I took me over 20 years to finally prevail in a situation not unlike those outlined above. The retaliation was so pervasive that when showing up with my family at a children's Christmas party, one guy came over and said, "What are you doing here? Don't you know everybody here hates your guts!" What a greeting right before my young wife and children! I just laughed and said, "Naw, everybody here loves me." We went on to have a good time. (Like boxing, never let your opponent see you bleed, just swallow it and keep on slugging.) The end was a stalemate, 4 managers sustained so much professional damage their careers were ended and I got a buyout with early retirement.

Of course it helps if you are former military, been shot, stabbed, set on fire, had the ground blown out from under your feet, had your plane hijacked, etc. Then the hurtful words and actions in the halls of business can be taken in perspective.

The best revenge is to go on and live a happy life despite the best efforts of others to do you harm. As a young woman who worked for me put it, "Life isn't fair, that's why they make different sized bras."