美國職場奮鬥記 (19)

可是好景不長，在公司相關的負責人先後都得到了獎賞時，唯一遺漏的就是我的老板。原來我們兩人的職位差兩級，現在隻差一級了。眼看著，每個人高高興興的升了官，還加了工資。就是自己沒輪到。這下子，顯然老板心裏開始有點滴嘀咕咕。他是個疑心病極重的人。處處就覺得我在背後戳他。其實，天地良心，我在這個公司，真是日日工作如臨深淵，如履薄冰。就怕給我們中國人丟臉。再說，這是我做事以來的第一位老中老板，我的心裏是更要努力。總不能撤自己人的後腿，讓老美看笑話。我的確是相當尊重他的。他之所以沒有被獎賞，主要的原因，就是太衝動，講話太衝，得罪了不少周邊的老美。許多其他部門的人，都知道他有這個毛病，對他就是采取敬鬼神而遠之的態度。很多事情原本應該找他商量的，也都自然落到我的手上。知道老板沒被擢升，我還特地跑到副總那裏為老板說了一陣好話。他的意思是要等個半年，他不能一次擢升太多的人。我也把這個意思轉到我的老板。但是並沒有因此而取得他的諒解。

 

反正該出事兒的時候，連吃豆腐都會塞到牙縫。完成了兩個新藥批文，我就開始接受新的工作。這個工作是與製劑部門配合。我負責提供分析的結果報告，而製劑部門負責開發製劑的配方。當答案出來時，我說我的答案對，製劑部門一看，就說我們分析部門答案有問題。反正，不是我們對，就是他們對。為此，在兩個星期之內，我用了四種不同的分析方法來證明我的答案是相符合的。這一點，決不是老王賣瓜，自賣自誇。在這個領域內，有這個本事的人，絕對的有，但是我敢說，不多。我的老板，照理，應該仔細的聽聽我的意見。可惜，他那時已經喪失理智，已經是對人不對事了，反正就是盯上我了，找機會整我唄。就說人家製劑部門不會錯。是我們自己分析出了毛病。你看看居然還有手肘往外拐的老板。同時，製劑部門的負責人也是位老中，還是他的好朋友嘞。在這種情形下，我隻有自求多幅，平心靜氣的接受考驗。

 

之後，這兩位老中老板聯手先後就在美國雇了三個顧問，分別來審核我的工作。兩位是從工業界退休，一位是在東部某大學藥學院很有名的教授。我一個一個的講解，對付，回答他們的問題。在那兩個星期中，我獲得了所有顧問們的高度讚許。我對他們唯一的要求就是寫個報告給我的老板，還有我們的副總。到了這個節骨眼上，我的副總，並沒有站在任何人一邊。他的態度很愛昧，一副看熱鬧的樣子，就是看我們老中如何窩裏反。我也不曾一次，推心置腹的找我老板懇談。我的意思是，應該相信數據，就是對事不對人。到了最後關頭，我還很低聲下氣的到他辦公室，希望一切到此為止。我進入後，就像往常一樣，隨手把門帶上。這回他還居然用英文大叫，不要關門。赫，他這一遭就是打死我，我都沒想到。這就意味著，我不送你到黃河，你是心不死了。從此，我告訴自己，我要開始保護自己了。以後幾次和他討論公事，他對我的態度非常惡劣。甚至冒出恐嚇之言論。我告訴他，他已經算是違反了公司要老板善待員工的條款。他非常容易就激動起來對我大吼大叫。我也都一一用電子郵件把我們會議的情形描述下來，尤其是他對我的死酷潤鳴，夜兒玲，發文給他同時也照會副總及人事部門。

 

因為製劑部門有我的老板撐腰，他們還是很固執的指責我的結果有問題，而不采取其它相應的措施。由於我的老板對我非常的不友善。我開始報告我們的副總。他的意思是這是我和老板之間的問題，由我們兩位自己去解決。經過這一次以後，我告訴自己，這個公司沒啥好呆了。那時，在這個公司也快四年了。我又開始找工作了。同時，我也計劃著反攻。心裏盤算著如何來為我自己爭取最後的勝利。首先，我找到了人事部門。人事部門的主管是個美國中年婦女。我找她談話的時候，她還在修她那指甲，根本就沒把我放在眼裏。談完話後，不多久，她給了我一個為公司員工做心理谘詢公司的電話。他要我及我的老板分別訂約，找他們專門人員谘詢。

[bmn66]

