Formal and informal leaders, outcasts, social activists, jokers, primas, favorites, whiners, first beauties and gossips - the difficulties of integration into corporate culture will be accompanied by the actions or inaction of such characters.

At the first stage of adaptation, you use more external identification techniques: you look closely at your colleagues, their appearance and then, depending on your own preferences, or “fit into” the corporate image, trying on the skin desired color, or actively resist, appearing among your “white-collar” colleagues in the usual jeans and a knee-length jumper. Colleagues will also at this stage look at you for exactly the same reasons. The well-known saying “If you are greeted by your clothes, you will be seen off by your wits” is of little use in this context, since you will certainly be seen off “by your wits” someday, except perhaps when you retire.

You will continue to be “met” for some time, but in the subsequent stages of your adaptation, other techniques will be important, and not at all your outstanding intellectual abilities. Although if you are the owner of well-developed emotional intelligence, you are almost lucky.

The technique that you will use in further adaptation is called social stratification. Its essence is in the selection and distribution (“labeling”) of your fellow tribesmen according to socio-genetic affiliation. Smart men and the first beauties, bitches and quiet people will form the basis of your classification. Based on it, you will build your attitude towards various members of various groups. Mistakes at this stage can lead to conflicts and awkward situations. Indeed, when stratifying, many factors need to be taken into account: the hierarchical position of the object, the level material well-being, social status.

Each clan will study you for some time, like an unknown artiodactyl, with one goal: to try on and label you so that you, barcoded and identified, no longer pose a threat to the corporate tribe.

Next, you have to identify with some group before classifying yourself somewhere. Referring to oneself (identification) involves performing a complex ritual dance, acceptable in this clan, and pronouncing intelligible magic spells, meaning: “I accept the rules of behavior, rights and responsibilities, the status of the group. I want to feel community and security, which will give me confidence and save me from lonely confrontation with the majority. Oh, give me a protective totem! I warn you that neither performing a complex ritual dance, nor learning magic spells, nor directly copying the behavior of authoritative members of the clan will automatically ensure that you are assigned to it. You may be accepted “without exams,” or you may not be accepted, regardless of your ingenuity. However, you will still receive an individual barcode, and you will gain membership in a more or less elite clan over time.

The next stage will be intergroup discrimination. You will experience a glorification of your group and a critical and condescending attitude towards others. Managers, programmers, accountants, drivers, security guards and loaders consider their groups the most necessary, responsible, independent, and therefore you, as part of your clan, will acutely experience criticism from your superiors towards one of your fellow tribesmen. Regular criticism, infringement of rights, insufficient resources, deprivation of benefits and privileges can cause serious damage to the clan’s self-esteem, which will negatively affect the “clan’s” motivation to work. However, these same problems give rise to the desire for primacy, create competition and are an incentive to increase productivity.

In my favorite company, I was somehow “automatically” enrolled in a strong clan of “smart guys”, admittedly, without any effort or ritual dances on my part.

Due to the nature of my corporate work, I am not a “party girl”, so I simply worked joyfully and productively. The strong clan was headed by the head of the personnel department, and sometimes I was simply amazed at the abundance of non-official information that swirled in the depths of this department. Since I was classified as an initiate, unknown details of “near-corporate” life occasionally surfaced in my presence. On my naive question: “Where does the firewood come from?” - they answered me with invariable consistency: “We have connections, unofficial sources...” The head of the personnel service had her own retinue, which served her faithfully. In the ongoing events, I somehow did not notice the leading role of the Personnel Queen, but based on the reaction to this or that result - someone’s reshuffling, promotion or “retraction”, reorganization of this or that structure - I suddenly realized that the uniform of the gray eminence was firmly established on shoulders of the HR manager. Secret influence and openly demonstrated disloyalty to the first person of the company made the Personnel Queen a sacred and deeply revered person. Various executives visited her office; I often found briefings “on strategic issues” at the most different times. Due to the fact that we belonged to different structures, I did not really delve into the essence of what was happening and even, I admit, I was ironic about the pomposity and “backstage grandeur” of the head of the personnel department. I don’t know whether her real influence on practical events was so great, but the possession of information inaccessible to many gave her authority. Perhaps it was precisely this informational influence on the minds of high-status fellow tribesmen that warmed the soul of the Personnel Queen, wounded and rejected by the first person of the company.

The clash of our interests occurred on the basis of my “triumphant” appointment to the board of directors of the anti-crisis management. She congratulated me, but in a very strange wording for me: “Well, well done, this is an unprecedented career leap. Thanks to the crisis, you got a pass to the very top, and there are their own rules: whoever knocks will resist, whoever doesn’t knock is disloyal.” I irritably blurted out something about the “either-or” shutter situation that didn’t suit me, and just as sharply spoke about the fact that I would try to find a third option of behavior.

The casket opened simply. The disloyalty of the personnel manager was known to the level of legend precisely because she did not knock. Therefore, the development of her career slowed down, an increase in salary was already a pipe dream, and the dialogue with the first person of the company had long since sunk into the past. And then there was an internal crisis in the company, and she decided that the first person, forgetting the recent grievances, would immediately call her into the ranks of volunteer rescuers. But he scheduled a meeting (which he announced through the administrative secretary), put it off and put it off, and never called. And he called me and four other managers and even, in a manner unprecedented for the company, highly appreciated my activities.

Then, when everything had already started and the head of the HR department was only once present with me in negotiations with difficult clients to whom the company owed and could not fulfill its obligations, my colleague sarcastically remarked that maybe it was for the best that she was not invited and were not called.

In this work, her predictions “knock - don’t knock” failed to come true, since no one would dare to lay claim to our chairs. And I, accordingly, fulfilled my promise, the third option appeared by itself: we fought so passionately for the survival of the company that corporate games were relegated to the twenty-fifth plan.

