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Analyzing the Power Struggle and Office Politics

Guest post by: Anne Bachrach

Article Overview: Office politics can get messy. Make no mistake about it: no matter where you go in the world, you will always find political turmoil. Man and womankind are ego-driven creatures and will typically fight viciously when threatened. What can you do as an innocent bystander? You must find a compromise between playing the politician (which is always a risky game) and being a docile worker (who is frequently taken advantage of).

Analyzing the Power Struggle and Office Politics

By now you are aware of the most common characteristics of politicking opponents. They speak smoothly and always with a purpose. They seek power in every situation, and carefully take note of their opponent’s strengths and weaknesses. They tend to browbeat weaker opponents either with direct criticism or with a barrage of intellectual rhetoric showcasing their knowledge. Now that they have intimidated everyone else into compliance, it may be your turn to bow in respect. Will you do it? Will you even notice what is happening in this political game?

To Control or Not to Control… In learning how to survive office politics, it’s best to learn how smart people rise to power. You may understand how they campaign, but how do they actually get the position they crave? The short answer is that they always strive to be in control, and thus are perceived as natural leaders. Dominating weak-minded people is the easy part. The challenge comes in the politician's ability to control other strong-minded opponents. When a dominant personality senses there is resistance it go into full battle mode. They may try to subtly disparage you in private or even publicly if they feel that confident. They will search for your weaknesses and any tidbit of information they can use to damage your reputation.

If they feel you have robbed them of attention, they will seek to gain it back. They may keep up their usual antics or try something dramatic if they feel the timing is right in order to surprise you and shake your confidence. Don’t be surprised to see rather desperate tactics including throwing temper tantrums (i.e. pounding on a desk or shouting) or making personal attacks. One well-known trick they use to regain control is the old “rush away” at the first sign of conflict. Not only does this end the argument, saving the politician from having to defend themselves, they also attempt to break your confidence by abruptly interrupting your statement.

The most important directive of the politician is to “never lose”, they are a creature of intense competition. They would sooner "rush away" than lose an argument. Once you lose an argument, especially in public, then you have lost a measurable amount of control and influence. If you can’t handle a public debate with an experienced talker, don’t even try to argue.

Telling People What They Want to Hear The politician is an expert at telling people what they want to hear, whether they are selling themselves, selling others on their ideas, or merely trying to influence someone to follow their lead and take action. They are extremely talented at remembering information and taking mental notes about their opponents. So be careful about sharing too much information with someone that you know cannot be trusted. The politician counts on other people coming to their defense so be aware if some alliances are being formed. Some workers have found that respectfully approaching other co-workers brings the best results and actually strengthens relationships. About now, you should be relieved that you have worked so hard to make friends out of your other co-workers! Last but not least, the politician may resort to a pity party if they feel that they are losing control. Play this one by ear…it never hurts to be sympathetic, but it always pays to be smart about common manipulation tactics.

Politics are just a part of life inside any community. The best scenario is that you avoid blatantly campaigning for power or intentionally injuring other’s reputation. However, the more you learn about the different workplace personalities, the more you realize that some psychometric education can help you early in your career. If you successfully manage to handle the politician, as opposed to making them a permanent enemy, then you may eventually impress management with your people skills. Life and business coaching prepares you for the real world—the real world that you are about to conquer.

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Article Tags: business coaching, how to survive office politics, life coaching, office politics, power struggle



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