Surviving Politics in the Workplace

Although I am now happily retired and can eat my dinner on a sundeck overlooking the Pacific Ocean as a majestic eagle soars overhead, I still occasionally have disquieting dreams at night that remind me of the intense struggles I experienced at work. The most powerful dreams are reminders of the heavy stress from brutal politics during my days as a rising manager and later as a CFO and CEO. Memories of Machiavellian plotting for my downfall come back so vividly that it seems just like yesterday.

These days I sometimes meet with people going through similar struggles in their workplace. Whether you work for a small business, a large corporation, or a government or educational system, the struggles at work are similar. I want to provide encouragement so that you can survive these challenging times and succeed in your career, but not to minimize the intensity of the struggles you may be going through at times.

Every job (with more than one self-employed person) has its politics. People compete at work for pay and promotion. Employees vie for the attention of the boss. There are rumours and intrigues nearly every day in the workplace. There are insiders who seem to be getting ahead and outsiders who are feeling upset and isolated.

Politics operate at every level of the workplace, whether or not you are aware and noticing. (Actually, ignoring the politics most of the time is good idea, if you can do it.) At the higher levels of organizations the politics get even more intense. Some managers are being promoted and their pay is increasing rapidly, while others are losing out for reasons they can barely understand. Ethics are sometimes conspicuous by their absence.

Much of politics has to do with the boss and/or the organizational hierarchy. Aggressive employees are constantly seeking greater authority and pay. They often help topple vulnerable managers. Sometimes it seems like the same behaviour as seen in a wolf pack.

The culture of each workplace is unique; however, each workplace has many elements in common with other organizations. The personality of the CEO or boss determines much of the culture, but there are other influences as well, particularly when there are outside owners or a long history. There are some companies with a relatively good working environment, and other workplaces are so negative that survival seems especially hard; however, most working environments are a mixture of both healthy and less healthy elements.

Other articles have been written on this subject, but I want to give you my observations of how to survive in this world of uncertainties:

• Concentrate on doing your job well above all
  
  
• Never speak disrespectfully about your boss or your organization to anyone, no matter what your private opinion may be. If you have nothing positive that you can articulate, it is better to say nothing about them.
  
  
• Take time to chat with people briefly when they are friendly, but avoid becoming part of a gossip network.
  
  
• Learn to get along with bosses and coworkers with a minimum of conflict
  
  
• Be helpful to everyone to the extent that you can manage it (but beware of people dumping their work on you)
  
  
• Be a friend to everyone you work with, but don’t become particularly friendly with one or two persons (even the boss) at the expense of others
  
  
• Be prepared for lots of ups and downs in your popularity and reputation, even when you are doing a good job
  
  
• Make sure that you maintain a strong emotional life with friends and family outside of your workplace
  
  

• Counter the job stress by eating well, getting enough rest and setting aside time for recreation.
  
  

• Remember that you can influence everyone around you for the better if you conduct yourself well. You will be noticed.

Trying to find a job without any politics will succeed only if there are no humans working there. Politics can become intense and demoralizing at times, but if you try hard, you can succeed and enjoy your work despite the office politics.

The worst of workplace politics usually comes out during times of major organizational change or when there is new leadership. Fortunately, these intense moments do not last long. There are long periods when the politics subside to a minor distraction. During these times the more positive aspects of the workplace are more noticeable.

My waking memories of work are mostly quite positive: office parties, wonderful friendships that have lasted longer than the job, chances to learn and travel, and many other wonderful things that happen at work. I don’t know why my dreams reflect the extreme negative experiences – perhaps it is like war; no matter how long the peacetime, the memories of conflict remain.