The Six Rules of Office Politics
An adversarial relationship with a skilled office politician destroys opportunities. It could end your career. You despise their shenanigans, but unless you have authority to deal with them, learn to get along.
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Office politics exists wherever people work together.
When interactions run smoothly, it’s like water to fish.
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Get your head out of the clouds. Not everyone thinks office politics is ugly. Like most things, there’s a good side to this dark issue.
Rule #1:
Connect with people you don’t like, especially if they have power and authority. Treat them with respect and kindness. The alternative is beneath you. If extending kindness to people you don’t like is below you, you have a problem.
Rule #2:
Accept everyone as they are. Acceptance isn’t agreement, approval, or affection. The alternative to accepting people is rejecting them. Rejection creates adversity.
Naiveté suggests you can “fix” manipulators.
But, you can’t “fix” anyone.
Rule #3:
Deliver exceptional results and elevate your social game. Don’t exclusively rely on your work. Keeping your head down and doing your work is naive. Those who skillfully play the social game are more successful than those who don’t. If this rule bugs you, you need it.
Rule #4:
Think of your team. It’s not just you. Your team is at risk when you’re in the cross-hairs of a skilled office politician. Worse yet, they may be pressured to take sides in a fight they didn’t start.
Rule #5:
Engage in ethical office politics with the motivation to help people. You never know when you might be able to help someone you don’t like. Leaders connect before they get things done through people.
Rule #6:
Expect reciprocity. Ask others to contribute to your agenda. The social game isn’t a one-way street.
Warning:
Work in harmonious relationship or work under authoritarian rule. Business is relationship.
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This post comes at office politics from the position of someone who doesn’t have authority to deal with it. I look forward to your take on this challenging issue.
How can leaders play office politics ethically?
How can someone without authority navigate office politics?
Hi Dan, It’s funny, I just wrote on this topic for the smartblog series on communication. A few of my thoughts on the topic. http://smartblogs.com/leadership/2014/02/19/the-wrong-side-of-politically-correct/
James, I love your comments they reflect such truth for me and what and how I’m learning better on how to relate and engage with with those who are unlikeable and likeable…,. “Conscious Disciple”, those are excellent words. Thank You for your comments–more inspiration for me…,.
This perfectly mirrors what I’m learning in the conscious disciple class I’m taking right now at my kid’s school. You can’t change others’ behaviors but you can change and strengthen the relationship (which systemically usually affects behavior). Ask yourself how the person might feel unsafe or unloved in their current dynamic and look for ways to ease that pain even if you are certain you’ll be rejected.
We’re all 2 yr olds at heart when we get scared or feel isolated.
Great comment, very insightful.
Dan,
Office politics – one of my favorite topics! Office politics gets a bad name – and rightly so the situation is “people behaving badly”. However, research says that people who understand how to get things done by connecting with others, being sincere and paying attention to others’ interest are viewed as being more effective. I call this “Positive Office Politics.”
You ask how leaders can play office politics ethically.
I view it in this way: when leaders put their needs (or that of their department) above all else (excessive self-interest), then that’s when the “bad” politicking begins. When leaders seek to make the best possible choice (giving attention to all sides of the issue), then they are using office politics in a positive manner.
Be aware of office politics to protect yourself from getting ‘hurt’, but do not manipulate it to backstab others.
Oh how I loathe Office Politics…but your perspective made me realize that I do think getting along with people I don’t like is something I just don’t do and that is MY problem. I wear my heart on my sleeve…if I’m mad at someone or have lost respect for them I can’t hide that…I do not have a poker face at all!! I have to rise above that and realize that we’re all human…as you, most people, and my mother say, “You can’t control what other people do, or what happens to you…you can only control how you react/handle the situation.” Or some variation on that statement…and you are all so very correct. I really appreciate your insight on this topic…my inability to “politic” well has caused some heartache and I’d really like to avoid that in the future.