Although I did hear this comment in my back: “Well, I raised a girl. And she will go over heads without looking.”

How to recognize a gray cardinal

From the list of suspects, bright, emotional employees, as well as obvious fighters for power, must be immediately excluded.

You need to pay attention to those who pick up the slightest crumbs of influence with the same zeal as they save their skin in “ head-to-head bets", and is not without ambition.

Reasonable people who love to draw up schemes, plans, and develop strategies are suitable for such a role.

Candidates for the uniform of a gray eminence are bad at friendship; they do not value people very much.

They get a moral gain in the situation “I have something to do with this, but no one knows about it.”

Often a gray cardinal is an employee who is close to the manager by mutual consent. But the opposite situation also happens, when he fell out of favor a long time ago and receives compensation due to this.

Another clue to finding our character may be the position he holds or the role he plays in the company.

Most often the SC becomes:

> HR director or one of his deputies;

> consultant, advisor or personal coach to the manager;

> lawyer;

> secretary or personal assistant to the manager;

> one of the deputy managers;

> psychoanalyst;

> wife or mistress of the leader;

>an astrologer, fortune teller, or other “spiritual guide.”

It is much more difficult for all other members of the team to occupy this position due to the distance from the holder of power. But difficult does not mean impossible. As practice shows, almost any employee can become an eminence grise.

Is it possible to get rid of the cardinal gray?

The presence of such a “character” in the company is a certain element corporate culture. Probably, you can fight him: collect incriminating evidence, look for allies and “make friends against him.” But it’s hardly worth wasting energy on this, unless you yourself plan to take his place. The reason is simple: “Mr. Richelieu” appears in the company not so much due to his own efforts, but because the general manager has a need for such a figure.

In this situation, you can either bang your head against the wall, risking every time you die in battle, or take into account the gray eminence as one of the features of your organization.

Some employees are so bad they deserve a raise.

The careers of ignoramuses, whiners and lazy people often develop quite successfully. The reason is simple: their leaders do not like to admit their mistakes, do not want to take risks and do not find the best way get rid of the subordinate who bothered them, except by transferring him to another position.

Several years ago, a manager I knew worked in a company that created software. One of his colleagues was distinguished by a secretive character, had a bad attitude towards his work and colleagues, and was extremely reluctant to carry out orders from management.

This employee was transferred from department to department, and as a result, he had three new positions in two years. His resume looked perfect. On paper he may have appeared to be a huge contributor to the company, but in reality managers were trying hard to get rid of him and taking every opportunity to push him into another department.

A bad employee often becomes an unwitting accomplice in the perfect office crime: a manager who must rid his team of an unnecessary person allows doubt about his actions, avoids direct confrontation and encourages incompetence.

There are plenty of losers and lazy people in any company. These people are not fired because no one wants to admit that they made a mistake in choosing an employee. And there is another possibility: whiners are very easy to recruit into any corporate games, in which they quite worthily perform their assigned roles. Incompetent managers use ignoramuses as a cover for their own shortcomings, since in the game “Who is to Blame” it is very easy to find someone responsible.

One of my friends worked for many years in a company where its manager promoted strict rules: “I’m the boss - you’re a fool!” She entered the office half-bent, shuddered, looked around in search of cameras and wiretaps, whined and complained, but did not leave the company. It is difficult to say whether she was a highly qualified specialist; those around her responded quite decently, but over the years of work she did not receive a single encouragement from management. She literally begged and begged for the bonus she was entitled to, endured endless excuses and postponements, was proud of her honesty and was perplexed when, from her annoying questions, the managers winced and tried to quickly disappear from sight. When her immediate boss deigned to get angry, she pursed her lips resentfully and theatrically exclaimed: “For what? What have I done to you? This situation suited everyone, apparently. She was used to plug emergency situations and holes, transferring from one department to another, she whined and complained, but got the job done. Until I recommended her to another company. My friend had long hesitations and doubts, and I was perplexed: if people treat you like this in a company, if you always have your face “on the table,” how can you not respect yourself? She convinced her: you are alone at home, don’t you want better life? I'm naive! After all, I thought that all these outbursts and her whining were a gesture of despair, and she rushed to save her (and the old woman can get screwed, as you can see!). In general, she moved to another company. I quit quickly, and on this occasion I endured an hour and a half monologue: “Why didn’t they even try to keep me?” However, I experienced all the “delights” of my friend’s better life with renewed vigor, because she rightly judged that I was the culprit of the transformation and was directly responsible for it. During the time that she adapted to the new company, I was bombarded with so many details, doubts, fears, questions and whining that I regretted my recommendation. But this was not the worst thing in my situation. The horror came later - when she was fired. It was then that it was time for me to flee or immediately organize my own company, where I could accept a shipwrecked “colleague”. The funny thing is that she began to try to return to her company and told me: “Yes, I’m ready to crawl on my belly, if only they would take me back.” She was not accepted into the old company, although at first they promised to “consider the issue” - with a demotion in position and salary by fifty percent. Our relationship, of course, came to naught, she didn’t forgive me... just what?

In general, the moral suggests itself: whiners are not sharks, but they can ruin your life thoroughly. Therefore, if they whine, let them whine, step aside and don’t disturb people creativity manifest. Of course, if you are not their leader. I would advise leaders not to engage in humanism and self-salvation, but to drive them to where the songs of whiners and mediocrities are pleasing to the ear.

Legendary manipulators come out for an encore!

Among the corporate “sharks”, sooner or later you will see gray cardinals, favorites, power fighters, and well-connected idiots.

