How to Win at Office Politics
Many people think that to win at office politics you have to be a thoroughly disreputable, manipulative, person and play as dirty as everyone else does. That attitude belongs in the past along with shoulder pads, power dressing, and the nineteen eighties yuppies. Companies, today, are looking for people with integrity. Ignoring office politics does not work because you need to be aware of them to avoid being drawn into the machinations of others. The answer is to protect yourself from the manipulation, as far as possible, but not to play the mind games that other people play, thinking that they will get ahead.
Most dictionaries define office politics as “to deal with people in an opportunistic, manipulative, or devious way, to advance one’s own status within an organization”. When you play manipulative, devious, and opportunistic games, you become a manipulative, devious, and opportunistic person. It also takes much time, energy, and thought, to play office politics, which you could spend better, working and proving your value as an employee. When an organization is rife with office politics, it shows it to be an unhappy workplace, by joining in with the office politics game, you show yourself to be part of the problem rather than the solution.
Some people try to destroy other people’s reputations by spreading malicious gossip. If you gossip, you show yourself to be an indiscreet, untrustworthy person, who is adding to the negativity within the workplace. Those, who do not join in with malicious gossip and, even better, try to stop others from gossiping, show that they are a team player, who does not wish to isolate others or cause divisions within the team. They also show that they are careful with information. People in senior positions in companies have access to private, personal, and confidential, information. No prudent employer would promote anyone with a penchant for gossip or anyone, who so lacked integrity that he, or she, was prepared to spread malicious gossip about someone else, so as to gain a perceived advantage. Such a ruthless person could go to any lengths in his, or her, own interests, even if that meant stepping the wrong side of the law.
If the office politics in your workplace involves an ideas stealer, or a saboteur, protect yourself from his, or her, attentions. Make copies of your work and projects, protect your computer with a strong code word, or make copies of your files onto a compact disc, or memory stick, and keep the items on you or in a safe place. When others work with you on projects, give them credit for their help, advice and ideas, if someone gives you an idea, give them credit, by doing so you show that you are a collaborative person, in office jargon “a good team player”, rather than a diva, who only wishes to outdo others.
Always treat everyone with respect, consideration, and good manners, and never side with any one group in the workplace. By doing so, you show that you are professional and that you have good inter-personal skills and relate well to others.
Be conscious of what is going on in the workplace but never take sides. Learn to choose your words wisely and think before you speak. By knowing what is happening, you will avoid the traps that others would have you fall in. Remain neutral and on friendly terms with everyone. If you need to give criticism, be tactful and sugar the pill, begin with a compliment, give the criticism, constructively and gently, and end with a compliment. Blunt criticism can seem like an unprovoked, hurtful and unkind attack to the person being criticized.
By not playing the office politics game and not having to think about how to manipulate others, you will have more time to work hard and allow your work to speak for you. Those, who play the office politics game, spend time and energy doing, and thinking about, that, rather than working.
By staying positive, avoiding the office politics traps, you show your superiors that you are a prudent, dependable employee. Using the time that you save, by not playing the office politics game, to put extra effort into your work, shows your superiors that you are diligent, hard working and serious about your job. Not allowing others to manipulate you shows good judgment and good sense. Building good relationships with everyone shows that you are a good team player, who relates well to others, and that you are unwilling to contribute to the divisions and negativity that office politics cause. These actions demonstrate that you are an employee, who deserves to advance far in your career, and that is really winning at office politics.
