OFFICE POLITICS

In various work places, different people come together so opinions of all sorts are expressed. There can sometimes be a conflict of interests so office politics happens quite often in different work places. From the malicious colleague, to the one with a sense of humour, or the one who calls the shots, the one who is easily swayed and there are different other categories of people.

If it were just polite and rude attitudes, that would have been very easy to deal with but I also find that the world might have been boring and too predictable, don’t you think? The part where people are manipulative or negative, that makes life unbearable for others but that’s also quite interesting. Sometimes, the negative energy can be a spring board for some or could easily be passed around and that makes a person dread walking into that space everyday. The sad part is, if you have a job, you probably spend the most part of your day at work. You might not necessarily like what happens in the work space but that is probably your main source of income so count yourself lucky! There are many others who wish to have your job. Well, good news is that there are ways to deal with negative energy in work places.

i)                Excellence – Do what it is you are supposed to do well. In that case, there will be no accusations against you regarding your work. Do you find yourself wanting to just get a task over with as soon as possible? When there is such a sense of urgency, watch out as in that hurry, you are likely to make mistakes which can easily be used against you. Where you make mistakes, take responsibility, fix it if you can. If not, report this to the appropriate person. It may be best not to wait till it is discovered as this could end up being a costly mistake.Commend people where you can, those kind words could go a long way and be open to learning, you don't know it all!

ii)                  Attitude – I watched someone go from ‘too nice’ to ‘having a problem with her attitude’ all this was said by boss. She had every excuse to be nasty as the work place was fast becoming her horror and her niceness was always being taken for granted. In any case, there was a line she didn’t have to cross. Being courteous and professional at the same time is something I consider an asset especially these days where so many people are angry with the world. But being human, she got tired of being spoken to rudely and decided to give back what was given to her. She was polite to those who were polite to her and nasty to those who were nasty to her. She felt bad a lot but with time, she got accustomed to it being the norm until she got into trouble. Harsh words don’t have a track record of doing much good. As they say; words are like eggs, once dropped, you can never be take them back. In the same way when words are said, the damage done cannot be repaired. Self restraint is quite difficult I have to admit especially in certain situations but the one who can restrain himself from displaying a bad attitude is always far more respected than a nasty person.

iii)                Block out the unpleasant – This is easy to say but it takes practice. To be able to focus and not get involved in the negativity, it will be worthwhile to build a wall blocking out what may be unpleasant to you. Time is needed to understand colleagues and superiors so give things time. Once there is an understanding of the work environment, tact and care is required when approaching issues. If it is the gossips that are unpleasant to you or worth ruining your day, stay away from that. If there is someone who seems to only want to spoil your day all the time, steer clear but be sure you haven’t wronged that person in any way so it may be worth asking as people handle things differently. Then make an effort to be pleasant, be friendly and smile it will do you good. If you frown all the time, you will age faster…lol. We spend a large part of the day at work so making the work space conducive for yourself is not just helpful but good for your health.

These are some of the ways I would deal with office politics; you can try them too but in any case, be sure to do your best at work as that is the primary reason for which you are in that space.

Please feel free to share any other tips you may have. Thank you for reading and have a pleasant week…