Office politics are a part of a professional life. No matter where you work, you will have to deal with hearing about who are the lazy employees, who “so-and-so” is dating and why the CEO is an idiot. Your typical gossip garbage and generally useless information about others. And then there are those who use office politics to spoil the reputation of a colleague in order to eliminate competition. Somebody must really need that promotion.

This is a cheap tactic used by people who have no scruples as a way to survive and succeed. At times, it becomes difficult to survive in such a negative environment. The best way to win such a battle is by not playing the game in the first place. That’s right, it is often best to avoid office politics altogether. Shred Monkeys, your mobile shredding service in Orlando, offer these tips on avoiding and surviving office politics.

Maintain Good Relationships with Coworkers

One of the easiest and simplest ways to avoid office politics is by maintaining a good relationship with those you work with. Now, this doesn’t mean you have to be a pushover; you can be pleasant, yet assertive. When you have good relationships within the company, there are fewer chances that adverse office politics will affect you.

If a conflict at the office does arise, focus on issues as opposed to people. Office politics is often about power, rarely is it about finding a solution to a problem. Solve the problem instead of playing the blame game and you will be praised and admired by leadership.

 

Be Helpful and Supportive

In all likelihood, your plate is full. That is, you have your job to worry about and the tasks that need to be done take up much of your working time. But that is not to say this is where all your effort goes, just the opposite in fact. Whatever spare time you can find at work, use it to help out a colleague. By doing so, you win their loyalty and trust and you reduce the chances of falling victim to office politics.

There will always be those who suffer professional jealousy, it is quite common in most organizations. The secret to avoiding jealously is through the good deeds you do for others. It is a good way to protect yourself from politics.

Don’t Speak of What Others Tell You

If a coworker tells you something in confidence, keep it a secret. Talking about matters like this with others creates a negative impression of yourself and nobody appreciates this type of behavior. Once people realize you told others what they told you in confidence, you lose their trust and their respect.

All too often, it’s a trivial matter that blows up into a major issue. And in many cases, it starts off as something that was said to somebody else in confidence. Don’t be a part of the problem by being an office gossip.

Be Honest and Straightforward

In your day to day activities at work, do your tasks and let people know if you have made a mistake or if there are other issues. In doing so, you will gain the respect of others.

Stick to Your Principles

Not everybody is going to agree with your views. But people who stick to their principles are less affected by office politics. If you see something going on that is wrong in your eyes, stand up against it.

Gossip is Never a Good Thing

Gossip destroys the atmosphere of a company. It doesn’t do anybody any good and should be totally avoided. This means not only should you not gossip about others, but you should also refrain from listening in on gossip. If you are involved in a conversation when somebody starts to gossip, never just tell them to stop. Instead, change the subject or distract the gossiper in a subtle way that won’t offend them.

Avoid the Gripe Sessions

You may find yourself in a situation when the person you are taking to starts bad-mouthing the boss. Just being involved in this makes you look bad. Again, your best bet is to try to change the subject.

If that doesn’t work, excuse yourself from the conversation by saying you need to call Shred Monkeys to have some documents shredded. It works every time.