Office Politics
Introduction
“Politics is the lubricant that oils your organization’s internal gears”
Office politics is a reality in the organizational life of a company. It is the use of power and social networking within the organization. It is used to achieve changes that can benefit the organization and those within it as well. Though office politics can affect the organization, it also can serve the personal interests of individuals, showing no regard for the organization. There are multiple personal advantages including tangible assets and intangible benefits. Office politics can increase efficiency, interpersonal relationships, expedite change, and profit the organization and its members at the same time.
There is often a negative connotation linked with the term office politics. Many think that it only refers to the strategies people use to gain advantage at the expense of others or the greater good. This can often have adverse affects on the working environment as well as the relationships within this environment. Due to this negative connotation, many people seek to steer clear of office politics. There are good office politics though. It can help fairly promote yourself and support your cause. It is more than often called networking and stakeholder management.
Individuals and groups can engage in office politics. On one hand this can be highly destructive when individuals focus on personal gains at the expense of the organization. This causes negative influence on social groupings, cooperation, information sharing, and other organizational functions. So this is why it is vital to pay strict attention to office politics and create the right political landscape.
Why It Is Inevitable
• For many individuals, the ...
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...formal power.
• Relationships should be built on trust and respect.
• Become a part of multiple networks. This allows one to keep a pulse on the organization.
• Build relationships that cross the formal hierarchy in all direction whether it is peers, bosses, and executives.
Neutralize Negative Play
Mapping out the informal networks of the office allows one to identify those who use others for their own purposes and not for the common good. It is only natural to want to distances one self from these types of individuals but in office politics, the oppose it needed. One has to come to understand what their motives and goals are and how to avoid or counteract their negativity.
Summary
Being prepared is the most important thing in office politics. The worst thing one can do is not have all the facts, know the landscape, or understand the players and the rules.
The game of hardball is all about keeping up a good reputation to your peers and to the public. A successful politician can build up alliances. It is definitely impossible for someone to make their way to the top without any help. Instead of getting help, a person could make a mistake by “limit[ing] their horizons to missions they can accomplish alone” (15). These people ultimately lose the game. Matthews describes one way to forge an alliance in the maxim “It’s better to receive than give”. While confidence is a good thing, too much pride can end in disaster. A way to avoid looking too confident is asking for help. During the General Elections of 1978, Jimmy Carter asked for the help of those who had lost on election night. This is wise because they looked for work and wanted to be needed. Votes and alliances can be made simply because of a feeling of inclusion in the process. A politician asking for help is “offering a chance to join in the political action, to be part of his success”...
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Kniffin, K. M., & Wilson, D. S. (2010). Evolutionary perspectives on workplace gossip: Why and how gossip can serve groups. Group & Organization Management, 35(2), 150-176. doi:10.1177/1059601109360390
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