我可以感受到在國外跟中國同事相處的難度，這裏的因素有兩點。一是大家都是中國人，應該互相幫助；二是別人都說中國人不團結，好窩裏鬥，我千萬要避免這種情況發生。在這些心理暗示下，有時你會過得很累。
我在一個大學做博士後，因為老板是中國人，所以我一直在盡心盡力地幹活的，這裏的驅動力就是我所說的第一種因素。但一年下來，隻要有難度的活或者需要加班的活，我肯定是其中的一個，這裏頭有好多是技術員就可以完成的。而相應的是我老板並沒有因為我的任勞任怨對我作出任何補償。甚至形成一個局麵是我隻有加班才是正常的。而另一方麵，我的美國同事盡管給老板添了不少麻煩，他還是很對人家。最近老板在拿給我辦工作簽證的事給我討價還價，大體是在工資不變動的情況下給他做三年才可以的。
在我們這個單位裏，有十來號中國人，其中有個年約５０來歲的脾氣特別怪，喜歡跟人衝突，而且特別喜歡占人便宜，但主要是針對中國人，他怕美國人。每次跟人衝突時，他的口頭禪就是大家都是中國人，如果不團結的話，會讓人笑話的。折騰幾次下來，我決定就當他是美國人交往，決不再讓他一步，這樣一來，反倒相安無事了。
其實窩裏鬥不是中國人的專利，老外同樣如此，隻要是涉及到利益的情況下。

[croupier]

嘿嘿，中國人自己踩自己人的時候好像是比外國人狠。

[doublehelix]

回複yijibang的評論:
Totally agree that "we all shall be prepared for the future". One of the most important things during the current work is to build up our credentials for a step up. Thanks for your reply.

[yijibang]

回複旁觀者甲的評論:
I am afraid I may not have any choice doing what I did before if I ever have the similar situation. Many times you will notice that there are many bull heads around. I always say to myself that the worst thing in the world is that if I am ignorant and I don't even know it. I have no enemy in this world, if there is one, that is myself. Thank you very much for your reading and comments.

[旁觀者甲]

I have been following your post from beginning with great interest. What your vivid writing brought us to the scenarios as though we were through it with you and through your eyes.

I felt particular sad after reading this chapter. Two talented Chinese fought each other and there were no winner out of it and it would split the small Chinese community in your company into even smaller pieces. I can picture that VP watch you guys fighting from safe distance.

If you went through it again, were there anything different you would do?
Your Chinese boss is an retarded in terms of people skill. How could a Chinese with poor people skill climb to that position?

Thank you again for the post.I have read them several times.

[yijibang]

回複doublehelix的評論:
Thank you for your comments. I personally went through big and small companies for the past 30 years. My point is to prepare yourself. No only in technical but also in managerial perspective. There are many yo yos in industry, on the other hand, there are many constructive workers and enviroment too. We always have a choice to what we shall do. Fortunately, to change jobs frequently like me, may not be an issue anymore. If we sit in comfort zone too long, it may be too late once we decide to get out. I truly appreciate that you are so positive and we shall all learn to be positive if we happen to be in a not quite friendly environment.

[JanAiZhang]

好人磨難多!!!

[doublehelix]

回複yang33的評論:
"Sometimes, I found that a Chinese who is a hard worker with strong work ethic is difficult to survive in the company successfully, instead, a native American who is lazy but have strong communication skills have a happy life in the company"

I can not agree with you completely. It depends on the culture of an enviroment you are in. Communication skill is very important, but the Hi-tech companies will not hire an employee merely because s/he has a good communication skill. They hire you mainly becuase they believe you can make a difference for their business. For a long run, working hard and having a good ethic to your work will evantually benefit yourself. For a matured company, the lazy people will not have a happy life at work, no matter which language s/he speaks. In a position of a manager, one will start to understand many things beyond an individual performer. You have to keep a good relationship to your direct report and your management, but for other colleagues, you don't need to worry about what they say or do to you. Sometime people are nice to you not because you are nice to them, but because they worry about the consequence if you are not nice to them.

[yijibang]

Agree.It is really contradictory. On the one hand you want to be a contributor doing a good job at work, on the other hand, others are watching you and getting ready to knock you down. I think this is a general phenomenon in industry. We all have to exercise our wisdom to survive. Thank you for your reading and comment.

[yang33]

I totally agree with you and had the similar experiences as you. When my performance was general, my colleagues treated me nicely, after I became proficient on the job, there were always one or two persons who had direct relationship with me and are important to my career started to treated me badly (other colleague still treated me nicely). I was not competing with him/her (I did fast only because I became proficient and get the pressure and requirements from the indirect higher level bosses), but s/he thought that I was competing with them. Sometimes, I found that a Chinese who is a hard worker with strong work ethic is difficult to survive in the company successfully, instead, a native American who is lazy but have strong communication skills have a happy life in the company. My experiences told me that communication skills are very important!! But, when your achievements let somebody feel that you are a threat to her/his personal interest or career, s/he will do whatever s/he can do to protect them and to destroy you. I thought that almost every company had such a kind of persons. I always met them, and think that they are really difficult to deal with if they are your daily direct supervisors or play an important role on your career.