OFFICE POLITICS
When I first entered the workforce, I believed that office politics were irrelevant to me. I thought that if I worked hard and did a good job, I would rise and be rewarded without worrying about office politics. I saw office politics as the incompetent or lazy currying favor and being rewarded for their inefficiencies and failures. This turned out to be one of my worst mistakes. As I've now learned, playing the game of office politics is essential to success, no matter how good you are. A successful office politician can often prosper no matter how bad his or her performance is from an objective standpoint, while those who fail at office politics won't succeed even with perfect performance.
So what are office politics and how do we win that game. A recent article in my local newspaper helps answer these questions. Office politics involve the same virtues I've been pushing in these columns. Office politics are about making people like and respect you. Office politics are, simply put, about treating people well so they will see and value your contribution. So how do we successfully play office politics?
Courtesy, civility, cooperation, kindness- these are the keys to success at office politics as they are the keys to success in anything. Remember, the goal is to prevent negative personal feelings from overshadowing your good work, to allow your good work to be recognized. Anything which distracts from your work is counterproductive, will allow others to focus on your personality rather than your work.
Put even more simply, if we are nice to our co-workers, whether a boss or a subordinate, our co-workers will be nice to us. If we treat people with courtesy and respect, they will reciprocate. Building on a base of respect, we will gain a favorable view of our work. Our mistakes will be excused, our successes will be praised.
It's the same whenever we deal with other people: Treat them nicely and they will treat you the same. It's the beginning of friendship and it's the beginning of success in office politics. All we can ask for in the office is a fair judgment of our work. Succeed in office politics and you'll be treated more than fairly.
5-14-01
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