Having a "NEED" to be Important

[luvsJack]

I work on a small college campus. Things like admissions, financial aid, and the business office are all combined into one office rather than 3 individual departments. The dean has 2 secretaries, of which I am one. And then there are other secretaries and support staff scatteried around the campus.

For some reason there seems to be this strange power struggle within the support staff that I really don't get.

I am working on a degree in elementary education so really don't care if someone makes themself "more important" than me. I do my job, keep my nose in my own office and do whatever I can to help anyone in my area of the campus. If the dean requests me to do something--I do it.

His other secretary, doesn't want to go back to school (earning a higher degree is the only way to really move up the totem pole past where she is) but she wants everyone to think that she controls that campus. She makes a big deal out of "knowing" everything and making others think she actually controls some of what the dean does and the decisions he makes.

The student services office (the 3 combined offices) has a director who HAS gone to school, gotten several degrees and worked her way up from secretary. This other secretary has an issue with this and proceeds to tell the director how she should run the office and then runs to the dean with all kinds of stupid stuff until he says something to the director and makes her change what she is doing.

This secretary screws up and doesn't get her own work done (because she is trying to do everyone else's job) and then tries to blame it on someone else! And he listens!

She was his secretary before I moved into my position and certain things that she did, he told her to show me how to do and let me take over. She doesn't do it. One thing I am supposed to do, she has finally after 2 semesters started letting me do and she still wants to control it.

I have posted before that I didn't really have enough work to do--well, she is the reason. She wants to control everything, she wants everyone to come to her to get things done, etc. So she makes sure that anything that someone should come to me for, they go to her. We are on opposite sides of the campus so I really didn't know how much she was really doing this until others started telling me.

I would go to the dean, but the one person on campus that the dean has always listened to and talked with about this stuff says it won't do any good. He says that he tried to talk to the dean and all he did was defend her.

As long as I have a job until its time to do my student teaching--I am good. But, I really wonder what makes someone like this. Why the need for this power? None of the administrators act like this.

Our dean will be retiring in about 6 months. I would have thought that she wanted to make sure he gave her a good reference to the next dean and made herself so important that the next dean would feel he/she HAS to keep her. But she says she is leaving shortly after he does. And besides that, that director that she has so ticked off? THAT is who is in line for his job! So it really doesn't make sense.

Why do some people have this need to appear to be so important? Why not just do what is necessary to move up into one of those positions that she wants to control? And if you do think you need to do this, why burn your bridges like she has done with people? I really do not understand it.

 

[Megan_J]

Some people have no power in their private lives so they try to grab as much of it as they can at work. Whenever I have encountered those type of people I advoid them like the plague, because their unhappiness is like a social disease and easily spread.

 

[Robinrs]

My Mom used to tell me that the NEED to feel important in the job world reflects a lack of feeling important in ones personal life. Thru my 34 years of working in the business world, I have to agree.

I've seen these power struggles in so many former work places. Usually if you find out more about the people and their home lives, you'll find that empty space they continually try to fill.

The way they were raised and their place in their family sometimes reflect their need to feel important, too. Sometimes it's just the little girl or boy who was ignored rearing their ugly head in adulthood.

Regardless, take solace in the fact that YOU aren't like that. I find pitying these kind of people instead of trying to figure them out helps me to deal with them.

I am BLESSED to work with a team of people who are as I describe COMPLETE. They have full lives, love in their lives and are all very NEEDED by someone they care for. They bring their complete and loved selves to work and do an excellent job without wondering who is trying to "make them look bad". In the many years I've been working this is my first experience with this. It's a true blessing!

 

[Robinrs]

Some people have no power in their private lives so they try to grab as much of it as they can at work. Whenever I have encountered those type of people I advoid them like the plague, because their unhappiness is like a social disease and easily spread.

OmG Megan, my Mom lived in Chattanooga and you said it like her! It must be the water!!

 

[Megan_J]

OmG Megan, my Mom lived in Chattanooga and you said it like her! It must be the water!!

Whahaha!!!

 

[shortbun]

She'd make a great executive secretary to some CEO willing to pay big bucks. Those people thrive on importance of themselves and their bosses. Not saying it's good or bad, just a fact. Is she making a ton of money?

 

[LuvOrlando]

Territorial and devoted even to the point of being self destructive with a touch of hero-worship, sounds to me like she may be in love with the Dean.

 

[luvsJack]

Hmmm. I actually think any one or all of you could be right.

She has never been married and never had kids. This has been her only job. She graduated from high school, came to this college for two years, and then got the job right after graduating. He is the only boss she has ever had and she is really only a few years from having enough in to retire (25 years).

She is very close to her siblings, nieces and nephews, etc.

So, I guess being "needed" on the job makes up for not being "needed" at home.

There is a certain amount of "hero worship" with the dean and like I said, she has never had another boss. And its probably the closest relationship she has with a man who is not a relative.

Wow. Thinking about it this way makes me feel sorry for her a bit.

Quite the different way to look at it! Thanks ya'll!

 

[Disney Doll]

I have to agree with the PPs who said that someone like this deserves pity.

I mean really, imagine having no life other than being the little fish in the big pond, pretending you are important when, in reality, 5 minutes after you leave for the last time no one is going to remember your name?

 

[bballmom56]

It doesn't stop with just support staff. You wouldn't believe the power struggles that go on with faculty at the college in our family. One faculty fired because another faculty set out to get them, other faculty thrown under the bus, charges filed against fellow faculty. It has not been a good few years and there is no sign of it improving any time soon. It reminds me of the bullies in the sandbox. It's that immature.

 

[Shelley Chiarats]

I agree about the power struggles with the faculty as well. My husband got hurt by one of these. He was hired at this small college as an additional member. He was supposed to take over half of what the Technical Director was doing. i.e. He did Construction & Sound while the other guy did Design & Lights. Well that worked for one year then the Dean took a Leave of Absence to write a book and the guy he was splitting the job with took over the Dept Chair spot and got real pushy and quit doing his own job. But he had an in with the Dean and when the Dept Chair came back he made it clear he didn't want to share his job anymore and my husband was let go. It sucks.

 

[luvsJack]

Wow, I guess our campus isn't the only one! I guess because its such a small staff/faculty. Everyone knows what everyone's job is and basically how they do it and how well they do it. Way too much drama!

 

[bballmom56]

It's nice to hear it isn't just our college, but it doesn't make it any easier. They are so unprofessional and NOT acting in the best interests of the college or the students. Where has the leadership gone? Our president hides behind the notion of "shared governance" which apparently is the latest trendy buzzword. Guess what - it doesn't work. We need strong visionary leadership. Not this baloney of let's form another committee... All that has happened is that a small faction of the faculty has come into power and they and their small circle of friends have the power and bully anyone who dissents. The president does not intercede in anything because "we have to let the process work". Yep, while the college goes down the tubes.