Anyone got any tips for dealing with office politics whilst avoiding turning into a back stabbing brown nosing bearded clam with no opinions of their own?

No – unfortunately , get more that 3 people in an office and you have politics. Some in worse , some is better. Depends on the company culture and whether you work with only children 😉

TBH most people do back down if challenged – but for some its is their raisen d’etre

a) Ignore it, and don’t get involved
b) Leave

I know that sounds flippant, but from my own experience, them’s yer options. Anything else just becomes hellish. My missus is presently working with political, back-standing, scheming hell-bitch who spends her entire day on office politics, doing zero work

As a result, she is presently employing a) while actively pursuing b)

ignore it and concentrate on doing your job

I work on the “oblivious option” Ill talk to everyone and just ignore it.

I can’t be arsed with any of it, it’s resulted in me losing out but I get there through doing a good job and liking who I see in the mirror!

glupton1976 – Member

Anyone got any tips for dealing with office politics whilst avoiding turning into a back stabbing brown nosing bearded clam with no opinions of their own?

You could just contribute nothing of interest apart from a load of random, unpleasant bullshit designed purely to stir up controversy?

See how it goes and let us know, eh?

Ignore it as the posturing of immature idiots. Get on and do your job while they waste time covering their backsides in meetings.

TBH I try to avoid it as much as possible, and most of the folks I work with think pretty similar of thoughts work (and leisure) wise so we get on quite well.

IME if you are good enough at your job then you can just ignore it.

Don’t take sides.
Don’t get involved in any bitching.
Treat everyone fairly.
Stand up for your self.

lol @ Rusty!! Naughty boy.

Above all, don’t gossip, keep your eyes and ears open but your mouth SHUT.

pretend to ignore it but stoke the flames for your own twisted amusement

Smile and ignore it. Don’t get involved.

Use all the skills you put to good use on here in the real world and enjoy your work and the response it gets?

Or ignore it but you dont strike me as the ignoring type

Whoever’s involved in the politics just don’t talk to them for several months, if they talk to you be civil & answer their questions with as short an answer as possible but occasionally blank them entirely & pretend you haven’t heard them. Bitch about them to other people and leave the area immediately sometimes when they come over. Get drinks for other people but don’t ask them. Anything else anyone?

I just carry on regardless calling things as I see them and doing what feels right. This often doesn’t work at all.

Depends…
How much is it stopping you doing your job? And how much to you like working there?

I had a boss who gave me admin work on budgets usually done by the most junior in the team when I was in a Senior Manager role. Looking at the politics I realised kicking up a fuss would lead to my departure so I just got on with it, made it clear to everyone else that I was unhappy, and moved roles as soon as I could… I’m contracting and the money’s good and I knew it would only be temporary which made it easier.

I had a boss once who was very possibly a psychopath and was utterly hell to work with, constant lies, manipulation and games, with management too scared to deal with it. I just walked…

IMO an organisation that’s full of game-playing is unhealthy and probably in decline, hence the games, and you’re best off out…

I went from on the tools to the office, spent about five years in the office and then went back on the tools, now work in a site office away from the main head office, i could no longer return to the office environment with more than a few people, its always been the people not involved in the core aspects who seem to be at the core of the politics, i dont think total restriction to an office is a healthy environ for forty hours a week, again the the “office” becomes central rather than what is actually being done.

Brooess has it. Politics often means a company is, or will be, going down the pan.

My company (a large water company) is the worst I have ever, ever seen. Snouts in the trough etc. all the good people are now leaving.

If its really bad, I’d go if you can. You only get one life (I think!) and you spend a lot of time at work.

i dont think total restriction to an office is a healthy environ for forty hours a week

I’d not really thought about that before but I think it’s spot on. Like when you were kid in the school holidays and it was raining all day – stuck inside, you’d get grumpy and argumentative and misbehave. But on the long days out you’d come home feeling satisfied and too physically knackered to put out…