The Upside of Office Politics

Isn’t positive politics an oxymoron? For most of us, our experience with office politics means gossipping, backstabbing, and kissing up to the higher ups. The article says the way to change the thinking to a positive one is to make the “system work for you rather than against you.”

The seven tips on how to make this happen are: 1. Over-communicate 2. Find a mentor 3. Ask open-ended questions 4. Review constantly 5. Get “buy in” 6. Give and take credit 7. Style (how you present yourself to others)

Asking open-ended questions is one of the best tools you can have. A problem involving a specific employee can be phrased into a question that doesn’t put someone on the defensive. What has worked for you? Do you think the article is wishful thinking?