Office Drama: 5 Effective tips for handling work politics

Unfortunately, the gossiping, cliquish behaviour and unnecessary drama that you thought you might have left behind in your school years still wedges its way into your work environment. Office politics is a reality in many workplaces, and just like any other toxic relationships, it can affect your morale and motivation at work. Whether you’re a victim of the drama or simply just want to stay out of it, we’ve shortlisted 5 effective tips for you to effectively manage the politics at your workplace.

Do not get involved

Despite your best efforts, sometimes you can just get caught in the politics anyway: a colleague ranting to you about a teammate, or someone divulging personal details about another co-worker. If this happens, set a precedent with your colleagues that you are not interested in engaging with the water-cooler gossip sessions about anyone in your office. If you give off the vibe that you are uncomfortable or uninterested in contributing to the gossip, they will eventually get the hint that you are not keen in being involved and eventually leave you out of it.

Treat everyone respectfully

No matter how you feel about anyone in your office, always take the high road and abide by a universal rule of respect. You don’t have to feign affection or liking for them – as long as you’re courteous and mature in your interactions with them, you’re good. Treating them unfavourably based on your personal feelings will only cause tension between the both of you and create an unnecessarily hostile work environment.

It might be hard to not cave in, particularly if someone consistently makes snide remarks at your expense, but remember that the way you react is paramount. How maturely (or conversely) you react to a conflict situation can affect your reputation; once that’s been tarnished, it can be hard to reverse it. Be the bigger person always!

Assume that everyone has positive intentions

There are situations that may arise at work where you might misconstrue someone’s intentions – for instance, if a co-worker slips up on his end of a task and therefore affects the entire project. Your natural reaction might be to instinctively react out of frustration and assume that he fell purposefully short on it.

Constantly assuming that everyone’s intentions are negative, however, can create a toxic environment for you. Your reaction to a situation is fortunately something you can control and therefore affect the outcome of. Instead of assuming negative intent, give him the benefit of the doubt and react to it in a positive way.

Get evidence

If you’re on the receiving end of harassment or any serious accusations made by a colleague, make sure you have these interactions recorded. It might sound paranoid or extreme, but it could really work in your favour. Take screenshots of the texts sent or save any emails. Should the situation escalate, you would need to have specific, documented examples of what happened to prove that you were blameless in whatever equation it was.

Keep things in perspective

In the midst of all the drama, keep things in perspective of why you are at work daily in the first place – to grow in your career, earn a living, or because you are passionate about what you do. Try to stay above and not be too distracted or overwhelmed by the office politics. Define your purpose and stay focused on it. This will help bolster you against the toxicity of the politics and also keep you driven at your job.

Sarah Khan

Photo: Getty Images

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