Tips and tricks to succeed in office politics
Working is an unavoidable part of adult life. Regardless of whether we like it or not, most of us are have to work to make ends meet, and continue our lives without depending on others. In modern days, working usually means spending your days in an office for a regular job that requires you to do similar works every single day. That being said, despite sounding monotone, office life can be quite demanding at times, especially if you don't know the colleague definition. This is valid not only in terms of the intensity of work but also in terms of the office politics that is required to keep a balanced relationship with the group that is often referred to as “work colleague.” Office politics is an inseparable part of the work environment, as we all bring our emotions to the work whether we like it or not. Naturally, in a secluded place where everyone is trying to be successful but in their way, it is very likely to witness the conflict of interests. Different characteristics and ideas often clash with one another, requiring a skillful individual to balance them out without damaging his/her career. Thankfully, it is quite easy to gain those necessary skills once you get the basics of office politics.
Getting familiar with the organization chart
Usually, almost all businesses have an organizational chart that reveals people’s rankings, titles, and roles within the company. It is a useful tool to understand how the system works. However, to be masterful in office politics, you need to do more than that. More often than not, people’s personalities determined the influence they have over the people, rather than their actual position in the organization chart. Therefore, it is important to analyze people’s interactions with one another and go beyond the organization chart to reveal the actual power relations within the office. In this way, you would get to determine the superlatives of everyone as if you are in a massive school environment. From the most respected one to the most influential one, you would get your colleagues’ actual role within the office, which would enable you to act by this knowledge. Determining any colleague cliques and groupings would also be very beneficial at this point since such formations are the powerhouses when it comes to office politics. Build networks, form strong relationships in office politics It is not always easy to come up with a colleague definition. A colleague definition can be summarized as someone you see almost every day, do business with, but also required to be at least friends for most of the time while not being too intimate. In other words, forming a relationship with a work colleague is not an easy task. However, it is essential to flourish in office politics. Being a loner might be a choice that is respectable at times. And yet, if you want to climb up the stairs of success effectively and quickly, you need friends and even teams that will help you to reach your goals. While forming your relationships, feel free to ignore the office hierarchy and try to build connections with people from all positions, from executives to co-workers. In this process, being friendly is the key component since a strong and sincere smile can open any door of opportunity at any time. However, it is important to not stuck with a specific group which would prevent you from getting familiar with other people and groups. Make sure that people know they can trust you without any concerns. That is to say, be a true friend with anyone whom you approach, don’t see them as just networks. To improve yourself in interpersonal relationships, you may work on your emotional side and try to get to know yourself better so that you can read others’ emotions more easily. Understanding emotions would enable you to empathize with others, which is essential in building friendships. Keep your friends close, but enemies closer in office politics Now that you have your friends, it is likely to spot some work colleagues who are not exactly your people. You may dislike their attitude, character, or simply the way they act through office politics. In general, there is nothing more normal than keeping a distance from the people you don’t exactly like. And yet, office politics is more tricky than that. Remember: you are forming not only friendships but also networks. Therefore, the more people like you and see you as a friend, the better. In building a relationship with your “frenemies,” it is important to beware of their underlying motives so that you can get a glimpse of what are they planning to do next. If you can understand them thoroughly, you can prepare yourself to counteract to protect your interests. That being said, some work colleagues might be pure Machiavellian, suitable to the colleague definition, who is ready to do anything to reach their goal. When coming across such people, it is better to stay away than try to play it cool and form a relationship, since they are likely to harm your career path while trying to build theirs. Stay away from negativity The office politics is very suitable for various gossips and rumors to emerge all the time. Expectedly, people love to engage with these types of conversations, as it creates good entertainment and brings excitement to the monotonous office life. That being said, listening and politely laughing at some gossips are not the same as creating one. Try not to be the one who fuels the negativity within the office environment by coming up with new gossips and rumors. Such behavior might lead to disagreements and even clashes with some work colleagues, which is not desirable for anyone who is on a successful career path. It is important to stay true to your goal and be professional all the time. This does not mean that you have to be silent against everything. On the contrary, criticism that is delivered strongly would always be appreciated in a work environment. However, it is vital to avoid being aggressive and provocative while voicing your opinion. Read the full article