What if the most dangerous shark in your company turns out to be its founder? And your corporate happiness will someday come to an end, because you turned out to be just a character in the Karabas-Barabas theater, and you imagined who knows what.

An internal crisis broke out in the company I once loved. As a result of this, the company disappeared, but crisis management “kept” the company afloat for four months in the absence of any resources. My colleagues and I joined the last board of directors and fought for the company as if it were our own business. Only some time later the meaning of what had happened began to dawn on me: how sophisticatedly they had used us! And how come we not only didn’t realize this, but also mistook the whole forgery for our own beliefs.

I once wrote an article about those events, “A Chronicle of a Single Crisis Through the Eyes of an Eyewitness.” I offer an excerpt from it as an ode to insight.

Crisis (interior portrait)
Time passed, and the crisis made one grimace after another. The categories of our clients changed following the issued obligations. Now people appeared in the queue “for money”, one glance at whom was enough to determine the type of their activity. Actually, this category did not hesitate to inform everyone present regarding the consequences of non-payment for us (employees) and for the company as a whole.
What was surprising was that it did not immediately occur to any of the leaders conducting the negotiations to make sure that personal Security was ensured. The paradoxical fact was that halfway through we discovered our complete insecurity. For example, to my question, the head of the Security group answered the following: “Don’t drive a car, when leaving home - look around, when approaching work - look around, when crossing the street in the wrong place, look to the left first...” If I had been given a lecture on the rules traffic in the spirit of traffic police inspectors, my satisfaction would be incomparably higher.
And the imagination and sophistication of the “special” category of clients grew. If it weren’t so sad and alarming, many of them could qualify for a prize in the category “For the most original way reprisals."
There were also employees, or rather personnel, who, although they were not the main resource of the organization (as we understood earlier), nevertheless continued their work with clients in the absence of all other resources. The best behavior was sit-ins and outright sabotage; the worst was panic and terror, resulting in an endless stream of hostility and aggression towards management, and ultimately an endless stream of resignations.
Employees needed confidence in an illusory tomorrow, words of encouragement and information, at least some information that would give the slightest certainty, and there were also needs for many other things: guarantees of the security of clients and their personal security, justification for the purpose of our continued stay in the current capacity and much more that would answer the question: “Where are we?...” The period has already passed when the bulk asked the traditional question for the Russian intelligentsia: “What to do?” (variation - “Who is to blame?”), everyone wanted to see the light at the end of the Endless Tunnel.
It is worth noting that the main expectations were associated with the leaders of crisis management, since who, if not us, according to the department employees, had all the information? In reality, everything was somewhat different; our needs were mainly related to obtaining the same certainty. The difference was that certainty was needed not so much for “ own use”, as much as for broadcasting and replicating to the masses, we ourselves still demonstrated sufficient resistance to various kinds stress factors. Any attempts to obtain necessary information for the author, this process ended with a departure into “strategic distances” and very vague prospects. The “original source” also had other methods to circumvent reality, but this sophisticated tactic of behavior will be written about later.
We “jammed up” the lack of information about the real state of affairs by enthusiastically performing legends and battle marches (text and music by “unknown author”, our arrangement) at rallies in all divisions of the company. It is interesting to note that the text of this “Road Song” was formed gradually. The author threw in one line at a time (and a line, as usual, from a song...), and our virtuosic performance turned a simple hit about the vicissitudes of our lives into a Hymn for the Crazy Braves or something like that.
Yes, of course, a crisis is an excellent cure for illusions as well. The very first clash of interests between employees and administration put both sides in an extremely difficult situation. On all applications submitted, at the direction of “Himself,” there should be a resolution: “It is not ordered to let them in.” The feeling that the trap had slammed shut arose not only among the employees who decided to leave the company, but also among us, who continued the exhausting and ultimately pointless struggle for the survival of something that no longer existed.
The genius of manipulation, or What is “loyalty”?
“Today we have a very important issue on our agenda, directly related to the life of the company.” Thus began another emergency meeting with our “legendary and invincible” general director. We, at that time five other directors, had a lot of questions that really related to the life of the company. The deadline for responding to previously issued obligations was approaching. The promised lines of credit were never opened; tension increased not only among clients, but also the tension within the company was palpable. Litigation stood on the threshold, there was a threat to remain carrying “not the main resource,” but only with a handful of the most dedicated employees.
We prepared to receive answers to the questions that concern us, but something surprising awaited us. So, “a question concerning the life of the company” turned out to be “a question about the loyalty of leaders.” There was a heavy pause, accompanied by a “destroying” look from “Himself.” What can I say - the effect was stunning, each of us had a creaking, knocking, rattling sound in our heads, in a second the entire previously lived life flashed by with all the details, everyone was actively looking for that very moment of “puncture”, simultaneously exploring the sources of information about the “discrediting honor” and the dignity of leader behavior." It was a superbly thought out and well-directed performance, and without knowing it we found ourselves actors in someone else's play. This was followed by a proposal to tell each of us about the signs and facts of disloyalty, we nodded in unison, and the “verdicts” were announced. Of the five of us, only one turned out to be loyal (apparently there weren’t enough informed sources). Needless to say, the subsequent course of the meeting was changed in accordance with the opportunity to “rehabilitate”. On the topic proposed by “Sam”, we happily rushed to invent various options. By the way, the wording of our “sins” was as insignificant as our desire to “fall into mercy” was great. For example, one of the directors was told that at such a crucial moment he was looking for a way to retreat, that is, he was trying to find a job and was even considering some options (the director did not even try to refute this, perhaps this was a session of “mind reading” ), another was told: “And you are a generally incomprehensible figure, either you work or not...”, the third was accused of periodically throwing hysterics and instability of the internal (!) state, but I was charged earlier (I was awarded personal contact), so there was no point in repeating it. The plot of the accusation against me deserves special attention due to the structure of the tricks of a meaningful nature. In fact, he was a classic in terms of harsh methods of manipulation. The situation was like this: shortly after being appointed to the position (without discussing the conditions and tasks), I received an envelope with a new salary and discovered that my rate in the conditions of crisis management was significantly lower than that of my colleagues. Despite the fact that information about salaries was always confidential, of course, we knew who received how much in connection with the new appointment. This was the reason for my appeal, although in fact I was not satisfied with the situation of “presenting a fact.” After a long, long time overcoming the administrative secretary, I finally achieved a telephone audience. I expressed my desire to sit down at the negotiating table, in response to which I received the same thing: “You are forcing me to doubt your loyalty” (appeal to personality, “bet on false shame” - that’s what this technique is called). I assured that my loyalty is manifested in the fact that I am in the company and working in a crisis. “Here you go, work, and we’ll discuss the conditions based on the result” (“globalism, the desire to drown the idea” - the next technique was not long in coming). In response to my desire to specify what exactly is meant by the result, the same technique was carried out again with the wording “so that the company operates as before.” In this context, it was unnecessary to remind that to achieve such a result, it was clearly not enough for me alone, so I again turned to objective criteria, namely, compensation that corresponds to the tasks, content and costs, in the end. What immediately followed: “You have ten minutes to decide whether you will work or not. Think about it and let me know about your decision” (“shutter tactics” is what this technique is called and is used in the form of rude and outright pressure). I said that I didn’t need ten minutes, because I had decided from the very beginning and the question was something else... then the finale was played, which in the tactics of tricks is called “refusal of negotiations”: “Well, let’s consider what we should discuss there’s nothing more... (the phone was hung up).” I experienced classic reactions in the form of annoyance, irritation, bewilderment and other vivid emotions, noting to myself that the entire set inherent in a tough game was present. From the point of view of countering manipulation, I completed the task, but these were separate tactical throws within the coolest strategic manipulation, programmed taking into account all personal characteristics and the ambitions of the participants in the process.
The last picture (final)
Some time later, having realized the absurdity and predictability of the situation, we finally gave ourselves the opportunity to look at the processes in the projection “from above.” The picture that emerged was bleak, but that was not the point of the howl. Perhaps each of us, realizing our situation, did not have the courage to formulate the main reason that we were so shamelessly taken advantage of - the belief (aka illusion) that everything could end well. Faith and unbelief are two sides of the same coin, you can hold on to both. If you look beyond this barrier, it turns out that completely different criteria and different support are needed. In the current situation, we were driven by the fear of being left without familiar landmarks. Even the question of responsibility was replaced in our minds by a sense of responsibility. For some of my colleagues, including me, leaving the company was not considered for this very reason. The slogan “If not us, then who?” gave way to another: “We did everything in our power.” It seemed that it would be worthy and noble to be the last to leave, closing the door behind the owl.
The personal ending of this story for me was the final plot, played out in one of the last meetings with “Sim.” Three of my four colleagues submitted a statement, and I was immediately transferred to the category of “loyal” leaders. general manager invited to a meeting. The beginning was traditional: “You and your colleagues have put me in a hopeless situation. You've got me against the wall." (Note: we presented an ultimatum demanding that we pay part of the salary, otherwise we refused to go to work. This was not a demand for money, but the only criterion for testing the honesty of our relationship. “Sam” did not pass the test.) I interrupted the accusatory speech, saying that if I was called for the purpose of “moving my face around the table,” then that’s enough. Then there was the following trick: “You offended me.” To which I noticed that we were offended, in this case, even earlier. And, of course, she called for constructiveness.
The next brilliant move was made very soulfully: “I don’t know if I can trust you...” I still offered to agree on other criteria not related to faith. Nothing else followed, except his unexpected admission that in some ways I was right, considering the main resource, after all, to be employees...
In this long fight, I most likely won. But neither the admission of rightness, nor the exposure of the entire strategy of tricks brought a feeling of joy. So, the conclusion is simple: in manipulative games there are no winners, there are only losses. There is, of course, a gain - experience from which everyone learns. However, there is another aspect. After some time, we all assessed the degree of our own vulnerability and calculated empirically the so-called permissible exposure zone. Of course, this is what gave us confidence and formed our readiness for mature, even more legendary exploits...

