by Lauren Bove

Created on: March 03, 2010   Last Updated: June 28, 2011

Office politics can keep you up at night with thoughts of how to handle a sticky situation. It can completely derail your job satisfaction and at it’s worst – your career.  Your options are for managing the battle at the workplace is varied. Check out these suggestions.

Fly above the clouds.

Try working within the system by defining what the politics and sensitivities that’s at play.  Who are the players?  What is their stance? How do you work with, around or through them? Observe and discover the purpose and drive of the supervisors.  Knowing what they’re priorities are can help you fit into their paradigm.  Any time you can make someone’s job easier, you’re putting yourself above office politics and in the right kind of spotlight.  

Never give in to the temptation to gossip.

Forget what is going on around you during troubling office politics.  Stick with your work and doing the best job you can.  Ride out the storm and know that when it’s over you did not squander your time and have the results to prove it. 

Buck the system.

Platitudes and superiority will only make the issue worse.  Know that all people are concerned about their job security – that is what is often fueling the politics.  Try to get ahead by doing your best at work and putting in the little bit extra that will make you stand out in a good way.  You do not want to be noticed for your part in the office politics, but your abilities in your career and how you care for the company’s needs.  Be a good internal customer servant and any troublesome times will soon be behind you.

You can try again:

If you’ve done all that you can to climb the company ladder the correct way, you may find it’s time to move on. Respectfully resign once a suitable position is available and give your company their required amount of notice.  Leave your job with every duck in a row, as many good connections as possible for networking and a brief list of helpful hints for your replacement. A new company offers a chance at a new approach – a do-over. Take whatever you’ve learned and apply it to the next gig. 

Sometimes personal skill and education aren't enough to succeed.  When office politics gets you down you have a couple options for action.  Whether you decide to fish or cut bait is entirely up to you.  Do what is reasonably best for you and your business reputation. You will never eliminate all discomfort in a workplace.  The key is to find a place that you can enjoy most of the time and whose faults are things that you can live with.

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