Authored by Heaven Stubblefield in Relationships
Published on 10-31-2009
Anyone who has ever worked in an office knows that there is much more going on there than just the tasks to be completed. People have to deal with bosses and co-workers all day long, and along with that comes the potential conflicts and office politics. Although some are able to deal with office politics without becoming stressed out, others are not sure how to handle those situations. Fortunately, there are many ways to ease any situation that has to do with office politics. Here are just a few of them:
In an office, it is just a fact of life that there will always be those that make verbal attacks on their colleagues. In some cases, an entire team or working group will gang up against someone else who is perceived to be a threat to the way things have always been done in the office. Although many don’t want to be involved with such nasty games, there are still those who make them happen anyway. You have to know what to do in order to play the game effectively or avoid it as much as possible.
One way to handle office politics is to always be professional and stick to the task at hand. Although you may not be liked by some co-workers, this theory is sure to be approved of by managers, subordinates or other higher-ups in the company. You will receive the respect you deserve by the important people in the office. In order to maintain a professional attitude, you will have to avoid trying to be the center of attention by spreading gossip, telling dirty jokes or being loud.
Another way to handle office politics is to always be friendly, but nonetheless careful, when choosing which co-workers are to be your friends. This can mean you shouldn’t choose to be friends with people you expect favors from, such as promotions or raises. Beware of others if you are a manager. Along these lines, it is also best to avoid romantic relationships with co-workers because if things don’t work out, everyone in the office will suffer the consequences and a general bad air will rule the workplace. This also explains why, in many offices, it is actually forbidden to have a personal relationship with a colleague.
If you want trouble in the world of office politics then a good way to get it is to not work together with your colleagues. This not only includes working on your own and refusing to cooperate, but also not giving credit when it is due to others. It may even involve trying to get ahead by using the ideas or work of others. Instead of acting this way, the best way to deal with politics in the office is to be a part of the team and give praise to others when they do something well. This way you will be respected by everyone in the office and won’t be the target of any political campaigns, which can be quite nasty.