Dear Dan,
A very good post on office politics. In my industrial and academic career, I have noticed three symptoms that prevail at workplace across firms and geographies. The most important is incompetence- when people are incompetent, they are more likely to form coterie and engage into politics and the focus is very clear- strengthening and safeguarding self position. They do not either accept competent people or allow them to succeed in hierarchy. They make all effort to hinder growth of competent people. Second important symptom is cultural trend that promise growth. When people see and observe certain kind of behavior or trend that allow people growth, they tend to accept it irrespective of its nature, characteristics and outcomes. The only expected outcome is self success. This kind of practices is generally top-down. They see how people reach at the top by different means. The last symptom is perception. When people are most concerned about the roles, responsibilities and less on people practices, other make perception and generally negative. To be more specific, when someone works very hard and not bother about what is going on around, people feel bad. They make unnecessary and unrelated news about the honest, silent and deserving person. This is galloped when people around listen and management also pay attention.
In all three categories, top management is more responsible than anything else because they act like oxygen to fire. Sooner they stop supplying oxygen by not listening or discouraging people for such behavior, the environment start improving.
Office politics can be ethically with good intention. When intention is to encourage good behavior, people tend to appreciate someone and avoid bad behavior. The intention is to encourage good. This is ethical office politics to me.
I also feel that someone without authority can navigate by being neutral. By neutral, I mean responding to everyone but withholding decision against someone. It is about again creating a positive perception where every one think that you are from his side but actually you are playing safe and not indulging into politics.
Are you suggesting that we are to respect those in authority to betray the mutual covenant of trust?
Amen Samantha, I could not have said it better!
See, I’m totally with Samantha on this subject. Play the social game? I am as gregarious as the next person…with people I enjoy being around. Honest, hard working, competent people. Ladder climbers, butt kissers and the like I simply cannot stomach. Very coincidental though that I am currently participating in a class where this very thing has been identified as my main roadblock to career progression. But again, I’m in agreement with Samantha. I don’t believe in condoning dysfunctional behavior and “going along with it” is an answer.
Thanks Jody. My concern is they will get ahead and you won’t. Perhaps “getting ahead” isn’t that big of an issue. Pulling away is definitely an option. But, it may have negative consequences, if you plan to advance in your career. I probably concur with the people are telling you it’s a roadblock. I wonder if you can find a way to feel authentic when you deal with inauthentic people?
Jody & Dan
This IS a ‘Tough one’ Dan. You’ve heard me say it before, and here I go again, “The rite thing to do remains the rite thing to do, even when no one believes it. The wrong thing to do remains the wrong thing to do even when every one belives it”. I would certainly agree it is not beneificial to existing negative relationships to increase division between yourself and authority figures by pointing out their inadaquacies ‘just because you can’. However, Integrity is a part of this equation. Sometimes doing what is rite can have negative side effects, it could cause the loss of a job. Each of us have a set of personal Moral Absolutes, to ignore them, eliminate them, or bed them in order that they ‘suit to fit’ erodes our integrity. On one hand I must agree with Jodi, not addressing dysfuntional seems a bit cowardess to me while the behavior most definatley will continue. The flip-side of the coin is, “don’t shoot your nose off dispite your face”. It’s one thing to kill a snake, it’s a whole other story though to play with, or provoke one…
Thank you Jodi & Dan
“I often enjoy the comments as much as I do your blog Dan”. I always leave a little smarter for the experience!!!
SGT Steven
If you think you have to kiss someone’s butt – and you don’t want to – doesn’t that leave you with kicking their butt? I’d rather not do that either. I have had the same challenges over the years – I am sure many have. What I eventually concluded was this – 1) I don’t hold the universal truth. I could be wrong about a person and their motivations. 2) by not forging relationships – or worse- by trying to kick arse with everyone I found disagreeable, I ended up not just hurting me (which I could live with) but hurting the team, the people I lead, the mission, our clients (and I couldn’t live with that) and finally 3) if I had an enemy, then I was the enemy too. Seriously, who wants to stand up and say “I’m so honorable I’m beyond reproach?” Pretty arrogant, isn’t it? The more enemies I found, the more I found I was the problem.
