Fed up of Office Politics? Look out for 12 Types of Workplace Politicians & Learn how to deal with office politics?
When you hear of the word ‘workplace politics’ you probably think of backstabbing, sucking up to your boss, power games, grapevine and much more. Well, if you feel everyone in the office seems to be acting like they are in the real life version of Game of Thrones, you are dealing with power and politics in workplace. While office politics is detrimental to both the organisation and its employees, you can learn to successfully navigate through the political landscape of your workplace. Read on how to deal with office politics & identify 12 types office politicians to look out for!
When you hear of the word ‘ office politics’ or ‘ workplace politics’ you probably think of backstabbing, sucking up to your boss, power games, blame game, spreading grapevine and much more. Well, if you feel everyone in the office seems to be acting like they are in the real-life version of Game of Thrones, you are dealing with power and politics in the workplace. You definitely need to know how to deal with office politics and identify types of workplace politicians to avoid for a successful & peaceful professional career.
What is office politics?
Workplace politics is all about the difference of opinion between people at work & conflicts of interest thereof. Almost all the workplaces are political to some extent due to the fact that people bring to office their ambitions, insecurities, emotions, expectations into their professional lives.
While gossiping and rumours are most common type of office politics, sycophancy, backstabbing, credit snatching, blame gaming, flattering, sabotaging etc are also one of the most common political moves employees witness at their workplace.
Office politics sets the wrong precedence as employees and staffers misuse their power to gain promotions and other advantages at the workplace in a never-ending attempt to be successful.
Why office politics is a grave matter of concern?
When the employees perceive that the workplace is political, they believe that merit is no more a perk and the workplace is no more trustworthy for their survival, growth and professional fulfilment. Due to this, it is natural for the staffers to be less engaged, be less passionate about their work & to be less caring towards contributing to the cause of team goals (or company vision). In order to survive one’s professional career, one should know how to deal with office politics effectively by understanding its negative effects.
Office politics is troubling even for business owners and top management who are continuously thriving to steer their company forward as the project teams and departments are not able to function at optimal levels due to workplace politics. Talent retention & high employee retrenchment in the political environment becomes a great challenge.
12 Type of office politicians to look out for and avoid?
How to deal with office politics? For you to navigate the political landscape of your office successfully, it is important to identify 12 types of office politicians you come across daily, to be able to handle them in a proper manner. (Refer to Types of Office Politics Infographic)
Also Read: 6 Types of Toxic People to Avoid in Your Life- Spot, Stop and Cut-off
1. The Minister of Whispers
The master of whispers knows it all when it comes to office gossips. They can be often found spilling official secrets and even personal secrets while sipping coffee in the cafeteria. They are aware of everything happening around the office and know it before anyone else even has an idea.
While dealing with these tittle tattlers it is important to keep your conversation limited to business while making sure to not reveal personal life. If the conversation leads to discussion related to personal lives, it is advisable to exit such discussion ASAP.
2. The Minister of Manipulation
The Manipulators as the name suggests manipulates the information as it comes and twists it to their own advantage. They collect information and use gossip to their own personal vested interest by manipulation. They are difficult to spot but not impossible.
Do not share much of your information with such people. Steer clear with them and deal with them only professionally.
3. The Minister of Control
We all have those controllers and bullies in our workplace who love to control and boss around. Such people are not difficult to recognize. Controller or bullies control how you do your job, and socialise and deliver. Instead of advising or teaching you something they may even do your task themselves and get your job done in their own way. They may even overshadow you, so as to have a sense of control. They often have big fake egos.
You are merely a tool or a puppet in their hands, whom they love to manoeuvre and control to satisfy their self-esteem and massage their inflated egos. As long as you are under their claws, you are good to go, but as soon as you rebel the deal is over. Watch out for such bullies especially if such a person is your manager.
Be proactive and learn to say ‘no’. Learn to do your work your way, and have confidence in yourself. Give a clear message to such workplace politicians that you do not want them to do your work, rather you preferer doing your work yourself and your way.
Also read: Lear to Say ‘no’- Be powerful and successful
4. The Minister of Credit
The credit usurpers are experts in taking credit for someone else’s ideas and work in an attempt to climb the corporate ladder too fast. It won’t be wrong to call them climbers. They won’t be hesitant to take credit for even the smallest things like arranging meetings, meeting deadlines, new ideas, team achievement, and even company success.
Do not be a target of credit thief and speak up whenever required, even if it means keeping your manager and team member informed about the task you are busy working on. Provide your boss and stakeholders with frequent updates by emails, and chats about the progress of your work and the part you are handling so that they are clear about who is getting the credit for work.
5. The Minister of Sycophancy
You may be well aware of people sucking up to their bosses, flattering them, and even going extra way to become personal assistants to bosses’ family. They may be well classified as suckers ups, or flatterers.
They may not sabotage you but they know how to get away with murder owing to their unique skill of flattery. The tricky part is that bosses may even enjoy their flattery.
Most of the seasoned managers already know if someone is really sucking up or making genuine efforts. They may not even affect you. Keep up your good work, and let the results speak for itself. The best part is your bosses will prioritise the work output & merit rather than sycophancy.
6. The Minister of Advisory
All the companies have couple have persons who occupy the position of trust. The management confides in the services rendered by such advisors and turns to them for their advice. The advisors may yield a lot of influence as they are often eye and ears of the management.
Be aware of them and work to develop a good rapport with them. Staying in their good books will always be beneficial for you, at least in the long turn.
7. The Minister of Lobbying
The Lobbyist is the ones who are closely associated with the power centres and with the groups which have a great influence in your workplace. They lobby well with such pressure groups and sway opinions in their favour and get their interests to see through execution. They may be well termed as power aligners as they tend to seek power by aligning themselves with power.
