Effective Ways To Handle & Survive Office Politics. Office politics is one of the oldest happenings ever since the workplace was invented. It can take the higher form of power plays or go down as low as office gossip. Most people can identify with gossip as it comes up very frequently. And whether you are the mastermind of office politics, a participant or merely caught up in the turn of events, you need to figure out how to get along; or survive the tide that comes with it. According to mindtools office politics is defined as ‘strategies people play to gain advantage, personally or for a cause they support.’ Negative office politics refers to people seeking advantage at the expense of others or the common good of others. But the same source also says that office politics is not exactly as negative as most people have been made to believe. “This is something one should expect to find in any busy organization. The reason is that with many things going on, communication tends to be hampered at one point or the other” observes Tabitha Kibe, HR Farm Concern International. How should a firm deal with a situation where politics has taken root? “It depends on how the firm effects its communication policy,” says Ms Kibe. “When there’s no clear communication, guesswork sets in and office politics gains root. According to Career Coach Njoki Ndegwa, office politics an incidence that someone should not go into any workplace hoping to encounter, but she says it shouldn’t catch someone by surprise either. “You can’t say it is not going to be there but it shouldn’t shock you,” she observes. “What a person is supposed to do,” explains Ms. Kibe, “is weigh the situation and make a personal choice: is it not worthwhile to meddle in office politics but at the end of the day it will boil down to the individual to decide whether to get involved or not,” she says. In another source ‘Office Politics: A Handbook for Survival/Success’, Robert Half suggests using skilled communications to navigate the politics you cannot avoid. Here are some Robert’s key strategies of surviving office politics: Build a coalition of support. This sounds like a confrontational approach but it is not. He continues ‘Lobby for the respect and trust of your colleagues, including those at the grassroots level. Forge strong alliances by sharing credit for successes and delivering on promises. Robert’s number two is fairly familiar: avoid smear campaigns. Gossiping and mudslinging can only damage your credibility. When you are upset or frustrated, wait until you’ve calmed down to express your concerns. Be direct and tactful. Focus on the black and white facts. Robert’s third is ‘Stay true to your values. There are those who will do anything to ‘win’ but on the whole, character and credibility will eventually prevail. Don’t give in to the temptation to play underhanded to rise through the ranks.’ Ms. Njoki’s approach to office politics is: “Play by the ear,” she says, “and make sure you are not the one soliciting for propaganda. Keep professional all along. One of the best methods I always advocate for is seeking the guidance of an older professional not necessarily within the organization who can give you advice depending on the situation. Older professionals who are trustworthy have a long experience of such matters and will be in a better position to offer sound advice.”
Posted on: Wed, 05 Mar 2014 07:39:37 +0000
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