I don’t kiss butt. But I stopped kicking it too. I’m getting better every day at trying to build bridges instead of burning them down. I think that’s the main point here. And you might be surprised at what you find along the way – there are a lot of misunderstood people out there who may even be drowning (isn’t bad behaviour a defence mechanism at times) and all we’re doing is throwing them anchors when we could be throwing them a lifeline.
Heres a question to ponder, it piggy-backs off Rule #1 , “How do you ‘connect’ with people that DON’T LIKE YOU”!
Jody… Ladder climbers, butt kissers and the like I simply cannot stomach. Pretty much sums up my feelings regarding office politics. I’d also like to add perpetual victims i.e the ones that are always complaining to the boss that someone has wronged them in some way, when in reality they are the trouble makers themselves. I realize that my inability to forgive or tolerate these types of people might be hindering my career growth but at this point I just don’t care. I’ll get there one day, just not today.
Timely post Dan. 😉
I appreciate your perspective and insights on this difficult topic. It can be even more challenging when it’s not an office and you can’t actually ‘see’ the people.
I’m just going to start at the top of your post here with some thoughts. You wrote:
‘You despise their shenanigans, but unless you have authority to deal with them, learn to get along.’
Frankly, and this will probably come as no surprise to you or many people who read my comments or blog posts, very few things get my BP rising fast then dealing with lies and/or intentionally manipulative people. Granted, I’m certain NONE of us can declare ourselves 100% free of any manipulation as it’s difficult to account for anything we may still be truly unconscious of. Especially when certain behaviors become a full blown habit. They are done on auto pilot. And that isn’t so much what I’m referring to.
INTENTIONAL. Done consciously.
In my experience, ‘learning to get along’ with their shenanigans is doing nothing more then ‘going along to get along’, maintaining the status quo, and ENABLING dysfunctional behavior.
Willam (or Willimina) Wallace certainly wouldn’t go for that! (grins)
There’s a saying and I can’t exactly recall where I first heard it or who originally wrote it but it says something to the effect of, ‘If it weren’t for all the enablers, an addict couldn’t remain one for very long.’
Any time we have to cow toe or tip toe thru the tulips with someone who is intentionally lying, abusive, creating problems in bad ways for others doesn’t fix the problem. It keeps it going.
The message says, be compliant or guess what? You’ll lose your job. (the very threat that keeps far too many people quiet in the first place)
And that’s what I’m saying…if people want REAL change? if people are TIRED of the status quo? Don’t tolerate it anymore. From anyone. People do that crap because THEY GET AWAY WITH IT.
They wouldn’t do it anymore if they couldn’t get away with it.
However, I also realize not everyone is at the same place. Not everyone has cultivated enough courage to stand up yet. Some still need to find their voice. Others may really NEED to find another job first before they can say NO to what is intolerable just so they can survive.
It’s one thing to treat all people with kindness. it’s another to condone lies, manipulation, and abuse. We can still learn to maintain our own integrity without having to comply with another persons lack of it.
We can still report impact. We can be honest about how we feel in the face of another persons’ behavior. It doesn’t mean they will change, yet it keeps US out of denial. We own our own feeling. Which has the ability to help build up our courage. The more we honestly express our feelings, take responsibility for them, the easier it becomes to taking actions on our own behalf.
Like saying no instead of yes.
Putting in that 2 weeks notice and finding another job.
Modeling what honest expression looks like so others can be encouraged to do the same.
Rule #3: I didn’t quite understand this one when you said elevate your social game. Can you elaborate on this one? Might be easier with an example if you have one.
Although the truth isn’t always welcome, I still say honesty is the best policy. It trumps manipulation.
And I was thinking about that too…if you fight manipulation with manipulation of your own. Where does that get anyone? Ultimately, people can’t trust a manipulator. They CAN trust the honest person who chose NOT to be manipulative.
Manipulation is guaranteed to backfire eventually because it sabotages TRUST. Which could have a negative impact on existing HEALTHY relationships.
I’ll close for now although I’m sure we could dialog about this for the rest of the day and still not have covered every facet of it! haha
Thanks for sharing.
