Life is such that the moment we put two or more people in a room, a disagreement is inevitable. Even best friends have their disagreements. So why would we expect anything different from our work colleagues?
Office politics is essentially about misalignment and thus, is not inherently bad. Accept it early on that it is part of the air we breathe in the workplace. Some people may add drama, but at the end of the day, it is about people having different points of view.
Reframing office politics as workplace dynamics helps us take the negative emotion out of it and look at it as a challenge to overcome. It might even be a relief to many of us to realize that although we cannot escape office politics, we can, to a large extent, navigate it gracefully.
Social intelligence is key to navigating office politics. This may come naturally to only a handful of people, but the good news is that it is a skillset, so we can all learn, practice and eventually master it. This also helps shift our mindset from being a passive “victim” to putting ourselves in charge of our own circumstances and making sure we thrive.
Where to begin?
We can start by sharpening self-awareness. But be aware that others can interpret our behavior in many different ways. If we say that we don’t want to be caught up in office politics, does our behavior express such neutrality?
What often happens is that we think we are being neutral but behave in a way that could be interpreted as making an unfair play. We might, for example, share a genuine interest in the same sport as our boss, but our colleagues might (mis)interpret it as an attempt at currying favor.
Understanding our work environment and how people perceive the social interactions that take place is key to realigning our behavior. We need to turn on our “sensors” and instead of thinking inside out, we should use the outside in approach. What we consider to be neutral may not be perceived that way by others. We must find out what kinds of behavior others will perceive as neutral, and then adopt them.
Then what?
Now, what do we do with others who carry on with playing office politics, regardless of our neutral stance?
People are the fuel that causes office politics to become an inferno. Although office politics often stems from personal issues, refrain from taking it personally and adding more fuel to the fire. In short, don’t become a part of the vicious cycle. When we are asked to comment on sensitive issues, we should keep our remarks focused on what we think is best for the organization. This can calm tensions when emotions are running high.
We must also never let our guard down and keep on doing a good job, regardless of the office politics that is playing out. We should take care that our decisions are always transparent and logical, and that this is evident to everyone. Once we have developed a reputation of being reliable and excelling in our work, anyone who tries to embark on any political agenda will risk scrutiny directed at them.
It also makes sense to keep a safe distance from office politics to avoid getting caught in the crossfire. We can continue to engage with our colleagues as usual, but not their drama or gossip. We might appear aloof for staying silent, but those seeking attention will soon lose interest and look for others who are easier to provoke.
Without fuel, a fire will eventually subside.
If all fails...
While office politics is common at work, it is no longer acceptable when it becomes so toxic that it is paralyzing. In some organizations, toxic office politics is the pervasive culture that supersedes everything, so it becomes the only thing people do at work. It drives talents out, kills innovations and gradually destroys the business.
Toxic office politics ultimately benefits nobody, even the people who believe they are getting something out of it. In most cases, this behavior trickles down from the leadership to the rest of the team to become the norm. Once it is established, it won’t change anytime soon.
So if this is what’s happening, then it’s time to start making our game plan to leave.
Have a question about urban transportation? Send it to wir@thejakartapost.com with your name and current location (anonymous submissions will also be considered). Please note that The Jakarta Post reserves the right to edit your letters for publication.