After leaving a firm that I worked for, negative stories began to surface about a business project that my team was involved with. What I find fascinating about this is that none of the stories were told to me or members of my team while I was there. It makes you wonder what motivates individuals in organizations. No good can come from the practice of deliberate non-communication or telling stories about people and circumstances after they are gone.
When this happens it makes one question the motives and integrity of the individuals responsible for the storytelling. You can’t help but wonder who is next and when will they strike. Most rational people ask; why not have open dialogue while the individual is still with the firm? Of course the operative word here is “rational”. When these conversations occur they are almost always politically motivated and unproductive. It creates mistrust in an organization, especially when senior managers are at the root of the storytelling.
If you ever find yourself in this circumstance I can tell you it doesn’t feel good. You want to defend yourself and set the record straight. Of course, none of this is possible. For me, moving on was the best medicine. Trust that the people you worked with really know the truth. As time marches on, the bad feelings subside and they are replaced by sadness for the people that remain behind and disdain for managers that let this happen.
It is often the case that people who engage in this behavior are repeat offenders and this is certainly true in my case. This person’s antics in the firm are legendary and management has been giving him a free pass for years. He loves to tell stories about how he intimidated one person or another. Someone called him cold and heartless and he loved it. A companion of his had a tee-shirt made with this sentiment plastered across the front of the shirt. Individuals like this are weak and suck the energy from companies. People hope that management will someday take action, and in time they will.
If this has happened to you my advice is to let time pass, feel the emotion, and get over it…people like this are a dime a dozen and really aren't worth your time. If you are still working for a firm where this behavior is prevalent, keep your head down and ride the political waves. If management let's the behavior occur there isn't much you will be able to do to overcome it.
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