Office politics are no stranger to anyone in the workplace today. For those who are unfortunate enough to be caught in this toxic environment, it can make life a living hell. Chances are you’ve encountered office politics sometime along in your career, and you’re looking for ways on how to deal with it.
The truth is that office politics and terrible work
environments are becoming more predominant, as a result of the dogmatic
structure that is behind most corporate companies today. On one hand are eager
employees that want to work hard, contribute meaningful results to the company
and climb the corporate ladder, and on the other hand, are those that don’t want
others getting ahead of them. These kinds of people are the ones who create
office politics and drama, who don’t like it when others get ahead of them in
life and will do anything they can to prevent it from happening.
Office politics is very similar to something called ‘Crab
Mentality’. If you put one crab in a bucket, it will manage to skulk out and escape.
However, if you put a whole bunch of crabs together, not one crab will be able
to find freedom. This is because when a crab begins to climb out of the bucket,
the other crabs will do whatever it takes to pull the escaping crab back into
the bucket. As a result, none of the crabs are able to climb up and escape to
somewhere better – a very similar situation you’d encounter in a company where
office politics run rampant and everyone is trying to pull each other down.
So how do you survive corporate office politics without
losing your integrity, happiness and peace of mind?
The answer is: You can’t.
In any environment that you find yourself in, there will
always be some form of politics. You can’t control how other people act, and
you can’t control the mindset that they have. All you can do is focus on what
you do have control over Yourself.
Office politics is a confrontation in which no one wins. If
you’re stuck in a toxic environment, here are a few things you can do to
protect yourself
First, you must know what kind of battle you are fighting.
Who are the people creating all the drama? Who are the influential decision-makers? How should you behave? Your response towards when things happen is
going to influence how much more easily or difficult things become. Mind your
own business, think strategically…
Second, understand where it comes from. Is it jealousy that
creates conflict between people? Or is it something else, something more
personal? If people are out to get you if they’re sabotaging your work and
making it difficult for you to progress in your company, think about what
actions you can take to achieve the desired outcome. If a particular person is
purposely delaying your work, you can speak to an influential decision-maker to
get around the problem, instead of confronting it directly. “You must be
formless, shapeless, like water.” – Bruce Lee
Third, ask yourself if it’s worth it. Is your health, and
emotional well-being worth it? If you’re in a hopeless situation with no way
out, walking away can be the best thing you can do. By choosing the decision to
walk away, you don’t have to engage yourself in a war you had no intention of
participating in, and may even discover an environment or company that is much
more enjoyable to be in.
Rab Rakha!!!!!