Store management doesn’t really like to delve into the relationships of subordinates; indeed, why know whether Masha and Vasya are friends and why Kolya and Vanya were fighting? But experienced managers know that if you are not interested in the life of the team, unpleasant consequences can occur.

Everyone knows that at work they not only work, but also quarrel, make peace, make friends and even fall in love. There are two layers of relationships in a team. One is purely working with instructions, planning meetings, goals and objectives, and the other is built on emotions, likes and dislikes.

These layers constantly intersect and influence each other. If informal relationships in a team “failed,” then employees feel uncomfortable and productivity drops. Their faces are sad and indifferent; you don’t just want to communicate with customers, but you don’t want to do anything at all. And vice versa, if there is mutual support in the team, things go smoothly, salespeople smile, customers are happy, and the cash register is filled.

Unproductive informal relationships

Store administrators know very well that if employees suddenly begin to think and act the same, it means they have “agreed.” And if we agree, it means we have become friends. The consequences of this friendship can be extremely unpleasant.

"Opposition sentiments"

“There are many of us, but there is only one store director.” Subordinates sooner or later understand this obvious truth. No matter how stern and unbending the boss may be, he also begins to waver when the team confronts him. Employees tend to form spontaneous unions and find fault with every order. Did the administrator order the shelves to be wiped down? “We weren’t hired as cleaners,” say the sellers. Made you hand over advertising brochures at the checkout? “We won’t do this, we are not promoters,” the employees answer unanimously, warmed by the idea that “together we are strong.” As a result, the administrator throws up his hands, and the sellers do only what, from their point of view, is appropriate.

