When I joined a recruitment team in Singleton, having worked for the same company in outback WA, I discovered that the culture of the workplace was defined by the people in it, not by the company.
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Company values and mission statements are great website decorations but, in reality, they don’t always transfer to the actual work environment.
I was determined to stay out of office politics, but I found that trying to be the office ‘Switzerland’ meant I was fair game for everyone to unload their frustrations on because they knew I wasn’t going to gossip about it.
Office politics are inevitable, so is our involvement in it. Whether we try to ‘stay out of it’ or not, the way we engage (or disengage) with our work environment is going to impact the relationships we build and the opportunities we have, whether we like it or not.
The sad fact is that work performance is simply not enough to get ahead in this day and age. Networking is just as important internally to the organisation you work for (no matter how big), as it is externally.
Stepping into the fray doesn’t mean you have to play dirty. You can actually play ‘good politics’. Remember that office politics is essentially about power and authority. It is a constant tug-of-war defined by the actions and behaviour of co-workers in a competition for status or power. In many ways, it’s like high school.
Office gossip is not the same as office politics. Office gossip is usually a socially driven activity, but can be contrived with a malicious intent to cause harm or spread rumours. Office politics has a purpose – to gain advantage within an organisation. Negative office politics is often borne from gossip-based activity purposefully focused on spreading rumours to undermine a co-worker. You don’t have to engage in this type of behaviour (in fact, please don’t); there are positive ways to engage in the power play of your organisation that can help you progress without stepping on people as you make your way to the top.
The first step to positive engagement with office politics is to understand your workplace’s organisational structure. This isn’t just about who has the ‘manager’ job title, it is about identifying the key influencers.
Observe and understand how people interact, who is talking to whom and what social groups have emerged within the organisation. Then, start to build genuine connections with people who you feel akin to and respect. Don’t limit yourself to your immediate team, look at the entire organisational hierarchy and seek opportunities for mentorship and professional connection.
Connecting with others without agenda creates sincere relationships.
Organisational psychologists recommend that we stay friendly with everyone, maintain our professionalism across the board, and politely deflect gossip, ensuring that we keep our distance from the negative political forces in the organisation.
Promotion on merit is the greatest achievement we can experience, but the journey to this goal can be fraught with political dragons.
Setting standards and values, and holding ourselves accountable to them, is crucial to presenting a successful and professional image.
Or, be like me, and work for yourself. Self-employment means there is only one challenging staff member to deal with.