Samantha I agree with your thoughts regarding Intentional negative behaviors. I think it’s wise to concider the approach we use while asking ourselves, are my intentions noble, and will my actions effect positive change. Remember, Leadership is always ‘all about people’. Are we seeking revenge and redemption, or resolution?
Hi Steve,
Thanks for commenting and your questions. I’m not sure where you get revenge and redemption out of anything I stated in my comment, except for the one line about William Wallace! haha And if so, in his case, there was some very extreme happenings going on in Braveheart and unless we’re dealing with someone like Longshanks…well… I don’t feel we need or even want to take things to that level! : )
My only point there is he was at the point of being beyond compromise. And it is in THIS sense that I have reached that point myself more then once when it came to a complete and utter lack of integrity in the leadership in various industries. In those specific situations, to compromise would have endangered lives. In one setting, it was healthcare, the lives of patients were being compromised. And leadership encouraged staff to turn a blind eye to what was going on.
In a couple of other settings, leadership again lied and it had an extreme negative impact on me and my family that cost me a great deal of money and time. All due to lies.
Going along to get along would not have served ‘good’ in any way, shape, or form. It required me to walk away. in the latter two. In the first one, the healthcare setting, I had to deal with management head on with as much tact and facts as I could possibly muster. Backed with ample documentation and legal information, etc. Once the situation was adequately addressed, I still proceeded to look for another job. The lack of integrity was too much to swallow.
So hopefully that sheds some light on the passion behind my words. I’m coming from situations where it’s not just your average run of the mill politics. When real LIVES are on the line, it’s a whole new ball game and people need to muster up enough courage to do the right thing.
Going along to get along doesn’t save lives.
Thanks for the questions Steve. I hope my answers provided helpful information.
Samantha
I can certainlly relate to your comment regarding the issue of the health & saftey of others, my field is Corrections. We could share some interesting dialoque, “just not publically”.
Samantha
The negative behavior we’re referring to just recentley cost me thousands of dollars not to mention countless hours of work and research.
Steven
drakesteve@ymail.com
Corrections! I’m sure you have quite a few interesting stories you could share. And yes, patient confidentiality places limitations on what I can share.
So sorry to hear you’ve recently suffered financial loss as a result of ‘negative behaviors’. I suffered a financial loss as well and so I’m familiar with the sting. OUCH!
Well said, Samantha. It’s true and I agree with you 100%.
Insightful Dennis! Manipulation. That’s EXACTLY what it is. Office politics sounds so generic and really lessens the destructive nature of what it really is! Another friend of mine on Twitter, Mike Lehr, has written a few posts on the use of ‘vanilla words’. The words we use to intentionally alter reality. Like…collateral damage, etc.
And yes, I agree. In the end, persistent truth and confidence in standing in our truth ultimately wins.
Thanks for sharing!
Great comments concerning manipulation, Samantha. Truth being told, “office politics” is just another name for manipulation. Truthfulness, persistence, and self-confidence are the only true tools that can be used successfully and for the long run against the manipulation techniques.
Thought-provoking, Dan. The word “politics” brings to mind dark, frustrating situations, unfortunately. I appreciate all the thoughts presented here because it gets me past the terminology and helps me see how I can use this information to be a better colleague and leader to those around me.
Thank you!
Well here is the deal, 80% of employees feel disengaged at work.
To me that means take all traditional thinking and put it right where it belongs…in the crapper.
Before you get all high and mighty with your thumbs downs THINK!!
If Roy Williams coach of my beloved Heels lost 8 out of every 10…do I even need a drumroll?
Ok your car, if it started 2 out of 10 times what would you do???? Remain loyal and figure it was something you did?
Bottom line our Leadership model is AWFUL! Wake up!!
The numbers do not lie, 80% USA employees disengaged, time to throw all the bad stuff out start fresh.
Just imagine we made a movie of you in your car that starts 2 out of 10 times. You just said this is great, no problem. If friends colleagues countrymen saw this how would we evaluate your sanity?
Well why talk kindly about Leadership in America with 20% success like it is something to take hone to your momma? It isn’t it stinks, we are failing on an epic scale!!!!
