Hacks for office politics

Don’t Dive right into the seeDy unDerbelly of office politics. Win the game by playing smart... reaD this but With a pinch of salt!

Just because you do not take an interest in politics does not mean politics will not take an interest in you. Unfortunate as it may sound – if you are in office, you are in politics! So get set to co-exist, combat and survive the murkiness with guile, brilliance and sometimes with clever silence. Here are 15 tips to make life at work a smooth sail even through choppy waters...

1Just Don’t play: Sometimes static is power. So just be, do not take sides, ignore the rumours, have a poker face to gossip and cleverly pretend to be uninformed. Being an everyman’s man and nobody’s man at the same time is an art that can beat politics at its own game.

2be in the KnoW: It may be a bad idea to participate in politicking but it is even worse if you are not able to figure out what is going on. Be thoroughly informed. There are always allies, rivals and groups. So watch, listen intently, summarise and know who is aligned to whom and only then act.

3never choose a siDe:

Howsoever apolitical you may be, you are often pushed into one group or the other. But don’t choose a side as that would be counterproductive too. Understand the rules of the game, identify the players and their thought process and then emerge as the harmless soul who is perceived to be no good either way. Steer clear of simmering rivalries.

4builD alliances: A prudent plan to stave off politics – build strategic alliances to have a foot in as many political camps as possible. Develop a personality such that major players should rely on you, no matter which political camp may be winning at a given point. Reliability comes with work acumen and utility: the two safety guards against being sucked into the murky rigmarole.

Office PO litics Hacks For ? POLITICS DETECTORS: Who has lunch together? Who gets invited to important meetings, and who doesn’t? Who is always the first to know about coming changes, and who’s the last? What are the hot buttons that get tempers to a boil?

1.Conflict is defined as a battle of wills between warring groups or individuals. Break this perception. Replace “me vs you” with “we”. Team up and be a unit instead of individuals fighting to win. Tackle Board:

2. Deciding to stay out of office politics isn’t always possible; it is there to get you. And, as long as it’s going on around you, you’re going to be hit by it. The deal is to be a competent and conscious player and not become a pawn, if being a bystander becomes impossible.

3. Don’t be fooled into compromising “just this once,” and indulging in gossip that travels faster than light, because once is all it takes to lose control and be sucked into the cauldron.

4. Be the person people would want to sit next to at lunch. If perceived as arrogant or anti-social, your colleagues will not cover your back or warn you of impending danger and, sometimes, even sabotage your work. So be the sociable, harmless colleague who everyone wants on their side.

5. Power and influence are extremely shifty. So, stay tuned into office dynamics at all times. Be visible with influencers and continue building strategic networks.

Be politically savvy. The good news is that this is a skill, not a trait. You can learn it, acquire it and embed it, and you don’t need to compromise your integrity in doing so.

Figuratively Speaking... According to one study, the estimated productivity loss because of politics-related stress is more than $100 billion in the United States alone. While that statistic is alarming, most companies are yet to truly understand the connection between politics and performance.

5Be PrinciPled: Let’s admit it.

On the face of it, office politics looks like fun and often comes in as a good time pass. But good things come to a fast end and what’s left is the onerous task of garbage clearing. So, before going into any act charged by office politics, question yourself. Is it fear, revenge or jealousy that’s consuming you? Then don’t do it. Stick to your principles, value your beliefs, talk yourself back into fair play. Do not get involved. Period! Like everything else, this too shall pass, so learn to bide your time and emerge the ultimate winner.

6Be The Feel-Good

Person: Everyone likes ego strokes – hearing nice things about themselves. It’s especially true of the ones prone to politics at your workplace. So engineer masterstrokes. Sometimes, faking it is a good move. Even if your personal opinion about your colleague is zilch, never let him or her know. Go the extra mile to build a working camaraderie with all.

7MaTch Body lanGuaGe

WiTh Words: Actions speak louder than words. You can’t just say “you’re awesome” and accompany it with negative body language. Remember, non-verbals make more impact. There can be nothing worse than getting caught being a fake. Say good things with a smile, a friendly nod, a positive back pat...

