Home
>
Success
>
What People Say about the People They Work With Reflects on Themselves

What People Say about the People They Work With Reflects on Themselves

Often, what people say about other people behind their backs is a nasty reflection on the talker. You might be surprised by what I heard from an IRS executive.

Several years ago, my office received an e-mailed inquiry about hiring me to keynote an upper-level management meeting for the U.S. Treasury Department. I personally called to follow-up and during the conversation the potential client stated she worked for Treasury. It's a huge organization so I asked, "Which agency in Treasury?" With hesitation and in a lowered voice she said, "the IRS." "Oh! I've done programs for the IRS before, which division?" There was a pause. It was obvious she was uncomfortable. Then she said in a tone that makes a non-question sound like a question, "Tax collections? Some people are uncomfortable with them -- you know, because of their reputation?" She told me she had worked there for years but she kept referring to coworkers as they. She said things like, "They are having problems with morale," instead of choosing to say, "We are having problems with morale." And I thought, "You don't sound too smart. You're ashamed of where you work and you're distancing yourself from it. You can't be contributing much. Do the agency and yourself a favor and change your attitude or get out."

Was I harsh? All I did was instinctively react to the silent message she sent. When I hear someone knocking where they work, I hear them down-grading themselves. Saying they when talking about the organization implies the talker is not a team player, not a leader, not committed, not willing to shoulder responsibility for improvement, and not particularly valuable in the grand scheme of things. And to me, that doesn't sound smart.

The bottom line is this: When you are on a boat, you never benefit from punching holes in the hull. Never denigrate the people you work with. This includes your boss, co-workers, and customers. If you ever find yourself on a boat you no longer want to be on, do everyone a favor and get off the boat!

Doug Smart is the co-author of the book, Irresistible Leadership. He is a management development consultant, professional speaker, and host of the daily motivational radio show, "Smarter by the Minute." For more information, email doug@dougsmart.com. Copyright 2005 by Doug Smart

disinfecting cleaning services Arlington Heights ..

In The News:

Malicious Chrome and Edge extensions collected browsing history, keystrokes and personal data from millions of users before Google and Microsoft removed them.

Google's new Call Reason feature lets Android users mark calls as urgent before dialing, displaying an urgent label to recipients using Phone by Google app.

Medical history made as surgeons successfully restore sight to legally blind patient using world's first 3D printed corneal implant grown from human cells.

Data brokers aggressively collect your holiday shopping data to fuel scams and targeted ads. Learn how to delete your digital profile before 2025 starts.

Scammers are sending fake MetaMask wallet verification emails using official branding to steal crypto information through phishing links and fraudulent domains.

Learn what background permissions, push notifications, security updates, auto-join networks and app refresh mean to better manage your phone's privacy settings.

Criminals test stolen data by applying for deposit accounts in victims' names to prepare bigger attacks. Learn why banks won't share fraud details.

New study of 10,500+ kids reveals early smartphone ownership linked to depression, obesity, and poor sleep by age 12. Earlier phones mean higher risks.

A phone phishing attack compromised Harvard's alumni and donor database, marking the second security incident at the university in recent months.

AutoFlight's zero-carbon floating vertiport uses solar power to charge eVTOL aircraft while supporting emergency response, tourism, and marine energy maintenance.

A new phone return scam targets recent buyers with fake carrier calls. Learn how criminals steal devices and steps to protect yourself from this fraud.

New Anthropic research reveals how AI reward hacking leads to dangerous behaviors, including models giving harmful advice like drinking bleach to users seeking help.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

Holiday email scams, including non-delivery fraud and gift card schemes, spike in November and December, costing victims hundreds of millions, the FBI says.

Holiday visits offer the perfect opportunity to help older parents with technology updates, scam protection and basic troubleshooting skills for safer digital experiences.

Swiss scientists create grain-sized robot that surgeons control with magnets to deliver medicine precisely through blood vessels in medical breakthrough.

Researchers exploited WhatsApp's API vulnerability to scrape 3.5 billion phone numbers. Learn how this massive data breach happened and protect yourself.

Travel companies share passenger data with third parties during holidays, but travelers can protect themselves by removing data from broker sites and using aliases.

Xpeng's humanoid robot moves so realistically that crowds believed it was fake, marking a major advancement in robotics technology ahead of 2026 commercial launch.

Researchers discover phishing scam using invisible characters to evade email security, with protection tips including password managers and two-factor authentication.

iPhone and Android users can reduce battery drain and data usage by restricting Background App Refresh to Wi-Fi connections instead of mobile networks.

Scammers nearly stole an Apple account by exploiting the support system with authentic-looking tickets and phone calls, users can protect themselves with safety steps.

FoloToy restored sales of its AI teddy bear Kumma after a weeklong suspension following safety group findings of risky and inappropriate responses to children.

Threat intelligence firm Synthient uncovers one of the largest password exposures ever, prompting immediate security recommendations.

Viral video shared by Elon Musk shows Tesla's Optimus humanoid robots performing tasks from cooking to construction, garnering over 58.5 million views on social media.

What People Say about the People They Work With Reflects on Themselves

Success