When you hear about office politics, in what direction does your mind dart towards? Is all you can think of spreading malicious rumours, sucking up to the right people and backstabbing? If this is the case, you have a lot of work to do as a manager to ensure that the organisation doesn’t become chaotic.
Let’s talk about the dynamics of “bad politics” for a bit. Depending on the organisation, such politics might involve employees and management across different levels, leading to the organisation’s breakdown of law and order. This is why it is vital for you as a manager to act as a middleman and ensure that different groups in the organisation can have a go in a fair and acceptable manner.
Everyone is striving for success. What’s different, however, is the individual means employed to achieve it. Workplace politics usually arise when opinions and personalities clash, and there is a lack of consensus on the best way to play politics. This is where the situation becomes increasingly difficult to manage.
You can manage politics in the organisation by:
