Posted Apr 11, 2023
Office politics and navigating your way through it
Office politics in any company is inevitable. You may try to avoid it, but it will always exist. Many employees believe it is a good idea to use office politics to the best of their advantage to get ahead in their career.
However, it is extremely important to remember that undertaking this strategy can have serious repercussions as politics can often cause trouble- especially in the workplace.
As such, although it is alright to use it as a positive asset, ensure you don’t use it as a self-destructive mechanism. Treat your colleagues with utmost respect and be a professional individual.
Knowing when to utilise office politics and when to avoid it
It is always best to avoid politics when it comes down to gossiping, backstabbing, pointing fingers and other negative gestures. This is because taking part in it would mean that you yourself are contributing to a toxic work environment that changes the dynamic of the company alongside the culture you work in. Avoiding office politics would allow you to take part and be in a team that you actually enjoy working for and in.
However, there are certain instances where you can use it to your benefit, in a respectable manner of course. This is where insider knowledge comes in. If perhaps you hear that someone intends on leaving the company soon which opens up a spot for a promotion, you may use that to your advantage- so long as you don’t take part in or feed office gossip.
Networking
Networking and making good connections across all levels of the organisation you work for and even outside it are key to your career/professional development.
Amidst this journey of climbing up the ladder you might feel the need to constantly be on the good side of those at management level, however, don’t forget about your peers. Give credit where its due, be a good team player, contribute where you can and pitch in good ideas if you have any. After all, you never know when you might also need their help.
With that being said, there is absolutely no need to be anyone’s best friend, but it is important that you figure out a way to cohesively work together effectively and efficiently. So, tread carefully when it comes to office politics.