8no caMPinG in oFFice:

Never ever join any camp, group or dispensation emerging out of or embedded in politics. Remember, mostly, it is ungainly power struggles that fuel office politics. Usually, the fight isn’t about any issue at hand. It is just one-upmanship gone wrong and obsessive. So develop the ability to merge into any “camp”. Don’t get involved and you are sure to get out of the line of fire.

9Be nice To all: This is the hardest skill at work, to be nice to all not-nice people. But where there is politics there is need for this guile. Hide your emotions and display on the monitor things that do not disrupt moods. Develop the art to catch flies with honey and not vinegar. Temper the need to strike back and eventually the barkers will become more tolerable because you never gave them that reason to attack you.

Chilling Fallout After the 1986 Challenger explosion, NASA launched an investigation to determine its cause. The testimony of scientists and engineers who worked on the space shuttle was chilling. It showed that some people who worked closely on the project had been worried about the craft’s worthiness. Others just felt that it shouldn’t be launched. However, those interviewed never spoke up because they feared the political ramifications of doing so. They felt that the programme needed to look successful and a delay would ruin that image. While many people could have suggested stopping the launch, nobody wanted to face the personal ramifications of doing so. Such a call would not have been grounds for dismissal, but it would have meant “career limiting” politics around their statement.

10 arT oF consTrucTive criTicisM: Meetings often lead to fracas, discontent, groupism and eventually politics. Shed the tendency to criticise people and not the ideas. They are not bad even if their idea seems to be. Question them about the idea instead of running them down. Come out of the meeting room with friends, not foes.

11 Gossip no, Work yes: Gossiping, backstabbing and manipulating may look good on a secret resume, but they are not the things needed to win at office politics. Keeping your eyes on the goal, doing your work diligently and being largely unaffected and unruffled by the goings-on around you will help you deal with your workplace’s unique political atmosphere.

12 Understand their Psyche: Usually, the politicking kind are either without work, shirkers or people who are miserable within. Understanding them and empathising with them could be one politically viable hack. There is a background to mean behaviour. And they may do the damage with a holier-thanthou attitude. Treat them with caution. Maintain a distance and strike a balance.

13 Be a Good Listener: Talk less. Be that person all camps would go to for emptying out their baggage of woes, their onslaughts to situations and co-workers, their frustrations and their need to lash out. Listening also helps you know what’s going on and where tempers are restless. Steer clear and you will be good to go.

14 BLind trUst is FooLish: Always assess people and the situations they can create. Listen, observe and always tread with caution if you are sharing information. Never let an unguarded moment creep into any kind of boss talk. It is sure to travel, all spiced up!

15 shed oFFice at oFFice: Office politics almost always ruins your life outside office. Carrying a nasty mood back home is doom-some for your spouse, children and friends, not to mention your mental health. Leave politics in the office dustbin. They’ll be there when you return!

Crippling Effect According to a European study, office politics has been a crippling force that has retarded big decisions in companies. It has inhibited an organisation from being consistently profitable over time by undermining its decision-making process. According to another five-year-old study, the impact of office politicking on individual workers is huge. The more politicised work becomes, the less responsible workers become. Instead, they grow psychologically disconnected from their jobs and learn to work just for their pay check. They rarely put in extra effort and stop taking risks and thinking creatively.

According to a study conducted by leading recruiter Adecco, 33 per cent of workers in the UK said office politics was a major contributing factor to unhappiness and they dreaded going to office because of that. As many as 28 per cent of workers admitted to calling in sick because of politics-related anxiety. Such negative feeling was impacting working lives with 29 per cent workers spending every Sunday thinking about the next Monday. Thirty six per cent said they were seriously considering leaving their employer due to severe anxiety and, quite alarmingly, 9 per cent had already quit because of office politics. Asked how they felt about the new working week, 44 per cent said they felt depressed, anxious or stressed as compared to 23 per cent who said they had prepared themselves to manage office politics and its many fallouts. Political Anxiety

25 per cent said they would like more managerial support in their team