The Leader has no clothes.
So here is what to do!! Find the 20%ers!!! Just do what they do!!
And one big problem. Get a job with people who believe what u believe and quit messing around!!! Oil and water are never gonna mix darnit!!!! Stop banging your head against the wall!! It isn’t people who see things different than you are bad or wrong, they just see things different and always will!!!
Go find work with folks who believe what you believe, period!!
Just my feelings!!! Lol
Have a good one Dan,
SP
EA
Don’t know that I go for the segregation solution that’s offered here. Pretty soon you have a splinter group that follows narrowly focused beliefs (that may not be reality). My feeling is that it is good to have to work through differences. In office politics, the problem arises when one or a few do not understand the importance of listening and reacting with civility to others who matter in the big picture. No one person in the office has all the facts and open, truthful communication is one of the best solutions.
This post is so true it hurts.
Dauna
Great thoughts here Dan. I’m going to amend Rule # 1 to read
Connect with people you don’t like, WHETHER OR NOT they have power and authority. Treat them with respect and kindness. The alternative is beneath you. If extending kindness to people you don’t like is below you, you have a problem.
wish id read this 20 years ago 🙂
I have always been taught that if you are not highly trained in deep psychological counseling or religious conversion, you should not try to fix people. We in government learn everyday to agree to disagree with some people.
Good morning Dan;
‘My-o-my’ Dan you have been Hit’n-m outa the ball park this week, “BRILLIANT”. Office politics have ruined succesful organizations. People are the foundation of leadership. The relationships leaders build with those who work for them determine sucsess, mediocrity, and even ‘death’ of an otherwise heathy organization. Office politics ignore potential, talent, skills, outside the box thinking, and inteligence often veiwing these attributes as a threat to their malalligned leadership philosophies. The negative side effects of office politics are increasing at an alarming rate in our organizations, our communities, government, and even our churches. This situation reflects the destructive culture and atmosphere plaging the inviroments and we work in. Negativity is the result of office politics, moral and volunteerism stops, effort slows down to the bare minimum necasary to collect a paycheck. “Humans do what humans see, it’s human nature”. Choosing the right person for the job, any job, should always focus on job/fit, job/mix. You can call it office politics, or you can call it Nepatism, to me, they are simular and equally destructive.There are many who posess great potential needing nothing more than an opportunity, an invitation, a hand-up if you will, to effect positive change. This reminds me of an old quote with a Biblical favor, “All it takes for evil to prevail is for good men to stand by and do nothing”. However, the unfortunate truth is, those who are committed to pushing themselves beyond their comfort zone while growing, learning, reaching toward excellance, may have to concider a ‘change in their working address’ to see their effort produce fruit. (SAD), but true…
Dan this week post really have been great. Keep on keep’n on my freind!
I like the new format.
Cheers
Steven
I think too, that one needs to be ready to give up some concession to get something – always think “win win”
Office politics, like the weather, just is. We don’t have to ‘play’ office politics, but like the weather, it benefits us to be prepared. And, if at the end of your journey, you don’t want to be surprised at where you are and who you are, develop a road map to where you want to go and who you want to be – and don’t let the weather change your course.
J that is excellant advice. Thanks for sharing a lil wisdom!
Steven
Yes! to #1. I’ve had excellent results with people that others labeled “impossible to work with” by treating them with respect and dignity. We didn’t become best friends, but were able to establish a respectful professional relationship.
Dan, great post.
I, too, think the concept of office politics gets a bad name and is misunderstood.
Look up the word, “politic” on Dictionary.com and it reads, “shrewd or prudent in practical matters; tactful; diplomatic.”
Nothing wrong with that in an office to get things done.
Politics is about influence. If influence is used with the right intentions for the betterment of the team, organization or individual with everyone’s best interest in mind, then it’s a good thing.
I think the impression we get when we think of the concept of “office politics” it takes us to a perception of manipulation, throwing others under the bus for one’s own gain, etc. which comes from the wrong intention.
