There is an old saying: “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” With that in mind, what exactly are office politics? Well, according to Ferris, Russ, and Fandt, organizations are social entities that involve personal conflicts, a struggle for resources, and a variety of influence tactics executed by individuals and groups to obtain benefits and goals in different ways.
Given that most organizational members simply see personal conflicts and a variety of influence tactics in their workplace, they identify workplace politics as a maximization of self-interests—and self-interests only. However, the core reason for workplace politics goes beyond the manager/employee job-supervision relationship to a bureaucracy of power struggles with senior stakeholders who set the expectations for the organization’s culture. These executives often resist and work to prevent any changes in the business due to feelings of insecurity, as a change in the workplace climate may eliminate their positions. This is why they associate themselves with people in positions of power and influence. The bigger an organization is, the more political one may find it to be; if one aspires to a promotion or a more influential position, one must be heard and seen by the movers and shakers of the organization.
So how does one play the game without being ostracized or terminated?
- Be conscious of your actions and movements. Workplace politics take time and experience to master.
- Embrace the hierarchy in the workplace, and don’t take it personally when you feel like you are being attacked. Squandering too much time and energy defending your actions sends the wrong message that you don’t fit into the organizational culture. Not participating sends the message that you don’t want to be in the game.
- Everyone has different qualities on your team. Accept and value your own strengths for what they are. To get ahead, build alliances with colleagues whom you can be straightforward with; you’re all playing the same game with the same goals.
- A conflict of interest stirs up most workplace politics, so try to avoid taking sides. Focus on the task at hand rather than any conflicting opinions, alert people to any specific issues, and admit to any mistakes. If you are open, you are less likely to fall victim to gossiping.
- If there is a smear campaign against your integrity because someone’s trying to take your place on the corporate ladder, don’t retaliate. Rather, remember that in the art of war, “Hold out baits to entice the enemy.” Be intentional about being authentic. If pleasantries turn malicious, try to tactfully deflect the conversation towards safer ground, and be mindful of when a piece of news is suitable office exchange and when it’s better kept a secret. Above all, retain your sense of humor; people feed off emotion and drama. If you can laugh off petty rumor-mongering, it’s likely to die a swift death.
- Find your voice and words, and don’t let fear prevent you from having your ideas heard by your manager. If they won’t listen, write down your ideas and start working on the ones that do not require their approval. By carrying out this step, you’ll be in a position to recount your accomplishments in direct reports during and after performance reviews.
Keep in mind that office politics aren’t exclusively negative; they can be a force for good. For example, studies which developed this concept (e.g., Drory, 1993; Ferris &Kacmar, 1992) found that workplace politics were perceived as self-serving behavior by employees to achieve self-interests, advantages, and benefits at the expense of others, sometimes contrary to the interests of the entire organization or work unit. This behavior was frequently associated with manipulation, defamation, subversiveness, and illegitimate ways of overusing power to attain one’s objectives. And that is the reason why workplace politics has so many negative connotations—because of the negative influential behaviors associated with people when they begin trying to achieve their goals of getting to the top of the corporate ladder.
In the last organization that I worked in, the people that got promoted fastest were never the ones that were best at their job duties. They were the people who were the most congenial with the persons above them and put in the most face time. Nevertheless, as Beth Weissenberger asserted in Bloomberg BusinessWeek in 2010: “Everyone engages in office politics. Even if you are an employee who keeps to your small group of co-workers and tries not to be noticed, you are attempting to remain in your position, and you have an agenda. This statement shows that human nature will always play an important part in workplace politics.” Thus, employees will succeed more by utilizing their skills to deliver and evolve the mission and vision of their organization, even in the heart of all the manipulation in the workplace.
Finally, to evade being outmaneuvered in the game of workplace politics, people must be willing to participate in their workplace politics, whether they want to or not, or risk getting laid off for poor cultural fit. Love them or hate them, workplace politics are a permanent feature of workers’ professional experiences. Therefore, don’t sit back, but rather establish an active intellectual interest and knowledge resources in your career. Communicate your desires to move upward in direct reports with your boss. Seize opportunities to stay front-and-center by taking on new assignments and putting in extra effort, showing senior stakeholders that you’re willing to do more than the next guy. At the same time, bounce around a few of the latest industry trends ideas to demonstrate that you’re a subject matter expert (SME) in your field.
Author:
Phidelia Johnson is a global Human Resources Practitioner with eighteen years of leadership success. With a focus on streamlining Human Resources administration, she’s well-equipped to find the right solution to a myriad of concerns. Her experience as a commercial business leader gives her a unique ability to advocate for both the employer and the employee.
In her down time, Phidelia is a master of her kitchen, creating wonderful dishes filled with passion and flavor. If she’s not cooking delicious food, she’s stretched out with a good book. She hopes to use her experience to help others, guide company leaders to best practices, and help build better professionals and stronger organizations.