Hurt by office politics? Do this
Hello everyone
I have been badly hurt by office politics. But, I know I am not alone. It’s something that is pervasive at workplaces. It arises out of conflicts of interests and differences between people.
When faced with office politics, you have a choice of learning how to play the game or walking away from it. I chose to do the latter and it has worked for me. Walking away doesn’t mean you ignore what is going on around you. It just means you are aware of the politics that’s being played but have chosen to stay clear of it.
Work in such a way that you come across as an objective person, who is on friendly terms with everyone. This can be your mantra at the office : get along well with everyone.
Stay away from toxic office politics by doing the following when you are at work:
Spend your time being warm and friendly with everyone. This won’t take too much effort. Like all other soft skills, this too can be learnt.
Focus on working and achieving things. At the end of the day, what really counts is how effective you are at getting things done. If you are good at what you do, you will be recognised and rewarded.
Don’t gossip and say anything bad about anyone. Just say, “ it’s none of my business” and continue doing your work. If you have to say something, say something positive.
Be aware of your personal bias but keep them to yourself. All of us have our own subjective views about people and the world around us. Be aware of them but don’t let them interfere with your efforts to build good working relationships. Remember that your perception is not necessarily the truth. You can read more of that here: No matter how flat the flatbread is.
Make your agenda visible. What this means is that you make it clear, through your actions, that you want to work with everyone to achieve the company’s vision and don’t have time for petty politics.
Final thoughts
Remember that office politics is common. It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.
That’s all from me today. If you found this useful, please share this with your friends and colleagues who might benefit from hearing this today.
About me
My name is Jayaraj, I am a C-level business leader with over 30 years of experience in the aviation business. I am very passionate about teaching and guiding young executives to grow in their careers by sharing with them unique and practical insights. Whilst education and training is essential, I believe that sharing my life experiences will help middle management successfully transition into top management.