Struggling with Office Politics: How Can I Manage My Reactions and Keep My Job?

I am a graphic designer. I have worked in private companies for over four years. My problem is that I am unable to adapt to the office politics that are played on me in every place. This results in irritation, which other employees manage to capitalize on at opportune moments, leading to further irritation and a feeling of disgust towards my seniors. This is very unfortunate for me. I usually do not respond as I am a bit introverted. However, after keeping quiet for a long period and accepting insults from them, I lose my temper. Out of bitterness, I have the habit of throwing away my work and walking away from the workplace. This has resulted in me being labeled as a misconducting employee, a label I have never been able to erase. This is destroying my good working spirit and my enthusiasm to work for any company.

Is there any solution to my problem?

Adapting to a Competitive Corporate Environment

All you need to learn is how you can fit yourself into a fast-growing competitive environment and corporate culture. Following are a few suggestions that can be tried to resolve your issues.

1. Know your and others' JD (Job Description), perform in your KRAs (Key Result Areas), and see if they are also doing the same.

2. Identify persons who are supportive and behaving well with you. Spend some time with them, like at lunch or after the office. Share your problems; they will surely help you.

3. As you said you are an introvert, I believe you are not talking too much with your colleagues. Please try to interact with others positively about your work. Ask how they can help you with that. Positively praising someone will give a sense of help to him/her.

4. Grow your knowledge to the best; this will make people attracted to you, and they will ask questions about their problems and queries.

5. Keep any communication official. Revert on any case if it's related to your KRAs.

6. Ask if something is becoming a hurdle and doesn't let you perform your tasks.

7. Last but not least, start your day with "Good Morning" with good people and end it with "Good Night."

It's all about positiveness because you also need to consider your financial obligations and career. Forget the bad happenings around; keep yourself out of it. Just focus on how you can do your best and earn the best.

Hope this will help.

All the best.

I empathize with your feelings. It happens to most of us at some time or another, and we should do our best to get over it. Mr. Maulik Dave has given sound thoughts for you to work with. Being proactive, as suggested by the management guru Stephen Covey, would certainly help you. There are plenty of postings on Cite HR on this aspect, and please go through them.

Essentially, the Message is to Have Self-Control

Everyone faces problems in life. Wise people know how not to react and still behave in a responsible way. As per Covey, it is RESPONSE ABILITY. He says that it is a great quality by which a human being chooses his decision with a clear mind. Once you are mentally convinced that you would not react but find other means of tackling the issue, the battle is half won.

The Four Points Advocated by Covey

The four points advocated by Covey to tackle such nagging issues and choose an "independent will" are:

• **Self-awareness** - You are already aware of what is what.

• **Imagination** - With your imagination, think of a solution—say, a resolve to keep calm.

• **Conscience** - The capacity to decide what is right or wrong.

• **Independent will** - A decision not influenced by those who trouble you.

Please try all four aspects, and I am sure you will tide over this uneasy period and blunt the tormentors.

Regards,
V. Raghunathan