The age-old advice that you can ‘never escape office politics’ have been told all the time. In fact, you know that you cannot get away from being a victim of such practices and in some cases, being involved in some yourself. You might be in some high-paying job like Sales and Marketing but if you are harassed or victimized, it will get you nowhere. So how can you deal with this problem at times when you just want to be ‘left alone’ to do your own work?
Know the game –
This is perhaps the ideal situation if you can be objective about things. You need to change your mindset that politics in the office is after all ‘just a game’. After all, if you are not going to be competitive about things, why would you be working there in the first place? Unless you work in a library or a morgue, dealing with living beings mean you have to play the game and play it well. This surely makes a lot of difference in your mentality at work.
Know the rules –
Whether you are going to play the game or not, you need to know the rules. Take note of who are the leaders and how to become one. It might sound brutal but if you do not take the lead, someone else will. When you are in front, you then set the rules and deal the cards.
Know your competitors –
There is no point playing a game if you do not know who the players are. By knowing your competitors, you get to learn about their game plan. That will make the game all the more exciting. You knew what to do during the interview, now learn to know what to do in the game.
Know the consequences –
When you understand the outcome of the game, then you will realize that everything you do will have a subsequent consequence. It helps to deal with the stress that comes along with the job. Always remember that if you know what the consequences will be, the outcome will be entirely up to you to dictate.
