Overview

Over the years, different managers have told me that they ignore office politics and just do their jobs. They explained that good work and a high performing team are all that they have ever needed to be influential in their organizations and to support their team.

I wish their idealistic thinking was true. The truth is however that being an effective manager can only take you so far. In the complex world of modern organizations and how people with competing agendas behave in them, you cannot completely ignore office politics.  If you do, it can harm your effectiveness and make things difficult for your employees.

It is wise to understand this powerful force of human behavior and find a way to manage office politics both by being ethical and by navigating your organizational culture appropriately. This is far better than the alternative of ignoring the existence of office politics and being harmed by the path they take in your organization.

Office Politics: Are they Good or Bad? They’re Neither!

The fact is that politics are everywhere. Forget government–we know it exists there!

Politics also exist in families, homeowner associations, volunteer groups, churches and synagogues, and yes in business. Where three or four human beings are gathered together there will be politics!

Once people with different values, priorities, and interaction styles come together, it makes sense that they will compete for influence and for the control of limited resources.  And, just like that, politics begins!

As I explain in my book on conflict in the workplace, there are certain situations that continually cause disagreements in the workplace to occur. These situations are the following:

• different values
• different interpersonal styles
• competing priorities
• limited resources
• past history
• organizational stress
• unclear direction
• opposing strategies

When people and groups in organizations are unable to resolve these workplace disagreements, they will oppose each other to get their way. This is how office politics occurs and why they never cease to go away.

Conclusion

So, while you may want to ignore all office politics, it’s unwise to do so. If you do, you might find yourself without the resources and support you need to do your job.

As you take a position, pick your battles wisely and always account for the culture of your organization (its rules and norms) as you interact with others.