{"id":1045,"date":"2020-02-24T16:02:02","date_gmt":"2020-02-24T14:02:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bmkedev.wpengine.com\/?p=1045"},"modified":"2022-01-12T19:09:52","modified_gmt":"2022-01-12T17:09:52","slug":"office-politics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/office-politics","title":{"rendered":"Office Politics and How You Can Make it Work for You"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Office politics are strategies, whether good or bad, used to get leverage in the workplace. Most people associate office politics with backstabbing, favoritism, stepping on toes and self-interest. This is why most people would rather not engage in office politics at all.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, Avoiding office politics doesn&#8217;t always work in your favour. We all know that <\/span><a class=\"article-body-links\"href=\"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/nice-guys-workplace\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ice guy&#8217;s finish last<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, even in the workplace. Here are ways to understand the political landscape in your company.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a088ee4bbc6b\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"ez-toc-cssicon\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a088ee4bbc6b\"  aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/office-politics\/#Different_Organisations_Different_Levels_of_Office_Politics\" >Different Organisations, Different Levels of Office Politics<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/office-politics\/#So_How_Do_You_Survive_Office_Politics_and_Thrive\" >So, How Do You Survive Office Politics and Thrive?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/office-politics\/#In_a_low-level_political_environment\" >In a low-level political environment;<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/office-politics\/#In_middle-level_political_environments\" >In middle-level political environments;<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/office-politics\/#In_high-level_political_environments\" >In high-level political environments<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/office-politics\/#How_to_Make_Office_Politics_Work_for_You\" >How to Make Office Politics Work for You<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Different_Organisations_Different_Levels_of_Office_Politics\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Different Organisations, Different Levels of Office Politics<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A <\/span><a class=\"article-body-links\"href=\"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/company-culture\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">company&#8217;s culture<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> determines its level of office politics. Some organisations practice minimal office politics. In these companies, what you see is what you get. Rules and regulations are clear and policies are pretty straightforward. Any underhanded deals in such companies are avoided and discouraged. The work space is calm, devoid of conflicts, and competition for promotions and other perks is minimal. Such an organisation is &#8220;safe&#8221; to work in, but individual career growth is slow.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">organisations<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> practise moderate office politics where general rules govern staff engagement, and here politics are low-key. The team-player mentality in such <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">organisations<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is strong, and competition is present since recognition is valued and rewarded. Conflicts are a common occurrence among the staff in these companies. Career growth in such <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">organisations<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is, however, fast depending on one\u2019s ability to stand out in their area of expertise.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Other <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">organisations<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are highly political. Positions of power come with many advantages. Rules in such organisations are mainly invoked when they favour those in power. There are clearly defined cliques in the workplace and competition is cut-throat. Who you know rather than what you know can determine your success. Working in an organisation like this can be extremely stressful.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"So_How_Do_You_Survive_Office_Politics_and_Thrive\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So, How Do You Survive Office Politics and Thrive?<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The best strategy is to understand the office environment you are in. Once you pass the interview and report to work, make it your duty to study the company and identify the levels of office politics in play. Office politics are inevitable. You have to make the best of the environment you find yourself in.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"In_a_low-level_political_environment\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In a low-level political environment;<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Do your job well. Ensure that your key performance indicators are attained and that your supervisor is generally satisfied with your work.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Remember rules in such organisations are taken seriously so try to be on the compliant side as much as possible.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Seek growth.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"In_middle-level_political_environments\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In middle-level political environments;<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Identify a respected colleague, higher in rank, to be your mentor. Not only will they view you as a trainee, but they will also influence your career growth and potentially defend you.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Be deliberately kind to colleagues. Once in a while, help someone who is struggling in an area you are good at in the office. It enhances interpersonal relationships.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Stand out by doing important and visible tasks. When you get an opportunity to shine, dazzle everyone with your skills and expertise. This puts you in a favourable position with key decision-makers.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Keep your antennae out for potential bad politics directed your way and handle any attack with grace.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"In_high-level_political_environments\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In high-level political environments<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you view high-level political working environments as a challenge rather than a stressful bother, and you get a thrill from working in such an environment;<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Learn from the best. Watch those who are skilled , If possible, get a worthy mentor.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Break any dysfunctional behaviour patterns that have made you lose important roles in the past. In a highly competitive environment, you need to constantly transform into a better version of yourself to thrive.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Be unpredictable. A highly competitive working environment is a jungle, and using the same strategies over and over may make you an easy target.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Be careful what you say and to who. Highly competitive environments are fertile grounds for bad office politics. What you say in such organisations is used against you and you may find yourself getting penalised for a joke you made in a light moment.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Face your attacker and seek to smooth things between the two of you amicably. If they are not willing, learn to handle them without being drawn to bickering and squabbles.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_Make_Office_Politics_Work_for_You\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How to Make Office Politics Work for You<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here are important questions to ask yourself in regards to office politics in your workplace.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Are there informal networks\/cliques in the workplace?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Who supports who?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Who is respected in the office?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How is success measured? What matters?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Who are the key formal and informal influencers?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Does the informal hierarchy run in parallel with the formal one?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Who are the gatekeepers? How do you get past them?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Who seems to be the first to know about upcoming changes?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Office politics are strategies, whether good or bad, used to get leverage in the workplace. Most people associate office politics with backstabbing, favoritism, stepping on toes and self-interest. This is why most people would rather not engage in office politics at all.\u00a0 However, Avoiding office politics doesn&#8217;t always work in your favour. We all know [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":9785,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"content_author":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-1045","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-life-at-work"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1045","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1045"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1045\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9785"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1045"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1045"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1045"},{"taxonomy":"content_author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brightermonday.co.ke\/discover\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/content_author?post=1045"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}