Base a big career move on facts, not hunches

Q: “I recently learned through the grapevine that an account manager who is assigned to work with me has said he would much rather work with someone else. Supposedly, he feels this other person is a lot more professional. I have no idea why he would say that, because for twenty years I have been praised for my professionalism.

“Now my supervisor says that I’m being reassigned to a different group of accounts. This really depresses me, because I have always worked hard and tried to go the extra mile. If the account manager had problems with me, I wish he would have talked to me directly.

“I assume this means the writing is on the wall, so I have begun to look for other employment opportunities. I would like to leave gracefully, but I also want to tell someone what this individual said about me. Is that a good idea?” Dazed & Confused

A: You seem to have made a huge leap from “I heard it through the grapevine” to “I’ve got to quit my job.” Before jumping to any more conclusions, you need to back up a step and get some actual facts.

Start by meeting with your supervisor to determine the reason for your reassignment. This decision may have nothing to do with your performance, but if management does have concerns, you need to know about them.

As for the allegedly unhappy account manager, your upcoming transfer makes his opinion much less relevant. If you still wish to check out the truth of these rumors, ask him for some feedback. But if you prefer to avoid that conversation, then you need to recognize that all you have right now is gossip.

People will always talk. But here are eight things you shouldn’t be discussing at work: Eight Topics to Avoid at the Office.

© Marie G. McIntyre, All rights reserved.