Whether your workplace seems more like the set of Game of Thrones than a functioning business or has a fairly good organisational culture, office politics is something that most people will encounter throughout their professional life.
Below are three strategies you can put into place to stay out of the politics and get the job done without getting your colleagues or staff offside:
1. Change The Topic If People Are Gossiping.
Lecturing your colleagues about the perils of gossiping can be just as damaging to intra-team relationships as the act itself so if you find yourself in a conversation where people are talking about someone who isn’t there, steer the conversation to a more positive topic subtly. For example, if people are discussing how likely it is that a particular person is going to get the promotion everyone is vying for, say something like “Do we know when the second stage of selection starts?”
If you ask a question or make a statement that redirects the tone of the conversation without changing the subject completely, people won’t even notice that you stopped them from gossiping.
2. Be Consistent in How You Treat People.
The company organisational chart dictates who your boss is and anyone that reports to you, and it’s crucial that there is some healthy respect for authority. It is also important to make sure that you are fair and consistent in how you treat all superiors, subordinate staff and colleagues. A good example could be when you receive an inter-departmental request for assistance or information – don’t be seen to be dropping everything for one person and non-committal to another. Keep everyone informed, and be as helpful and open as you can around your own workload. That way you’ll be seen to be a team player and less likely to be the subject of negative discussions or perceptions amongst your peers.
3. Work On Team Building.
Culture matters when it comes to how happy people are at work and if you don’t spend time actively fostering a positive, teamwork-centric work environment you may find that things escalate into potentially negative situations quickly. Taking time out to manage issues when they arise and proactively work on building a happy, high-performing team can be one of the most valuable exercises a business can do for overall productivity and profitability. For information about how a reputable HR consulting firm could help you to manage conflict within your team or help improve the way you work together, visit the Chandler Macleod website.
Other ways that you can proactively avoid office politics (or drama) include tailoring communication to suit the individual – for example, is it easier and more effective to physically talk to a particular individual instead of emailing them or topics you should avoid discussing at all? It’s important to be aware of potential pressure points so that you can effectively avoid being embroiled in the middle of a situation you’d rather avoid.
What are your tips for staying out of office politics?
