Career Management in a Minute offers proven professional tips and techniques on managing and advancing professional careers.

Professional Fitness for the New Year

The Dynamics of Office Politics

Let’s face it, office politics are alive and well and could be considered a spin off of multiple people working together in a business or office environment. Interpersonal dynamics within a workplace is just one meaning of office politics, as described by various business journals. Simply put, office politics involves the multifaceted network of supremacy and status that exists within any group of people. Like it or not, over the course of your professional career, you, too, will likely be involved -- directly or indirectly -- with some form of office politics. While you should try to avoid contributing to and being a co-conspirator of office politics, it is indeed wise to be aware of the office politics that exist. More often than not, when people make reference to office politics, they usually imply something negative or conniving. However, all things being equal, it’s pretty rare to exist or co-exist in any environment where everyone agrees. The key to dealing with office politics is to be positive and most importantly, avoid becoming an unsuspecting victim. From the junior to the senior executive levels, mastering the critical skill of managing delicate workplace relationships is critical to professional success. Bottom line, politics is the art of accomplishing goals and objectives within organizations utilizing all available resources – people included. The following tips will help you learn how to navigate through the waves of office politics:
1. Organizational Discretion – Some conversations and discussions are simply not for office consumption. Be discreet in your interactions with both your management and co-workers. Some matters really need to be held in confidence. Otherwise, you may become part of the problem.
2. Office Gossip – Learn to recognize the difference between gossip that can help you and gossip that can do you harm. Business related gossip can be positive and helps you learn about your organization’s unwritten rules. Conversely, mean-spirited gossip is inappropriate in any environment.
3. Remain Focused – Don’t allow office politics to throw you off your game. At the end of the day, you are responsible for your actions and contribution level. If you remain focused, the negative implications of office politics will not play a factor in your performance.
4. Political Savvy – Learn to make office politics work for you. Establish yourself as a professional with the highest level of standards. By doing so, your management and co-workers will learn what you value as a professional.
5. Build Office Relationships – Avoid surrounding yourself with only a select few individuals or certain groups of individuals. Establish good working relationships with people throughout your entire office or organization. These types of relationships are far more productive and long-lasting.

La Shawn Samuel is the author of Preparing for Success in Corporate America – College Guide. For more tips and techniques for managing your career, please e-mail her at lashawnsamuel.cox.net.