Les Miserables

Employees who do not support the majority in the selfless task of avoiding work quickly become outcasts. They make their life difficult, do minor dirty tricks, ridicule and express unfriendliness. Such people are most often complained about so that management can finally fire them and rid the friendly team of those who disagree. For a store manager, the appearance of unpopular personalities among employees is a signal that not everything is in order and needs to be sorted out.

Groups

In some cases, companies appear in the store team that are friends against each other. Members of informal groups blame each other for violations, complain to their superiors, and at the same time cover for “their own.”

What should a manager do when informal relationships among staff have taken threatening forms?

Find the instigator...

People, of course, love to chat and get distracted by frivolous topics, but only a leader can unite them. If it is neutralized, the entire informal structure will disintegrate. A leader uses his influence over other people to his advantage. How to identify it?

Leader classic

Such an informal leader is immediately visible - he speaks loudly and a lot, and tells everyone what to do. As a rule, these are people with outstanding external data. Most often they are tall, have an attractive appearance and have so-called charisma - a special charm.

"Grey Cardinal"

An informal leader may not be immediately noticeable. The one who shouts the most is not the best boss. The most cunning and intelligent ones disguise themselves. They encourage their colleagues to express dissatisfaction, while they themselves remain on the sidelines. These quiet leaders are the most influential. But you can also detect them. Take a closer look at how the staff behaves general meetings. There are active people, but no attention is paid to them, and there are laconic people, but their suggestions are always accepted. The silent ones who are obeyed are most likely these same “gray cardinals”.

...and neutralize

What to do with the “ringleaders”? Let's consider three options:

Make him a supporter. Leadership potential is not a deficiency, but useful quality. An informal leader can be “legalized.” To do this, he needs to be given additional workload - let him help distribute work on the sales floor, serve as a mentor, and be responsible for training. Such people need to be moved career ladder- appoint a senior salesperson responsible for the section, etc.

"Remove the crown." If informal leadership is undesirable, then the powers of the self-proclaimed “boss” must be terminated. How to do this? Give him a job that he can't handle. Wants to be in charge? Let him try. Give him the opportunity to show himself. Assign, for example, temporary shift duties or assign temporary work to prepare the sales floor for the New Year. As a rule, without special knowledge and skills to manage sales staff is difficult, so an informal leader will definitely reveal his incompetence and make mistakes. When specific results are needed, the leader's halo disappears quickly.

Expel from the team. Sometimes you have to part with those who “pull the blanket over themselves.” This is, of course, not the most best option, but if there is hostility in the team, and sellers, instead of working, constantly sort things out, it is better to get rid of one person than to lose the entire staff.

Become a leader!

But here is the main thing that a director, administrator or store manager should know in order to prevent unconstructive informal relationships: you yourself need to become popular in the team. What is needed for this?

Be closer to the people

You need to talk to employees, know what they breathe, what they love, what they fear. Typically, store managers don’t really like to talk about such topics, and it’s completely in vain! How else can you get along with people if you don't communicate with them? So discuss work and informal issues, show participation, sometimes have lunch and relax together, and employees will definitely respond.

Collaborate, not command

A leader, of course, must be able to put people in their place. Sometimes you need to be strict and insist, sometimes you need to punish. But you shouldn’t treat your subordinates like serfs. If something doesn’t work out for a person, maybe he should be helped rather than deprived of a bonus? It happens that an employee simply does not know some regulations, so he makes mistakes, and he is punished for this. Don't rush to conclusions. We need to help solve problems, not fight people.

Show example

Does the person who first shouts “Forward!” deserve respect? and then he hides himself? Hardly. To have authority, the director must be on the “front line”, where it is most difficult - where there are indignant clients, queues and squabbles. Employees must see that the manager is aware of their difficulties, because he is not ashamed to go out into the sales area, talk with a customer, or punch a receipt at the cash register. Then the collective will not submit to the will of random leaders. Everyone will know that there can only be one leader - their legal leader.

Evgeniy Mamonov

Such people don't really stand out in the crowd. They prefer discreet clothes and very discreet perfume. At the same time, you can often notice a sly grin on their face, creating a feeling of their superiority over others (and superiority is indeed observed). It is the “gray cardinal” who runs the company, despite the apparent absence leadership qualities.

These people have strong intuition, which helps them solve complex problems and overcome obstacles very easily. They cannot explain their decision, but it almost always turns out to be correct. Therefore, some entrepreneurs or companies almost never face crisis situations. The “gray cardinal” helps the manager get around them in time.

The “gray cardinal” is naturally endowed with an almost animal charm. He is able to notice any smells. He evaluates people intuitively, rarely paying attention to appearance. If you work for a large company, you need to be in good relations with such a person, otherwise you risk being fired in the near future.

Reasons for the appearance of the “gray cardinal”

"Grey Cardinal" - necessary person in the company. It helps the manager look at the situation from the outside. However, there are also bosses who are one hundred percent sure that they are right. They suffer from managerial schizophrenia. This is rather an exception to the rule. It’s a very rare boss who can afford this, so the “eminence grise” is vital to the company in the role of the boss’s alter ego.

This state of affairs cannot but suit the bosses, because the company’s affairs under the shadow leadership of his protégé are going uphill. He simply receives his salary and attends all necessary meetings. Not life, but a fairy tale. But there is a downside. Gradually, all employees of the company cease to perceive the formal boss and go over to the side of the “gray eminence”. The latter can take the place of the boss. If the boss is smart enough, he will find a way to use all the capabilities of his protégé for the benefit of the company, without losing his position.

