Politics can be Positive
When I was asked to write a piece on office politics I frowned and could be heard mumbling words to the effect that I can’t be doing with politics in the workplace, I much prefer people to be open and honest and have grown up discussions with each other rather than having a hidden agenda.
Starting to do some reading on the subject it dawned on me that actually politics plays a key role in how we all operate, inside and outside the workplace and it’s not necessarily the negative thing that I, and likely others perceive it to be. Taken from one aspect, politics can be about a struggle for power, but look at it from different angles and you might see it as team dynamics, interpersonal skills, and a way of engaging people.
A fundamental part of successfully leading a team is knowing how to get the best out of each individual, to get things done or bring about change. Part of this is knowing how to approach, consult, and negotiate with each one of the team on a daily basis. Taking this kind of mindful approach is not about being corrupt, unethical or incongruent, but rather it’s about recognising difference in a way that encourages individuals to co-operate, to see both sides of an argument and to engage.
Last year we had 2 new team members join us at cHRysos HR. I recognised that introducing new people to our small group would impact on team dynamics and things would feel different for some time as everyone repositioned and established their place within the new team and things settled down. Having this insight in the run up to our new members joining the organisation, I was able to prepare for and manage the situation by involving the team in planning the induction programme, what projects we can get our new members involved in that others haven’t had time to do, getting them talking about how we would benefit as a whole by having extra resources. I guess that’s office politics; but my intentions were purely honorable and about engaging and giving ownership of the change that was about to happen. Giving the existing team the opportunity to express their opinions and be listened to is known to be a fundamental part of job satisfaction.
Outside of work I engage in a lot of networking and client relationship building. I’ve never before thought of this as political but actually what we do in these scenarios is use our interpersonal skills to build bridges, highlight to potential clients how their challenges or fears can be resolved or their aspirations achieved by doing business with us; perhaps saving them time, enabling them to secure a new role by studying a professional qualification, keeping them out of tribunal by providing HR support.
I know it’s not possible to please everyone but it is worth considering how positive and ethical politics help to foster good workplace relationships – in fact good relationships out of work too, like knowing when to tell your other half you’ve been on a spending spree!
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cHRysos HR Solutions are a UK wide HR training and consultancy company offering CIPD accredited qualifications, Apprenticeships, Training and HR Services to SMEs. For more information about how cHRysos HR can help you or your teams successfully achieve further qualifications, contact us on info@chrysos.org.uk or call 03300 562443.