Posted on: 19-11-05 08:49:36
politics and grapevines are there in your office? if so how you tackle it?
Politics is everywhere.
As you would know IQ gets you the job, but how well you progress depends on your EQ( a nice acronym for the concept called Politicking).
If you cannot beat them, then you should join them. You should first identify the camps in your office. They could also be called Power Centres. Just like the coconut tree sways on the beach on a high gushing wind, you should align with the power centre at that point of time, and as the direction of the wind changes you should realign with the new power centre.
Just look around in most of the organizations, both in Canada, India or anywhere else, the least qualified would be the big boss. The reason he has nothing to loose, but would do anything to retain his seat. He would be hot bed for Politics. When he sees a potential competitor he would do anything to get him out.
If you want to grow in your organization you need to be actively involved in office politics, if you stay away you would be considered a light weight and by passed in most of issues including promotion.
The best way to start is to get friendly with the secretary of the top boss of your office or your organization. He/She would know what is happening and she could give leads on the power centres for you to start with.
The big difference between office politics in India and Canada is that the Goras are smiling to your face while they have knife to your back. In the Canadian office at times you really do not know who/what is going Down!.
While in India you could judge it by the body language of the people involved.
Please remember that the British taught us politics and set up the Congress party, before we made it Indian National Congress. Ms.Indira Gandhi has been one of the best politician and she did not have a No.2, as she kept everybody guessing on the situation and cutting at each others throat. Ms.Sonia Gandhi also would be doing the same.
Hence get involved in the office politics, gossips breaks. Do not shy away from it. If you can, get involved in after office bar sessions, golf games or even poker session.
If you stand isolated it easy to shoot you down, if align with a group it is not so easy to bring you down. At the same time do not have loyalty to any group(Ms.Belinda Stronach) and change colors as it suit your needs.
Good Luck and Happy Politicking!
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Speech by Thomas Friedman of The New York Times....
"When we were young kids growing up in America, we were told to eat our
vegetables at dinner and not leave them. Mothers said, 'think of the
starving children in India and finish the dinner.' And now I tell my
children: 'Finish your maths homework. Think of the children in India
who would make you starve, if you don't.'"
Joining all these extra-curricular activities is all nice and good. But more often than not, they include trips to the neighborhood bar or clubs, which many of us would not be confortable with. Particularly the ones who don't drink or smoke. So what do you suggest in that case?
Quote:
Orginally posted by MadammeX
Joining all these extra-curricular activities is all nice and good. But more often than not, they include trips to the neighborhood bar or clubs, which many of us would not be confortable with. Particularly the ones who don't drink or smoke. So what do you suggest in that case?
Take up drinking and smoking
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hinglish zindabad
MadammeX
All jokes aside, apun going bowling, squash playing, golfing and many other things where boozing aur smoking not happening.
But as apun social drinking apun not minding going to bars and restaurants also.
Smoking? Apun not and apun thinking if you not smoking people not minding also.
And if people thinking there no office politics, then apun thinking maybe they had lobotomy performed sometime.
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hinglish zindabad
There was an old wise man sitting outside a village. A young man came to him. Here goes the conversation between them
YM: Are you from this village?
OM: Yes, why?
YM: What kind of people live in this village?
OM: Why do you want to know?
YM: I want to shift from my village and so am looking for a new village
OM: Well, can I ask you a question?
YM: Sure, yes
OM: What kind of people live in village where you come from?
YM: Oh, they are all mean, selfish and always doing politics.
OM: Well, you'll find exactly same type of people in this village
Disappointed, young man moves on.
After some days, another young man comes to him and here goes the conversation...
YM: Are you from this village?
OM: Yes, why?
YM: What kind of people live in this village?
OM: Why do you want to know?
YM: I want to shift from my village and so am looking for a new village
OM: Well, can I ask you a question?
YM: Sure, yes
OM: What kind of people live in village where you come from?
YM: They are all nice, kind and very helpful.
OM: Well, you'll find exactly same type of people in this village
Happy, this man stays and finds his new home in that village.
Well I don't deny that there is politics in offices but to a considerable extent depends on us too - what kind of outlook we have towards people. Sometimes we see what we want to see.
No offence meant to anybody please...
Quote:
Orginally posted by transmogrifier
MadammeX
All jokes aside, apun going bowling, squash playing, golfing and many other things where boozing aur smoking not happening.
But as apun social drinking apun not minding going to bars and restaurants also.
Smoking? Apun not and apun thinking if you not smoking people not minding also.
And if people thinking there no office politics, then apun thinking maybe they had lobotomy performed sometime.
That's nice to know transmogrifier.
Apparantly at our office we are not playing many games like thse (except for mind games... which everyone seems to be talented at!)
