Mr. POPO often gets on with his job and leaves politics to others in the mistaken belief that talent and skill will win out. He is angry and overlooked (POPO). His integrity and work ethic get him nowhere. He too often finds himself passed over for rewards and promotions (or posts) and invariably passed over by more astute colleagues. Partly because he’s too righteous and naive and partly because he just doesn’t know how to play the game, Mr. POPO ends up a spectacular failure. In the power game, all the time dominated by the manipulators and strategists, Mr. POPO doesn’t win, because he doesn’t know the rules and the ability to absorb (himself) in the cunning tactics, gambits and strategies to put him off the hook. POPO quagmire.

Office politics matter. You just can’t be successful at work without getting political. Politicking happens whether you like it or not. It requires a person to learn the correct buttons to press in order to influence others more effectively. Work life sucks, let’s be honest here. Bad things can happen to good people. Bright, smart, hard-working souls who try to do a good job often end up getting run over, trampled on and beaten or sent to languish in obscurity or even on surveillance/crime/police networks. And arrogant, obnoxious, vindictive types often seem to have a fast ticket that gets them straight to the top (ref; Murphy’s Law).

In our careers, we are invariably faced with a series of unpleasant situations in the office, politics, negativity, intimidating bosses and annoying coworkers (a compassionate boss is highly unlikely, but he is a real treasure). Bad people get promoted because of their ascending relationships. It is an unfortunate and sometimes unfair fact of life. It doesn’t matter how great an artist you are. If your boss (or even his peers/colleagues) perceives you as a threat, they may very well remove you. From the first day of your career to the day you retire, office politics affect you, your job performance and your relationships with your peers, and even the future of the company. Innocent Bystander, the archetype, just wants to do the best job he can and stay out of politics. He can never stay out of it, not really. The system always finds a way to absorb it. Even working from home as a freelancer, whatever it is, doesn’t make you immune.

Because business is all about competition, some of it is subtle and unspoken, but almost everyone is competing for more exciting budgets, opportunities to work on projects, clients, or resources (for example). And then there is the competition for promotions, time with important colleagues/superior/big guys, prestige, recognition, higher salaries, and of course, power. But the very fact that people plot and scheme at work illustrates one of the truths of politicking: that it gets results. Despite the fact that some people try to be noble and refuse to participate in the political game (they focus on their jobs and work hard in the hope of being noticed and rewarded for their efforts), these types of people end up being ignored. or ignored, either by their colleagues. or very important people or both.

People (purists) who focus on their work, don’t like politics and try to work hard can be very good at their jobs and work honestly and diligently, if somewhat naively. They follow rules and regulations, trying to do what is “fair” or “right” and get frustrated when decisions are not “fair” or “right.” Nice doesn’t mean nice, it often ends up meaning loser. The nice guys often end up wanting the losers to end up as organizational martyrs, complaining about the unfairness of life but doing nothing about it. Gamers, the complete opposite of purists, respect the official rules and regulations, but understand that the ‘unofficial rules’ of politics are often more important. They realize that decisions are rarely “fair” or “right” and that decision makers have both personal and professional buttons that need to be pushed. They may not always be the best at their day jobs, but their connections and influence help them rise up the career ladder above their purist peers. They use their understanding of politics to influence people and achieve goals that are good for both the organization and themselves. They know that even in the friendliest and most supportive organizations, people don’t always agree. Purists largely refuse to play the political game, believing it requires underhanded tactics and malicious intent.

Chiefs, like any dominant animal, delimit their territory, assert their authority and display their power. Like a male peacock flaunting his plumage to attract a mate, the heads flaunt seriousness and seriousness, in this case not to attract a mate but to assert his position as top dog in the place of worked. Groups were territorial in the past because it helped them survive. If you weren’t in a tight band, you couldn’t pass on your genes. Such tribalism is not needed in the same way now, however we still have those characteristics because they have evolved over two million years. It’s amazing how ingrained this behavior is. It is predictable that a group will exclude a whistleblower, for example. It’s not good, but it’s understandable in the tribal setting. It explains all kinds of undesirable behavior, including bullying. The best guys don’t spend as much time, as people thought, sitting quietly reading or doing paperwork in front of a computer. Instead, they are more often out and about maneuvering and positioning themselves in meetings, one-on-ones, and coffee groups.

Moral: We have to stop being simplistic and realize that changing behaviors and fostering teamwork is much more difficult than we think. Bringing different groups together and talking about some of the differences, and appreciating some of the unwritten rules that drive people, are crucial steps to building trust. Let’s not let them take advantage of us and end up as organizational martyrs, complaining about the unfairness of life but doing nothing about it.

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