Surviving office politics
By Kristie Kellahan | smh.com.au | 15 May
Like it or not, when you showed up for work this morning you probably stepped into a political environment. Most modern offices are rife with enough political manoeuvring to make the battle between Clinton and Obama look like a garden party.
Typical players can include ruthlessly ambitious peers, Machiavellian bosses and co-workers who engage in whispering campaigns about pay rises and office dalliances.
Getting too involved in dirty office politics won't reflect well on you and could sabotage your career. But ignoring it and not engaging in the work community isn't the answer either. Relationship and recruitment experts advise walking a fine line.
Behave professionally
In her role as chief executive of Relationships Australia NSW, Anne Hollonds oversees workplace coaching and training. She says the first step to thriving in an overly political workplace is being aware of what's going on around you and protecting yourself from manipulation.
"The more office politics, alliances and gossip there is, the more there will be behind-the-scenes manoeuvring," Hollonds says. "You have to have really good radar for what's going on and be very cautious in your dealing."
Hollonds suggests taking a somewhat formal approach to communication at work. Forget cosy, casual emails as they are open to interpretation and can be misconstrued. Instead, stick to the facts and create a paper trail that details conversations or verbal understandings. "It can be helpful to send a follow-up email after meetings to confirm your understanding of what was agreed," she says.
Remain cool
Yvette Gent, director of love* Recruitment, says it's important to keep your emotions in check even when you find others aren't acting as professionally as you'd like.
"The reality of workplace politics is that there are often personal motives behind people's behaviour," she says. "If you choose to react to these situations with anything less than business-like conduct then you are offering them victory on a platter."
Gent also advises workers to listen to their instincts if they feel someone, even their boss, is not being honest and ethical in their behaviour. Instincts give us valuable information and can come in the form of warnings or insights. "Your gut instinct is probably correct," she says. In other words, watch your back and be careful who you trust.
Choose your employer wisely
Overly political organisations should be avoided. If you are being interviewed for a new job don't be afraid to ask questions about the company culture and the recent staff turnover, Gent says. "In most cases it's reasonable to want to meet some of your future team members. This allows you to gain a feel for the kind of environment you are about to [enter]."
If you discover once you have been with a company for a while that all is not rosy, consider how far you are willing to bend to fit in with the culture. "If you feel you are being pushed into a corner and your personal integrity and ethics are compromised, the first thing would be to raise the issue with management or the HR department," Hollonds says. "If nothing is resolved, it might be better to walk away."
Set a good example
Rampant office politics comes down to poor management at the highest level, Hollonds says. "A lot of people bring dysfunction with them to the workplace and it creates a minefield of judgments, jealousy and all the unhealthy ways people have learned to get by in life."
A real problem in many Australian businesses, she says, is that young and impressionable staff members are not often seeing appropriate positive modelling. "A wonderful opportunity exists in learning how to use your personal power for good. Group dynamics can be very powerful and although one person can't always change the organisation by refusing to compromise your personal integrity you can set a good example."
Build alliances
Politicians do this all the time: notch up a few favours, build a positive reputation and gain some respect from high places. It also helps to remember the names of colleagues' children and to avoid being the one staff member who never chips in for farewell gifts. Popularity can be invaluable during times of political fallout.
In his book The Use And Abuse Of Office Politics, author Mark Holden says if you want to survive a negative political attack it's important to develop credibility and positive relationships well ahead of time. It's no use madly trying to build rapport and seek support when you are in crisis mode and under attack.
First published by Smh.com.au on May 15 2008
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