“I don’t want to go to work tomorrow?” My friend Jane told me the other day while we were in a matatu somewhere near Kinoo
“Why?,” I probed
“Argh, the politics in that office is driving me crazy. There is always gossip, and the ‘she said, he said kind of stories’ I swear I feel like quitting that job.”
You see, friction, deceit, gossip, rivalry, power plays are all fine for movies and those soap operas we love so much but take them to the work place and it will be a huge DISASTER.
Heck, I even know of a CEO who in a midst of others said that when his company was young and still trying to establish itself, his employees made him want to quit his job…he went on to say that there were a times when he would get worried to get to the office because he knew what was waiting for him…and that’s the dangers of office politics.
They will never go away. It’s a fact of company life. However, destructive office politics can demoralize an organization, hamper productivity, and increase turnover.
Here are some tips, applicable for both staff and management, on dealing with office politics.
1. Always know that you have a choice to participate or not - You will find that in most common reactions to politics at work you will either have to fight or flight. It’s normal human reaction for survival in the wild, back in the prehistoric days when we were still hunter-gatherers.
Sure, the office is a modern jungle, but it takes more than just instinctive reactions to win in office politics. Instinctive fight reactions will only cause more resistance to whatever you are trying to achieve; while instinctive flight reactions only label you as a pushover that people can easily take for granted.
Neither options are appealing for healthy career growth. Recognize that no matter how bad the circumstances, you have a choice in choosing how you feel and react.
2. Learn to live at peace with others - The easiest way to avoid problems with politics is to get along with people. I’m not saying you need to hug everyone and sing songs, and I’m not saying you have to be a pushover for everyone. You can be pleasant and professional, while at the same time being assertive when necessary. If you have a concern, focus only on the issue, not on the person. If you have to refuse a request, explain why and try to come up with alternative solutions.
3. Stay away from gossip - Nothing destroys the dynamics of an office more than gossip. Stay away from it, because nothing good comes from it. Just be sure you avoid the “holier than thou” attitude of lecturing your co-workers on the evils of gossip. You’ll make them lose face, and they’ll resent you. Instead, try subtly changing the subject.
4. Don’t take sides - In office politics, it is possible to find yourself stuck in between two power figures that are at odds with each other. You find yourself being thrown around while they try to outwit each other and defend their own position.
All at the expense of you getting the job done. You can’t get them to agree on a common decision for a project, and neither of them want to take ownership of issues; they’re too afraid they’ll get stabbed in the back for any mishaps.
While you are at it remember that people in an organization look to leadership to see how to act. Do you want your staff to refrain from negative politics?
Do you want to see collaboration and teamwork instead of petty rivalries, jealousy, and back-stabbing?
Act the way you want your staff to act, and they will follow you
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