Office Politics, Again ReconsideredHeroic Technical Writing: Advice and Insights on the Business of Technical CommunicationHeroic Technical Writing: Advice and Insights on the Business of Technical Communication

On Monday, I discussed why workplaces can have “politics” affect the ability of individuals to just to do the job. Today I thought I’d talk a little bit about how those politics can manifest themselves and when they can become toxic to proper operations and profitability.

How Office Politics Manifest Themselves

I already laid out the types of issues that workplace politics can affect:

How decisions are made
Which organizations or activities should receive a piece of the budget and how much
How individuals and teams should be led
How large teams should be
Who should be in charge of a cross-discipline (or cross-department) project
Who should get credit for X accomplishment
Who should be blamed for X failure
How much autonomy employees should have to pursue their individual tasks
Which practices need to be changed
Whether another company should be acquired
Which or whose work should be done first
Whether the company should accept a buyout or merger with another organization
How much work should be subcontracted to an outside organization
Whose bright idea should be used to solve problem X?

Unfortunately, other behaviors can occur before the decisions above are made. These can include:

Differing levels of respect accorded to individuals based on attributes unrelated to their job role or performance
Gossip
Cliques
Excluding others from conversations or sudden silences when particular individuals approach
“Forgetting” to invite specific people to meetings or discussions related to the discussions listed above
Sarcastic remarks about individuals in other teams or cliques made to undermine their level of respect or effectiveness
Resentment or envy over perceived favoritism
Actual favoritism or nepotism
Rudeness
Regular meetings or reminders from HR about professionalism in the workplace
Micromanagement
Active sabotage of other groups’ work

Any of this sound familiar? When I started observing it, I realized what I was seeing: it’s like high school! And the behaviors are often just as petty and immature. Forget how your civics class tells you politics are supposed to happen in an ideal situation. Watch how people actually behave when they feel their personal interests or “in group” are being threatened.

And these dynamics can occur in any size of organization, from small business to multinational corporation. Large companies offer more complex dynamics and rivalries (between locations, divisions, management and labor, long-timers vs. new employees, etc.). Smaller businesses can have politics if you’re operating in a family business and are or are not a member of said family.

Can Office Politics Be a POSITIVE Thing?

Admittedly, I’ve made office politics sound like an unavoidable, evil, toxic force in the workplace…and yes, it can be, as represented by the behaviors I mentioned above. However, there are times when the social environment in a workplace is positive and supportive. What does that sort of “politics” look like? (Mind you, these are general trends–any place can have an “off day.”)

Individuals are focused on the overall organization “mission” rather than personal agendas
Leaders and team members are mutually supportive
Problems are primarily related to accomplishing the mission, not due to interpersonal issues or team dynamics
Leaders are willing to lend a hand when front-line staff encounter a surge in activity
Respect flows up and down the chain of command
Employees are able to make decisions that affect their ability to do their jobs with a minimum of supervision
Errors or failures result in efforts to prevent recurrence, not assign blame
Individuals are not afraid to speak their mind
People work late because they’re enjoying what they’re doing, not because they are ordered to stay
Leaders “walk the talk” (as opposed to “Do what I say, not what I do”)

I’ve been lucky to work in one or two operations like this. They’re not as common as I’d like, but a pleasure to work for when they exist and they can make a huge difference in your job satisfaction. They are often the result of excellent leaders. Appreciate those places and people when you find them!