7 tips to manage office politics

Office is a cocktail of diverse power plays. Be it a self-appointed monitor who tries to manage your work or an excluder who keeps you out of the loop, we all have dealt with tricky colleagues. Despite the challenges they pose, they will continue to exist in the workplace. So how about you level up?

Nobody is spared when it comes to office politics. As humans, we aspire to be seen and receive appreciation for the work we do. Thus, the competitive work environment serves as a thriving space for power games. Resultantly, office politics becomes an unavoidable aspect of interacting with figures of authority. As taxing as it gets, it serves as a powerful tool to acquire personal gains and drive our careers closer to success.

Playing the game of office politics is not an easy spot and requires you to be in combat mode. Midday Online reached out to a city-based administrator Sonalika Desai to straighten out the rules of the game.

Here are seven ways you can make office politics work for you:

Gauge the quality of politics
To do so, ask yourself questions like, ‘Who drives purpose at your workplace? Who holds influence but rarely exercises it? Who is a revered personality? Who is a mentor? And who are the brains behind the business?' Conventional office structure is often ignored by those who practice office politics. So, instead of placing too much importance on hierarchy, stop and analyse the influencers at work, and then map the political power in your organisation.

Identify your confidants
While it is imperative to not over-share, you must evaluate the authenticity of the information you receive. You never know if the gossip you indulge in is a schemed plot to make you a medium. There will be instances when a colleague may share explosive information about the performance of co-workers, in such cases, it is advisable to take time and understand where they are coming from. Do not be impulsive and spill what you learnt recently. A tricky situation is to identify the true features of your teammates, and doing so will reveal who your confidants are. Dishonest talks and manipulation are common tactics to extract information so beware when you see someone turning intrusive and overly pleasing.

Analyse the undercurrent connections
After you identify the most influential power plays, you can study how social interactions shape the relationships between them. Go deeper than what appears on the surface to identify who is bonding with a common outlook, who is teaming up for a stronger political base, and who is more likely to act militantly alone. Look out for those that bully others or try extra hard to gain a reputation at work as they are the ones who can deploy harmful plots. Once you find a base to associate with like-minded people at work, strive to build a foundation based on your principles. This attempt will get you in good stead to work for the greater good of the collective and also avoid negative elements that may be detrimental to your growth.

Catch the wind's direction
Now that you have analysed the undercurrents and how relationships mature with interactions, it's time to maneuver your way in to establish interests. Power and politics are inseparable and are instrumental in deploying resources to achieve results when things go south. Begin with being heard and making a space for yourself. Either you can engage with an already existing group or curate one with similar motives. If you choose to do the former, try and not to come across as an intrusive personality who is impatient to belong. In case you work to build an alliance, it is necessary that you don't give away the motive as it will come across as too political. Another important aspect is to not be stuck with one group and branch out to form more alliances. At first, it may seem like a lot of effort to build such connections but in the larger scheme of things, it will create a strong foundation for you to exhibit leadership and community-building skills. It will also set you morally upright and keep your goal in clear sight.

Unleash your social animal
Your limits are set by you. The world of office politics is not for those who prefer to stay introverted and be glued to their screens. So, it becomes ideal for one to cross mental barriers and socialise to ease into the work culture. One can do so by discussing their vision, bringing new ideas to the table, and suggesting pragmatic solutions. Building interpersonal connections will solidify your political stance and direct your work toward a growth trajectory. An organisation is made from its people and having robust social skills will provide a cushion for your ultimate end game. It will help you identify your allies and those that are plotting against your rise. While you do this, be careful to not let your emotions get the best of you and present yourself as a gullible person. Always be a careful listener before you spill all the beans. Play a balancing act by being stern with your work goals and also strive to resolve any conflicts that stem from office politics.

Be a risk taker
The biggest risk in life is not to take any. Risk-taking is an ability that will open up your horizons and get you ahead than your current position. Take a risk only after you have analysed it thoroughly. Sometimes you will have to team up with people you are unsure of but it is under these circumstances that you will be able to experiment with your judgment skills. Forming political stature at work will require you to take risks and it is absolutely normal to do so. You may face disappointments as people will show their true colours but some will win your trust and prove to be an asset in the long term. Risk-taking will help you understand the motives that drive other people. If the agenda aligns, invite them to your ride and it will act as a multiplier. You have to play psychologically to take risks and realise its benefits.

Keep your circle positive
An underlying mistake that workers make is to feed a spark and turn it into an endless ball of fire. To be successful at office politics, you must master the art of conflict resolution. This can be attained with a positive outlook and a sense of righteousness. Nobody has to win but all sides can settle on an acceptable solution. Identify the gossip mongers and develop a way to deal with them neutrally. They are not going away and neither are you. If you hear a controversial piece of information, dig deeper to find the source and authenticity before you jump to conclusions. The words that we let out have a ripple effect in the organisation and one should be mindful of what they pass on. So be cautious of revealing secretive or confidential affairs to co-workers. Indulge in pragmatic conversations that benefit the entire team rather than disrupt it. Ultimately, it is important to stay true to oneself and avoid the sharks lurking around.

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