10 Effective Ways To Navigate Work Politics
Parent Post
Most of us respond
Most of us respond to work politics by turning off our emotions and call it being professional. We think we’re making it easier on ourselves, but nothing ever changes.
We vent to our colleagues and friends, but again, these problems rarely go away. In fact, our inaction often makes the problem worse.
Here are 10 effective ways to go about it.
Free yourself from the
Free yourself from the ally echo chamber
You know your allies, as you’ve likely been venting to them.
But venting reduces the symptoms just enough to keep everyone from addressing the core problem.
Don’t give in to this distraction.
Order conversations from most
Order conversations from most difficult to least, then have them in that order
If a conversation feels like it will be difficult, it means it’s the most important one to stop avoiding.
If you come to the table taking responsibility, seeking empathy, and using as much tact as you can muster, you’ll find that even if you disagree, you’ll have a useful, productive conversation.
Tactfully reveal the elephantsBe
Tactfully reveal the elephants
Be mindful to use language that does not assign judgment or cause people to feel blamed.
Instead, focus on the challenges you have been encountering and use neutral language to share your perspective.
Your words will only be heard if you are incredibly tactful. It doesn’t hurt to practice with a trusted friend!
Identify your role In
Identify your role In the problem
Be honest with yourself.
Write down the ways in which you’ve contributed, and identify how you can personally take responsibility.
If you do this authentically, it will be your secret weapon to get “opponents” to open up and work with you.
Prevent problems by quickly
Prevent problems by quickly addressing minor peeves and triggers
Even though each chat may be a bit awkward, if you come from a place of honesty, identifying where you’ve been inauthentic or not holding up your end of the bargain, you’ll maintain an open dialog.
This is the best way to prevent drama and politics from even occurring.
Find the key player(s)For
Find the key player(s)
For some situations, there is one person at the source of the problem.
Go through all the players and imagine each person individually disappearing from the organization.
If it does, then this person is the key. If this person’s performance is the issue, that’s the elephant in the room that you need to address tactfully.
Seek to understand their motivation and you may find a natural way to diffuse the situation.
Identify your opponents and
Identify your opponents and establish a connection with them
Empathy diffuses drama. Seek to understand their emotions and what they’re trying to accomplish.
Even if your opinion is unchanged, a true connection is your greatest asset to influence someone for the better.
Give voice to the
Give voice to the problem
Take back control by giving this cloud a name and making it concrete.
Be mindful and ask yourself, “What is actually going on here?”
Focus on the facts and avoid what you think happened. Know that you can’t control how you feel, only how you react.
This will make future conversations easier.
Count your elephantsMake a
Count your elephants
Make a list of all of the awkward, uncomfortable realities that haven’t been discussed out in the open.
Set aside time to consciously think through what’s actually bothering you right now and write down these elephants.
This will not only enable you to resolve these issues but will also give you peace of mind
Intentionally make yourself vulnerableWhen
Intentionally make yourself vulnerable
When starting a difficult conversation, lead with what you could have done better in the situation and consider sharing your personal emotions and challenges in a tactful, authentic way.
This is a huge opportunity to create trust. It’s also where most people fail, as it requires being incredibly vulnerable.
If you’re not used to it, force yourself, and the more you do it, the easier it will get.