In their simplest form, office politics are about the differences between people at work. These can be differences in opinions, personalities, authority, or power. Although workplace politics can be difficult to navigate, they are an inevitable part of any organisation.
But when negative office politics begin to fester, your organisation can suffer. Office politics refers to the complex social structure of a workplace. It involves employees using their authority, power, and delegation for their personal agenda.
Be it in Sri Lanka or any other developed country, this is very prevalent in every organisation. Multinational organisations may boast of strict policies, ethics, values that are well communicated to control this but no company will be free of office politics.
The question then is- is it at a tolerable level or not? Does it impact organisational performance? Whether you realise it or not, company politics determine who has power and influence.
You may find the concept somewhat intimidating. But learning how to navigate office politics can help you maintain some personal power. All while gaining a better understanding of the system you work in. Business politics are largely centered on social dynamics: How you interact with others. Who you interact with and when to pick your battles.
Whether you enjoy partaking in office politics or not, they are an inescapable part of work. Even though they can take on a life of their own, they don’t have to be negative. The flow of information, power, and influence in the workplace can be put to good use, to benefit yourself and others, when the time is right.
Network subdivisions
Understand formal and informal networks. There are two main network subdivisions in business politics: formal and informal. The formal network refers to the job title or official position of authority, such as CEO, manager, or intern. The informal network is the subtle but relevant positions of power employees may hold behind the scenes due to various relationships.
Build positive work relationships across all levels and functions. It’s much easier to cope with corporate politics when you have strong, positive relationships with those around you.
Loyalty and friendship can take you far. In the game of social politics, you want to build up a support network that benefits yourself and others within it. That way, you can relax in the knowledge that you have social strings to pull on if you find yourself in a rut.
It’s important to be friendly with your colleagues to build a sense of belonging at work. But there’s a fine line between being sociable and oversharing. Giving away too much information about yourself may cause others to use it against you in the future.
Unless you have good reason to, try to maintain a friendly but professional stance at work. Setting boundaries with your colleagues creates clear work structures. It also prevents your colleagues from taking advantage of you. Speak up for yourself. It can be difficult to be brave and make your voice heard.
But knowing when and how to stand up for yourself is an excellent skill to have. Speaking up when you or someone you know is being unfairly treated will show your strength. And, it will give office bullies less inclination to pick on you.
Bad office politics begins when people in positions of power wield their influence over others for personal gain. Backstabbing, gas lighting at work, and unhealthy cliques are all too common in office life. Unfortunately, many authoritative figures use their positions to bully or manipulate others.
This pollutes the workplace dynamic with toxicity. It’s important to learn how to identify and manage bad office politics. This will help you cultivate a stronger position within the workplace. It will also allow you to help others in times of need.
Treat fairly on merits
Company culture is the foundation of a functional, happy workplace. Developing a positive company culture fosters work motivation and healthy employee engagement. It also builds a sense of pride and value in one’s company role.
Organisations can create a positive culture by anticipating and caring for employee needs, as well as providing employees with equal opportunities to grow. A positive work environment promotes good office politics, while it prevents bad intentions from taking hold of vulnerable employees.
Promoting positive, open communication is an important part of healthy business politics. For everyone to feel as though they are being treated fairly and with respect, communication lines need to be clear. Healthy communication eliminates the potential for misinformation to spread.
This reduces the chance of conflict arising. Communication also helps to build trust amongst colleagues. This further builds positive social networks and good employee relations.
Favouritism breeds
Playing favourites is a dangerous game in the workplace. Jealousy sprouts from every corner when employees feel they are being overlooked. Favouritism breeds contempt amongst any workforce. Incentivising productivity with rewards is a great strategy.
But those with reward power delegating the recognition need to ensure personal agendas or emotions do not skew their judgment. While maintaining a sense of fairness, leaders should aim to disperse their praise as equally as possible among employees and have specific criteria for when rewards are given.
Navigating the political landscape at work might seem like a daunting challenge. But a lot of it involves tapping into basic social instincts that we all have in some way or another. That being said, social instincts are not everyone’s strong point. Learning how to cope in the corporate jungle puts everyone to the test.
Office politics are an unavoidable aspect of any work environment. Despite the potential for self-serving exploitation, there are healthy ways to manage them. You simply have to know how.
