Happy campers keep it positive

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 22/04/2023 (1199 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Last week my column dealt with a number of examples of so called “office politics” and the fact this behaviour is all about trying to gain personal and political power. I also discussed the fact that trying to avoid politics at all costs isn’t the answer. Instead, I suggested individuals need to learn to recognize when office politics becomes negative and how to work towards building positive relationships.

Overall, office politics and the drive for personal and political power can wreak havoc within an organization. It happens in large bureaucratic organizations where the management team experiences disagreement over the vision and strategic direction. Office politics also happens in smaller organizations, both for-profit and not-for-profit, especially when individuals put their own personal goals ahead of the organizational goals.

The impact of negative politics in the workplace is that it divides people into various “camps.” Each camp supports their own ideas and displays their own attitudes which can create discord and conflict between the groups. Instead of providing a supportive background for teamwork, negative office politics creates a tense and disruptive work environment. If the resulting negativity is not resolved, it will soon create a decline in employee performance, reduce overall organizational productivity and cause many employees to leave. Then soon enough, the organization will become known for its politicized environment which in turn will drive away potential new employees.

Whereas office politics occurs in every organization, it is the management and leadership team that are responsible for ensuring a workplace is as positive and productive as it can be. The ideal goal of course is to stop negative office politics from every getting a foothold. Then on a daily basis, managers need to be alert to the interpersonal dynamics that will lead to negative behaviours. They need to investigate the reasons behind this behaviour and institute steps to bring behaviour back in line. The following suggestions will assist management to create a healthy, psychologically safe workplace where negative office politics is minimized.

Be a role model

As a manager, your role is to demonstrate the values desired by your organization and lead your team to success. Employees need to see you as the role model. Your behaviour sets the stage for creating the culture within your organizational unit. You are the one who sets the direction of your department. You are the one who sets the norms and rituals employees will follow. You are also the one who ensures the culture in your business unit is aligned with the larger organizational culture, be it a focus on innovation, customer service or collaboration.

Align personal and organizational values

Begin by examining your own personal values and then work with your employees to assess the values of your department and the organization. Discuss with employees the importance of organizational values and how this helps to create a shared meaning for everyone. Hold a discussion group so employees can identify and assess their own personal values. Help employees understand how personal and professional values provide guidance in how work is done and how personal relationships are meant to be conducted.

Understand power dynamics

Learn as much as you can about power dynamics and how people use their personal power to influence or direct the behaviour of colleagues and employees. Examine the various power elements in your organization. Learn to identify these elements, such as experiential power, relational power and collective power, as well as cultural, systemic and gender power and what impact these elements have in enabling you and your employees to have a voice.

Build on your power base

Focus on building a personal power base that helps build the personal power of your team members so they are encouraged to offer ideas and different perspectives. Enhance your relational power and that of others by encouraging broad connections with other colleagues so there are better relationships between departments. Create opportunities for employees to learn from each other by establishing interest groups for further discussion.

Identify areas of conflict

Always keep a watchful eye on how power is being implemented in the organization and identify areas of conflict as soon as you can. Intervene quickly when employee cliques are squeezing people out of conversations, or when employee banter becomes malicious gossip or bullying. Let employees know you have zero tolerance for destructive attitudes and behaviour that negatively impacts your organizational culture.

Enhance systems and processes

Take time to periodically review your departmental or organizational structure, as well as your human resource policies and procedures to determine if they are providing ongoing equity and fairness for your employees. Pay close attention to reward and recognition, as well as promotional policies as employees often view these areas unfair.

Ensure open communication

Most employees work best when they have a strong sense of security and certainty in their life. They need to know just what their job role and level of authority is. They need to understand the expectations of their job and they need to know when and how they can approach their manager for help. Thus, be sure to make open, day-to-day communication a key part of your fundamental leadership behaviour. Frequent and open communication promotes trust, builds team loyalty and enhances interpersonal engagement. It also improves teamwork and helps to increase overall productivity. Finally, good communication also allows conflict to be quickly identified and resolved through productive and open discussions.

Understand employee motivation

It is important to know just what makes your employees tick; in other words, what motivates them. This enables you as the leader to hire individuals that are better aligned and motivated by their individual job tasks. For instance, those employees motivated by geographic stability will not enjoy a job that requires frequent travel. Individuals who are motivated by security and stability will find any change to be quite difficult and will therefore need extra support. Know that what motivates an individual is closely aligned with what they value in general.

As mentioned, office politics is all about interpersonal dynamics within an organization. It occurs because it is natural that everyone will take steps to enhance their own self-interest. The challenge occurs when these dynamics become a negative force within the organization that destroys the teamwork and collaboration needed to ensure a successful organization. While individuals are the active ingredients of office politics, your role as manager is the key to identifying, monitoring and overcoming the negative impact of these interpersonal dynamics.

Source: Exploring Power Dynamics in the Workplace, integrative Inquiry Consulting, Updated: Dec 20, 2022

Barbara J. Bowes, FCPHR, B.Ed, M.Ed, CCP is a human resource professional, author, radio personality, speaker, executive coach and workshop leader. She can be reached at barb@bowesleadership.com.