Very often, the boss’s alter ego becomes his wife. There are many bosses who don't hold important meetings without consulting their spouse. It is she who regulates the work of the company in the right direction. The boss understands this and tries in every possible way to hide from his subordinates the fact that his decisions belong to his wife. Otherwise, he could easily lose his authority among employees, and then his chair.

The most famous image of a cardinal in the post-Soviet space is, of course, Richelieu - thanks to Alexandre Dumas with his “The Three Musketeers”. According to historians, this hero of Dumas is almost identically copied from the Richelieu who was in life, but, without a doubt, very much in the literary image is still fiction...

System-vector psychology of Yuri Burlan distinguishes people according to their innate properties - vectors. For certain reasons, many myths and legends have been formed around one of the vectors. Not often, but it happens that life collides with those whom rumor calls “gray cardinals”. Moreover, “puppeteers” are found in a variety of positions. Mysterious and powerful. Frightening and powerful. Shrouded in dark glory, but often remaining in the shadows. Who are they, gray cardinals? How to behave with them? Why are they in our lives? What makes them so omnipotent?

It’s a pity that in Dumas’s time there was no access to the knowledge provided by the system-vector psychology of Yuri Burlan - perhaps Richelieu would have turned out completely different in the book. Or maybe Dumas would have made the main intriguer a completely different person - Father Joseph, the man in the gray cassock, Richelieu's secret adviser, who, in fact, is worth thanking for the well-known term. However, this personality that evokes fear and reverence in people was incomprehensible to the novelist. His name was pronounced in a whisper - it seemed that the head of the chancellery, Richelieu, had an omnipresent and all seeing eye. System-vector psychology of Yuri Burlan designates such people as endowed with an olfactory vector.

And only thanks to the system-vector psychology of Yuri Burlan did mere mortals have the opportunity to look into the unknown inner world olfactory specialist, who undoubtedly was the mysterious and powerful Father Joseph, who, according to contemporaries, surpassed his famous patron in resourcefulness of mind and influence.

Chief's Shadow

The classic “gray cardinal” is a shadow of his leader. A shadow that weaves intrigues and plots. Advisor. Prompter. Puppeteer. I remember a whole series flattering and unflattering epithets. On the one hand, Richelieu as an example of a literary “influential shadow” is indicative - intrigues, traps, squabbles, incitement, persecution of “good” musketeers, intrigues... However, a real “gray cardinal” will never become an obvious instigator - he knows how not only to remain in shadows, but also masterfully avoid conflicts. Even if he is the real initiator conflict situation, he will not be personally involved in it, and one can only guess about his true role.

All the actions of the “influential advisor” have a hidden meaning, background, and clearly verified goals of the intriguing spider. Romantic Dumas in his bestseller explained the ungentlemanly behavior of the cardinal with his tender feelings for Queen Anne, because of which, in fact, the main plot mess brewed. IN real life“gray cardinals” are driven by other reasons that are easy to reveal by understanding the system-vector psychology of Yuri Burlan - and in particular, the nature of the olfactory vector.

But let’s leave Richelieu for a moment and descend from the literary clouds to the sinful earth. A friend once told me about a chance meeting with the father of a friend of his, whose place of work is vaguely but succinctly designated by the word “organs.” I quote the story verbatim: “I went to see her, we sat and chatted. Then the front door slammed. She jumped: “Oh, daddy has come!” We go out into the corridor. A stocky man stands under a lamp, his face in the shadow. I extended my hand to him. He swung towards me and just shot me with his eyes! What a look! It was as if he saw right through me. There was a tingling feeling in the pit of my stomach! But I still didn’t shake my hand... I’m not one of the cowardly ones, but for some reason a chill ran through my skin.”

What kind of look is this? Congenital feature? Trained eye sensitivity? The look of a hypnotist, practiced to suppress someone else's will? As it turned out later, “dad” made a good career, moving from rank to rank without any obvious patronage. Moreover, in a field where they are taught to suspect everyone and everything, including their own reflection in the mirror, he managed to acquire such connections and acquaintances that even the minister would envy. At the same time, as his unreasonable daughter chatted in confidence, he calmly survived several internal “cleansings”, emerging unscathed from the streams of dirt that poured on his colleagues.

Are you lucky? Or maybe a person has a powerful analytical mind that, like a computer, calculates all situations in advance? Or a professional instinct trained over years of specific work? Or maybe just good innate intuition? You can guess and make assumptions for a long time, but why? After all, there is already an answer to these questions, proven by years of successful practice. The answer is in two words: .

What kind of vector is this?

In short, this is a force that in a social unit (a human pack) is capable of balancing the impulses of the leader with its cold snake instinct. Living embodiment and the bearer of this power is an emotionless eminence grise. A person who is able to see the essence of everyone who is nearby. A person who senses the slightest danger before it becomes a threat. The only one who subconsciously knows how to use the laws of system-vector psychology, being unfamiliar with it.

The theoretical justification for olfactory superpowers is extremely interesting, but those interested in the theory should listen directly to Yuri Burlan, since no one can explain this complex issue in a fascinating and accessible way better than he. And we will return to Richelieu, whom we abandoned.

The main question – why he is plotting against everyone’s favorite book heroes, handsome men and brave fellows, alas, is never revealed by the book. unrequited love to the queen as driving force book intrigues against a beautiful lady are an excellent reason to write a novel. But knowing that the characteristic property of the olfactory vector is cold unemotionality, we understand that Richelieu is not an olfactory specialist. He's just an ordinary cardinal. A simple man in a cardinal's robe, endowed with other vectors. The real olfactory observer remained behind the scenes. This is how it happens in life. Ah, if only Dumas knew at least the basics of system-vector psychology! Perhaps he would have changed the plot of his most popular novel...

