Do you have a Weasel at work?

[Judee Smudee]

We have a unit secretary that I have a secret name for and it is the "Weasel". This name reflects the fact that she spends a great deal of time weaseling in with people in managment positions. Knows them all by name, jumps up to glad hand them every chance she gets. She also does a lot of personal favors for managment people especially the nurse manager. Everyone knows to be careful what is said in front of her because managment will hear it from her and again carrying tales is a way of weaseling in with managment. I would be very impressed with a manager that was not fooled by this stuff but I have yet to meet one that wasn't. It does a lot of damage because inevitably the weasel will dodge real work every chance she gets. Everyday when she leaves charts with orders stacked a mile high sit waiting for the next shift. She loves the phone but not to do unit business. She is yacking to family and friends constantly and her children seem to think they can call anytime about the stupidest things. Even when she takes her two hour lunches they continue to call and the staff had to take the calls. These behaviors pay off because she is in as tight as you can get with the bosses. They like being kissed up to so much they are not about to do anything about her. :stone

[NurseFirst]

I use the weasel to get messages to the boss (who otherwise avoids staff lol) - anything you want him to hear, you just say around her .

Exactly!!!

I went to a two-week communications seminar (it was a lot of fun!) where I diiscovered that I could get my ideas implemented very easily if I didn't care if I got credit for them. :) I also discovered that it was sometimes easier to be the idea generator, but not the visible head--the "power behind the throne." I ran for the head of the team and lost, when, later, others decided they might like a change, I told them that I totally supported the guy who won and would not be a divisive force on our team. :)

(Pats self on back :) Oh well...don't get to do it that often... :) (And wouldn't want to! I like encouraging others...)

NurseFirst

[NurseFirst]

That's a bit of a problem if you live in a town of 600 people and work at a small rural hospital. :chuckle

steph

That's what long distance phone calls are for :)

I figured out one day: vent with friends you don't work with about work, and you can vent about those friends with folks at work. That way, you can let off steam without damaging your relationships or your reputation. Everybody needs to have safe outlet values for venting. Usually you vent with your friends about work, but occasionally, you need to vent about your friends, too. We all have our trials and tribulations in learning to get along.

(Of course, message boards *can* be another way to vent...but you should be careful.)

NurseFirst

[ptadvocate81]

We have weasels as well, but I have seen that if they are not humbled early on, it tends to bite them in the back side when they least expect it. You can only suck your way so far up the ladder before someone is on to you. Contrary to popular belief, there are decent people in upper management who care about hard work, honesty and loyalty rather than an ego trip. Ignore the secretary, steer clear of her and wait- she just might get bit. If not, she might get promoted to "super-secretary" or something and maybe she'd leave your unit- either way you win.

[Maine Critical Care]

If you work with weasels, don't be chicken, don't put all your eggs in one basket and don't leave the hen house unguarded!

Don't worry, what goes around comes around.:monkeydance:

[ERNP]

Everyone has a weasel at work.

[penguin2]

We have one like that where I work. She is very tight w/the managers, and they respond to butt-kissing, unfortunately, b/c she is the most negative person in our dept. but the managers don't see that. Several people have left b/c of her, but she stays on. I suppose there's one everywhere you work, so I just keep my mouth shut & do my job- but some days it's very hard b/c she brings down the morale of the whole staff! How do you deal with it when management won't listen??