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Rex and the Political Missteps

Rex was an expert on a promising technological advancement in his industry. His reputation with a competitor’s firm got the attention of senior management. They were so excited when they were finally able to hire him, thinking they had a direct line to unspeakable profits. It didn’t take long, however, for Rex’s lack of political savvy to get noticed.

Rex’s political blunders were obvious to everyone—everyone but Rex. From the start, he took every opportunity to remind people that he was the expert. He concentrated on work that fulfilled his own agenda or interested him personally, disregarding other more important projects that would benefit his team or the entire organization. Then whenever senior management was around, he would steal the credit for the work of other members of his team.

He got the reputation of being nice only when he wanted something. He often made commitments and promises to stakeholders with a handshake and a smile, but he never fulfilled those commitments or kept those promises. Fewer and fewer people trusted him. As a result, his ability to collaborate and build a quality network of people diminished day by day.

Rex consistently overestimated his ability and didn’t bother to listen or learn from others. He didn’t read situations correctly or try to understand the culture of his new organization. He never seemed to tire of telling people that his former employer did things better.

His superiors made several attempts to redirect him, but their attempts failed. The organization eventually let Rex go.