A. I am an executive assistant and when my boss moved to a new firm, I moved with her. Unfortunately, gossip and cliques are rampant here. I have always been able to socialize at work and maybe I got spoiled or am naïve but, honestly, I don’t know whom to trust here.
B. Very interesting dilemma. I wonder if your boss was hired from the outside to “shake things up” or is she part of an overall change in senior leadership. If so, it’s possible that, in the wake of uncertainty and change, rumors are flying and cliques forming as people try to anticipate the shift and the new locus of power.
I have the highest respect for executive assistants because their success results from their loyalty, integrity and their adeptness of creating access and openness to their boss while at the same time maintaining confidentiality. Your goal is to stay out of the fray and not be viewed as aloof, as an outsider or (heaven forbid) as arrogant.
So, I can appreciate the timeliness of your question. Consider the following:
- How open are you to change? What can you do to make your colleagues feel comfortable? Welcome? Note: I recognize the challenge of doing this without joining them in gossip.
- What is your boss’s point of view on the organizational culture?
- Who are your boss’s allies/supporters? Which departments/organizations do you
depend on? - Given this new environment, what will you communicate to your boss? What or whom will you keep an eye on?
Remember that you and your boss are a package. You can pave the way for your boss by being a trustworthy intermediary: communications will flow not only to you but also through you. Good luck.