Mastering office politics your way!
Talks about office politics, its traits and few measures to tackle it!
Let’s talk about office politics.
Everyone is a player (either weak or strong) when it comes to the workplace. Being judgmental is a behaviour that everyone adapts over time while being at the workplace. Every small decision or even a small phrase said by you is judged by some of the individuals around you, in short, you can say is-
Every organization is political to some extent. But what gives rise to it? People bring their needs, ambitions, insecurities, emotions into their professional lives and it results in office politics. Office politics are always tricky, and one can get easily dragged into this act without even realizing that you are someone’s pawn of the chessboard.
Many reviews have been published on various sites stating,
“Not so healthy work environment.”
What does that really mean?
This is a heated topic yet sensitive to talk on but is also a requirement for the ones that are more likely to get played or carried away in such situations. One cannot avoid office politics as it is a fact of life to deal with. Escaping or ignoring is not an option as you must pay attention to what is exactly going around you.
1 out of every 5 employees in India is depressed because of a negative work environment. Sigh!!!
Work culture truly defines office politics well! Some say they have a good boss/manager while many of us hate their bosses. However, it is seen that most probably a person of higher position or someone of higher experience is accountable for a negative work environment as compared to newbies.
Let us take an example-
● A boss who always praises just the one, no matter the achievement is high or low, creates jealousy in other employees of the team.
● Also, the other way, if the boss just keeps pointing out the silly mistakes rather than making one understand the work culture or sustainability in such environments can de-moralize an individual.
One common mistake that everyone does is trusting the wrong person at the workplace.
Politics at the workplace takes an emotional toll on everyone involved in it. Bully enjoys the game while the victim gets stressed out which affects their work performance negatively. However, people believe that political skill is necessary to get ahead of others as one needs to be cautious of who or what is working against you or maligning you.
Some traits of office politics can be-
● Power misuse
● Wrong information
● Gossiping
● Sugarcoating words
● Stealing ideas
● Jealousy
● Diplomacy
● And majorly Backstabbing
So if you notice any of the above traits, be aware! I have listed down some points which might help you to deal with workplace politics-
● Staying positive no matter what comes your way.
● Stop Gossiping.
● Identify negative influences around you.
● Control your temperament in any heated debate and stay calm.
● Don’t associate with gossipers, you may never know how your words have been put up to your mentors by some person due to gossiping.
● Also, don’t get personal by getting carried away in a heated argument. This again shows a negative trait.
One needs to understand that every individual involved in politics has their own agenda to succeed in the workplace. One cannot ignore every person to avoid politics as you may overlook some healthy influences too.
So, learn the game or at least be aware of your surroundings.
Mastering office politics is not easy and mostly comes with experience. One needs to develop trust and build good relationships with their colleagues on a positive note. It’s very steady progress but achievable.
Lastly, speak up if you are suffering! Don't keep it inside. Many organizations have strict policies if they notice any politics happening in their environment. And the leaders/higher position people should imbibe such values in the team that the workplace should actually be workplace and not a political ground.
I hope reading this would at least clear your thoughts about politics happening at your workplace or the mistakes you have been doing to survive the work culture. Please mention your feedback and also share if you are facing any difficulties related to politics in your office and we may together find a solution to your problem.
Till then, be aware, be observant and keep growing. Cheers!!
