The Enemy Of My Enemy

[Manager #1] is not particularly friendly, specifically toward me. I don’t know why or how to change it, but he is perfectly fine and happy interacting with the other two women in my department. This makes things particularly awkward for me because our seating arrangements were just changed, and he is now directly beside me with only a plexiglass panel between us. I used to have the corporate calendar taped up, blocking our view of each other, but after the fourth time it disappeared, I gave up. 

[Manager #2] used to love me. He was new and asked me to assist in completing some tasks that he had not done before so that he could do them by himself. I helped him with the first few, then he just started passing things my way and expected me to do it all on my own.

I didn’t know how to do the last batch of tasks. I told him as much, saying I could either reach out to the correct people and work with them, or he could. [Manager #2] did not like this response and came storming to my desk.

Manager #2: *Aggressively knocking on my desk.* “Hi! You free?”

Me: “Sure. What—”

Manager #2: “—Why are you telling me that you can’t do that last list?”

Me: “Oh. I just don’t know how. I know who to go to, though, so—”

Manager #2: “—So why would you say it’s my job? Do you think I have tons of free time?”

Me: “I uh—”

Manager #1: *Stands up with a heavy sigh.* “What tasks?”

Manager #2: *Names a few.* “Which she should be able to do, but—”

Manager #1: “[My Name], I am going to advise you against doing any more extra tasks that come from [Manager #2] unless it is approved in writing by [Our Boss].”

Me: “Okay.”

They stare at each other for a few seconds before [Manager #2] leaves. [Manager #1] sits down again.

Me: “Thank you.”

Manager #1: *Without looking at me.* “Don’t mention it.”

Our professional relationship remained largely the same, though I noticed that he tended to stop doing his own work when [Manager #2] came by my desk. [Manager #2] has not asked me to do a single task for him and frequently complains about how nobody wants to work with him.