So, you held your breath, prayed to higher power, and struggled to fit in during high school. The popular and the arrogant took it all away, while the likeable faded into the background. Regardless of what happened, you graduated from high school. He escaped the narrow circumference of the seven deadly sins and went to college, worked harder than most. Poor me! After those exhausting hours of hard work and sleepless nights, he landed his dream job. And what happens when you’re finally there? It’s high school again. The perfect sycophant, the inevitable office cheerleader, the braggart, and of course, the quarterbacks.

To summarize, office politics is where there is tension between co-workers like backbiting, selfishness, conflict of interest, difference in opinion of others, and sometimes sheer nepotism. Office politics is very persuasive. No matter how many times you tell yourself that you will not get entangled in this web, you simply cannot escape from it. When you come face to face with this taboo, it is only a matter of time before you become a part of it. Don’t be ashamed of it. The truth is, most star performers have learned the trick to overcome this inevitable boon or bane. Everything matters in your perception.

Sounds exciting right?

So let’s get started on how to take office politics where it belongs or pull it off and handle it like a boss.

Become the ultimate planner:

This is what you should do. Plan. Observed. And then you must attack. You are living in the concrete jungle, and here is the survival of the most resourceful. Keep the following questions in mind as you strategize.

Who is the strongest around you?

Who is the weak link?

· Who are the influencers?

· Who is the most respected and feared in the organization?

Get up close and personal:

And by that I mean subtly uncovering anyone and everyone who poses a threat to you and your personal information. Find out who they don’t like in the organization. Find out who is deep in the interpersonal conflict. Detect groups and cliques. