The Reality and Challenges of Office Dynamics

Discussions:

1        The Reality of Geo Politics:

You are part of the Research / Architecture team. Your team came up with a new idea  that everyone wanted to take part in the implementation phase of this new technology. However, when it becomes clear that the bulk of the implementation assignment will go to Remote Site X, people who supported you all along in San Diego, suddenly began to oppose to your new idea, saying that unless a larger portion of the assignment gets re-located to San Diego so we can hire Y engineers, we are going to NOT allow it to proceed. If we cannot do it, then neither can Remote Site X.

What should be your strategy to deal with such kind of Geo Politics?

Discussion Summary:

1.       Put objective rules

2.       Build consensus on how to select

3.       Kick the problem to upper management

4.       George: invest upfront time to get all parties agree on objectives then proceed to task assignment

2        The Challenge of Toxic  Colleagues:
三年前我們兩三人的SystemArch group 奉命为一个上百人的軟硬件研發项目引入設計架構的改变，這是一個ambitious yet  ambiguous  goal, high risk in unproven HW and SW models, high reward and fun!. We expected the risk mainly in HW, but we were surprised by the seemingly endless crisis arising from  SW, as well as political conflicts.  The wild ride nearly toppled the project, wrecked havoc in mental health!  其間 遭遇大大小小一系列的挫折。關鍵時候，我們遇到了几股桌面下的力量的阻挡。其中一股力量抵挡项目不能向前，另一股力量拦住项目的退路，使大家进退两难。有人直接指责我将大家带入了困境。我因为Email上的攻击痛苦不堪，特别是发送到很多收信人的Email让我无法忍受。那些Email感觉摧毁了我的名誉和自我认同。…我想以其人之道还治其人之身, 但以牙还牙将情况变得更坏，使自己既受伤又内疚。… 最后见到凶的同事我大脑就发麻不能运作，就焦虑慌张。
如果换成您, 該如何面對，從逆境學到抗壓能力，技術能力和品格的提升？
How would you like to leverage the positive part of the political landscape and work with Toxic Colleagues? After all,   the support of those team members was necessary for the project to succeed.

    Practice "detachment". See  this article

3        The Risk during Reorg:

Your group lost its VP to downsizing, and your team of 5 merged into a new VP that had some political conflicts, in the past, with your ex-VP.

What to expect? How to adapt to the new political landscape?

What are the likely risk factors in the  process?
How long will it take?