How To Overcome Office Politics?

Office politics will always remain! It’s an inescapable fact of a company life. Nevertheless, unethical organization politics can depress your staff, affect productivity and increase overheads. Here are few guidelines, important for both employees and the management, striving hard to combat politics at workplace.

Get Along With Other

The best way to stay out of office politics is to; get along with your co-workers. It does not mean you are expected to get personal, try impressing others or simply be a pushover for everyone around. You can wear on your pleasant nature, while being firm on your professional decisions when needed. If you come across any concerns, try concentrating on the problem and not the individual. If you have to turn down a request, always explain the reason and suggest a better alternative.

Getting on well with each other also means, being right about taking sides during power tussles. Being biased and favoring one faction or the other will keep you away from working smoothly and efficiently with your colleagues. This further hamper’s your performance and worsens the situation if that faction fails to prove its credibility. So try concentrating on your assignments, try working out with your co-workers in either faction or simply on the basis of assignments. Avoid bringing up political matters that can divide the groups.

Having Written Record Is Always Good

Having your things documented can save your job. If you believe – a matter from the past may soon bother you; make sure you document the matter through an e-mail. Such records also highlight your achievements, and prove useful in your performance evaluation and appraisals.

Set A Good Example For Your Co-workers

People in an office often follow a leader to practice what is best for their job or career. Do you want your office staff to keep away from negative politics? Do you want to encourage teamwork instead of minor rivalries, unnecessary gossips and back stabbing? If you act the way you want people in your organization to act, you will soon see your dream come true.

Be Morally Upright

The best way to avoid office politics or unnecessary gossips is to be seen as an individual who is morally upright. Deliver what you commit, alert staff in case of problematic situations and be accountable for your mistakes. People will respect your decisions, although you may find them disagreeing with you at times. The best part - you will have lower chances of falling prey to office politics.

Avoid Office Gossip

Nothing spoils the system or the process of an organization than unnecessary gossips. Avoid them as there is nothing good in it! This does not mean you start lecturing your colleagues on the disadvantages of gossips.It‘s advisable you subtly change the subject. For instance if your co-workers are discussing about problems between Sam and her husband and of course Sam is absent, try linking it to facts like how Sam’s husband celebrated their first marriage anniversary etc. Then shift the entire conversation so that the group is now talking about; when is the next board meetings etc. You will observe how the entire conversation moved to away from rumors and gossips.

As mentioned earlier office politics happens. Wise politicking can help you achieve what you desire, but not at the cost of others. Know how to use its attributes positively while dealing with the efforts of your co-workers who abuse it.

Leading executive –level contact center consultant, Simon Williams has secured hands on experience in the areas including but not limiting to call center strategy.