Office Politics – Choosing to Play the Game or Being an Individualist

Ahh, office politics…even the words may cause your head to begin to throb or your stomach ache. Office politics can be so distasteful that you may wish to avoid it all together. You may view the price of being liked in the office as too high. But before you decide you’re better off being an individualist, consider that you may limit your success and potentially even your happiness in your current career by doing so.

If you stop for a minute and think of the most successful person you know in the company you work for, you will realize that he or she likely has to rely on and trust a good number of people in order to achieve his or her results. As an employee, it is important for you to look for ways to also build connections and rapport with people. It is important for you to do so for a number of reasons. First, you will be seen as someone who has the ability to get along with others. Secondly, assuming you are a good worker, your ability to get along with others will mean that you will be more esteemed by management. Believe it or not, it can sometimes be harder for managers to find someone who can get along well with others than someone who has the skill and proficiency for a job. If you have both, you’ll likely be more valued by your employer. Thirdly, it will help you achieve your work goals by providing resources and relationships that you can positively leverage at crucial times in your career.

Because most companies take a promote from within philosophy, an employee who is visible and well known by senior employees and management will often have a greater opportunity for advancement. Properly playing office politics can lead to the necessary upper management visibility and exposure. Thus, unless you want to hamper your career growth and often the happiness that goes along with the fulfillment of aspirations, it is time to learn how to play the game of office politics.