Posted by Have you ever been in a workplace where everyone engages in a heated debate every day? Most companies are always on the receiving end where employers and employees are always trying to one-up each other.
It won’t be an easy feat to cope with this challenging environment where you are surrounded by people filled with personal agendas. If you wish to stay on course at work even though you try not thread into a sensitive situation. These steps might just help you adapt to conditions and things must end up in your favour.
1. Sit back and observe
If you are a new staff in the office, it is best to watch and recognise the people with influence and knowledge. Ask yourself who are the person that is well respected? Which person mentors with their peers? Who is the person with the expertise?
2. Examining the informal network
Upon observing the individuals with knowledge and influence in the organisation. You will need to study their synergies and relationships to understand their everyday or social networks. Watch discreetly and courteously to determine who can go along with who and those who find it tough to interact with. Identify if the connections are based on friendship, respect, affection or professional. Lastly, try to interpret how influence flows between the two sides regardless if there are any interpersonal conflicts.
3. Establish connections
Once you are able to see the strings in the relationships, you can start joining your own professional network. Besides focusing on your own internal team, look across other work colleagues, managers and executives. Be more upfront with people with high recognition and bridge the gap between both sides. Most of all are friendly to everyone in the organisation and try not to pit yourself to close one particular individual or group.
Related: 8 Types of Colleagues We All Have (and How to Work with Them)
4.Refine your interpersonal skills
A well-grounded people skills will help you build and keep a strong network. Emotional intelligence can also be the key to assist you in picking up people’s emotion. This will help you plan out your way of approach. Always full invest your time in listening by taking it slow and easy to focus and learn.
5. Keeping your tabs close to negative politics
It may be a fair move to keep yourself out of the bad situations. That being said, it is good to keep yourself aware of the gossips and manipulators out there. Be alert and try to understand their end game so that you can evade or counter the consequences. Watch your back as some people may not be so fond of you.
6. Offset negative politics
Bring balance to office politics by introducing some positivity. Instead of speaking about rumours, choose to keep all the words that you heard around the office to yourself. Don’t take sides and try not get yourself involved in any arguments or recriminations. If a situation escalates from bad to worse, there will always be middle ground out there if you wish to put everyone in the equal ground. When you are voicing out your concerns, be confident and ensure that its express through the organisation perspective.