Workplace Politics - What Game are you Playing?
No matter what your position is in the business, rarely is anybody able avoid corporate politics completely. They are a fact of business life and, in many ways, part of human nature when faced with continual risk, change, challenge and personality clashes.
Many will find the concept intimidating, but learning how to navigate office politics will help you maintain some personal power and elevate you through your career as the ‘no-nonsense conscience’ for others to follow. All while gaining a better understanding of the system you work in, the players involved and the new rules of the game. Business politics are largely centred on social dynamics:
Who you interact with
How you interact with them
What battles you choose to entertain
How you can navigate the mindset traps
What you’re prepared to do to protect your personal values
Whether you enjoy partaking in office politics or not, they’re an inescapable part of most working environments. Even though they can take on a life of their own, they don't have to be all negative. The flow of information, power, and influence in the workplace can be put to good use, to benefit yourself and others…when the time is right. Here’s some top tips for how to make this often ugly facet of business life work better for you...
1. Who is in your crew?
There are two main network subdivisions in business politics: formal and informal. The formal network refers to the job title or official position of authority, such as CEO, line manager, or a subject matter expert. The informal network is the subtle but relevant positions of power employees may hold behind the scenes. Understanding both will help you learn how to handle each network and where trusting relationships can and should be developed.
2. We are nothing in business without relationships
It’s much easier to cope with corporate politics when you have strong, positive relationships with those around you. Loyalty and friendship can take you far. In the game of social politics, you want to build up a support network that benefits both yourself and others within it. That way, you can relax in the knowledge that you have social strings to pull on if you find yourself in a rut.
3. Play cleverly cautious
It’s important to be friendly with your colleagues to support a sense of belonging at work. But there’s a fine line between being sociable and friendly and demonstrating vulnerability and oversharing. Giving away too much information about yourself could cause others to use it against you in the future. Unless you have good reason to, try to maintain a friendly but professional stance at work. Setting boundaries with your colleagues creates clear work structures. It also prevents your colleagues from taking advantage of you - trust must be clearly established before sharing personal vulnerabilities.
4. Make those soft skills your super power
Soft skills are essentially subtle social skills. Things like listening well, being a team player, and communicating in a healthy way are all important skills to have in the workplace. Upskilling yourself with emotional intelligence and other interpersonal skills will enable you to navigate your way around office politics with more consistency, confidence, and competence.
5. Don’t regret not speaking up
It can be difficult to be brave and make your voice heard. But knowing when and how to stand up for yourself is an excellent skill to have. Speaking up when you or someone you know is being unfairly treated will show your strength. Plus, it will give office bullies and those with hidden agendas less inclination to pick on you and your team all the while there is someone willing to demonstrate what we like to call ‘compassionate curiosity’ regarding their behaviour.
6. Maintain a positive outlook
Everyone has bad days, but nobody likes to continually be around the workplace mood-hoover. Working long hours can be gruelling and exhausting, both mentally exhausting and physically exhausting. Maintaining a positive disposition in the workplace could increase your likeability and will also be crucial for a balanced approach to your work where you can maintain healthy levels of resilience. It will also make it easier for you to collaborate with colleagues that often test your patience! Be the energy even during challenging times and find ways to positively reframe situations into positive outcomes - see how infectious you can really be to those around you.