Work politics, is it a necessary evil?

[thebehaviourist]

I was recently involved in a pay dispute between myself and the Company that i work for. In my humble opinion i believe that their was a "teacher's pet" syndrome at work. But more importantly, so was work politics, because without it i would have deffinately got more, and so would my other colleagues!
Due to feedback from this site and my own recent experiences, i have thought about the subject of "work politics" in a lot more depth and i would like to share my thoughts with you now, so if you have any comments that you wish to share, please do so?

WORK POLITICS, IS IT A NECESSARY EVIL?
We all have stories about times that our face doesn't fit in to an environment be it work,home or just a new group of friends that we have just aquired. I suspect that during the settleing in period we may be the "victims" of the gossip that will surely follow, and that isn't a bad thing if it stays at that level but, sometimes it doesn't, it progresses to a more "sinister" level and that is called politics.

If appreciation is the glue that gets teams working then politics is the solvent that will tear them apart!

We have all been a victim to it but i believe this is the first time it has been written about, and i'm not the only one who is seeking answers. So what is it, how can anyone protect themselves from it?

Politics is the act or attempt of: " The use of emotional persuasion, by one or more people, to achieve a set agenda or goals?

The first thing that i have to say on this subject is, it isn't always about you! Nor is it a sign that you can not do your job. Nor is it about whether or not that you fit in! Take yourself out of the equation, completely!
The bottom line here is, does your personality fit in or do you meet somebody elses expectations, it does not mean that you are a worthless individual who has nothing to offer, it may even mean that someone is afraid or jealous of you!

So what can you do if you think that you are a "victim" of politics, absolutely nothing. JUST BE YOURSELF!

Sorry, but it is as simple as that. Please refer to the list below........

1, Understand who you are, and what you are worth.
2, Realise it isn't always about you!
3, Ask yourself why, are you more grumpy, or are you gaining popularity?
4, Are your opinions controversial?
5, Trust no one!!!!!!!!! In the work place you don't have friends?!
6, What does the person above you gain to "lose", or prove!
7, Unless you are shown otherwise, BE YOURSELF!
8, Enjoy it! Be more happy, even gregarious, or quieter and less assuming!
9, Watch the reactions, you will learn a lot more than you can read in a book, and then use it to play the game, and win!!!!!

Please note, trust your own instincts, there are always exceptions to every rule!

So, what do you think, have you a story to tell?

Regards

 

[Ash]

I was recently involved in a pay dispute between myself and the Company that i work for. In my humble opinion i believe that their was a "teacher's pet" syndrome at work. But more importantly, so was work politics, because without it i would have deffinately got more, and so would my other colleagues!

Ohhh, I can relate to that. There is serious favoritism in my group. It's brought a lot of people down because it feels as if you will never get ahead.

1. Understand who you are, and what you are worth.

True. If you can be content with who you are, it's easier to ignore the politics, etc.

2. Realise it isn't always about you!

That's always the hardest to come to terms with. I think that a lot of people take, not only this situations, many situations personally.

4. Are your opinions controversial?

Or do your opinions go against what your boss thinks/wants? This can cause a lot of issues and general apathy.

5. Trust no one!!!!!!!!! In the work place you don't have friends?!

Boy is that the truth. We use "CYOA" a lot in my group because you simply can't trust anyone. Well, I shouldn't say everyone; there are trustworthy people. It's a matter of determining who those people are and closing off to the others.

6. What does the person above you gain to "lose", or prove!

I suppose that's at the heart of the matter and if you can figure it out, it could be easier to deal with.

9. Watch the reactions, you will learn a lot more than you can read in a book, and then use it to play the game, and win!!!!!

Ahhh but it then comes down to playing the game. For so long, I flat out refused to do this. I felt that it was beneath me

I hate to admit that I play the game a little now. Mostly because I feel that otherwise, things will stay crappy.

In my group there is too much favoritism. A few of the people are back-stabbing, two-faced and generally act as if they are superior and it's their opinion that matters most. Most of my group is disatisified and have made complaints regarding my boss. God forbid you have an opinion that differs from my her. I eventually learned to just do as she asks and not question too much. It's difficult to be seen as a rabble-rouser. My boss has also been known to lie to the higher ups regarding certain issues.

All in all, crap. My philosphy has become: go to work, do the best job I can, go home and spend my time with the people that I love. I'm sick to death of politics and since you only live once, I try to not let it affect me.