Office Politics

Ever wonder if there is a place you can work where there are no politics? I would venture to say that anywhere you work you will encounter what I call the biggest office game, politics. It is a game.

You can work for large companies, small companies, doctor’s offices, and even churches and you will find politics. In fact anywhere you have a group of diverse people with conflicting personalities you are sure to find politics. You really can’t escape it, so what do you do about it?

The answer may be simpler than you think.

First you have a decision to make. Are you going to play or not? If you choose not to play then you will most likely start to lose favor and your perceived job performance may suffer. Notice I said “perceived.” You may be performing well, but your lack of willingness to deal with the politics in the office just might cost you more than you think.

If you have decided to play, you will usually be much happier and come to realize that you can thrive despite all of the politics. Many people say to me, but I do not want to play politics, I just want to do my job and enjoy what I do. Why do I have to learn how to deal with the conflict in my office?

If you have a family, ask yourself this question. Do you have to deal with conflict in your family? If you are married, do you have conflict with your spouse? If you answered “no” you need to get a bit more self aware. The fact is that when you have a group of people that must work together, personality conflicts arise. People with stronger personalities often have their own agenda and will not think twice about stomping over people to make sure their agenda is followed.

First of all, decide you are going to play the game, but not sell your soul.

You should never compromise your integrity or sell yourself short when dealing with the political forces. Here are some things to help you start thinking about how you might “play” and be happier.

Always strive to maintain integrity. People can spot someone with integrity a mile away and are attracted to the qualities that someone with integrity possesses.

Stay away from gossiping. If the water cooler is the place where the griping goes on everyday, bring your own bottled water.

Do not be afraid of politically powerful people in the organization. The truth is that people who carry a lot of political clout are almost always receptive to someone who will feel comfortable talking to them directly about something. Actually, most politically charged people like to be challenged.

Form a relationship with political players. Set up appointments to meet with them and get to know them. If you have a great idea, particularly a solution, feel free to set up an appointment with a Director or a VP and talk about it. If you don’t have an idea, talk to them about their vision for the project or company. Find some commonality.

When things get hot in a meeting and the words start flying, do not get sucked into the argument. If it goes on, simply be quiet or leave. If asked later why you left, be completely honest and say that you felt the conversation was unprofessional and that you had nothing to contribute in a hostile atmosphere.

Be positive. Even if everything is negative in a situation, take the high road and stay solution oriented. If someone tries to engage you in negative activity, simply say that you have nothing to say unless the discussion becomes constructive.

Be bold, but not obnoxious. Be confident in your abilities and view yourself as an important contributor. You need to develop a good self image. It will not go unnoticed.

Do not get emotional. If you are confronted about something, state facts and never raise your voice or show what may be going on emotionally inside. You need to develop a good poker face. This will drive that office bully crazy. You will take all the fun out of it for him. If you need to confront do it professionally, succinctly, and unemotionally.

These are just some tips, but there is much more I could write about this topic. The bottom line is that you should not avoid office politics. You should learn to effectively play them with no compromise. It has worked for me for years and I get better at it all the time. You can too!