A rival you didn’t ask for
Read this before going to your boss for help
If someone is competing with you at work in a way that you find distracting, managing your emotions becomes a bigger deal. While it may be tempting to go to your boss or your skip-level boss for help, mentioning the name of this apparent rival will backfire. Keep swimming in your own lane. If or when you do go to your boss, keep the focus on you and your direction and future with the company. Is this person really undermining you, or are they just annoying?
You can suss things out in a sideways sort of way without making it your boss’s problem. You do this by confirming that *you* are still on track, that *your* work trajectory has not changed. Then, your rival’s sense of rivalry can be their own problem. You don’t need to get involved with what’s in their head because you have your own, and they’re not in it.
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