3 Subtle Ways of Winning Office Politics

Office politics, compares to sex, in that, it is an activity most people engage in but are not always comfortable to talk about it. The reason for this stigma associated with politics might be because of the way politicians are perceived. People often view politicians as being mean, deceptive, and manipulating.  

A lot of people within an office environment fringe at the mention of politics, but little do they realize that as soon as they accept any job offer, they are by so doing agreeing to be involved in the game of politics.  

And yes politics is a game, it is a game that people are playing all the time, be it in their marriage, office, religion, and relationships. It exists in almost every form of human interaction.

Like every game that people play, some people are naturally better than others, because of their innate abilities. The same thing goes for office politics. Some people are naturally good at it than others because of their natural skills.

But unlike a game where one can sign up for tutorship, it is quite often hard to find tutorship and acquire the necessary skills required to be a proficient office politics player.

Anyone who works in an office environment and wants to have a successful career should first deal with how they feel about politics. Now the word “success” can mean different things to different people, depending on their general outlook on life.

“A survey was carried out in 2014, in California for 5000 employees in which they had to write their views about office politics. And it was deducted that one thing was consistent in all their answers. They all wanted something or the other”—– Anonymous.

Going by this, it can be simply put that office politics is the ability to influence people at the workplace to achieve a specific goal.

1. Be of Service

The first and easiest way to influence people is by being of service. Try to be friendly and have an excellent rapport with as many colleagues as possible. This act alone will improve how a person is viewed and goes a long way in making people comfortable with, and around you.

One can show colleagues fast and cost-saving ways to improve their jobs. For instance. Let’s assume you suggest the use of online free faxing to a colleague in another department, and that colleagues suggest that idea up to the chain of command, you have invariably made that colleague an ally and also unconsciously indebted.

2. Definitive Goals

It is very alarming that many people don’t have goals for which they are inclined to achieve in a work environment. Most folks define their goals or motive for working as financial or just a paycheck. But beyond the premise of financial security, work provides many other benefits such as: learning a new skill, improving social skills, time management, discipline, and pride in achievements.

The more one explores the world of office politics. The more one will find that 80% of workers are not satisfied with their current jobs. Issues ranging from a too demanding boss, tough new assignment, to being frustrated with new management policy or over compounded job stress. Most of these complaints are deeply rooted in the fact that there is no final goal.  

3. Understanding People’s Temperament

In psychology, personality broadly refers to consistent individual differences in behavior that are biologically based and are relatively independent of learning, systems of values, and attitudes. (Wikipedia)

It is crucial to know the structural classification of human behavior as regards to their unique temperament. Why this is crucial is that understanding begets acceptance, and once one can accept others for who and what they are, it becomes effortless in dealing with people. There are four major classifications of temperament.

• Sanguine
• Choleric
• Melancholic
• Phlegmatic

Sanguine personality has attributes that can be equivalent to being very playful, energetic, and full of life. Cholerics are regarded as semi-extroverts, while Melancholic individuals are analytical and detail-oriented. Phlegmatic, on the other hand, is peaceful, quiet, and easy-going.

All in all

Anybody who works in an office surrounding should strive to understand the structure and mentality of that organization. As political structures vary from country to country, so does the political structure in an organization vary from one to another.