Some times even though someone is acting with the best of intentions others because of their own inadequacies or self-esteem may project and blame ‘office politics’ or manipulation, when in reality maybe someone was just getting things done and were recognized for it which makes that person feel less than, but its their own stuff getting in the way.
Thanks, for the conversation, Dan.
Skip
I would love to hear from Dan’s followers & commenters on which if these Six Rules was the hardest for you to use when you first entered the career world.
I found #1 the hardest; and virtually every young career-oriented person I’ve ever worked with has had the hardest time coming to terms with #1 as well. It makes sense . . . after 20 years of being able to “hang out” only with people you like, you enter the career world and suddenly it’s important to connect with people you don’t like?
It can be a tough transition to make — but totally necessary if you are going to survive the world of office politics
I agree with Samantha about rule number three. My social “game” is missing a few playing pieces. I know this rule is for me, but I have no clue how to change my introverted tendencies. I am reluctant to socialize with people; it exposes my thought process, which comes across better when I write. When I talk, I can’t hit delete and change a word that doesn’t sound right.
I have often wondered if there still exists a ‘charm school’ where awkward people can go and learn to become great conversationalists. Not Toastmasters…I have no problem giving a speech where I don’t have to mingle. This school would specialize in training people like me to feel comfortable and talkative when in a crowd. How to avoid butting in. How to successfully listen and respond appropriately when in a group setting, not one on one. Any ideas? I went to boarding school and business school, and neither was able to teach this tiger to change his stripes.
Often when you befriend an enemy, you discover you have enough similarities to become friends. I learned that one early in life, however, I detest office politics and tried to keep my head in the clouds … ignored it … and got burned … several times. Lessons are hard to learn sometimes. You must learn to play in the mud to survive especially with those who have no qualms about using negative politics against you. It really is a game but I suggest using positive politics and if you can, when you have the power, weed out those people who use negative politics. People who enjoy negative politics are putting themselves in front of everybody else. This can really effect the moral and sometimes the profitability of a business.
I have learned over the years to deal with people like that. It’s highly stressful when you realize you can’t change certain people. I like that comments above, a lot of truth in those comments. Great post!
Well said – a healthy view of reality. Thanks for a helpful post. I’m definitely passing it along via my social networks.
Polarity: I don’t think God made a mistake when he created it. In all of nature, “polarity”—the outcome of negative and positive synergy—works well. It’s only when it comes to the “problems of man”—that “man is the problem.” God does not predetermine whether man shall be “righteous or wicked,” as an extreme example. That He leaves to man himself.
Office politics is about the “polarity” of “social contracts” between man, community, places, and things—and who gets what, when, where, why, and how—and even sometimes about the economic exchange between man and the area in which he works and “lives.” At times the “humanity” of polarity even speaks to man’s ills and man’s repair.
Unfortunately, politics has condescended to be the companion of gossip, ugliness,
selfishness, and especially “winning” so someone else “loses.” This, too, is polarity.
Here’s something else about polarity. Everyone who reads Leadership Freak are like the physicians who attend the annual Medical Ethics conference: They probably already are the most ethical of all doctors in the country…it’s the others who aren’t there who should really be there. Yet, the best are drawn by the polarity of wanting to be better.
So, leadership must be demonstrated, not announced. Human beings must either climb up…or climb down. We are not different in kind, but different only in degree. We learn to be the chess player, not the chess piece, and to live in our will, not in our feelings. Professionally, we accept we don’t get what’s fair: We get what we negotiate. Circumstances are often beyond the control of man: Only our conduct is in our own power.
Thus, half the polarity of getting along with people is consideration of their views; the other half is tolerance of our own views. When we carry out our professionalism with some semblance of acts of kindness we get a wonderful feeling inside. It is as though something inside our “self” exclaims: “This is how I ought to feel.”
To have a respect for ourselves guides our morals; to have deference for others governs our manners. Here’s an example of political polarity at its height:
“Bring me a coin, and let me look at it.” And they brought one. And he said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said to him, “Caesar’s.” Jesus said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”– Mk 12:15
Dan, I love your post. It is a reminder that at the end of the day, we all just need to find a way to get along. It’s much more productive.
