Most often we lose our way in relationships when we fail to communicate. And the longer we stay away from correcting this, the bigger the rift will grow. It is often the person who perceives themselves as slighted, overshadowed, in the "weaker" position who will take the initiative to move away first.

This interaction may have been avoided if the person who got the coveted position had taken the time to talk about the changes that were occurring, and how the two individuals could still work together for the good of the organization.

These things start small and quickly take on a life of their own. It becomes increasingly difficult to fix the longer people ignore the elephant, which everyone else can plainly see, parading around the room.