Develop strong values, play fair

Put people together, egos clash, the drive to excel becomes dangerous and all evil breaks loose. Yes, it is still professional, and work is being done, yet,in order to rise, many would like to play a game of blame, gossip, stealing of praise and credit or borrowing of ideas.

The goal is to achieve success, to grow, prosper and reach greater heights. However, the pursuit of this goal is never easy and demands rigor, will and discipline. Further if greatness is your goal then one also needs strong principles, a commitment to service and zeal to reach new horizons. Difficult as it is, greatness and success are sought after every goal. Unfortunately, greatness, once resonant of service to others, has now become a materialistic pursuit of fame. Similarly, success has come to acquire a comparative meaning, implying that one wins, only when the others loose. We are out to do better than the other, degrade him and win the prize. Sad, as it is, it is a truth in the corporate world, also known as office politics. It’s a whirlwind, one can chose to sink in, swim in or just walk away from. Politics seems all pervasive and literally everywhere, however, there are many, who would like to play fair and adhere to strong values and let the best man win. Goodness still exists, but how does one ensure it wins over those that play the political game? How do you exist, if you want to stay away and unaffected by office politics?

Often most people feel drowned, overwhelmed and helpless when struck by those who take undue credit, create gossip, play favorites or make up stories. How does one avoid getting stresses, agitated, tearful, powerless and angry? These are natural reactions, yet a reaction is a choice. You can choose how you will react to others and their behavior. People may act as they please, but out of sheer self preservation and belief in goodness, you can choose how to react to their actions. What is your strategy? What is your mode of operation to combat it? To begin with you can control your anger, feeling of helplessness and victimization and then take some concrete steps.

Politics, as we know it, is the game of words, and their distortion, of their impressions and falsification. And false words and ideas spread through gossip. At the end of it, politics cannot be eliminated. However, it isn’t present in every organization as good communication and mutual trust also prevail.

Politeness, assertiveness, a string work ethic, a good performance record are what speak for you. Work at these and the politics will fall away and true diligence will prevail.