123Beware the “Mind Reader”

Every office has an employee who purports to know the boss better than anyone else. People wear such claims with an air of authority to keep other employees in check. A colleague I served on a project with was, hands down, the favorite of a manager. She once shot down an idea of mine with a claim that she knew the boss wouldn’t buy it. She was adamant in her objections until I reminded her that I had known the supervisor much longer than she had. And I was eager to discuss my idea with him without the interference of a self-appointed interpreter.

The special-access claim is nothing more than a power play. It makes the employee seem more powerful than she is. The person may even offer to take your concerns to the boss ...

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