Let’s face it, unless your self-employed, the way you relate with your coworkers and boss pretty much determines how successful you are. It’s not always the most skilled employee that gets promoted; it’s the one everyone likes. Office politics.
For some, this comes naturally. For others, it feels like a dreadful evil of the workplace. But I’m convinced everyone can learn to play career politics, and it doesn’t even have to mean selling your soul and becoming that guy. (You know, the one who snap-points at everyone with a cheesy grin on his face as he walks through the office.)
Here are some tips on how to become better at career politics.
1. Understand: Relationships are more important than work.
Meetings could be one of the most productive parts of your day if they happened the way they’re supposed to. Basically, meetings are about communication. They’re about opening lines of dialogue and getting everyone on the same page. You might find out you’re duplicating someone else’s work. Or you might find clarity and realize there’s a project that doesn’t even need to happen.
Instead, meetings are often filled with bitter people who can’t wait to get back to their “work playlist” at their desk. Consequently, the real communication doesn’t actually happen in meetings. It more often happens around the water cooler or walking around.
It’s amazing, but well-connected people are often able to accomplish much more and with less work, because they can connect work with the right people. Relationships are actually a valuable part of you getting your job done. And that’s the first step to career politics—the healthy way.
2. Show interest in others, but genuine interest.
You don’t have to be the most interesting person in the room for everyone to love you. In fact, it’s the exact opposite. The people everyone really loves are the ones who see everyone else as the most interesting person.
If you can show genuine interest in people—asking good questions and remembering details—people will love hanging out with you. They’ll remember you as one of the only people who listens to them.
Being the life of the party isn’t actually about putting a lampshade on your head and dancing. Yeah, people remember you, but nobody takes you seriously. Instead, the life of the party is the one who connects people and shows genuine interest in each person they meet.
3. People aren’t bridges, but they are people.
I’ve always hated the “never burn bridges” adage. It’s such a valuable statement, but it turns people into objects for you to use.
No, you should never burn bridges. But not because you can get something out of them, but because they are people. Christians shouldn’t burn bridges, because that means burning the souls Jesus came to save. There’s no need to X people out or blow up at them. It might make you feel better, but it’s burning people who are valuable—valuable to Christ, and therefore to us too.
The happy byproduct, though, of not burning people is that you have a network of strong relationships you can rely on.
Career politics is a necessary evil. But it doesn’t have to be an evil endeavor. In fact, if you’re doing your job right as a Christian who loves the world around them, you’ll probably do it well without even trying.
What would you add to this list? How have you successfully played career politics without becoming fake or manipulative?