In life, the main reason for the olfactory cardinal (as well as the olfactory advisor, boss, president, etc.) is to preserve himself by preserving the flock. This subtle point provides deep insight into the secret recesses of the olfactory personality. Why does he never live as a hermit? How he manages to see right through people. Why is he able to influence the leader? Why doesn't he smell? Why are there no secrets for him? closed doors. What is the secret of his power. Why does he inspire people with awe? Why is he never “involved” in anything? And many more “whys”.

To be or not to be. A victim.

What relation does the gray eminence standing behind the leader, who, it would seem, can never be reached from the sinful earth, have to do with us, mere mortals? The most direct.

“People are trash to him,” says one movie character about his offender. He speaks rashly and in vain. But this phrase itself ideally describes the sensations of the olfactory observer regarding the human mass. Having no scent of his own, he is endowed with the ability to sense the slightest nuances of human “flavors”. And he feels, sensing that people are full of stench. He can smell fear. By elusive emissions of specific unconscious odors, he can unmistakably understand that a person is lying. No, the olfactory observer does not at all look like some serial sniffer. He dispenses with cheap external effects, drawing his conclusions instantly, on a subconscious level, and not after a demonstrative sniff.

The olfactory observer is not the only one in the whole country behind the leader’s back. There are few people with the olfactory vector, but they still exist. Civilization has instilled in them the task of preserving the flock - even if it is for the sake of preserving themselves. And therefore, in any human community they are fairly evenly distributed. Having lived a long life, you can meet more than one “gray eminence,” especially if the temptation or opportunity arises to “go to power.” And even without touching power, you can encounter an olfactory person - at least while visiting a “friend.”

What can be opposed to the olfactory sense? Deduction a la Sherlock Holmes? So the famous detective used to cheat, not relying on his method. One day, sitting with his back to Watson, he began to describe his cane in detail. He was taken aback by such insight, but Mrs. Hudson immediately handed Holmes over: “He sees your reflection in the coffee pot!” Such things do not work with the olfactory sense - he instantly senses any trick or falsehood. Don't even try to play on an equal footing with him. Not the case. Without knowledge of system-vector psychology of Yuri Burlan, only an olfactory observer can accurately draw such conclusions. Everyone else runs the risk of making a big mistake.

So how to behave with the owner of the olfactory vector? Is it possible to somehow protect yourself if you suddenly end up on his “black list”? And if you can’t count on your own strengths, then what can you count on? There cannot be two answers here: you can only count on systemic knowledge and understanding of the essence of the olfactory vector. The less useful you are to the flock, the more active and effective the attacks and intrigues from the olfactory observer will be. A paradoxical, but primitively simple conclusion: be needed by the pack so that you are not devoured. This simple conclusion is due to the main goal of the olfactory life, which we mentioned above. No more, no less.

So, if you haven’t directly crossed the path of the “gray eminence” anywhere, then in case of troubles on his part, you don’t need to look for those to blame - envious people, spiteful critics, slanderers, etc. – we need to change our own need for the pack (society). That's all it's all about and that's all main reason, according to which the olfactory puppeteer gnaws at you with alien teeth.

Lectures on system-vector psychology by Yuri Burlan talk about how to find your place in society and understand yourself, learn to identify vectors and their states. You can start getting acquainted with this science at free introductory online lectures. Registration can be found at the link: See you!

The article was written based on the training materials “ System-vector psychology»

You are honest, hardworking, principled. But he doesn't. You act openly, and he acts on the sly. You want to be on everyone's minds and lips. And he prefers the shade. Which one of you will climb the career ladder faster and take the first prize? Don't rush to answer, it's not so obvious. After all, you are just a top manager. And he is a gray eminence.

How to calculate SC?

As you know, it is very difficult to look for a black cat in dark room, especially if it's not there. The cardinal gray is gray for that reason, so that he can easily hide against any background, pretend to be a rag in any situation, and only then... But then it will be too late, so if there is the slightest suspicion that there is a gray cardinal at work in the company, he needs to be identified immediately. And to do this, we first need to determine who exactly we are looking for, and from whom the potential danger may come.

Psychological portrait of the UK

We immediately exclude bright, emotional employees and pronounced extroverts from the list of suspects.

We draw attention to those who avoid publicity, do not strive to get into the forefront, but are not devoid of ambition.

Most often, phlegmatic people with a hidden thirst for power or people with a strong character, but with a lot of complexes, become gray cardinals.

Reasonable people who love to draw up schemes, plans, and develop strategies are suitable for such a role.

The gray cardinal is both a poor communicator and good psychologist, “a connoisseur of human souls.”

In addition, this is a person who does not value people, has no friends and does not strive to acquire them.

The greatest satisfaction for such a “character” comes from a situation about which he can say, “I did it, but no one knows about it.”

Often a gray cardinal is an employee who is close to the manager by mutual consent. In this case, he can play the role of his antipode according to the principle “Bad investigator is a good investigator”

If you don't feel within yourself psychological talent and you cannot distinguish a phlegmatic person from a choleric person, then the “360 degree” technique will help you detect the shadow figure. Although, according to Svetlana Chumakova, most often there is no need for such a serious and expensive study, since usually everyone in the company knows the gray cardinal very well, even if they hide it.

Another clue to finding our character could be the position he holds or the role he plays in the company.

Most often the SC becomes:
HR director or one of his deputies
Consultant, advisor or personal executive coach
Lawyer
Secretary or personal assistant to the manager
One of the deputy managers
Psychoanalyst
Leader's wife or mistress
Astrologer, fortune teller or other "spiritual guide"

It is much more difficult for all other members of the team to occupy this position, due to the distance from the holder of power. But difficult does not mean impossible. As practice shows, almost any employee can become an eminence grise.

