How to Handle Office Politics
Work can sometimes be like the plot of a soap opera. Drama, power struggles, gossip, mind games, all are part of office politics. Handling office politics can take some doing. Many people hate all the games and would far rather enjoy their work and go home and forget it all. Here are some tips for handling office politics.
Gossip rumbles around most companies. In many companies, gossip is speculative, salacious and mostly untrue. It hurts people and harms careers. Never gossip. What other people choose to do, whether at work or in his or her private lives has nothing to do with anyone else. There is a great difference between a natural friendly interest, in the people that you work with, and gossip and everyone knows where that line is. Unless you would say the same thing, in front of the person you are talking about, then do not say it at all.
Do not listen to gossip and more than that when the talk turns to gossip, be the person to change the subject and guide the topic to something more positive.
Keep your private life private, when you have been away on holiday your colleagues will ask you how you enjoyed your vacation. They do need an in depth account of your holiday romance. Tell them that you enjoyed the resort and how beautiful it was, and give them the edited highlights of your holiday but not the expose scandal. Imagine that you are telling a maiden aunt about your vacation. If you get used to giving the edited highlights of your private life, you do not risk becoming the subject of gossip.
In the same vein, romantic involvements with people that you work with become the subject of gossip as soon as they begin. If you are going to begin such a relationship, neither of you should discuss any aspect of the relationship with colleagues.
Be positive and avoid the negativity of office politics. Do not complain about other people to your workmates. The only time that you should complain about anyone is to a manager, in private and only when something that person is doing is stopping you from doing your job correctly or is working in a manner that puts other workers or other people in danger. Being positive and never speaking negatively about others ensures that others are less likely to talk negatively about you. Anyone who does will look bad because you will have a reputation for not speaking nastily about others.
Avoid gossips and other toxic people at work. Do not be a party to other people’s power struggles as far as possible. Observe by all means, it could all provide you with material to write a book one day, but never comment. Discretion is the better part of valour, and is an under-rated quality these days, but one that can keep you safe from the misery of office politics. Ignore the office politics and get on with your job and you will build a good reputation that will stand you in good stead for future advancement and a successful career.
