How to deal with Office politics?

Yes there is too much of politics at office, and to be in the loop don't be afraid to ask some key questions to your bosses: What are your core values and how are they enacted? Are short or long-term results most valued? How are decisions made? How much risk is tolerated? The answers to these questions should give you a good sense of the culture of your organization.

Planning is very crucial. If you have a rough idea on how long you want to do the job, work on developing your image as someone who gets results. This gives you an edge in all political corners that ones office will have..

You should be a good observer....
You must know what is right and what is wrong...
You must appreciate the work.. irrespective of any discriminations...

The one who shows more work.. get more votes..!! promotions, hikes, etc...
Stay calm / unactioned if one is more powerful and got an undeserving level ...!!!

All you can do is bring the change what company seeks in you..!
Once you stop making friends and do only work.. you'll remain out of the Politics!!

That is my way of - managing politics around workplace!! ...
And it really works...!!

Werever few people gather there will be politics and groupism, it is part and parcel of the community, these are inevitable, but it can be manged better if we as part of such politics and groupism develop individual reputation and good will, if so it will be under controle to certain extent. Next if we able to influence the community in which we are member in our best possible manner then the results will follow.. 

Politics always arise due to the demand of the title. In corporate sectors and in profeesional environment where we work, managment should focus on developing the "LEADERS"without title. No matters what task the people have been given but always focus on the complition of the work with individual responsibilty and give importance to his work because with every efforts team work happens.

So I would say that lead the work without title and encourage individual work.

Be bold and never argue. There are two ways, one to attack and to tackle. You should know when to attack,whom to attack and how to attack. As far as possible avoid attacking. Always adopt the method of tackling the issues with dignity and efficiently.

Set a thief to catch a thief.

Every office has its own individuality. If recognition comes through beating one's own drum- then so be it. you also do the same, otherwise your hard work is in danger of being plagiarized

The best way to deal office Politics is being very frank and Asking Questions? If you do politics you might win but you loose the people and support permanently, so best way is being neutral and Helping yourself to learn more and jump up! The result might be slow but guarantee is that u wont be a bad leader from other perceptions.

It is really a big problem and unanswered question. Even if in a small organization office politics is there.  I guess this problem is unresolved.  I have seen many people quit the organization because of office politics. Many of them are not getting opportunity to prove them or go beyond certain Limits as individual growth and development become Stagnant. Try to fight against the same or else keep yourself aside and best option is to quit the organisation.

A positive end towards handling whistle blower can reduce politics in any office. All the HR has to do is that send the massage in the company through a genuine and effective whistle blower that every individual in the company will have to face the consequences if caught in politics and there should also be means and methods to prevent it by installing cameras' and software’s' in the offices as politics also reduces the efficiency of the company...

In my thoughts, office politics is not a good thing. Some how this means an unwanted game once unleshed, spreads like 'swine flu' amongst the work force and even the Management. In case of bird-flu we require 'culling' of the birds ... for the work-force ... No ... no.

So, we take all preventive measures, including ' vaccination' (?) from day one. In present day work places, team-work plays an important role and negative politics may destroy such environment.

We rather encourage " quality circle ". Others are 'grape-vine' and Japanise 'Kyzene'. We know all the staff members are not equally available, we choose a few to form this circle to be shauffled in frequent intervals. They think / plan improvements and seat with the Team-leaders to implement to bring better quality of services.

Handle your Colleagues & boss diplomatically, be calm at times and be aggressive & firm whenever required. Do not let anybody take over you, try and dominate.

there are many ways from which we can put hold on thiese kind of politics........by ability of person to grasp more and more experience by facing challenging jobs and experiencing the difference in urelf....person will see his own capabilities and disabiliteis which make him move forward in life...

We have President in offices that means that we have  aPresidential system of governance in offices. This is  a fact one can not deny. The President as in USA has all the power and it is said may be wrong," Boss is never wrong". People at the level of VP nad gm are just for the functional pupose and are there till they toe the line of owners. you can not survive with your ego or Idea.

while in Job I have heard a lala of a steel company telling his VP, "You have to salute to  my dog even and this man is my peon."That is a different storey that the VP left the company about 20 years back.

You are to judge for yourself , how important is the polticsa in business?

One has to be careful in chosing words and more careful with whom one is interacting. Office politics gets its momentum of from loose tongue and heresay.

Office politics,  while can not be avoided, can be minimized by being careful in words and deeds.

Just having a good relation with other colleagues..this will make definitely a change....

             Not only this but also controlling ego problems in us.Yes definitely this is a big problem prevailing in our system.Now a days if a man with talent is being involved in politics because of his egoism.

            I have seen that a brilliant guy thinks that why should i do that work if boss told to me that is wrong.Yes even though that is wrong we have to do that one and again what we think about doing that job we have to exaplain the boss in a continent manner such that he agrees for that and appreciate..

You call it politics and I call it "dirty politics"....My suggestion would be to stay quiet, be away from rumour mills, and be focussed on your KPIs (no matter how bad they are) and never settle for anything mediocre in nature when it comes to your work delivery. WoW: Words of Wisdom

Everybody is affacted by it and if you think you are nice to everyone so this can't be wrong .you can't be nice to all. so do not try to be at the work which give you satisfaction at the end of the day and polish you for better assignment in the future.

do ur work effectively .. and be ur self .. if u think about those people you waste ur time behind them  and you may leave negative impression on ur boss un wantedly... be cool

Office politics is common thing now a day, every one try to compete with others through politics, some buddy jealous and want to take revenge through politics.

so first thing is we have to know  "If someone knows this is the politics and he is doing this means that one is also can do politics because he understand this" in that kind of environment we have listen carefully and make statement very very carefully. Always try to hide your personal things and weakness. Try to dominant who doing politics and make favors who is superior or higher authority.

If someone don’t know much about you (your results, your personal background, your relations) then he will not success to play politics with you. 

Well !I do agree with what the GR people do normally say. politics is inbuilt and these may be good  or these may be bad. good or bad depends on the result that it brings to the organization or a section working executives or a  group or  some individuals in particular.

Its all a one up game . everyone knows that. if you are professional and know ur job and play the one up game you win and if you do not know you job and u try to play one game you may win on occasion the cost of some good people being suffered at the cost of you, but definitely you stand a chance to lose.

Good understand of the society you work with, knowing your job well, use the trump points that you know of your superior and peers or subordinates at time when you are in a corner. no harm in letting everything down when it comes to your survival.

many timid executives are good at their hobs but not being able to fight the societal factors that are inbuilt for their survival do get shot in their arm if not directly but due to cross fire which is also true.

All bombs do have shrapnel so some good guys to get sacrificed due to this unintended shrapnel.

Know you field where u r in a game and play it safe and yet win your aim and live within uncertainties .Its like the animal planet shows where we see the king of the forests and other poor animals live and yet they do have both even though some get sacrificed and of course  not all.That's how the forest still remains with many animals and yet the uncertainty exists among the animals too.

Politics is good . its the politicians and good politicians who survive. its the truth. hence we cannot shun politics. I with my experience had been victim of politics well I can say i had learned to live through it.

This is my sincere perceptions and the thoughts that i believe in

Kind Regards

Major M Rajendran

rmariagn@yahoo.com