Some people refer to them as the dark arts such as persuading people their future lies elsewhere without having grounds to dismiss them. Drawing up a person specification that deliberately excludes a troublesome internal candidate. Mislaying a report and then finding it too late to help a colleague. Knowing which conversations to have without witnesses and when not to put something in writing. It’s about manipulation and sometimes deception. Those who confess to using these dark arts claim only to do so in a good cause. Others make no such claims using the dark arts to settle scores and  advance their careers. And only their victims know.

It was the sub plot in a film but it clearly reflected the real life experience of the writer or some one close to them. A senior manager systematically undermines a rival colleague. An important meeting is brought forward at short notice this individual volunteers to contact the colleague with the new time. They deliberately don’t  speak to the individual but their colleague‘s  partner saying the morning meeting has been put back an hour instead of brought forward. As a result the colleague turns up as the meeting is finishing! The boss is not impressed. Deliberately not passing messages on to make a colleague look bad is a classic move. Other tactics include conversations with third parties that the individual is critical of and disloyal to their boss , knowing that the third party will feed it back to the boss. Unsettling their team by implying with out any substance that the individual is looking another job, why else would they be talking to headhunters ?

It doesn’t have to be an over ambitious colleague, the chief executive who wants to get rid of an experienced and  popular senior manager, some one gaining too much influence with the board may stoop to using the dark arts. Cut them out of the loop. Call meetings at short notice  when they are on annual leave or at a conference to make budget decisions that will directly affect their area of responsibility. Express surprise to members of their team that their manager has not shared this relevant information with them , information their manager was never given. Expressing concern to a certain board member about the amount of time the individual seems to be spending with partner agencies with little to show for it other than raising their own profile, knowing this will be feed straight to the chair. These same partner agencies who appear very well informed about confidential and controversial discussions the board has been having!

The dark arts involve deception and manipulation, creating distrust , undermining an individuals credibility with colleagues and superiors, making them look incompetent or disloyal. Always carried out in such a way that no one suspects them of being anything but genuine and supportive.