Office Politics are Just Relationships
Ignore Them at Your Peril
Every company has politics. If you work with people, it’s part of the job. We either recognize this and deal with it or let it hinder our success.
Failing to recognize and understand this creates a major risk to your success.
When I first started working, I didn’t subscribe to this idea. I figured that I would just deliver high quality work and it would stand for itself. And if I’m being honest, as an introvert, the thought of networking put me in a state of panic.
This worked for a while. But eventually I wanted a promotion into management. Suddenly, my work wasn’t enough. I hadn’t invested in the political side and didn’t have the support needed to advance. Despite delivering more and better results, at least in my own opinion, I was behind my colleagues that spent more time networking throughout the organization.
It didn’t seem fair. I’d put in the work. I shouldn’t be penalized for not playing politics. What does schmoozing have to do with performance anyway?
A lot, as it turns out.
Office politics get a bad rap. They’re the standard scapegoat for when things don’t go our way. Anytime someone doesn’t get a promotion they want; office politics are to blame.
