Regrettably, most of the advice Ive come across in life on this topic has been bad. PPl say "It's not what u know, it's who you know," and they try to artificially insert themselves into their bosses's social circle with disastrous results. It's not who you know, it's who you know that LIKES u that counts! Best to minimize your contact with the boss as much as possible in the beginning so as to avoid stumbling across one of his hidden hot buttons. Ppl are complex creatures with many lands and grooves to their personalities, so finding a natural fit is rare. Moreover, ppl can spot insincerity from a mile away. The best resource Ive found on the subject is The Hatchet Man's Playbook. Most of its advice seems to be spot on.
Never had a problem until i came to Germany. Then i went to work for a micromanaging, short sighted prick with little management skill but very high technical skill and drive.
In the past when a person used to be super friendly at work, I thought they are trying to be positive and tried to reciprocate to their friendship. Ddnt work for me at all. Then I tended to avoid them or directly tell them to leave I am busy. Now I try to be bit tactful as being so direct again backfired me. 😂😂😂
As someone who has spent over 4 years in HR, office politics still feels unethical to me. I always feel like we should all be on the same team. It’s tough as my department has shrunk from a team to only one person, so I am most often operating at a place of deficit in both support and resources. Office politics feel hard to play when you have little to give other parties and larger departments.
Politics--- an 8 letter word--Politics is present in all walks of life-- and the world is not fair. I never played , and it hurt me .I hate it, but sometimes it is a necessary evil. Monopoly is great ! Need the vision ......
I agree! Whether we like it or not, politics are there and have to be played. I denied that for years. Yes, having a clear goal at work is a great thing too! 👏
For years I did the same thing, "I'm not playing." But ducking out of corporate politics just ensures you lose the game. It's better to learn how to navigate them; I think it's hard for so many people because we weren't all raised being taught how to do so.
I'm a mid 20s person and it takes me time to go through your videos. It's like pomegranate juice - drink slow it's okay, drink in one go and you're k.o
Another GREAT resource on the topic is a piece titled The Hatchet Man's Playbook - a LOT of eye-popping, non-obvious stuff! Can't recommend it highly enough!
Thanks for this video. May favorite part is your statement on not having to compromise one's values in order to play politics. To share, I simply remain diplomatic towards everyone I work with. Yes, that includes people who seem to hinder my career success. I have been working for almost 8 years now, and I could say that it has helped me navigate the politics. As a middle manager, I think your tips already confirm what I have always been doing. Ironic though as I tell others that I'm not political but I am very keen when it comes to power struggles in my daily interactions.
Staying neutral at the moment between 4 power players! The most junior boss, that I do no work for, complained to her manager that a particular client was hers and not my bosses. Her manager knocked my boss out of the picture. Junior boss and her manager do not give me work (problematic as I now have no work) and does not want me to develop the client relationship. A major boss from a different department wants me to develop the relationship and introduced me to the client and had me work with them for the past 6 months. I'm in no mans land at the moment and I literally have no work now ....for the past 2 weeks, I have had no work assignments/tasks.
I did not want to play office politics till I were by workplace bully by one group of junkie. It forced me to begin play with it according to my value, begin to find of advocate to support...
Any help for those of us who genuinely don't enjoy games? I'm really having a hard time navigating this and it's killing my career. I'm just not a playful person and tend to be too serious
You're not too anything. Games don't need to be playful: they can't be intriguing, interesting, challenging. I'm not much of a game player (TBH I only agree to play games I know I can win)... but I love puzzles, so I tend to view understanding the people and dynamics as a puzzle to solve.
I haven't deleted any of your comments, but I have seen them be picked up in my filters.. Unfortunately I have to turn filters because I've had community members and myself be attacked, and I've been threatened quite a bit 😢 I'm the only mod so I don't always get through it.
@@JenniferBrick Okay, thanks. I'll wait for it to be restored (I promise there are no attacks or threats in my comments - and very sorry you're getting those).
@@JenniferBrick Earlier today. It was about asking my (toxic but very well-known/respected) boss to serve as a reference. He let me go after I raised a series of issues - including ethical concerns and the fact that he just didn't pay me for 3 months. I've worked really hard and had great reviews for 3 years, but I have a strong suspicion he'll leave me without a reference or a negative one (and there's no one else to ask - I only worked with him).
@@anonanonymous1970 this is hard, but I'll start by asking you this: what do you think they'll say? Based on the situation, with them terminating you for whistle blowing, I see red flags (though I've been surprised in the past). Was there anyone else you worked with that could speak to the quality of your work? A coworker from another department, a client? If so I'd approach them. Also, you could ask your old manager of they would be willing to provide you a reference. Typically if they're not going to say anything nice they'll say no or not reply (when I worked for an HR background checking agency in uni we counted non-replies as a negative review) I think you'll find most employers will accept a reference from only prior employers to this one. If they ask specifically to speak to your last boss, without throwing them under the bus and talking shit (hiring red flags), I think good managers and HR teams know will understand the PR answer. Don't quote this but something along the lines of, 'i know how important speaking to someone there is. I have a track record of exceptional performance reviews, however tired the end of my employment I was faced with having to report some ethical infractions. As a I don't know if they will give you an accurate idea of my work ethic. I think _____, who I worked with at ____ would be better to speak with. Would you like their contact info?' or over your old manager. Oh and one last... Check laws where you live! For example, in Canada employers are legally required to give you a positive reference letter. (And based on the length of this reply I should do a video on this 🤣)
