Nobody likes politics at work. But face it, most work places have some degree of conniving, competition, gossiping and blame-game. It would be very ideal to work in a place where all is hunky-dory but that happens extremely rarely.
Have you ever wondered that office politics might actually be good for you? While it can affect the office culture and team performance, you can turn it into a positive by making the most of the situation.
Image Credit: Suits (U.S. TV series)
Richard Roy Mendonce, Head of Digital Strategy at Yashoda Group, Hyderabad, suggests that, “Mostly we relate politics with something negative and associate it to a corrupt politician. But if we think of it as political skills at work in the context of efficient people management, then it can be seen as an asset and a positive skill. Political skills are essential in a competitive and high-performance oriented work places. This is also the law of the nature, survival of the fittest or the wittiest. Office politics does not have to be brown-nosing or credit-stealing. It is a way to get what you want in the office, and we can do it without compromising our integrity. It is Positive Office Politics.”
So, how can office politics be good for you?
Keeps you on the edge
Complacence can be bad for performance. So, a healthy degree of competition created by office politics can compel you to challenge yourself to do better. When a colleague gets praised by the boss for your work, or partakes in your credit, next time you will be more careful in communicating about your work.
It makes you more alert at work
If you spend the day at your desk, without communicating with others, you are missing many opportunities. Office politics compels you to be more alert to probable opportunities. You do not take complements at face value naively. You become wiser at work, and you are better off for it.
Is there a colleague who always disagrees with you or openly demeans you? Are you being left off of important correspondence or out of meetings? Watch out for the red flags, awareness is everything.
You learn to mind your words
Gossip is the main ingredient of office politics. What you talk about and who you talk to is what sets apart good politics from bad. So, by knowing when to talk what and when to keep quiet, you are actually learning a very important people skill.
So, ask a superior to counsel or mentor you so that you are not sucked into the rabbit hole, but can turn the challenge of office politics into an opportunity.
Read Also: “Participating In Office Politics Is A Lose-Lose Game”, Says Obino Founder Ritu Srivastava
