Confessions of a Corporate Shopaholic

My Part One covers two most popular scenarios in office politics, and they are generally centered around individuals who are plain lazy and who just want to get by every single day waiting for the pay cheque to come.  Who doesn’t want that really?  Yet we should have the decency not to cause harm and inconvenience to others in the process, and that is just plain and simple professional courtesy.

Though the other biggest war field of all times is:

• Power and control

Maybe you are a star employee and you are a high performer at work.  Instead of focusing on your own business you can’t help but notice whispers and gossips from people around you.  No, you seldom hear it directly from the originators.  These rumors have been circling around the office floor for weeks or even months before you get to hear them, perhaps from a trusted colleague.  And you can be sure these whispers are everything but complimentary.  Some include contents that you are the boss’s boy (or girl), that you are just lucky to land the biggest client, that you are playing favorites, or even contains rumors that your team is going to be taken over by them altogether, only as a way for them to eliminate competition altogether. 

Remember what your parents as well as teachers used to tell you when you ran into bullies in primary school?  Don’t take the bait.  It’s tougher when you were young since it’s pretty hard to detach yourself from a physical fight, if that’s the case.  However no matter how tempting it could be, fist fights at the workplace are still frowned upon, so we are mostly restricted to verbal and written fights which are actually nothing less hurtful.  I take my childhood learning seriously.  Don’t take the bait.  Don’t stoop to their level.  Remember what they said, and try to find out more facts and background why they said it and what their grand plans are.  Don’t confront them without gathering all the facts.  Keep your ear to the ground.  Analyze what you have heard, and synergize with your allies if available.  Is there any truth to the rumors?  Personal defamation is utterly wrong, but rumors about your team being absorbed, outsourced or even eliminated may not be a vindictive rumor but truly a managerial decision.  What do they gain from all this?  What will you lose if at all?  Contemplate all the possibilities and be prepared.  It’s no time to be hazy and reckless especially when you are at the receiving end of hateful office politics.  Keep yourself poised and confident.  Losing your ground is the number one cause of future politics.

Evaluate your options.  If you believe you have nothing to fear considering the fire power of both sides, you can take the high road and ignore these rumors, but be on the lookout for the best timing to let people around know that you are well aware of the whispers around town.  Projecting the image that you are well-informed warns others not to underestimate you, and also a subtle way to let people know you are well-connected with people you can trust.  If the rumors turn out to be less than flattering, the number one rule is still to hold yourself together, and then consult with your trusted mentors, colleagues or superiors.  Be humble and discuss what options you can take.  Can you volunteer for some meetings or tasks to showcase what you are good at?  Can you initiate a brown bag lunch session to talk about your line of work so as to invite more open dialogues that are honest and professional?  Can you have your internal and external customers provide recommendations or testimonial for you in times of need?  Remember, what you are proposing does not only apply to yourself, but to your colleagues and most likely to those who fire the bullets in the first place.  They will need to be measured accordingly and they need to be put under the same test as well. 

I am fully aware that the above is not universal to all workplaces based upon variations in cultures, seniority, level of autonomy and experience.  But you get the drift.  Today’s workplace is way more complicated than worrying about cliques, sides, fights and insults.  Much more is at stake now including our own jobs and even the livelihood of people working under us.  Don’t underestimate office politics.  It’s actually part of the work itself, and it will get worse and even more sophisticated.  If the job is so straightforward that we just need to mind our own business from start to finish, chances are we won’t even have that job to begin with.  It can well be outsourced to others half our pay.  Our job is also about getting through hurdles, aligning people, managing friction, influencing tough minds, and coming up with innovative programs to reward everyone better according to individualized motivators. 

“It’s not my job,” many would say.  But honey, that’s why you are hired in the first place.

The term “office politics” sure has a negative tone.  Most people use sentences like “I hate that workplace because there is just too much office politics.”, or “I like working for myself so I don’t need to get involved with all that meaningless office politics.”  Yes we all have a million stories about how we end up being victims of cunning office preys and jealous co-workers.  It is certainly no fun to be involved in unproductive games and exchanges with people we don’t like, especially when we believe that is all they do at work. 

Yet when you think again, there really is no way to escape such dealings no matter where you work.  Even if you have your own business, your relationship with your employees as well as clients and partners constitute much of the same thing. 

My advice to almost every pet peeve is to embrace it with an open heart.  As long as you understand why people do what they do and what their intentions are, you will be able to rise above it and learn to tackle it with the right spirit.   Let me take a few common scenarios as examples.

• Colleagues taking credit for your work

This is probably by far the biggest complaint anyone could have made, and sometimes it is your boss instead of a colleague who is in the wrong.  Instead of merely bitching about the nerves they have, put a mark on your work by making yourself more prominent but not in a cocky way.  If you still don’t know how to articulate that, you may deserve to be taken advantaged of.  No I’m not trying to be mean, but come on, bragging about something not yours is wrong, but letting people know of what you have come up with is your eternal right.  No one can take that away from you, so fight for your own recognition.  For bosses however, I learn to take a step back most of the time.  If my boss looks good, I look good too.  That’s why I get paid and I don’t mind contributing to the common good.  However, you better make sure you will be rewarded at the end of the day.  Knowing how to “tango” with your boss is an art that needs years of trust and mastering.  For that to happen, you have to be honest with each other.

• Colleagues are lazy and they keep shredding their responsibilities

Yes most people don’t want to move their butts until they absolutely have to.  “It’s better be someone else’s problem than mine,” most would think.  I don’t care if they want to shred their responsibilities, because more often than not they would be caught sooner than you think.   I am eager to cross my arms and witness how it plays out.  However, why would I become the victim?  If you find yourself being blamed or positioned for something that you are indecently accused of, stand up for yourself.  No, not to your boss since it will look whiny and childish like getting abused in a school fight.  Stand up by following paper traits.  Put exchanges on paper.  Don’t resort to verbal fights as you will end of looking as bad as the other party.  Take a deep breath, write a calm and logical e-mail stating why it is in their own turf rather than yours, and state how sympathetic you are.  “Oh I just want to focus on the issue and have this resolved for the good of the department or the company, but would it work out even better if that comes from my dear colleagues instead?”  If you make it sound like you have risen well above the silly issue and manage to focus on the overall good, you can toast your victory.  Remember, let your boss know that you are a problem solver instead of whiner, even if it’s your arch-rival who has stirred all this up in the first place.  Being silent and passive is not likely to do yourself justice.

Chances are, someone is always going to review the facts if the issue turns bigger and uglier.  There is no way to ignore black and white texts on e-mails, so use that to your advantage, wisely.   Better yet, those who review it (including your boss) will realize that you are not to be underestimated.  Bravo.