- Workplace 4.0
- 8 min read
Is it necessary to play office politics to climb up the corporate ladder?
The term "politics" itself isn't inherently negative. However, it’s the misuse of politics which gives it a bad impression. ‘Office politics’ is a game everyone plays in the background while doing their 9-to-5 jobs. However, the core question is, is office politics unavoidable to climb the corporate ladders? Is it very difficult to escape this matrix? Let's ask the HR leaders.Highlights
- Office politics primarily revolve around two core elements: influence and relationships.
- As social beings, humans naturally engage in relationships, informal influence and power dynamics. This shapes organisational politics for better or worse. There isn’t any escaping as long as the workplace has humans.
- It's important to map the power grid, conduct a personal power audit, and enhance one’s informal power by building strong and diverse connections across and outside the organisation.
- The key objective is: how can one become effective by removing silos and leveraging influence and relationships to achieve one’s own as well as the organisation’s goals.
- Speaking about our own work and getting others to speak about theirs through a web of relationships and influence is an important aspect for achieving success. And this web is not just unidirectional (i.e., upwards), it's 360 degrees (peers, cross-functional teams, juniors and leadership).
![<p><em>‘Office politics’ is a game that almost everyone plays in the background while doing their 9-to-5 jobs.</em></p>](https://hr.economictimes.indiatimes.com/Themes/Release/images/https://img.etb2bimg.com/files/cp/upload-1626354070-ethr-default-thumb-image.jpg)
It's just the game everyone plays in the background while doing their 9-to-5 jobs. In the end, the key is to play it smart, keep it ethical, and, most importantly, do good work – because that's the ultimate cheat code. However, the core question is, is office politics unavoidable to climb the corporate ladders? Is it very difficult to escape this matrix? Let's ask the HR leaders.
Healthy office politics is ethical
Shagun Bhunchal, Director - Human Resources, Magic EdTech, says, “Generally, office politics is believed to be a necessary evil and is usually seen as a phenomenon that's inherently negative. However, in my view, office politics is all about two key factors: influence and relationships, both of which are required to climb the ladder of success. More often than not, we find ourselves caught in our comfort zones/silos, which leads to a very one-dimensional view or perspective.”
“It's important to map the power grid, conduct a personal power audit, and enhance one’s informal power by building strong and diverse connections across and outside the organisation. The key objective is: how can one become effective by removing silos and leveraging influence and relationships to achieve one’s own as well as the organisation’s goals,” Bhunchal adds.
She also puts a word of caution that engaging in healthy office politics is ethical if the intent is to succeed and achieve goals without disrupting or damaging the interests of others or the organisation at large!
The web is 360 degrees!
According to Bhunchal, office politics is about understanding one's work environment and how one chooses to show up in it. Speaking about our own work and getting others to speak about theirs through a web of relationships and influence is an important aspect for achieving success. “Believe me, this web is not just unidirectional (i.e., upwards), in fact, it's 360 degrees (peers, cross-functional teams, juniors and leadership). In my early career, I got the opportunity to drive one of the transformative projects at the global level. I very soon realised that getting the project was just one aspect and in order to succeed I needed more than just my own efforts and expertise,” she says.
“I identified various teams/stakeholders and made an extra effort to forge meaningful relationships with them through formal/informal connections, thereby raising the trust and acceptance level. This helped me in navigating complex interpersonal dynamics with finesse and understanding different perspectives. In the end, we were able to complete the project within the defined timeline, with diverse elements and a sense of pride that belonged to all (and not just me)!” Bhunchal adds.
Sharing a similar opinion, Gauri Das, Senior Vice President and Head - HR, India Factoring and Finance Solutions, says despite its often negative associations, office politics shouldn't be always considered malicious. They primarily revolve around two core elements: influence and relationships, and the extent to which these factors empower individuals or leave them at a disadvantage. These are informal efforts to navigate organisational dynamics.
According to Das, office politics encompasses both ethical and unethical behaviours, which she details further:
- Ethical office politics involves understanding stakeholders' perspectives and priorities to advance one's goals without resorting to unethical tactics. Engaging stakeholders before a crucial meeting to align project interests showcases how office politics can be ethically utilised for advantage.
