If you're a leader, you'll find yourself dealing with office politics all the time. It's not something you can avoid if you want to get ahead in your career. You have to deal with it effectively, or you won't get anywhere. This is true for both men and women. Office politics are inevitable, but there are ways that you can use to deal with them.
First, you need to understand the dynamics of office politics. The key is to ensure that you don't let your emotions take over. If you do, you'll end up making mistakes that will cost you how others view you. When two or more individuals work together in an organization, they will always form relationships. It is essential to realize that these relationships can be positive or negative.
Positive relationships are those where both parties benefit from them. On the other hand, negative relationships hurt one party or the other. A typical example of a negative relationship is when an employee feels jealous towards another individual in the same department. The person might think that the other employee is getting special treatment over themselves.
Negative relationships can also exist between managers and their subordinates. Employees may resent a manager because they don't get enough attention, promotions, or raises. This resentment could result in the employee doing everything possible to undermine the manager's authority. It becomes difficult for the manager to maintain discipline among their staff members.
How Can Office Politics Affect Productivity
The modern world has seen a significant rise in the number of employees involved in office politics. Some individuals have even been known to thrive in such environments, whereas others have not. The reason behind this difference lies in their personalities and their ability to adapt to changing situations. While some people may enjoy being part of a team and working with other colleagues, others may not.
Office politics can be damaging to the overall morale of an organization. People may start feeling uncomfortable around each other, which can eventually lead to decreased productivity. Some individuals may believe that they are better than others, leading to them behaving in a way that alienates them from their peers. In extreme cases, they may try to sabotage the entire team's productivity.
If you're a leader, you need to make sure that you set a good example by avoiding any personal attacks on your co-workers. You should treat everyone fairly and equally. If you want to be successful, you need to show that you are willing to work with others to achieve common goals.
Here's How You Can Deal With Office Politics According to Stavros Baroutas
Stavros F. Baroutas is an expert when it comes to leadership and management. Baroutas has written five books on the subjects of leadership and personal development. These books comprise "Leadership Today," "Leadership and Management," ''Change: A Choice That Determines Success,'' "Conflict and Ethics," and ''Practical Management.'' He is currently serving as a General Manager. In 2007, Baroutas received his Ph.D. in leadership, and in 2009he was recognized as a Chartered Manager (CMgr) in leading people and change skills from the Chartered Management Institute. Baroutas is also a Certified Innermetrix Consultant for Greece. He has been certified by John Mattone as an Intelligent Leadership Executive Coach.
Stavros published his first book, 'Leadership Today' in 2011. This book is based on real-life experiences and guides leaders across various fields. His second book 'Conflict & Ethics: The Ethical Management in Present Times' sheds light on detrimental internal competition and the powerplay across organizations. Through this book, Baroutas highlights various techniques that can be used to survive and win!
1. Understand Your Role
Before you can deal with office politics, you need to understand your role in the organization. For instance, if you're a project manager, then you must understand the role of the team members under you. You must also understand how they interact with each other. If you don't know what your job entails, you cannot perform it well.
2. Be Prepared
Once you understand your role, you need to deal with office politics. You need to be aware of the tactics that your opponents are likely to employ. To deal with these, you need to prepare yourself mentally. It would help if you were ready to react quickly to any situation that arises.
3. Act Like A Leader
Acting like a leader is essential. When you act like a leader, you are demonstrating confidence in yourself. Confidence is an important quality for a leader. It helps you build trust among your subordinates.
4. Set Yourself Apart
You need to set yourself apart from your peers. If you do this, then you'll become a target for your colleagues. However, it's important to set yourself apart in a positive way. You need to stand out without coming off as arrogant.
5. Show Respect
Respect is a crucial component of any relationship. To gain respect from your peers, you need to be respectful. When you're respectful, you show that you care about them and their opinions.
6. Avoid Personal Attacks
Personal attacks are considered rude. They are unprofessional, and they lower the morale of your team. Even worse, they can damage your reputation. Therefore, you need to avoid personal attacks at all costs. Instead, focus on solving problems and building solid relationships.
7. Treat Everyone Equally
When dealing with office politics, you need to treat everyone equally. You need to look at every member of your team as an equal. You should not hold anyone accountable for anything. If you do, then you will lose their support.
8. Focus On Teamwork
Office politics can quickly destroy teamwork. When you deal with office politics, you need to keep your team's morale high. You need to help them overcome any obstacles that they face.
9. Reward Good Work
Rewarding good work is another essential aspect of any relationship. You need to reward good behavior in your team. You need to recognize good work and encourage your peers to do the same.
10. Build Trust
Building trust is another important aspect of any relationship. If you don't have trust, you can't expect loyalty from your team. You need to earn trust through your actions and demonstrate that you value your team.
Final Words
Office politics are unavoidable. However, you can control how you respond to them. Using the above tips, you can make sure that you can positively deal with office politics.
