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
From India, Coimbatore
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15Hi 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
From India, Coimbatore
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Hi Shweta,
Your thinking is 100% correct. Everyone suffers from workplace politics in life, but your suggestions are too good to keep the politics away from ourselves. As I am an entry-level professional, it's a good experience for me.
Thanks,
Amit
From India, Pune
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Your thinking is 100% correct. Everyone suffers from workplace politics in life, but your suggestions are too good to keep the politics away from ourselves. As I am an entry-level professional, it's a good experience for me.
Thanks,
Amit
From India, Pune
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Dear Shweta Jaitly Your tips are something that I shall put into practice immediately prkumar
From India, Visakhapatnam
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From India, Visakhapatnam
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Thank you, Shweta, for sharing your views. Genuinely, most of us would be victims of office politics. This has to be handled very carefully and skillfully, especially since we are in HRD.
Thank you and keep posting!
Vishu
From India, Delhi
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Thank you and keep posting!
Vishu
From India, Delhi
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Talking of Politics, read the following :- 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene
Law 1 Never Outshine the Master!
Law 2 Never put too Much Trust in Friends, Learn how to use Enemies
Law 3 Conceal your Intentions
Law 4 Always Say Less than Necessary
Law 5 So Much Depends on Reputation – Guard it with your Life
Law 6 Court Attention at all Cost
Law 7 Get others to do the Work for you, but Always Take the Credit
Law 8 Make other People come to you – use Bait if Necessary
Law 9 Win through your Actions, Never through Argument
Law 10 Infection: Avoid the Unhappy and Unlucky
Law 11 Learn to Keep People Dependent on You
Law 12 Use Selective Honesty and Generosity to Disarm your Victim
Law 13 When Asking for Help, Appeal to People’s Self-Interest, Never to their Mercy or Gratitude
Law 14 Pose as a Friend, Work as a Spy
Law 15 Crush your Enemy Totally
Law 16 Use Absence to Increase Respect and Honor
Law 17 Keep Others in Suspended Terror: Cultivate an Air of Unpredictability
Law 18 Do Not Build Fortresses to Protect Yourself – Isolation is Dangerous
Law 19 Know Who You’re Dealing with – Do Not Offend the Wrong Person
Law 20 Do Not Commit to Anyone
Law 21 Play a Sucker to Catch a Sucker – Seem Dumber than your Mark
Law 22 Use the Surrender Tactic: Transform Weakness into Power
Law 23 Concentrate Your Forces
Law 24 Play the Perfect Courtier
Law 25 Re-Create Yourself
Law 26 Keep Your Hands Clean
Law 27 Play on People’s Need to Believe to Create a Cultlike Following
Law 28 Enter Action with Boldness
Law 29 Plan All the Way to the End
Law 30 Make your Accomplishments Seem Effortless
Law 31 Control the Options: Get Others to Play with the Cards you Deal
Law 32 Play to People’s Fantasies
Law 33 Discover Each Man’s Thumbscrew
Law 34 Be Royal in your Own Fashion: Act like a King to be treated like one
Law 35 Master the Art of Timing
Law 36 Disdain Things you cannot have: Ignoring them is the best Revenge
Law 37 Create Compelling Spectacles
Law 38 Think as you like but Behave like others
Law 39 Stir up Waters to Catch Fish
Law 40 Despise the Free Lunch
Law 41 Avoid Stepping into a Great Man’s Shoes
Law 42 Strike the Shepherd and the Sheep will Scatter
Law 43 Work on the Hearts and Minds of Others
Law 44 Disarm and Infuriate with the Mirror Effect
Law 45 Preach the Need for Change, but Never Reform too much at Once
Law 46 Never appear too Perfect
Law 47 Do not go Past the Mark you Aimed for; In Victory, Learn when to Stop
Law 48 Assume Formlessness
http://www.bombaybookclub.com/downlo...Of%20Power.pdf
Cheers!!!!!!!!
From India, Delhi
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Law 1 Never Outshine the Master!
Law 2 Never put too Much Trust in Friends, Learn how to use Enemies
Law 3 Conceal your Intentions
Law 4 Always Say Less than Necessary
Law 5 So Much Depends on Reputation – Guard it with your Life
Law 6 Court Attention at all Cost
Law 7 Get others to do the Work for you, but Always Take the Credit
Law 8 Make other People come to you – use Bait if Necessary
Law 9 Win through your Actions, Never through Argument
Law 10 Infection: Avoid the Unhappy and Unlucky
Law 11 Learn to Keep People Dependent on You
Law 12 Use Selective Honesty and Generosity to Disarm your Victim
Law 13 When Asking for Help, Appeal to People’s Self-Interest, Never to their Mercy or Gratitude
Law 14 Pose as a Friend, Work as a Spy
Law 15 Crush your Enemy Totally
Law 16 Use Absence to Increase Respect and Honor
Law 17 Keep Others in Suspended Terror: Cultivate an Air of Unpredictability
Law 18 Do Not Build Fortresses to Protect Yourself – Isolation is Dangerous
Law 19 Know Who You’re Dealing with – Do Not Offend the Wrong Person
Law 20 Do Not Commit to Anyone
Law 21 Play a Sucker to Catch a Sucker – Seem Dumber than your Mark
Law 22 Use the Surrender Tactic: Transform Weakness into Power
Law 23 Concentrate Your Forces
Law 24 Play the Perfect Courtier
Law 25 Re-Create Yourself
Law 26 Keep Your Hands Clean
Law 27 Play on People’s Need to Believe to Create a Cultlike Following
Law 28 Enter Action with Boldness
Law 29 Plan All the Way to the End
Law 30 Make your Accomplishments Seem Effortless
Law 31 Control the Options: Get Others to Play with the Cards you Deal
Law 32 Play to People’s Fantasies
Law 33 Discover Each Man’s Thumbscrew
Law 34 Be Royal in your Own Fashion: Act like a King to be treated like one
Law 35 Master the Art of Timing
Law 36 Disdain Things you cannot have: Ignoring them is the best Revenge
Law 37 Create Compelling Spectacles
Law 38 Think as you like but Behave like others
Law 39 Stir up Waters to Catch Fish
Law 40 Despise the Free Lunch
Law 41 Avoid Stepping into a Great Man’s Shoes
Law 42 Strike the Shepherd and the Sheep will Scatter
Law 43 Work on the Hearts and Minds of Others
Law 44 Disarm and Infuriate with the Mirror Effect
Law 45 Preach the Need for Change, but Never Reform too much at Once
Law 46 Never appear too Perfect
Law 47 Do not go Past the Mark you Aimed for; In Victory, Learn when to Stop
Law 48 Assume Formlessness
http://www.bombaybookclub.com/downlo...Of%20Power.pdf
Cheers!!!!!!!!
From India, Delhi
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