Touchstone Leader

Team Politics January 25, 2012

It seems you can’t go far without getting involved in politics anymore. The discussions are endless and there’s little resolution. The only thing worse than watching the drama of politics play out in the media is experiencing it first hand on the job.

Office (or Team) politics usually is a no win situation. You are seemingly trapped into choosing sides; one side’s right and the other is wrong, but each side believes the other is wrong. With all of the bantering back and forth (he’s this and she’s that) it’s a wonder any work gets done…or does it?

What should you do when confronted with office politics? Your job.

Sorry, it’s that simple…about 90% of the time. The reality is, if you have time to discuss office politics on the job, you’re not busy enough. (Don’t confuse office politics with office gossip. That’s another post.)

Office politics will always exist, but that does not mean you have to participate. If you find yourself in a situation where office politics rule, and you’re forced to choose sides, you’re in the wrong company. If you have no chance of breaking free anytime soon, the next post will offer some steps for working in a “political environment.”

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