Tag: Office Politics

And yet, a more effective way of dealing with office politics is to engage in them — playing the game, instead of complaining about it. Fortunately, not all politics are bad, and there’s a way to play the game without selling your soul. Much of what we mean by corporate “culture” provides clues for understanding office politics. So what is the difference between good and bad politics? Good politics, on the other hand, involve advancing one’s interests but not to the neglect of other people’s rights or the organization’s legitimate interests. Good politics include acceptable ways of getting recognition for your contributions, having your ideas taken seriously, and influencing what other people think and what decisions get made. What’s more, these political skills affect your career independent of your personality and intelligence. On the other hand, a deficit of political skill can derail otherwise intelligent, honest, and hard-working people. And this gets back to the main difference between good and bad politics. There is a way to use the unspoken rules to contribute to the greater good, advance your interests, and maintain your honor and dignity.