Most of us experience a honeymoon period when we start a new job. You know, the 3 to 6 month period before you begin to see and feel the effects of office politics.
But then the “honeymoon” ends. And it’s time to face the reality that office politics exist in every workplace.
Office politics have a negative connotation for very legitimate reasons. They refer to strategies people use to seek advantage at the expense of others, or at the expense of the greater good.
Office politics adversely affect the working environment, damages relationships and hold otherwise effective organizations back.
You either play or become a casualty of those who do
Choosing to play office politics, or not, is really a Hobson’s choice. You are affected by office politics - even if you refuse to participate.
The truth is, if you don’t participate, you risk not having a say in what happens and allowing people with less experience, skill or a personal agenda, to influence decisions and outcomes that affect you and the organization.
Like most of you - we can’t stand office politics - and we hate the hard reality that it’s a Hobson’s choice. Which is why we decided to share with you our approach to office politics in which we scramble the variables of the equation to produce a result that supports the greater good and builds strong relationships.
We have employed many techniques over our careers to understand office politics and create influence for the greater good. Here are a few key considerations to better understand the political landscape of your workplace:
Developing a strategy for positive politicking
Positively navigating office politics will help you build your network and get what you want in the workplace. If you do it well, you will make your organization stronger.
It’s not easy, it takes time and effort, but when you set the standard you would like to see, you will create a better working environment for yourself and those around you.