I’m currently having an issue with one of my colleagues and keen to get some external perspective. For context, I am technically more senior than her within our team structure but we have different roles and both report into a Director. My role is client-facing, I bring in project-related revenue and then deliver the projects. I am very good at my job and am recognised internationally as an expert in my field. Colleague manages our corporate membership programme (ie relationships we have with companies which are financially beneficial to us but which aren’t connected to project delivery). The core purpose of the company we work for is project delivery.
I have always found that said colleague refuses to accept it when I make a decision, even a minor decision which I can make in our boss’s absence. It didn’t really bother me so much because I just rolled my eyes and got on with it. But recently I’ve become aware of a few things that she’s done which I think could be verging on being described as bullying. These include:
Complaining about me to our boss and other, more junior, members of the team that I don’t support her. This includes a comment at our team meeting which was apparently directed at me although I didn’t realise because she’s never raised any concerns with me.
Excluding me from meetings/discussions which I was previously part of. As an example, we were organising an event which relates to my area of expertise and to which many of my stakeholders have been invited. I was arranged in the preparations, including coming up with the concept of the event. The event had to be cancelled and has been rescheduled but I have been excluded from all of the discussions about the event.
Not cc’ing me into emails that she should because they either involve ‘my’ external stakeholders or my subject area. There was an embarrassing situation earlier this week where an external brought me into a discussion which she hadn’t.
There are a few other examples but they all seem so insignificant when written down. I have raised with my boss that I know she has issues with me but he is pretty useless and there have been historic issues of bullying in the team which he has not really dealt with at all.
I’m considering having an informal chat with HR next week but would value any thoughts from the wise MN posters. I’ve never really been in this situation before and have generally got on with everyone that I’ve worked with in my 20 year career so I’m a bit flummoxed by the whole thing.