Thrown under a bus?

What do you do when you get thrown under a bus by a friend, coworker, or even your boss? I know every detail of a bus undercarriage, so I thought I’d post my thoughts about this.

First of all, if you have never heard this term, it means that that someone has said or done something to make you look bad. It could be true, such as something you said in confidence has been repeated making you look bad. Or, it could be completely false. This leaves you wanting to defend yourself. Be careful how this is done. If the facts revealed are true, then it might be best to go to the person and possibly explain what was said. Once, I was grilled by a VP about an employee that I worked with. The VP then took what I said and used it to complain to the CEO. What I thought was discussed in confidence, was not. I have learned that all communication at work is not confidential. I then went to the employee and told them what I said was taken out of context and what was said to the CEO was not what I meant. Not surprisingly, that VP was let go shortly after. I’m glad the CEO didn’t buy into the feeding frenzy.


So, what if it’s your boss that throws you under the bus. Now we are stepping on sacred ground. Never, ever throw your own boss under the bus. That is just corporate suicide. However, if something is said that is not true, or you don’t agree with, go to the boss and explain that you did do your job (if that’s the case), and what you did. Basically, defend yourself, but in a professional non-emotion manner. Also, never go over your bosses head to his boss. That will just bite you on the back side when the bosses boss tells your boss what you said. You might as well get the resume out (this applies to day to day complaints, not direct supervisor harassment issues).


What to do when the boss is wrong? Go to him and explain why you think the decision might be wrong. Again, don’t be defensive, just explain professionally and let the boss make the final decision. If the boss does not like your idea, that is his/her choice. But at least you expressed your opinion on the matter, and you are basically off the hook for a possible bad decision.