Confronting Workplace Politics - My Personal Viewpoint
Hi Friends! We all must have been a part of office politics or I must put it this way - victims of office issues. I am sure everybody must have gone through this in different phases of their working career. My personal experience is very bad. I work in a US-based MNC, and my boss is one of the most difficult personalities I have come across in my 4 years of working experience. In fact, I have also raised my query on this site, and I should thank all my fellow members for their valuable suggestions. I understand coping with this is not that easy, but trust me, it's not that difficult either.
In our corporate culture, it is always said that "bosses are always right," and if you confront them, you can fall into a trap. I personally suggest that in this scenario, one should remain calm, take criticism in a more positive manner, and plan a strategy to combat office politics. The best ways to do this would be:
1) Be genuine and honest towards your work/tasks.
2) Pay attention to the tasks assigned and try to finish them within the given time frame with at least 90% accuracy.
3) Try to avoid favoritism in the office; be amicable with everyone within and outside the department.
4) Try to win others' trust (most important in HR terms).
5) Ask for more responsibility and be dedicated towards it; take initiative and emerge as a team lead.
6) Try not to control your colleagues but to lead them.
7) Avoid taking too many tea/coffee breaks or engaging in gossip.
8) Try to avoid miscommunication by being clear and to the point.
9) Discuss (if required).
10) Inform your boss when you have completed a task via email.
11) When sharing data/details with a teammate, always cc your boss.
12) Be kind to everyone, even during odd hours.
13) In a difficult situation, communicate directly and without hesitation, face to face.
14) Create a tracker to manage your time and tasks.
15) Despite any disputes, give yourself a month's time and carry out your duties/routine jobs with more dedication.
I am sure that considering these little things can make a big impact. People around you will definitely notice the changes, and you will be able to steer clear of dirty politics. I have personally followed these steps, and 80% of the time, I have succeeded. My boss is fine with me now, and I can communicate better with him. Initially, I used to avoid him, but now I deal with him and work accordingly.
I invite everyone to let me know if more can be added to this. This breakdown is mostly dealt with by employees at the executive levels. I hope my experience will be a learning opportunity for many of us sailing in the same boat.
Thanks,
Shweta Jaitly
Hi Friends! We all must have been a part of office politics or I must put it this way - victims of office issues. I am sure everybody must have gone through this in different phases of their working career. My personal experience is very bad. I work in a US-based MNC, and my boss is one of the most difficult personalities I have come across in my 4 years of working experience. In fact, I have also raised my query on this site, and I should thank all my fellow members for their valuable suggestions. I understand coping with this is not that easy, but trust me, it's not that difficult either.
In our corporate culture, it is always said that "bosses are always right," and if you confront them, you can fall into a trap. I personally suggest that in this scenario, one should remain calm, take criticism in a more positive manner, and plan a strategy to combat office politics. The best ways to do this would be:
1) Be genuine and honest towards your work/tasks.
2) Pay attention to the tasks assigned and try to finish them within the given time frame with at least 90% accuracy.
3) Try to avoid favoritism in the office; be amicable with everyone within and outside the department.
4) Try to win others' trust (most important in HR terms).
5) Ask for more responsibility and be dedicated towards it; take initiative and emerge as a team lead.
6) Try not to control your colleagues but to lead them.
7) Avoid taking too many tea/coffee breaks or engaging in gossip.
8) Try to avoid miscommunication by being clear and to the point.
9) Discuss (if required).
10) Inform your boss when you have completed a task via email.
11) When sharing data/details with a teammate, always cc your boss.
12) Be kind to everyone, even during odd hours.
13) In a difficult situation, communicate directly and without hesitation, face to face.
14) Create a tracker to manage your time and tasks.
15) Despite any disputes, give yourself a month's time and carry out your duties/routine jobs with more dedication.
I am sure that considering these little things can make a big impact. People around you will definitely notice the changes, and you will be able to steer clear of dirty politics. I have personally followed these steps, and 80% of the time, I have succeeded. My boss is fine with me now, and I can communicate better with him. Initially, I used to avoid him, but now I deal with him and work accordingly.
I invite everyone to let me know if more can be added to this. This breakdown is mostly dealt with by employees at the executive levels. I hope my experience will be a learning opportunity for many of us sailing in the same boat.
Thanks,
Shweta Jaitly