“I remember an instance where a team had matrix reporting and they didn’t get along well. Such situations may become breeding grounds for unethical office politics. I was glad to notice that one of the managers was very mature and always tried to keep the conversations away from any negativity, encouraged open communication and compromise, influenced people positively, and diffused conflict. In the end, their collective efforts led to project success, highlighting the power of positive office politics,” she adds.
- Office politics can also be negative. Destructive behaviours like spreading false rumours to undermine colleagues also occur, and it’s important to differentiate between ethical and unethical practices.
Das points out that there are multiple myths associated with office politics, which are:
- Either you are good or you play politics. This is not true. As explained above with the examples of both ethical and unethical office politics.
- If you don’t talk to people beyond your work, you can save yourself from office politics. As social beings, humans naturally engage in relationships, informal influence and power dynamics. This shapes organisational politics for better or worse. There isn’t any escaping as long as the workplace has humans.
- You are born with political savviness. While some may have these traits, it is not impossible to develop them. It definitely takes time and energy to nurture relationships, cultivate support networks, and enhance influence. This is crucial for career advancement.
Better alternatives!
Amit Kataria, former CHRO, Minfy, says, “I would start with a simple but true story. Rithvik (name changed) would go around the office spreading rumours and gossip between departments. He tried to turn harmless conversations into toxic gossip. This made people think he had important inside information. He started getting recommendations as a clever "knowledgeable" junior employee. But ultimately Rithvik got caught making up damaging lies. This exposed that he had just been deceiving everyone with gossip. The end result was that disciplinary actions were taken and finally he was shown the door. Had he not indulged in this politics, he would have had a bright future at the firm.”
“As HR, I've seen this happen too often. Trying to move up by tricking people fails in the end. True success comes from real connections, skill and being ethical,” says Kataria, adding, “If you ask me ‘Do you have to play politics at the office to get promoted?’ I would say, definitely not!”
According to Kataria, here are some better alternatives:
Champion collaboration: Facilitate team projects, encouraging cross-departmental understanding and fostering genuine relationships. Knowledge-sharing workshops, where junior and senior members learn from each other, can be particularly effective.
Be a bridge, not a barrier: Encourage open communication channels, allowing concerns to be addressed directly instead of festering through whispers. Act as a mediator, facilitating constructive dialogue that solves problems and strengthens relationships.
Advocate for merit: Implement transparent performance evaluation systems that reward genuine contributions, not political manoeuvring. Recognize and celebrate individual and team achievements based on concrete results and ethical conduct.
“By fostering a culture of collaboration, transparency and meritocracy, we dismantle the allure of manipulative "office politics" and pave the way for genuine, sustainable success for all. Remember, the climb may be steeper, but the view from the top is far more rewarding when the path is paved with integrity,” Kataria says.
Jo dikhta hai, wo bikta hai
Anand Amrit Raj, Group CHRO, Best Group, opines that ‘office politics’ has a negative connotation, and is used by people who can’t keep up with the pace of the organisation. It’s a term generally used by people as an excuse to explain why they didn’t succeed in their career. He believes that ‘sell or market yourself,’ is the best word for office politics. “In this marketing world, it has become ‘Jo Dikhta Hai, Wo Bikta Hai.’ No one is anyone’s favourite in the professional world. And the USP is ‘how fast you are able to convince people and catch the eye of the people,” he says.
“The knowledge base of one person after 5 to 10 years in a career remains almost the same, or maybe there would be a 5 to 10 per cent add-ons. So, the major element that differentiates you from your peers is ‘how well you do stakeholder management.’ It involves understanding and delivering your stakeholders’ expectations by aligning yourself with their thought process without compromising your own personality,” he adds.
Raj points out that more than climbing up the corporate ladder, ‘stakeholder management’ is a survival mode of strategy to sustain one’s position in a fast-growing VUCA world. “It’s not about pulling others down for your growth. Looking for what others are doing will never serve your purpose. Some people do that. But such people have never sustained beyond one or two levels. It’s more about creating healthy competition,” he says.
Summing up, the term "politics" itself isn't inherently negative. However, it’s the misuse of politics which gives it a bad impression. Similarly, in the case of office politics, it often becomes a reality in many workplaces due to the complex dynamics and competitive nature of organisational environments. Still, individuals have the autonomy to choose their kind of strategic approach for their career advancement.
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