It is not uncommon to hear people say they would rather not work in a political environment. In truth, workplaces employing more than one person are ultimately political.

What do we really mean by political?

Politics is concerned with the getting and keeping of power. When we apply this to the work place, we relate this concept to people's attempts to rise in status, position or esteem to influence or control others and the environment. Australians can often see politics as negative as it contradicts our egalitarian values; yet politics can often have a positive effect on workplaces, potentially creating change and growth when the betterment of everyone is taken into account.

What we tend to be more adverse to is negative politics. This occurs when people gain influence by:

People who need to look good by making others look bad tend to believe (often unconsciously) that they have little to offer. Rather than displaying positive qualities, they seek to expose negative aspects of others. Often these types of people possess a low self esteem.

When people undermine others in response to change or fear of harm from others, their ultimate goal is to prevent the change from happening and to protect themselves. This second group are often easier to deal with because the undermining behaviours are usually in response to a specific event. By providing reassurance, support and positive role modelling, this group can be assisted.

The best way to deal with people who undermine others in the workplace is to not “buy in” to their position. When we agree passively or openly with an underminer by appeasing them or even adding to their position we have taken a negative political position. This is not only damaging for the underminer, because it rewards their negative behaviour, it is also detrimental to the environment and in the long term, potentially to our own career.

Tips for dealing with underminers:

• Don't agree with their undermining remarks
  
• Offer an alternative perspective in relation to their remarks that is more balanced
  
• Focus your language on situations rather than specific people if you need to engage them on the topic
  
• Validate them for their efforts not their undermining remarks
  
• Openly validate others (when deserved) in front of the underminer
  
• Do not gossip about others

Credit Takers

Taking credit for the efforts or results of others is a form of undermining politics. It takes a great deal of courage to deal with a credit taken for the simple reason that credit takers often do this in open forums where they know they are unlikely to be challenged. Like most underminers, credit takers are driven by wanting to look good.

Tips for dealing with credit takers:

• Thank them for raising attention to the piece of work in question then add your interpretation of how others contributed, even if it is yourself
  
• Give them credit for their part in the contribution even if it was small then;
  
• Ask others in the group who you know contributed what the intent was behind their ideas
  
• Do not attempt to expose the credit taker by directly asking them details about the piece of work. This often comes across as undermining in front of others and will create distrust and resentment. If you feel it necessary to tackle this directly, speak to them one on one. Questions here should be more about why it was important for them to promote the piece of work in the group, rather than disproving that it was their work.

Hidden Personal Agendas

It is natural for people to strive for what they want. The problem with hidden personal agendas is that they are disguised to be in place for the good of everyone; however tend to be more about the individual presenting them. The main issue with hidden personal agendas is not the agenda itself, but the fact that it is disguised as something else. If you are being presented with a personal agenda disguised as something else work with the owner to:

• Identify why this is an important initiative
  
• Identify its importance in relation to other initiatives
  
• Understand the outcomes and the impacts both positive and negative
  
• Provide feedback on how others might perceive their intent and link these to other behaviours the person has demonstrated previously
  
• Refocus them on being upfront about what they really want and why, stating the benefits to themselves and others transparently

Positive Workplace Politics

Politics is about perception. It is important to manage ourselves in a positive way as people will make judgements about the things we do and the things we don't too. If we are looking to influence people, much of what they will notice our credibility rather than what we are actually trying to say or achieve. To establish and maintain workplace credibility it is important to have identified a clear set of personal values and operating boundaries and to apply these consistently. People who do this well, ultimately rise to positions of key influence in organisations by doing the following:

• Respect the beliefs of others and offer alternative perspectives
  
• Set boundaries and stick to them about what is acceptable in the workplace and what they will speak out about
  
• Do not engage in gossip and openly discourage others from doing so
  
• Address people at the source of concern rather than talking to others about it
  
• Maintain confidentiality, and when this needs to be broken for any reason, advises why
  
• Make an effort to include and greet everyone, without needing to be overly sociable and a part of a click
  
• Tells people what you are and are not comfortable talking about when the subject comes up and refers them to a more appropriate person

Personal integrity is the key to exercising positive influence in the work place. Next time you find yourself in a compromising situation ask yourself “Am I about to say or do anything that might jeopardise my principles or undermine someone else?” If the answer is no then chances are you are navigating workplace politics successfully.

Rebecca Cushway is a Workplace Psychologist and General Manager of Careers Excelled. For further information contact Rebecca on 9624 4141