I’m accustomed to hearing people refer to office politics when talking about challenges at work. It’s a negative descriptor, one that implies success is determined by game-playing. Such games may involve deception, information hoarding, power plays, sucking up, passive aggression, opportunistic coalitions, backstabbing and hidden agendas. People see or suspect that others are doing these things and must decide whether to play — or pass.
If you want to protect against that kind of culture in the place you lead, know this: The best antidote to office politics is first-class leadership.
7 Key areas where leadership counteracts office politics
If you’re leading wisely, employees who play games get no advantage. In fact, they are likely to lose. People get ahead because of performance, not power plays. The following are seven areas where leadership can defeat the appearance or reality of office politics.
1 Decision-making. Unless you are clear about how you make decisions, people may fill in the blanks with their worst fears, like these: You side with those who flatter or won’t challenge you. You don’t seem to mind when co-workers badmouth others to you. You are unduly influenced by the last person who talks with you. You hate conflict.
When you let people know your values and what goes into your decision-making, you take gamesmanship off the table. Backstabbers and sycophants get no advantage. People know how to pitch ideas and how you catch them.
2 Remote or hybrid work. There’s a lot of uncertainty around working from home. Even when it’s company policy to allow it, do people fear their location affects how you view them? Do people who come into the office regularly have a better chance of choice assignments or upward mobility because they have more contact with the boss?
Recognize the power of proximity bias — how easily we can favor those who are most accessible. Be clear about your standards for evaluating people. If you give extra points to people who come in the office more often than others, then be upfront about it. If that’s not the case, make that clear, too, or the team will believe they’re playing a secret game of geography is destiny.
3 Sacred cows. Office politics often revolve around a perception that certain people are the boss’s “favorites.” Maybe you hired them, came up through the ranks together or went to the same school. Staffers may believe you prefer or protect them. Employees may fear raising any issues about those individuals — even if they should — because of their perceived special status.
Be certain you are free of affinity bias — the tendency to prefer people who have things in common with you. And do a gut check on whether you may indeed be deferential to certain employees. Perhaps they’ve earned some perks because of their contributions to the organization — things like coveted schedules, plum assignments or special titles. Okay. How do you nonetheless make sure that you hold them to the same standards of conduct and performance that you expect of others — and it’s apparent to all?
4 Power centers. Certain teams in your organization can have, or appear to have, more clout than others. It may be because of culture (“The CFO’s team has always had the last word around here.”) or because of business strategy (“The New Products team is bringing in needed revenue, so they’re getting lots of runway.”) Power centers are a reality in the world of work but can leave those who aren’t in them feeling neglected or disrespected.
Manage your power centers wisely. While you may provide them with more authority, autonomy or resources, make certain they’re truly earning those benefits — and explain the rationale to your staff. Be alert to the impact power centers have on other teams — for better or worse. Always make sure they treat others as valued colleagues, not as their servants.
5 Rituals. Employees may view participation at work-related events as political situations. If the CEO’s favorite charity is having a fundraiser, will they be at a disadvantage if they don’t get involved? Are people looked down on for heading home to family instead of attending after-work social gatherings? Are certain staffers expected to do office housework — organizing, setting up or cleaning up after events? Research says it’s usually women who find themselves in that role, hesitant to decline for fear of being seen as poor team players.
If people are saying “yes” to things for fear that “no, thank you” is a career-killer, be straight with them. Is it? What’s truly important, and what’s purely optional? The more you provide agency to people, the less they will see your rituals as political playgrounds.
6 Communication. Is gossip a hallmark of office politics? It depends on the intent. When people put information on the grapevine to demean or disparage others while promoting themselves, it’s quintessential office politics. Ditto for falsehoods, innuendos and potshots. On the other hand, sharing buzz about a colleague’s engagement, speculating on succession plans or discussing tension between two departments may be simply information sharing, with no Machiavellian agenda. People have always connected by telling stories, and it’s always going to happen at work.
Let people know your definition of gossip versus info-sharing. Tell them what you’re happy to hear and what’s out of bounds. If someone comes to you with dirt on another person, be ready to separate rumor from fact. Ask good questions. Let people know you will listen with both an open mind and a passion for fair play. You won’t get caught up in a juicy conversation you’ll later regret.
7 Authenticity. I’ve saved an important one for last. Can people be their true selves at the workplace you lead? Can LGBTQ+ staff be out? According to one study, 50% keep their sexual orientation or gender identity a secret from their managers — out of fear. Do Black employees, especially women, sense they won’t get ahead if they wear their hair in natural styles? (Research suggests it happens.) Can people talk about their families? I still hear from women who are applying for jobs while pregnant but are worried that disclosing their status will keep them from being hired.
There’s no worse form of office politics than making people censor their identities. As a leader, you have the greatest influence on whether employees feel they truly belong. It’s not just a matter of enforcing anti-discrimination laws and policies. It’s the tone you set in your everyday interactions with your team and the values they see in all you do.
The bottom line
Trust me. When you keep office politics out of the workplace, you’ll win the popular vote as a darn good leader.
