The Great Productivity Drain

There was once a female entrepreneur named Jill. With her exceptional technical savvy, she created innovative designs and started a company to commercialize products based on her designs. There was strong demand for the products and she was fortunate to surround herself with a skilled leadership team.

It looked like they were bound to succeed. In terms of technology and business know-how, they were top of the class. Unfortunately, in other areas the leadership team had not yet reached full development. A culture of complaining and vying for position began to take over the organization. Soon productivity plummeted, and they were no longer meeting the marketing potential for their products.

This is a story that is all too common, but the ending may surprise you. Knowing that her company was in jeopardy, Jill sought coaching from a mentor she respected and she worked hard at changing her own behaviour. Yes, you read correctly. Her first thought was not about how she could fix her team. Instead, she fixed herself and the team changed as a result.

The Game

We have all been there. It happens to the best of us. In our urge to be noticed, we adjust our image to reflect what others want. We keep close tabs on our colleagues and talk about them behind their backs just to make sure they are not rising faster than we are. At times, we may go so far as to use people for our personal gain. In short, we play a game called office politics.

This game is no trivial matter. The more you play it, the bigger it becomes. It is a black hole that can swallow massive amounts of potential and take away valuable time. The worse part is not what happens during the game, but what is missed. While playing office politics, we miss the opportunity for genuine connection, personal growth and organizational success.

As Winston Churchill said, "When the eagles are silent, the parrots begin to jabber." Rise above office politics and you become an eagle.

How to Rise Above

These five simple principles can help you avoid office politics:

1. Walk away from gossip. Most people are uncomfortable with gossip, but they hear it out because they don't want anyone to feel awkward. It's better for everyone in the long run if you call a halt to the conversation right away.
2. Stay away from petty arguments. Don't give your time and energy to small disagreements that will soon pass if not given more attention than they deserve.
3. Avoid turf wars. Great leaders understand that power grows when it is shared. If potential conflicts arise between groups, look for ways of bringing people back together.
4. Think before you speak and own your words. If you're feeling agitated, it's best to cool off before you say anything. Try using this rule of thumb: Don't say anything you wouldn't want to read in the local paper.
5. Consider all sides of the issue. To do this, you need to nurture an open mind. For ideas on how, refer to our tips later in this blog

Call to Action:

1. When is the last time you listened to office gossip? How did it affect your attitude?
2. Implement at least two of the tips for nurturing an open mind.
   
   

It starts with you. You've got this!
Your friends,
UpCloseTeam