Advance Your Career Without the Office Politics

When you stop to think about the many who have benefitted from playing and winning at the game of office politics, it’s easy to see why people try their hand at it. The chance at scoring a quick win is why it’s ingrained into the culture of many companies.

At the beginning of your career, especially when you’re good at what you do, it will seem like all you need to worry about is your own personal performance to progress. But as responsibilities and expectations of you begin to grow, the results you desire will soon depend on your ability to work with those around you and the alliances you form.

It is in the thick of self-preservation, mounting pressure and challenging times that people lose sight of the bigger picture. Instead of creating a win-win situation that moves everyone forward to a singular goal, a question emerges – should you play the game of politics to give you an edge over others? More importantly, will not engaging in politics cost you the success you know you deserve?

Setting the Right Focus

Not engaging in office politics may often feel like the harder thing to do. Yet nothing worth having is earned by taking unfair shortcuts. In my experience, the climb up the corporate ladder doesn’t need to be paved with toxic politics.

Your goal instead should be to focus on the long game instead of short term gains. Build relationships with your colleagues on the foundation of honesty and transparency. Be open about your values and things that don’t fly with you. It may seem counter-productive to getting along with your team, but it goes a long way in setting expectations. This way, people know where they stand and what is expected of them.

The founder of Unbounce—a startup that values transparency—sums this concept up nicely with a statement he made: "Most important for me in regards to transparency is that it sends a strong message of trust to all our employees, and the company benefits from trust in return and an honest dialogue takes place between all.".

By openly stating your intentions, you can avoid letting office politics sprout from setbacks and stress. Left unchecked and without accountability, you will quickly find yourself tempted to use politics as a short-term solution for personal gain. Your personal interest takes front and centre. This environment will only alienate the people around you who are necessary for the career advancement you are looking for.

Find the balance of win-win scenarios by building a sustainable work environment instead of a toxic one. Start by aligning your work in the company’s, customers’, and team’s interest. Help others, and use your positive influence to advance your team’s goals instead of your own.