Doing Away with Office Politics – Solutions to Workplace Problems

Office politics happened because of the complexities of human nature, which in turn create workplace problems. With many people working around you, who have different ideas and personalities, issues sometimes rise up and result to disagreements. You will rise if you have the right influence and power. However, you should try to handle yourself so that you will not be adversely affected by it. Some are the list of things you might want to apply in your workplace.

Go away from internal groupings. Managers or CEOs like to form groups for support and comfort. You must remain neutral and maintain distance. It is safest and can be of help in the long run.

Be observant. Keep your eyes and ears open for talks. Do not mind office politics sometimes. However, ask questions from seniors, boss or managers. It can help you analyze why some workplace problems occur. Learn from them. Observe their activities, values and grounds where decisions are based from. Then you will have a clear idea of your company’s work culture.

Practice being nice. Take time to help a co-worker on top of your own load and responsibilities. It maybe staying late with them to finish something or do some negotiations in their behalf because they cannot do it; or just anything. If others are not this nice, they will most likely be influenced. They will also help you when you need them. Just set the trend. You want a workplace with people who forget office politics – people who are nice and helping each other. This can solve a lot of workplace problems. So be the first one to do it…and do it sincerely.

Don't rely on your job competence. Research says that heads prefer to work with someone who is nice and not competent than someone competent but not likeable. Office politics is about being likable. So be it.

Be visible. Do not just sit in your workplace. You can sometimes walk around and greet your co-workers. Strike conversations in the corridors or pantries. To appear like an approachable worker is a big plus especially if it is coupled with effectiveness. They will remember your face and know who to approach when in need. By this, you will gain influence and power.

Office politics can be an easy game, that is, if you know how to play with it. You can contribute a great deal to many workplace problems. Be wary and aware on playing with office politics though. It can also be risky if your motives are for self-interests alone. Your co-workers can spot that ahead of time. Just be yourself, be sincere to establish the rightful employee’s mindset in your workplace.