While most are quick to see office politics in others, I like how the post describes what you need to do at the personal level to allow for a successful environment.
When office politics and ‘being a good fellow’ goes above professional expertise, it goes the wrong way. This is my firm believe and perhaps the reason I’m between jobs right now. And I’m sure this goes very deep with every introvert who wants to deliver the best results but stumbles in the social political network of any workplace.
It is even more true to the introvert types who want to help others but are not socially too adept: the kind, silent types who always answer with a yes even though it is not ok, but still deliver.
In short, this post is more for the extrovert people who are in fact ruling the office politics by their outwardly actions.
Office politics – true it is in every area of the work place – but there are those of us who have moral work ethics. When superiors are using the KISS BUTT rule – what does that make those who use that to get ahead – should we not be able to do our job without having to worry whether we are kissing up enough to stay in the game. What has happened to people anyway. There is no more do into others as you wish to be done to.
Dear Dan,
A wonderful post pointing the ways to tackle Office Politics.
I like your initial bold statement and the practical advice – ‘An adversarial relationship with a skilled office politician destroys opportunities. It could end your career. You despise their shenanigans, but unless you have authority to deal with them, learn to get along.’
I feel that for leaders it’s more of Conflict Management than the Office Politics. The real solution is to be more open, flexible and understand things from the broader angle. The lack of 2-way communication or a silence on certain issues is the major cause of anxiety and uncertainty.
A very helpful post.. Office politics – something that we encounter everywhere.. Cant fight it all the time.. I guess the best way is to just accept it and get our job done as ethically as possible.
Office politics irritates me “Why can’t we just work together to meet the mission?!” However I’d like to know how to work with/around those who undermine progress or work to discredit others for their own gain.
Thanks for this post. The high road is a lonely one, but it’s worth it. I want to leave work when I retire knowing that I did the best I could and treated people well. I really like the first rule and agree with the previous comment about amending to read all people you don’t like. And as Covey said, “Seek first to understand.”
Great comment, Samantha. I work in healthcare and you will not believe how much mgmt will cut corners to save a penny (penny, mind you) at the expense of the patient sometimes. Or an absolute disinterest in innovation, because they are always right. If you speak up, it may well cost you your job, reputation, and potential to get hired someone else.
Sometimes, it just boils down to how much you value your integrity and someone’s life.
Hi all
“Office politics” carries a negative connotation, but a lot of times, this may not be warranted.
We are all human – we want others to like us, value us, and respect us. We want our contributions known & acknowledged, and we want to grow. When we see a risk of these needs being unsatisfied, we frequently take this defensively. “Office politics” is often the result.
While I agree that many people manipulate in order to get ahead, the far larger population simply wants to do what they believe is the right thing to do for the company, their team, and themselves – not in any specific order. The important keyword here is: “what they believe is the right thing to do”. Its a matter of perspective & context – each person carries his/ her context, and this context is defined by several aspects: Culture, Ethics, Values, etc.
When we see someone on a path that is not aligned with ours, and when that person is seen to be influencing the leadership of our team or organization, then we may end up take it as “office politics”. You could be right – or, this could be a case of paranoia!
Unless we take a deliberate unbiased position, and very clinically assess the 2 positions from a Pros & Cons / Opportunities & Threats perspectives, it will be difficult to really figure out the right position.
If, after your clinical analysis, you still believe you are right, you should probably try to sell this position & your rationale to a superior/ leader who you believe will listen.
On the other hand, if you realize that your earlier position was wrong, then the future direction is clear anyway.
Finally, if you believe that your position was right, but there is really office politics at play, then you have 2 options:
– Play this game long-term by building allies, and work within the system.
– Take your game elsewhere – You cannot fit into this one anyway.
Best of luck !
Sujith Kattathara.
Rule #6 appears to contradict Rule #1 if you really think about it. People only write articles like this if they are on the right side of office politics when they are hired. If you stand for what is right, you end up being on the wrong side every time … sooner or later.