Are you playing the game?
- Sally Mills
- 4 July 2008
Photo credit: ANTHONY GEERNAERT
It never ends! Attra cting god employees is hard enough in the current market, but once you have them onboard, a threatening cloud of office politics can be a real a turn-off.
Wherever there are people, there will be politics. Politics forms structure and administration in our lives, which can certainly be good. However, office politics can involve a war of manipulation, strength, power and control. Some people excel at this game; others fail dismally or just don’t want to play.
Business owners should give office politics some thought. It can transform a positive work environment into a destructive and unhappy place filled with uncertainty, lethargy and even chronic depression.
This in turn makes it harder to attract and retain staff, which can have a real cost for your business.
Unfortunately, we can often contribute to office politics by making decisions that encourage rumours and secrecy. Watch out for self-interest; people vying for power over promotion and leadership. But also look for co-workers who just can’t stand each other and the internal jealousies that arise from an office romance or an unfair promotion or dismissal.
Perhaps the best way to think about office politics is as a game. The natural office politics players will lean towards diplomacy, ethics and integrity. They will usually be sensitive and tactful when dealing with fellow employees.
On the other hand, the dirty players will be, by turns, manipulative, opportunistic, devious and self-promotional. They are also very good at using other people’s integrity and turning it against them.
If you want a positive work environment, look at how you manage and overcome personal agendas and personality conflicts. Think about how you get the best out of everyone to work collectively.
It might sound naff, but I try to measure what’s right by putting myself in other people’s shoes. I wouldn’t create or condone office politics that doesn’t work with my personal beliefs. Don’t lose your soul, that’s what I say!
Sally Mills is CEO of Lavolta, an executive recruitment firm.
Tips for keeping office politics at bay...
If office politics is a problem, here are some ideas for nipping it in the bud:
- Have an open and sharing communication style. It’s a natural human trait to want to feel included and needed. People will generally become frustrated if they feel they aren’t being informed. Those emotions often lead to disenchantment and passive resistance.
- Communicate why you are making decisions.
- Measure performance in a sound and reliable way. When you carry out performance reviews, try to provide 360-degree views which give staff members constructive feedback about the way they communicate, collaborate and behave with others in their immediate work environment.
- Promote, recognise and reward employees at all levels based on their integrity and honest performance, not whether you personally like them. Avoid playing favourites. It’s certain to create resentment.
- Don’t gossip with or in front of your team and don’t condone gossip, ever. Gossip among staff members about their colleagues is a key source of negativity, and unchecked can fester into open conflict.
