When you put two or more individuals together in a room, one way or another, you will get office politics. In the context of the workplace, politics typically refers to people doing things in order to advance their career and attain more power. Office politics is often viewed in a negative context, however, this does not have to be the case. While you don’t need to play dirty games/politics to get ahead, there is no harm in knowing the political landscape in your organisation. By doing this, you can avoid getting burnt unnecessarily and also use it to your advantage once in a while.
Here are a few points which will help you manage office politics
- Know where the power lies: It is always good to know which people/groups are in powerful positions, at different points in time. People can have power either in the form of formal designations, or in a more informal nature, which can be due to high performance and/or general popularity.
- Try not to mess with people who have power: As far as possible, try not to get in the way of someone who is in a powerful position. There are exceptions to this of course, such as when the person is doing something that will stop you from doing your job properly, or directly harm you in some way. One way to deal with such cases is to gain favour/support from someone who is even more powerful.
- Be careful of taking sides: There will usually be more than one power centre in your organisation and it is good not to take sides because that group might not be powerful in the future.
- Use powerful people in positive ways: For example, you could volunteer to help a powerful person with a project or other assignment. By performing the assignment very well, you not only showcase your skills but also earn some brownie points, which can be used to get favours in the future.
- Know which co-workers to trust: There are many people who will seem very nice, however, the moment you let your guard down they will use it to harm you. So maintain good relations with your peers and develop friendships at work but be very careful of what you say or do, around those who have a reputation for playing dirty office politics.