“OFFICE POLITICS 101: Mastering the Art of Office Politics”
Small business entrepreneur Office Politics article

“I cannot please everybody, I can only please myself”

This is only half-true to the politically-savvy worker. Why?

Take the example of this employee who never gets tired of going around saying her usual good mornings and compliments to everybody including the bigwigs. She almost won “Ms. Congeniality” for the Ms. U.S.A pageant but have you ever wondered why?

She is playing good politics in your organization. You do not think that hard work alone will get you on top, do you?

There is more to it than just being hard working, determined, and doing the job right to climb the corporate ladder. You will also be graded on how you play the game of politics and this is very crucial to your success. You have to understand that it is very important to understand the political playing field of your organization

Office politics is easy to play if you know how to do it. It starts with accepting the fact that it is a part of your work. The best way to start is to have conversations with the Ms. Congenialities of your organization.

You have to learn and assess your colleagues. Ask what motivates them. This can lead to the opening up of minefields, which represent their professional and personal agendas. This will be beneficial for someone like you as you learn some useful tactics on your way to the top.

Another thing that you might observe about the Ms. Congenialities of your company is their attentiveness to their colleagues’ problems and issues. Show genuine concern for their issues. Active listening skills will come very handy at this part of the game.

It is also good but tricky to encourage your colleagues to share their thoughts on things. Create light moments to initiate such type of conversation. This can also be done when you are both outside of the office.

You may try to do all these but it is always wise to put your interest forward because bigwigs, in real life, play favorites. Some of them do not really care about their employees.

Here are some thoughts to consider if you want to participate in the arena of office politics:

• keep in mind that the existence of office politics is a reality

• mingle with bigwigs and soon-to-be stars

• never waste time on has-beens and those with no-hope

• develop professional relationships with influential people

• plan strategically and be aware of office issues by becoming a confidante to your colleagues

• show genuine interest in other people’s stories

After you have dispelled the myths in your mind and accepted politics as a part of your life, it is now time to maximize the strengths you have.

It is important to be aware of your talents so you can take a step forward. Highlight your talents by developing and implementing projects that will draw attention to your skills. Be willing to share these with your colleagues and at the same time, share the limelight with others. Give others the opportunity to shine.

Yes, it is true that you can only do so much and not please everybody but the key to winning in office politics is to wow the “powers-that-be”. Make them aware of the skills that you have and the things that you can do. Thus, you can use your talents to put you in a position where you can win the game.

How to Be a Fearless Leader

To be a leader means you should be brave and fearless, this however is easier said than done. After all, everyone has their own set of fears and leaders are no different. Despite your existing fears however, there are ways of becoming a fearless leader and a good one at that.

The very first thing that you can do to become a fearless leader is to acknowledge your fears. It is a good idea to keep a journal of your fears and be honest in recording the fears that you think may affect your leadership abilities. The fears may even include those of your personal life especially if they hinder you from becoming an effective leader.

Getting rid of fears

After you are able to acknowledge your fears, you are actually on your way to getting rid of them. This is so because the first step always deals with acceptance. If you are in denial of your fears then there is no way that you can become a fearless leader. It takes humility to be honest about these things, and getting rid of them becomes secondary.

Now, to work on the said fears you must devise a plan to be brave enough to conquer them. You ask yourself at this point on how you are to eliminate the said fears in your life as a leader, and you do this by being conscious of the instances where these fears overrule your emotions and judgment as a leader.

Every time you catch yourself acting out an impulse related to a fear of yours, you then try to counteract it with the possible solutions listed in your plan of action. Be patient with yourself if you find yourself unable to conquer your fears right away. Remember that these things take time, and you will soon find out that there are fears that may be solved easier than others. Thus, it sometimes becomes a trial and error and perseverance is a good trait that you are learning as you deal with the fears.

Rewarding yourself

In dealing with your fears, you are gaining strength and wisdom as a leader. It is important however that you also recognize your triumphs over your fears. For you to keep on doing a good job, you must also take time to reward yourself for being a better leader. You do this by treating yourself or allowing yourself to indulge in certain things that make you happy. This way, you can actually look forward to eliminating the fears and it becomes a more rewarding experience.

Do You Know the Path to Success?

Career Planning 101 Has the Information You Need to Get Your Career Headed in the Right Direction

Use this mini toolkit to help you navigate the different phases of the career planning process.
Make the most of your career planning and ensure your success!
This checklist is designed for:
• Anyone interested in identifying their hidden talents and abilities and matching them to the perfect job.
• Anyone that wants to avoid costly errors during the job planning process.
• Anyone interested in expanding his or her horizons to reach their highest potential!
• Students that want to plan their career the moment they start school.
• Students interested in finding a major that will match their ideal career.

================================================================
DISCLAIMER: The OFFICE POLITICS Small Business Entrepreneur resources on this Strategic Services web site are not intended to be a substitute for professional advice. While all attempts have been made to verify information provided in this publication, neither the author nor the publisher assumes any responsibility for errors, omissions or contrary interpretation of the subject matter herein. There is no guarantee of validity of accuracy. Any perceived slight of specific people or organizations is unintentional. This website and its creators are not responsible for the content of any sites linked to.

The Small Business Entrepreneur OFFICE POLITICS contents are solely the opinion of the author and should not be considered as a form of advice, direction and/or recommendation of any kind. If expert advice or counseling is needed, services of a competent professional should be sought. The OFFICE POLITICS author and the Publisher assume no responsibility or liability and specifically disclaim any warranty, express or implied for any products or services mentioned, or any techniques or practices described. The purchaser or reader of this publication assumes responsibility for the use of these materials and information. Neither the author nor the Publisher assumes any responsibility or liability whatsoever on the behalf of any purchaser or reader of these OFFICE POLITICS materials.

Site content description: If you just want to make your own website, or as a business entrepreneur, even make a business website that is profitable an drives traffic to your existing business, Strategic Services make your own website resources and directory links will make it fast, simple for you to do with cheap internet hosting. This Small Business Entrepreneur page has information to OFFICE POLITICS make your own website for fun or make a business website as a business entrepreneur wanting a home based business opportunity that earns you a top affiliate income with a company that provides the internet business entrepreneur with everything you need to make your own website as well as cheap internet hosting.

Subject matter on the site includes information and directory links to topics on OFFICE POLITICS, how to make your own website, how to make a business website, the best provider for quality cheap internet hosting, OFFICE POLITICS, Small Business Entrepreneur self help personal development training materials for Small Business Entrepreneur executive skills, OFFICE POLITICS, home based business opportunity outline for internet home based business opportunity, and getting internet home work income business development, including how to start a small business, OFFICE POLITICS, free sample business plan for home based business opportunity, OFFICE POLITICS, Small Business Entrepreneur web site design tips, and help for OFFICE POLITICS making your own website, with a free sample business plan template manual and other business resource for Small Business Entrepreneur who wants to make your own website or OFFICE POLITICS make a business website with cheap internet hosting. This directory also has a section on OFFICE POLITICS, Small Business Entrepreneur human resource website with HR articles, OFFICE POLITICS, free recruitment and career in consulting outlines, OFFICE POLITICS, human resource articles, latest industry business news updates and other free business resources being loaded on the site every week.
=================================================================
Back to Top of page
back to Small Business Entrepreneur resources HOME PAGE