While
the concept may be intimidating, navigating office politics can help
individuals support personal power and better understand their work system.
Business politics primarily revolves around social dynamics, including how
individuals interact with others, whom they interact with, and when to choose
their battles.
Whether
or not one enjoys participating in office politics, they are an unavoidable
aspect of work. However, they do not have to be negative. When responsibly
managed, the flow of information, power, and influence within the workplace can
be utilised for personal and collective benefit. The following examples show
how this can be achieved:
- Maintaining
a Positive Outlook:
While everyone has bad days, directors, team leaders, and staff who feel
demotivated and unhappy are not well-received. Working excessive hours can
be mentally and physically exhausting, but complaining in a
non-constructive way can be distracting to others. By keeping a cheerful
disposition, individuals can increase their likability and find
collaborating easier with colleagues.
- Developing
Soft Skills:
Soft skills are essentially nuanced social skills. They encompass the
ability to listen well, operate effectively as a collaborator, and
communicate healthily, which are crucial skills in the workplace.
Enhancing one's emotional intelligence and other people's skills allows
colleagues to navigate office politics more easily.
- Building
Positive Work Relationships: Coping with corporate politics becomes easier when
individuals establish solid and positive relationships with their
colleagues. Loyalty and friendship can significantly contribute to
success. In social politics, creating a support network that helps oneself
and others ensures that social connections can be relied on during
challenging times.
- Speaking
With Confidence:
Showing bravery and making one's voice heard can be challenging. However,
the skill to stand up for oneself and others when faced with unfair
treatment is extremely valuable. Speaking up highlights the strength and
spirit of conviction that discourages office bullies from targeting
colleagues.
- Understanding
and Building Formal and Informal Networks: Business politics can be divided
into two main network types: formal and informal. The formal network
encompasses job titles and official positions of authority, such as
directors, team leaders, or interns. On the other hand, the informal
network refers to the subtle yet influential positions of power that
colleagues may hold behind the scenes. Gaining an understanding of both
networks is crucial for effectively navigating each one.
- Maintaining
Professional Relationships:
While being friendly with colleagues to foster a sense of belonging, it is
equally vital to be professional. Striking a balance between being
sociable and oversharing personal information is critical. Revealing too
much about oneself may leave individuals vulnerable to others potentially
using it against them. Therefore, supporting a friendly yet professional
stance and setting clear boundaries are advisable to prevent colleagues
from taking advantage.
One
should strive to understand the power dynamics within their organisation and
learn how to navigate them positively. By comprehending the political
landscape, individuals can thrive and find it easier to succeed by utilising
their knowledge to support organisational goals and their team.
Regrettably,
many authoritative figures exploit their positions to bully or manipulate
others, resulting in a toxic workplace dynamic. Learning to find and manage
negative office politics is crucial to cultivating a stronger workplace
position and supporting others when needed. The following steps can assist
organisations in dealing with detrimental office politics:
- A
Positive Organisational Culture: A positive organisational culture is the foundation
for a functional and content workplace. The development of such a culture
nurtures work motivation and fosters healthy colleague engagement.
Additionally, it instils pride and value in one's role within the
organisation. Organisations can create a positive culture by proactively
expecting and addressing colleagues' needs and supplying equal growth
opportunities. Organisations promote good office politics by cultivating a
positive work environment while safeguarding vulnerable colleagues from
hostile intentions.
- Encouragement
of Open Positive Communication: Promoting positive and open communication is crucial
for supporting healthy business politics. Clear communication ensures that
colleagues feel treated fairly and with respect. Healthy communication
reduces the likelihood of conflicts arising by diminishing the potential
for spreading misinformation. Furthermore, effective communication helps
to build trust, fostering positive social networks and strong colleague
relations.
- Focus
on Organisational Goals:
Cooperation and teamwork play a significant role in healthy corporate
politics. Promoting team activities and generating excitement about an
organisation's goals helps end toxic dynamics and boost workplace morale
simultaneously. While it is crucial to address immediate concerns,
encouraging colleagues to look beyond the present ignites team spirit and
reduces the likelihood of unnecessary conflicts.
- Assess
an Organisation's Structure: An organisation's structure should be assessed
regularly to ensure effectiveness. Organisations may only sometimes be
aware of an unhealthy hierarchy that can make colleagues feel ignored and
controlled. Whether the workplace structure is top-down or bottom-up,
conducting an organisational structure assessment is crucial. With changes
in management approaches due to the arrival and departure of directors,
team leaders and staff, an organisational structure assessment can lead to
necessary adjustments in how an organisation works.
- Reward
the Right People: It
is essential to reward colleagues without involving favourites. When
colleagues feel overlooked, jealousy can arise, leading to discontent.
Incentivising productivity through rewards is a valuable strategy.
However, those with the power to distribute recognition must ensure that
personal agendas or emotions do not influence their judgment. Directors
and team leaders should strive to distribute praise as evenly as possible
among colleagues, support a sense of fairness, and show specific criteria
for when rewards are given.
Directors
and team leaders must be aware of their actions in a managerial role to
prioritise the technical aspects of their positions, such as prompt task
execution and cultivating positive relationships with colleagues. This includes
effective collaboration, respectful communication, and supporting a personable
demeanour. By doing so, trust can be fostered among colleagues, ultimately
mitigating the negative impacts of organisational politics.
Directors
and team leaders who use politicism to influence the distribution of resources
or status to further their means within an organisation will always be outed in
the long run, as they unfailingly and arrogantly believe they are invincible to
the rules of natural justice. The only regret is that, in some cases, it takes
longer for an organisation to rid itself of such people than it should. In all
cases, arrogance always trips them up.
Regretfully,
directors and team leaders who choose to use politics to increase the power of
their relationships with others to influence the distribution of resources or
status for their gain often need to remember that their colleagues can easily
see and understand their actions. Even more regrettable is that organisations
fail to rid themselves of such people, as they lack the political will or
ability to take the appropriate actions.
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