Align with such people in good spirit and network well. Explain your viewpoint even if it differs with theirs and make them believe in what you believe is true.
8. The Minister of Knowledge
Such politicians are not necessarily annoying and dangerous. The knowledge and skill is the key driving force behind any business. Such people know everything and are master of what they do. They even may know everyone in the organization. They believe that knowledge is power and often come across as arrogant, rude & even grumpy. They do not gossip or manipulate but at the same time may not reveal all that they know and may now open up with everyone. The key to the question of how to deal with office politics lies here. Knowledge is paramount and therefore it is important to thrive to seek knowledge. Alight yourself with Minister of Knowledge and reap the benefits.
Getting on their right side is the most beneficial thing you can do to yourself. If you hit the right note, they will support you and advise you on career and workplace issues.
9. The Minister of Donations
Such people are quite easy to spot. These are really good at seeking help and advice from others, without giving anything back to them. They will take but will never reciprocate. You may be helping them from time to time, but when comes the time to seek help from them, they are shut for business. They are like a donation box, where you donate and forget. This can be very annoying and you may feel completely used.
Stop helping them in the first place and be clear about your expectations well, if you choose to help them. If such people are not dispensable, communicate to them clearly about your help and that you will be needing a return favour when the time comes. They may eventually help you as they may realise that they owe you.
10. The Minister of Delegation
“Can you please do this thing for me? Thank you!” This statement would have rung bell in your mind as a reminder of your previous experience with such people. Such people exist in workplaces and tend to believe that delegation yields them power as the people who assign the work are bosses and those who execute are the subordinates. These delegation masters or taskers position themselves as powerful individuals. In some cases, even your boss can be a tasker, and may directly delegate work to prove ‘who is the boss’.
The delegation masters often pick people who they think are easy to boss around. In such cases coming across as a strong individual with clear cut roles and responsibilities comes handy. Saying no, politely will surely give them a clear message that you cannot be bossed around.
11. The Minister of Rules
“Please stick to the rules and guidelines” is the statement often used by such individuals who stake their claims to power in the backdrop of SOPs, rules and regulations. Such individuals tend to look confident and powerful. But more often than not such individuals piggyback the rules for their own personal power. On paper, they may appear to follow all the rules but in reality, the scene may be quite the opposite. Such an individual is rarely of strong character and always hide behind the rules.
Sticking to the official rules and regulations is always a good idea. But If you spot such people, bending the SOPs for their own benefit while preaching rules and regulations, report them to your manager or HR department immediately.
12. The Minister of Shunning
“Oh! We didn’t see you standing there”! And you know they were exactly speaking about you and in all cases, it wasn’t something encouraging. Such politicians make sure to socially exclude you from their group as you don’t fall in line with their political ideology for example. These people often create in-groups and may ignore you. They even gaslight you when you confront them as to why they are cutting you off, by denying such a thing (that is, it’s in your own head). Shunning is a kind of social punishment for you as they perceive you superior to them or vice versa. They gang up against you as they perceive you as a threat. “The new colleague may be beautiful and charming, but she is not one of us”.
Shunning game is the hardest to break. Confronting such people will make you come across as insecure, and childish. Try to avoid such people in the first place. If you are too keen on breaking this, try to covertly work with one of the members of such group who is least aligned to the cause of office politics of this group, befriend the person and end the game.
How to deal with office politics and survive?
The key to effectively deal with office politics is to accept it in the first place and engage in positive office politics while ignoring the negative aspects of it. People may come and go, but office politics may always be a permanent feature of any organization. Read on the following steps on how to deal with office politics effectively, survive, and grow:
1. Identify the power centres
Analyse the organizational chart and look for the real influencers with whom the real power lies. Map the power centres rather than being blinded by swanky designations. Find out the brain behind the business and office dynamics.
2. Decipher the informal networks
Once you know where the power and influence lies, you may closely examine how the interactions are taking place within the organization and understand the informal and social relationship flows. Find out discreetly who gets along with who and vice versa. Look out for in-groups, out-groups and the main reasons on which connections are based upon like friendship, respect, interests or anything else.
3. Build your social network
With a complete understanding of workplace dynamics, you may start building your own network. Look beyond your direct line of reporting, and cut across other teams and hierarchy. There is nothing wrong in connecting with powerful people in the company with whom real influence lies. Build quality connections with such people while not aligning yourself with one particular group or power centre.
4. Develop strong interpersonal skills
Focus on your interpersonal skills, and work upon your emotional intelligence. Mange other emotions well and learn to think before you act. Politics is all about people and working upon your interpersonal skills will tide you past all political troubles. Take a neutral stand, practise diplomacy and tact.
Also Read: 5 Tips for Positive Relationships At Work
5. Keep your friends close and enemies closer
Get the manipulators and gossip monger closer to you, while maintaining a fine distance. Be courteous to them and understand their behaviour and goals so that you are prepared to counter the effects of their negative politics. Just make sure to guard yourself against such people while maintaining a cordial relationship with them.
Also Read: 5 Tips for Choosing your Friends wisely
6. Neutralise negative politics & think win-win
Do not fuel the fire, rather work towards spreading positivity at the workplace by remaining professional, not taking sides, acting as a barrier to rumours, and resolving conflicts amicably and constructively. If you choose to voice a concern or be a whistleblower be confident and assertive but not aggressive. At the end keep the organizational objective in mind rather than satisfying your selfish motive and create a win-win situation for all.
If you have dealt with office politics and successfully overcame the same please share your tips on how to deal with office politics in the comments section below. We will be happy to have our readers read more on thought-provoking inputs on how to deal with office politics for professional success and growth!
Originally published at https://theeasywisdom.com on July 17, 2020.
