IEEE Women in Engineering Magazine - June 2009 - 12

professional guidance from the human
resources department should prevent this,
but this does take work and time. The
supervisor that does put the time to preserve the unity of their team and protect
their team members is the most highly
respected leader by their employees.

Small minnow, big pond
The last story comes from a young college new hire that went to work for a
large computer company. She was joined
by other new hires, including another
new college graduate from a different
institution. Each new hire had their
own part of the design for which they
were responsible but needed to interact
with other team members to build the
complete system. Brittany was happy to
finally be working with other women,
since she had so few women in her college engineering classes.
The barracuda had already been
working at the company for eight weeks
before Brittany arrived. Brittany felt a
little behind because the barracuda was
already integrated into the corporate
culture and familiar with the CAD tools
the company used for its designs. Brittany was excited to learn the new tools
and tried hard to catch up to the barracuda. When Brittany had trouble, she
went to the barracuda's office and would
ask her questions.
The barracuda responded with "Brittany, read the manual!" Brittany was
very hurt but asked, "Where is it discussed in the manual? At least give me
a pointer?" The barracuda refused and
told everyone in the group that Brittany
couldn't look up simple material.
One day, the group manager assigned
the barracuda a new task. She came into
Brittany's office crying and begging her
to help her to understand the specification documents the manager provided.
Brittany thought about telling her to "Go
read the documents," but she wanted
to be a team player and be professional.
She spent time bringing the barracuda
up to speed and drawing diagrams for
her. During a status meeting the next
day, the barracuda used the diagrams
Brittany had drawn for her during her
presentation. The manager turned to

IEEE womEn In EngInEErIng magazInE

hire for a 15-minute call to
Brittany and said "You should
her mother. The young
learn from her how to do
Brittany's
woman approached Britthese types of diagrams."
isolation was
tany and told her of the
Brittany looked at the
outrageous attack. She
barracuda and waited
viewed as a sign
said she couldn't work
for her to tell the manthat she was not
in an environment like
ager that the diagrams
collegial.
this. Brittany saw for the
were Brittany's. The
first time that she wasn't
barracuda just smiled and
alone and admired the
looked away. Brittany spoke
young woman's courage to find
up and said that she actually
a new job.
helped the barracuda, but the anger
Brittany let the barracuda's tactics
in her voice did not go over well. It made
destroy her confidence and began to
Brittany look like she was jealous and
question if her engineering skills were
wanted credit for the barracuda's work.
as bad as the barracuda had led the
The barracuda continued to congroup to believe. Brittany began to
vince people that Brittany was not comaggressively search for a new position in
petent and when Brittany reached out
the company. The project that Brittany
to help other new hires and review their
was assigned that no one else wanted
work, they ignored her because they
turned out to be the best thing for her.
had been told that Brittany was not a
The people she worked with outside
good engineer.
the group adored her and thought she
Brittany decided that she would put
was brilliant. Brittany left the barrain her hours and not leave her office, not
cuda's group and was promoted with a
even for lunch breaks, so that no one
raise when the transfer occurred. The
could say she wasn't working her hours.
barracuda was livid that Brittany beat
This was a mistake because her isolation
her to the promotion. Brittany on her
was viewed as a sign that she was not
last day gave out her new business card
collegial.
to the barracuda and all her followers.
Meanwhile, Brittany's supervisor and
Brittany's advice for anyone being
manager had left the company. Brittany
subjected to a barracuda is to find a new
was assigned to work for the barracuda's
job where your talents are respected
manager and of course, the barracuda
before the barracuda can do irreparahad already done much damage to Britble damage to your reputation. While it
tany's reputation before she even started
doesn't seem fair that the good person
working with the new manager.
should leave a position, without good
Brittany's new manager assigned her
leadership from management, there is
a task that no one else wanted. Brittany
no sense making oneself miserable in a
took the assignment and began intergroup where you can't succeed.
acting with engineers from around the
Brittany ran into the barracuda again
company via e-mail and phone calls.
during an evening graduate class. The
Meanwhile, the barracuda was satisfied
barracuda offered Brittany the answers
that she had minimalized Brittany in the
to the take home exam. Brittany politely
group and now had turned her barracuda
declined. The barracuda was later caught
tactics on another young new hire.
cheating and subsequently failed the
The new prey was immediately
class. She was subjected to academic
praised by the managers as an upcomprosecution. This information got back
ing star. Upon hearing her crown was in
to her colleagues, and the barracuda
jeopardy, the barracuda started to attack
no longer had any credibility.
the young woman. The barracuda complained to the manager that the young
woman was on the phone all the time for
-Karen Panetta is the editor-in-chief
nonbusiness-related calls.
of IEEE Women in
The manager actually investigated
Engineering Magazine
the phone records and chastised the new
june 2009

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IEEE Women in Engineering Magazine - June 2009