The Politics of Politics: Power Plays at Work

May 15, 2020 - Alyssa Taranto

What I Learned About Office Politics 

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Office politics are unavoidable. Ignoring politics can be a disadvantage. Ignoring what’s happening in the office or failing to build professional relationships could be the reason a qualified candidate gets passed up for a promotion. It is important to network with the people who have power over your promotions. It takes both hard work and political savvy to get ahead. People can learn to be politically savvy. Know and be visible to those who have the power and influence in your company. Build a network with these people so that they remember you when important decisions are made. Know the unwritten rules of the company. Find out what type of behavior is rewarded and know what is and isn’t acceptable in a professional setting. Show potential and look for opportunities to prove yourself. Most importantly, know the culture of your work environment and whether it aligns with your values.  

Playing Office Politics Without Selling Your Soul 

Office politics are unwritten rules that often decide if someone will get promoted or receive opportunities. There are good politics and bad politics. Good politics have the organization’s interests in mind but also benefit the employee. Good politics is creating new ideas for your company and making sure to get credit for it. Good politics can also include pointing out weaknesses in the company and networking with higher-ups. Those who excel in good politics are considered politically savvy and more trustworthy. Good politics is often associated with social astuteness, interpersonal influence, networking ability, and apparent sincerity. Bad politics comes in the forms of manipulating, gossip, and sucking up. When an employee takes part in bad politics, they usually hold their interests higher than the good of the company or wellbeing of their team members. Bad politics is often associated with immorality in the workplace and can be used to harm other team members’ future promotions or opportunities. Studies show that employees are likely more motivated when their company takes part in good politics and more likely to leave their workplace when bad politics takes over. People are more likely to take constructive criticism well if their manager is more politically savvy. 

Office Politics is a Fact of Life 

There is a greater potential for benefits for those who learn to maneuver through office politics rather than ignore it. There are 5 key components of maneuvering through office politics. (1) Always conduct yourself in a professional manner. No company wants an unprofessional employee disrupting the flow of their workday or misrepresenting the company. Make sure you positively represent your business by knowing how you are expected to behave in a professional setting (2) Reach out to the right people for help. Only reach out to people you trust. Some who engage in bad politics may purposely set you up for failure. Never take credit for other’s work. (3) Identify the key people in your organization. Seek out hard working and well-respected individuals and observe and interact with them. Strive to gain a deeper understanding of how the organization runs. (4) Protect and defend your team. Take initiative to solve problems within your team before they spread. (5) Embrace office politics. The best thing to do is accept that office politics are a fact of life and use it to your advantage. By building constructive relationships and participating in good politics, you can avoid bad politics and learn to derail those who try to gain the advantage at other’s expense. 

Winning Office Politics 

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Office Politics is the subtle method of obtaining the power to control people and resources. Money, people and resources are limited. With less resources, people begin to want to control these resources. Often the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is the person deciding where these resources end up. When resources are tight, employees often become competitive and resort to office politics to make sure they are not forgotten when decisions are being made. Some employees will also try to get the favor of their higher-ups and network with them. Office politics exist and those who choose not to play are usually at a disadvantage. Getting opportunities is often not about what you know but WHO you know. Good networking can result in a less qualified team member getting promoted instead of a more qualified team member. Politically astute team members often model their behaviors after the powerholders of the company. A possible reason for wanting to engage in office politics is that some people possess Machiavellian tendencies. Machiavellian tendencies allow people to manipulate the attitudes and desires of people around them in order to gain an advantage. Others take part in office politics because they hunger for acceptance or need to fulfill their own self-interests. The bottom line is that gaining the boss’s attention is a more certain path to success than choosing work to glorify yourself.