Avoid Back Office Politics
The "back office" refers to the operations or day to day workings of an office. It is the part of your working world that customers and clients do not get to see or participate in. The back office can be consumed with office politics, especially when people are trying to further their own careers, build alliances or feel superior to other co-workers. Whether you are a manager seeking to maintain credibility and influence or an employee who wishes to remain productive and professional, office politics can be damaging. Avoid back office politics by staying out of the gossip and game playing and standing up for a functional and respectful work environment.
Contents
Steps
Avoiding Back Office Politics as a Manager
- Observe your team members and how they relate to one another.
- Watch for people who might instigate office feuds or spread gossip. Observing without interfering will give you the opportunity to see how office politics play out in your department. You will also notice who the problem employees might be.
- Maintain strict boundaries. As a supervisor or a manager, you are not expected to befriend your employees. Do not get drawn into any gossip or petty arguments.
- Keep your tone and topics professional and work-related when you deal with your employees.
- Assert your authority when necessary. Your team needs to know that gossip, rumors, backstabbing and undermining each other's work will not be tolerated.
- Hold private conversations with the people who are involved. Calmly explain that you expect each employee to do the job he or she was hired for and to stay on task.
- Remind your employees that the way they interact with other members of the team will be noted in performance reviews.
- Encourage respect among the members of your team. Set a good example by treating everyone in a professional and respectful manner.
- Do what is right. When back office politics comes to a head, assess the situation and make a judgment based on the information you have and the behavior you have witnessed.
Avoiding Back Office Politics as an Employee
- Be yourself. Do not try to impress co-workers by talking about others or backstabbing when that is not your nature.
- Determine which co-workers play office politics. It will not take you long to identify the culprits. Once you do, stay away from those people except when you have legitimate business to discuss.
- Walk away when necessary. If a work-related discussion turns into rumors or scheming, simply remove yourself from the situation.
- Try to bring the discussion back to the work-related topic if you can.
- Prepare yourself for politics and power plays. Even if you are not involved in office politics, they can affect you.
- Stay on top of your work so that no one will have a reason to question your motivations, or work product. Make sure all of your work is complete and accurate. Keep yourself focused on your job.
- Be careful what you share about yourself. Many people have friends at work, but do not share too much personal information with co-workers, otherwise it can be used against you.
- Stay positive. A positive attitude and commitment to work can be frustrating and bewildering for those who prefer to engage in office politics.
- Try not to criticize others, even if you find their gossip and politics unprofessional and disruptive.
- Set a good example. Your supervisors will likely notice your success at avoiding politics and staying focused. This will help your career grow.
Tips
- Involve your manager and the human resources department if office politics get out of hand. Workplace bullying is becoming a concern in many companies. If you are worried about someone's actions or behavior, talk to a superior.
