Office Politics Made Simple
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Office Politics Made Simple

Developing Relationships & Communication to Win

Every company, big and small has politics, but in larger organizations more people are competing for attention from just a few top people. So that means in bigger companies there are more politics and more people playing the game.

Whether you want to admit it or not, we all want to be recognized for our results and effort. Some people will fight for attention at any cost, and suck the oxygen out of the room. But, most people like you and I just figure out what needs to get done, and do it.

By getting to know lots of people in your organization you gain access to people in different groups than yours. The more people you know the more people that can see your results, and make it easier for you to get noticed.

Good Results Will Tell Your Story for You

Good results have a way of getting around, and in time people will know what you are all about. However, you have to work on building your relationships in the office.

The more often you deliver, the more others will vocalize that you are doing a good job. You do not always need to tell people about what you did, but do need to tell the right key people occasionally.

First step to being political is to establish good relationships with others. Second step is getting others to talk positively about you in the office.

Be Positive with Politics. Never Go Negative

With good communication flow about you, eventually others will see what you did and you will get attention from the top.

The more attention you have the more people will want to listen to your ideas. Good communication about you will help support you when you get stuck or need help on a deal, project, ad campaign, etc…

It also makes it tougher for someone to put you under the bus, which happens from time to time when others are protecting themselves and do not have great relationships with those around them.

To get ahead you do not need to be political in a negative way. There are many positive ways to do this. If you never thought you can be political, you can.

Monitor Inconsistencies in What People Say & Do to Find Your Advocates

Unless you know how to navigate getting a message out, and who to talk to, your idea/thought/project, etc may just stay with you. You need to know what to say, how to say it, when to say it, and who you should talk with.

While you know actions speak louder than words, track inconsistencies between what people say and do. Those that say one thing and do another be on alert for. They are a problem, and will block your message to the higher ups. So you will need to tailor your approach to being political for different types of people.

Attend ALL Company Social Events

Social events are a great place to spend time with team members, bosses, etc... Usually, the people that are sabotaging you are just out to protect themselves because they fear someone is out to get them.

They feel this way either because they have made mistakes that the bosses have noticed or because they have low or no self confidence. You always need to believe in yourself, but not be outwardly arrogant with your confidence.

You will find overly aggressive political people can talk a good game, but are not real leaders or motivators for others that work around them.

Communicate & Build Connections

In the end, the goal is to get you to create the best communication with those around you. So the short plan is to seek out people that are in the know. Then build connections with these people.

Below are items that will help you get on the road to being political. You have heard much of this before, and may already be doing some or all of these items.

  • Ask Questions & Listen: Every chance you get to talk with someone in the office, talk in a way that you get them to be part of the conversation. So ask questions and listen to the answers, don’t just talk.
  • Never Assume: Find out what people think, not what you assume they think. This should underscore your need to ask questions and listen
  • Make People Feel at Ease: When people feel comfortable with you, they are more likely to open up to you and in return listen to you. When they talk they will be more likely to give better information.
  • Dress for Success: Duh… You have heard this 100 times, dress the way the top bosses dress. Either dressing it up or down. Don't wear a 3 piece suit if others are wearing flip flops... 
  • Sit and Talk: At least once a day sit and talk with people that are better connected than you in the office. Get their take on the biz and learn what they know. All information that you learn will help you better understand the organization, who the real players are, what others think about them, and allow you to find the right people to get your ideas out to.
  • Be Helpful: It sounds simple, but requires some effort. As big projects come up, volunteer. When others need help, stay late and help them out. Everyone can always give more time. In exchange you will gain access to people that you may never have been able to spend time with, especially those that are at the top of the company.
  • Attend Social Functions: Yes, go to ALL social events at work. Never miss one, ever. This is the best place to be seen and get face time with people you do not get a chance to spend a lot of time with during the day. You’ll be surprised, not many people go to these events, so you will get a lot of face time.
  • Make a Political Map: This may not be for everyone, but… Either mentally make notes or take paper notes, but know what you need to know to navigate the office. Map out who talks to who...
  • Note who the insiders are, and who thinks they are an insider
  • Find out the views of insiders, and what they talk about
  • Learn the behaviors that get rewarded in the office
  • Deliver What is Asked: Do your work, on time, every time. Never miss a deliverable. Ever.
  • Be Cost Conscious: Find solutions that have low or no cost. Every employee should be thinking about the bottom line and profitability. Help the company on this every chance you get.
  • Bring Up Issues: At work, no one likes surprises, ever. Get good at communicating potential issues and hurdles to your boss. What they choose to do with the info is up to them, but make sure you have proof that you communicated this up so that it does not come back to bite you later on.

Building a reputation as a hard working, solutions oriented person helps you to be political. Certainly it gives you more credibility as you talk about the ideas that you have and helps you win. 

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Now that you have some new views on winning at office politics check out Interviewing Candidates for Any Role

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