A friend of ours recently told us a story about a new colleague – let’s call him Max. When Max first began his new job, his supervisor encouraged him to come forward with new ideas on how to improve the team’s ways of working. Over time, Max found there were several procedures that unnecessarily complicated his work and so he raised these issues with his supervisor. Although the boss was interested, he told Max he didn’t have the time to review these suggestions. Max brought up his ideas again a few weeks later, and this time his supervisor was downright harsh – he shot down Max’s suggestions by pointing out fatal flaws that would prevent them from being implemented.
Proactivity Can Be a Double-Edged Sword
Office politics determines whether you’re seen as helpful or obnoxious.
October 17, 2016
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New!
HBR Learning
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Accelerate your career with Harvard ManageMentor®. HBR Learning’s online leadership training helps you hone your skills with courses like Time Management. Earn badges to share on LinkedIn and your resume. Access more than 40 courses trusted by Fortune 500 companies.
Make smarter, more purposeful choices about how you spend your day.