Hi,
Have read your query and the responses.
Politics is omnipresent. No organization is totally free of politics for all the time anyway! This is a hard reality of life.
Decisions made on the basis of personal likes and dislikes, or decisions obtained by deceit or dishonesty are all outcome of political manipilations.
Therefore however hard it may be, politics needs to dealth with and cannot be simply wished away. When we talk of "learning the ropes" managing politics is included. Honest and simple, uncomplicated people dislike politics and would rely on the MERITS winning the battle for them. It does not always happen and certainly not in the short run!!
So, when your diagnosis is that you are suffering due to politics around you in the organization, you need to identify the "hierarchy of politics" in your organization. Some part of it is easy to identify, but a substantial part is indeed very difficult-but with patience and imaginativeness one can identify the hierarchy fully.
Once you do this, identify the key players. Again a tricky affair. Rely more or less on trial and error! When the personalities are known, study them, analyze them and prapare a plan of action to tackle each.
Your plans have to be secret, implemented cleverly if necessary through the members of the hierarchy and watch the results. You may never succeed in the first instsnce, but over time you will refine your skills and operate a concentrated strategy.
All the while, you must adopt sweet talk, duplicity, cooperation that will seem to be surrender. But all this till get under the skin of the opposition. Once you establish control of their minds and thoughts, you can get them to eat out of your hands.
These are time tested strategies. Use them as guidelines ONLY and ALWAYS tailor them to your particular situation.
For amore systematic study, I STRONGLY recomment that you read (no, study) "The 48 Laws of Power" by Robert Green published in India by "VIVA BOOKS PVT LTD, New Delhi and elsewhere. Its a fantastic presentation and you will emerge POWERFUL against all office politics to start with.
Share the results please on the forum!!!
Cheers-nothing is lost. Even lost battles can be won!
Regards
samvedan
February 3, 2007