Don’t let your colleagues drive you up the wall on a Monday. Stay away from office politics by following these tips.
When on a Monday, your colleagues drive you up the wall by playing dirty office politics…you feel like spitting fire, don’t you? Do you sit in a corner and sulk? Na, too cowardly. Do you give it back to them in the meanest way possible? Hmm…not too ‘office-y’. In order to strike up the right balance between being friendly and not being taken for granted, we give you some heads up. The trick lies in drawing the line and maintaining distance, without coming across as rude. Read on:
Minimum mingling after work
When you make ‘friends’ out of your colleagues, you’re asking for trouble because when you go into work the next morning, it’s going to be about deadlines, work commitments and the like. It’s best to keep the friendship level to minimum as too much knowledge about your colleague can cause major office politics. They might let something very secretive about your slip, which can mess things up for you. Even if the possibility of grabbing drinks post work looks tempting, make it an one-off event and not a regular thing. When you draw a clear line between personal and professional relationships, silly tiffs can be avoided.
Cubicle-bound
Yes, we would advice to stay where you are put and not venture out beyond your area of interest. When you try to intervene and take interest in your colleague’s work, you would be branded as a nuisance. But it doesn’t mean that you keep to yourself, lest you across as rude. Do mingle with all, but don’t take it upon yourself to solve all their issues. You’re not the messiah they’re looking for and nobody likes others poking their noses in their issues. Being cubicle-bound also reduces the chances of you spreading gossip.
Being over smart?
You may be an over-achiever and a lot smarter than all of your colleagues put together. But don’t let that be the only thing they remember about you. Nobody likes a ‘know-it-all’, so play it cool. Give others also a chance to voice their opinions. And while making suggestions, don’t be condescending, be polite and curious. Always ask, never order. These small things will make you someone your colleagues look up to. Even if you know you’re one hundred percent right about something, don’t be loud and ridiculous about it. After all, you spend a good chunk of your day with your colleagues and it wouldn’t be wise to burn bridges with them. If your subordinate has messed something up, bring it to his/her notice without being too pompous about it. Scaring them or shouting at them will not make them learn.
Company goal , not your own:
It’s okay to be ambitious, but don’t let that come in the way of your company’s goals. Your personal agendas can make you quite competitive and ruthless, which can make you the target of backbiting and gossip. Remember, you’re working for the organization, so avoid being too pushy about your stuff. Go-getters are instinctively considered a threat, hence fall prey to office politics and troubles.
Sucking up to the big guns:
It’s a good rule in life to NOT suck up to your boss. Don’t go for ‘tea-break-gossip’ with the bosses and definitely don’t discuss your immediate colleagues with the higher-ups. It looks pretentious and can quickly land you in the bad books of both your bosses and colleagues. Don’t keep discussing ‘stuff’ (however mundane) with your authority as it can create conflicts at the work place.
How has your Monday been so far? Are your colleagues driving you up the wall? Let us know!
