfunctional equation between her Manager and the Skip Manager. She feels drained-out and stressed. She realizes that most of her time goes into managing egos of two seniors who not only hold differing views but also not in speaking terms.