Office politics is an unavoidable situation in today’s competitive world. When your colleagues interact with you do you find them trying to put you down? Unsatisfied employees are as common as stars in the sky. Salaries, work environment, positions are some of the common reasons for office politics. Try and stay away from it as much as possible.
Office politics often involves power struggles and conflicts of opinion. Steer clear of gossip and refrain from non constructive criticism of others. Try to master a strong work ethic that does not involve denigrating others to move up the ladder of success. Stay focused on the goal that is at hand. Here a few more tips to avoid office politics:
Focus on the goals given to you
Try not to get distracted by what others say and stay focused on what you have been assigned to do. An idle mind is the devil’s workshop. Keep yourself busy and you will not find yourself getting involved in office politics.
Go out of your way to be a good employee
Try to not let another person point a finger at you. Stay clear of any criticism by being the best you can. If you still manage to get into some sort of office politics, do not feel guilty because you know you have done your best.
Avoid gossip yourself
Gossip is like choicest morsels. Everyone loves to gossip. It makes conversations interesting. It is difficult to stay away from it, but you must. People who gossip with you have a high probability to be gossiping about you!
Follow a role model
Find yourself someone who is respected in the organisation and observe how he/she relates to the others. Someone who is already made it to the top. Try and be like him/her. These individuals usually avoid office politics by maintaining a positive attitude and dealing truthfully with people.
Steering clear of office politics is a demanding challenge. But you need to understand that office politics does nothing but stunt your growth and maybe the growth of others as well, which is morally wrong. Do not compromise on your ethics and you will see that reaching the top is far sweeter with hard work.
