The game of office politics

It's hard to avoid colleagues venting or negative chit-chat at work. Photo / Getty Images

It's human nature to pick teams, but it's not ideal when it happens in the office. Office politics can be toxic; it poisons workplaces and pits people against each other, when they should be working together towards a shared goal.

But it's hard to avoid. If a colleague has experienced wrongdoing and wants to vent, there's a tendency for sides to be taken. And jealously comes into play; people may get promotions that you thought you deserved and nasty chatter ensues.

There's something rather delicious about uniting against a common foe (especially if you're somewhat dissatisfied with your place of work already), but it doesn't always lead to positive outcomes.

Alan Pettersen from human resources company Positive People says office politics tends to be built around power dynamics in the workforce. And once it takes hold, it can become "culturally embedded" and start to sour the entire workplace.

Companies that encourage competition and prize individualism can be more prone to office politics than those which prize shared goals and collaborative work.

"Employees tend to feel better off when there are aspirational goals that everyone can meet," says Pettersen. "People tend to put aside pettiness if there is something in front of them that they can all achieve together."

Toxic office politics tends to take root when relationships fall down. The key here is communication — once people stop talking due to conflict, problematic office politics can arise. Savvy managers play a key role in mitigating harm caused by such conflict, says Pettersen.

If they sense there is a "bad vibe" in the office, they can identify the cause and bring those involved in for an informal meeting. If the issue is just a bit of gossip going around the office, it can be addressed.

Having a clear company policy around gossip and respect for others is extremely useful when issues such as this arise. It can be used as the background for any action taken going forward and can provide a clear message to everyone about the company's position.

If the problem lies within the senior management team (which Pettersen says it often does) dealing with office politics can be slightly trickier. In these cases, it pays to get either the internal human resources team involved, or bring in outside experts who can handle the issue.

In order to unravel what is going on, individual talks need to take place. Another good idea for dealing with embedded workplace office politics is undertaking an employee engagement survey. These are anonymous and give a really good sense of where any issues lie in the company.

Once the problem areas have been identified, a focus group can be set up to help resolves the issues. Part of the solution will be to articulate a set of values that are non-negotiables for the company. These can then be clearly communicated to all the staff, effectively creating a culture that doesn't allow for toxicity to thrive.

If someone has been unfairly treated, and then speaks to one of their colleagues about it, it's important for the colleague to try to help resolve the problem, rather than make it worse by spreading gossip about the perpetrator. It's tempting in stressful work environments to engage in gossip as a way of "letting off steam" but this only exacerbates the issues.

Pettersen says that if a colleague of someone who has experienced a genuine grievance is called on for help, the best course of action is to encourage the subject of the bad behaviour to confront the problem.

"It might be helpful to offer to go with the person involved to management to offer them support," he says.

It's also okay to say "no" to negative office chit-chat. "The best thing to do is to concentrate on your own performance and the way in which you conduct yourself," says Pettersen.

Having said this, there is an argument that says understanding office politics can be a useful tool when it comes to your career. Knowing the right people, having the right contacts and being aware of power structures can be important when climbing the career ladder.

Bonnie Marcus, Forbes columnist and author of The Politics of Promotion: How High-Achieving Women Get Ahead and Stay Ahead, says having a handle on politics in your office is vital if you want to scale the heights.

"What does it take to be politically savvy? First and foremost, it requires you to pay attention. Understand that your work alone will not get you promoted. You must be aware of what's going on in your company."

She says that by being aware of who has the power and influence; understanding the workplace culture and the unwritten rules of your job, you are more likely to achieve than just by good work alone.

"It's critical to pay attention to all of this. Do the best job you can. Build relationships with key stakeholders, and look out for potential landmines. That's political savvy!"

Whatever your take on office politics, it can be an overwhelming force in the workplace that needs careful navigation. Don't let yourself be overcome by battles that can't be won, or causes that have no possible positive outcome.

In the final wash-up, if a job is making you miserable, getting involved in toxic workplace games isn't going to make it any better. It would be far more sensible to expend your energies finding a workplace that "fits" rather than pointlessly railing against an environment or situation you have no chance of changing,