CATEGORY 132 AUSTRALASIAN DENTIST COLUMNISTS Sitting out office politics? Not always the best move ... Having worked in recruitment for more than two decades, leading teams of my own and watching political situations play out in other workplaces (and the damage that it caused), I had a false sense of security in that ‘I didn’t engage’ in political situations. I didn’t have the stomach for it, felt it was unnecessary, sometimes dangerous. I always took the high ground and that I was straightforward when it mattered. I don’t want to play games at work, I come here to get things done! However … it’s important to understand the myths around office politics. Despite having negative connotations, office politics are not always bad. Positively navigating office politics can help to create an enjoyable, productive workplace. Office politics have two primary components, they are about influence and relationships and the power these two things give you or don’t, depending on which side of the fence you sit. I’ll discuss some common myths that are as widespread as they are harmful. You can either be a good person, or you can play politics. When people think of office politics, mostly the words that come to mind are negative. ‘Toxicity’, ‘backstabbing’, ‘exhausting’, ‘unfair’, are usually some of the first ones that come to mind. People think that office politics are the domain of toxic workplaces. The fact that we associate this line of thinking with office politics explain why this first myth is so common. How could we engage in this type of behaviour if we ourselves are not toxic? All these things can be true, however, office politics are also present in every workplace, even those places with a great vibe and culture. Face it— even the best places to work have an unspoken set of norms. People who quickly assess and learn to operate within those norms are the ones who get things done with the least amount of friction and stress. Even so, destructive and negative politics also can, and do, exist. By painting all political activities with the same brush, we are oblivious to the potential for positive office politics — that is, the range of ethical and progressive activities that serve to build and strengthen relationships, expand influence, and build a base that allows you and your team to be more productive. Politics don’t affect your job performance or career. How many times have you heard someone say, or perhaps even found yourself saying, “I don’t backstab, and I do the right thing by everyone. I don’t get involved in office politics. My hard work should speak for itself.” The problem is, your work can’t speak for you. Only you can do that. So seeing as its people that speak, we need to talk about our work, and this needs be adopted by everyone. It does not mean constantly giving everyone running commentary on what we get up to during the day. What it does mean is that it is about framing what we are doing in terms of the impact it’s having on the business and why it matters. Many of us have a deeply held view that talent and hard work should be all that one needs to succeed and we shouldn’t need to self-promote. I think what lies at the heart of this belief is that so many of us treat work like school. When we are at school, it is generally a given that if we work hard and master the subject material, we will get good marks and proceed to the next level. In the workplace though, thinking like this is a risk and a mistake because the reality at work is that invisible contributions have no value. Concentrating on your performance and the credibility it brings, won’t necessarily propel you to where you aspire to be—whether it’s securing a bonus, getting a promotion, or garnering more recognition. In contrast, dedicating time to nurturing your professional relationships and creating meaningful connections can usher in these very achievements. Political intelligence is a trait. When it comes to office politics, we hear about certain individuals that such and such is politically motivated, or they are good at office politics. Certainly the skills that lie at the heart of political intelligence certainly come more naturally to some than to others. But they are still skills. They are not traits that we are either born with or not born with. As with all skills, you need to practice them to master them. This takes work. Life is a juggling act, we have family, commutes to and from work, then we have to nail every aspect of our job. Keeping up with the basics on a bad week can be extremely stressful. Now, in addition to that you need to find the time and energy to invest in relationships, get strategic about your supporters, coworkers and managers, look for ways to increase the influence and power you have, and then use all of those things to advance your career? Yes. If you’re starting out in your career and think it’s best to sit politics out, you should learn the truth soother than later. u Pam McKean By Pam McKean, Director, AB Dental & Medical Employment Agency Pam McKean is the Director of AB Dental & Medical Employment Agency. The company has been in operation for over 22 years. In that time, AB Dental & Medical has grown into the country’s leading recruitment agency for the dental industry, servicing all sectors from government, corporate and private practice. Currently, AB Dental & Medical services over 3,000 businesses with recruiting services including supply of temporary, contract and permanent employees. As professional recruiters, AB Dental & Medical can manage as much as little of the recruitment process as required, even if only providing advice.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTc3NDk3Mw==