Office Politics

OFFICE POLITICS

How do you describe office politics? Backbiting, rear-licking, jealousy is often the words you use within the confines of office cubicles, while discussing the politics of your workplace. As per Wikipedia, office politics is “the use of one’s individual or assigned power within an employing organization for the purpose of obtaining advantages beyond one’s legitimate authority. Those advantages may include access to tangible assets, or intangible benefits such as status or pseudo-authority that influences the behaviors of others. Both individuals and groups may engage in office politics”, or to put it simply “how power gets worked out on a practical, day to day basis”.

I would rather say, it’s a game, some play or some just watch it being played. So, doesn’t just be a viewer, rather be a player. I call it “Smart ways to manage your management”. Politics is a reality and you cannot avoid it. It is there to stay, whether you like it or not. People like backbiting colleagues, annoying subordinates, devilish bosses will always be present in any organization, small or big. Power and influence management in your company will always be a part of your career, whether you have the temperament for it or not. Think of playing office politics as a game of strategy through which you are able to get the resources and influence you need to accomplish your goals. Learning office politics is like purchasing firearms. All the people who have fire-arms don’t kill people, they use it for self-defense. It gives you strength like fire-arms. Robbers and thieves usually don’t attack people armed with firearms.

Your success in office depends a lot upon how skillfully you play it. Politically smart people go upward while the hardworking and simple people become scapegoat of the political moves of other people. Let me share a glimpse of politics, strategies and acts that will help you win office politics:

 Be nice with everyone, even if you don’t like them.

 Be a team player, even if you are not you should behave and look like one.

 Make your work and efforts visible.

 Abstain from complaining, especially to your bosses, show that you are a part of the solution and not the problems.

 Help your boss in becoming successful.

 Be loyal and look loyal. Back biting and back stabbing should look as professional necessity.

 Master your job; nobody should be able to question your domain.

 Make relationship and increase your networking.

 Manage your manager.

Learn the art of knowing the actual picture of what happens behind the scene in business organizations and how you should handle it. This world is full of greedy people who make the simpleton scapegoat for their own sake. Office politics is not always bad; there are positive aspects as well.

Positive side of office politics

 Positive thinking is the mother of hope.

 Office politics adds spice to the office environment, especially when there is lot of work pressure.

 It helps you release the pressure.

 Politics helps create informal groups, which helps in increased involvement and bonding employees in office matters.

 In order to win office politics, people try to improve productivity and in turn it helps in generating fresh ideas.

 In a way it helps in increasing cooperation. Office politics helps generating support from follow group members and managers.

Negative side of office politics

 Double negative makes it positive, so rather than being negative it is more of positive.

 Too much involvement in office politics can distract individual from their work and can harm organizational goals and can out organization objective in jeopardy.

 The stakes are high, when the game is big and so is the frustration level. Win or lose, is a part of the game of office politics. Loss does not mean you played bad, but probably the other person made smart moves. Learn more and utilize every opportunity to learn.

 Simple and hardworking or the real contributors might become victims and work under pressure and feeling that their job is not secure.

 If you are overly active in politics, more number of people becomes your enemies.

 Sometimes over active involvement in politics may lead you to sacrifice your friendship.

 Official gossip can create tensions in your personal life. Though gossip is not office politics, but you cannot separate it from politics.

Each organization has power centers. Understanding those power centers is very important. The power of bullet lies in its ability to hit the target; else it is no more than a stone*. Power centre is nothing but people who are close to the higher management. These power centers are the source of information. They may not be at higher designations and might not be of your own department. Utilize these power centers to your advantage. The best thing to do is, use them to advertize your achievements. It’s not good to disclose all your plans, but best is to just give a hint and let them be hungry for more. Best way to utilize them to your advantage is to pass on the negative information about your competitors. As I mentioned earlier, disclose the information selectively. Power centers are a good source of information and are most on the lookout for negative information. These power centers are hungry for importance, hence nothing better than making them feel important, satisfy their ego and you will for sure reap more benefits. They are power centers because they are directly connected to the power. As these power centers are directly connected to power, do not ever criticize the power i.e. management and the managers. Identify more than one power center and use them wisely. These power centers act like boosters to your career slowly and add value to your power the organization. Deeper relationships with these people will result in faster growth; hence it is worth investing time in such relationship.

Office politics is nothing but the art of knowing the actual picture behind the scene and how you should respond and handle such situations. Politics is inevitable; you can either play it or be a game. You cannot avoid it, therefore learn the art and be a part of the game.

some of the excerpts is taken from Gireesh Sharma's book.