This morning I was horrified when I read one of my morning newspapers. On the front page was a photo and story about my former neighbor, Steve Lippman, who is being sentenced in federal court in Fort Lauderdale for his role in conspiring to help the Ponzi schemer Scott Rothstein break federal election laws. Steve had asked some people in the community to write letters to the judge on his behalf. Dozens of people wrote glowing letters.
But one of the recipients of his request took the opportunity to stick it to him.
The first line of the article reads: They say be careful who you step on on your way up because they'll remember you on your way down.
It goes on to say: "Mr. Lippman wrote to me and asked that I send a letter to you saying positive things that I know about him. I do not know of anything positive to say to this court about Mr. Lippman. In the years I have known him, he has always been an arrogant lawyer," wrote Harris K. Solomon, a Fort Lauderdale defense lawyer who provided a few examples.
Of course, I'm sure Steve had no idea this guy felt this way. It made me think about what goes on in most workplaces. Sometimes, there are people we have no idea harbor resentment toward us. Then, one day, they stick it to us.
This happened to a friend of mine. She was up for a promotion and thought she had clinched it. She was stunned when the boss announced another colleague had landed the post. Days later, she found out a co-worker had gone to the boss and complained she was difficult to work with and lacked the people skills to be a manager. She had no idea the person felt that way about her.
I'm wondering...has this ever happened to you? We've been told to get to the top, you're never going to be able to please everyone. But do you see it increasingly necessary to try, or will there always be people who will "stick it to you" in the workplace?
