Office politics
Office politics is something that almost everyone has to deal with: gossip and backbiting, slander and career sabotage, slime and heel-licking. Although office politics has a negative connotation, it can also be used in a positive and conscious manner to advance your career without harming others.
Mates and coworkers will always tell you, “I don’t do office politics; I don’t need it.” That’s nonsense; everybody sometimes speaks about a colleague who isn’t around, or inquires of the secretary as to why the director was so irritable.
Another famous but naïve assertion is, “Value will emerge by itself.” . To get things done, you have to play the workplace politics game to some degree.
Everything is political
Any company participates in political game. Each person pursues his or her own interests and is willing to inflict some harm on others in order to achieve his or her objectives. Office politics is a fight over finite capital in which one’s advantage is always at the cost of another’s. In economically difficult times, nefarious office politics can be especially effective. The following office policy rules will assist you in progressing your career while preserving your dignity. You must determine how challenging you want to play the game and which choices are dangerous to others. You will use the rules to help you get the best out of your career.
A forewarned person
To survive in the office, you must at the very least be aware of what is going on and the hazards in your face. Keep your eyes and ears open for potential conflicts of interest within the company. Get to meet your teammates and managers.
Press the right buttons
Look for ‘natural’ advocates to help advance a plan or concept. Consider who might be interested in the proposal and who might not. One is vulnerable to flattery, while the other is sensitive to logical arguments, and a plain ‘please’ always suffices. Ask the finance officer for help if you have a scheme to reduce automation costs.
Gossip as a source of information
Official networks can not supply you with any of the details you need. The greater the lack of transparency within an organization, the more reliant on informal networks you will become. Try to listen to sounds from the halls even though you aren’t gossiping. Master the art of reading between the lines of official documents to figure out what is being said. The term “broke up due to a contradictory view of the agenda to be pursued” is well-known, but there is much to be learned.
For what belongs what
To get ahead, you’ll need a network, and the most important rule to note when working with your network is what-if-what. You would easily lose favor if you only ask and never give. Don’t underestimate your own influence by telling yourself what you have to sell. You depend on others to complete your tasks, but you are still responsible for others. Work hard to build a reputation as a trustworthy partner who does good business and still repays personal favors, but still hope to be reimbursed if you do someone a favor.