When the subject is discovered, it is time to move on to solving the second, much more complex problem.

How to get rid of SC?

In order to free herself from the influence of favorites and gray cardinals who brought her to power, Empress Catherine the Great launched an expensive and adventurous project, which went down in history as the “division of Poland.” And although its goal was achieved: both the Potemkins and the Orlovs were removed from the throne, this method can hardly be considered particularly effective. What about today? least losses part with the gray figure behind your back?

Anastasia Kulikova, leading consultant of the Step Consulting Center: - The presence of such a “character” in a company is a certain element of corporate culture. Probably, you can fight him: collect incriminating evidence, look for allies and “make friends against him.” But it’s hardly worth wasting energy on this, unless you yourself plan to take his place. The reason is simple: “Mr. Richelieu” appears in the company not so much due to his own efforts, but because the general manager has a need for such a figure.

Marina Knyazeva, consulting psychologist, Lambre company: - Getting rid of someone does not mean expelling you from the company. The gray cardinal, or informal leader, needs to highlight own sphere activities, he may even have to be promoted. If the influence of an informal leader is positive, then his appointment to a leadership position will benefit both him: he will switch his energy into a peaceful channel, and the team: people will be drawn to him. If the influence was negative, then, having become one of those in power, he will lose the authority of the oppositionist in the eyes of the people. But the most important thing in this situation is to learn how to control the gray eminence, and for this you need to understand what control levers he himself uses. A “controlled” eminence grise can be very useful to the company, but an expelled informal leader can cause enormous harm, especially if he is a truly valuable figure. Your competitors may shelter him, but a person with such a character does not forgive offenses and does not forget for a long time. So, before you get into a fight, think about how it might end.

Vasily Pigin, managing partner of Dialogue Management Consulting: - The easiest way to identify the gray cardinal is to determine who is endowed with the maximum amount of “undeserved” privileges. This means that in order to get rid of such an informal leader, you just need to make the secret obvious. Change the decision-making process and the distribution of benefits so that they become transparent, and the cardinal will leave... But in this case, could the cardinal grise become the official leader? Perhaps yes, but it will be very difficult for him to overcome the habit of manipulating others, since this problem is from the area of internal beliefs.

How to become an SK?

But perhaps you are faced with a different task. You intend to put on the gray suit of an “underground worker” yourself. Andrey N., Deputy HR Director, talks about how this is done: “Every company, even the most prosperous one, has its own pitfalls, currents, and sometimes there are even sunken submarines. Ours was no exception, I realized this almost immediately. And I decided to take a risk and embark on this underwater adventure full of dangers in search of, if not the treasures of the dead captains, then at least a better position, salary, and in the future... But more on that later.

After a month of work, I realized that none of the department heads, deputy chiefs and their deputies were going to retire, die, or look for another job in the near future, and, therefore, there was no point in thinking about moving up the career ladder by doing your job honestly. There was only one thing left - to become an informal leader. But how? Having applied all the knowledge acquired at the institute and the experience of previous places of work, I developed an action plan, which I began to strictly implement. If you are in a similar situation, and you have no other opportunity to realize your ambitions, you can take it into use. As time has shown, I chose the absolutely correct tactics.

Strategic plan to seize power:

Finding a current informal leader (this is not difficult) or a gray eminence (much more difficult). And gain his favor or at least attract his attention. How: To do this, you just need to encounter him more often in a variety of situations, always provide him with small services, volunteer to carry out assignments.

Become an indispensable employee not only for your immediate superior, but also for his boss. How to: Do it a little more work, what is assigned, predict what else can be assigned, always be aware of what is happening in the team, with clients, with competitors, etc.

Gradually but regularly expand your powers, first seizing some of the capabilities of your colleagues, and then your boss. How: Replace someone who is sick or has gone on vacation, and after returning, keep some of his most important powers to himself.

Make friends with people who enter the boss’s office and have influence on him. How: Find out what they are interested in, hobbies, where they go, and begin to be interested in the same things, visit the same places.

Copy your boss's working style. How to: Work when the boss is working, maintain the same dress code, and treat all other employees the same way as possible.

Become a member and soul of an informal organization or association existing in the office. How: Actively participate in all their events, offer your ideas on this topic.

Under no circumstances:

*get involved in the struggle between various bosses, in the most acute cases, take sick leave or vacation;
*demonstrate your real capabilities and power until the time comes;
*tell no one anything incriminating about yourself, preferably nothing specific at all;
*show how you really feel about your boss, and especially his boss;
*argue over important issues, at the same time, you can defend your opinion on little things, so as not to seem like a person,
completely without an opinion.

I can guarantee that if you strictly follow these rules, then at most in six months your position in your favorite office will change: regardless of your position, they will treat you first with caution, then attentively, then respectfully, then with caution, and then... It all depends only on you: if you want to take power into your hands, you will. As for me personally, I did not miss such a pleasant opportunity. But most importantly, never take the struggle for informal leadership too seriously. It's just a game. Otherwise, instead of the robe of a gray eminence, you may end up with a straitjacket.

Literature “on topic”: D. McGovern “Martin Bormann. Gray cardinal in a brown uniform", 2000, "Phoenix";
V. Kraskova “Grey Cardinals of the Kremlin”, 1999, “Modern Writer”

So, the gray cardinal is exposed, exposed and expelled from the company. Now you can finally work in peace. Unless, during the righteous struggle, you forgot how to do this, and a new gray guard did not arise around you, helping you in the struggle for sole leadership... Although this is also not so scary, because now you know how to identify the gray cardinal and how to get rid of him . And this activity, as practice shows, is very exciting.