By Michelle LaBrosse
Politics. With the 2008 election year just behind us and all the news from Washington every day, politics is a word that we're hearing a lot. It was quite common to hear the candidates use the word politics in an accusatory way: "He is playing politics." In our work places, politics is also something of a dirty word. Learning how to manage politics can help you stay sane (and might even save your job).
Internet tech makes office politics even worse, with reply-all blasts filling up inboxes, instant messaging reaching out and tickling you no matter where you are, and social networks turning work into something out of a teen movie.
So, what can you do about office politics? First, it helps to understand the practitioner. While every one's definition can be different, here are five common culprits and solutions to help squash the political beast.
1. Sole Survivor
This is the hyper-competitive member of a team that looks at work like an Olympic event. He's only happy when he's "beaten" his competitors and is the only person left standing.
Solution
Since this is a person who likes to keep score, let him be in charge of metrics and measurement. Shift his competitive energy toward industry metrics and benchmarks and away from people. This is not someone that you want managing or motivating a team.
2. Recognition Rogue
All human beings like recognition, but sometimes recognition can go wrong. If you have someone on your team, who likes to receive credit for everything and everyone, you have a recognition rogue.
Solution
Establish a recognition program with clear ground rules and that focuses on recognizing the diverse strengths of a team versus just one person. At status meetings, make it a point to acknowledge more than one person's successes. Make success and recognition something that can't be owned by one person but commonly shared by a team.
This is a great place for email. Send out short acknowledgement messages praising accomplishments that are on mission. It'll help people feel valued, keep employees on the right track, and take a lot less time.
3. Plum Fairy
As the manager, make sure that you're not favoring one team member and giving that person all the plum, high profile assignments. The danger is not only that one team member is getting all the kudos, but you are also being seen as a biased leader who is not evaluating your team objectively.
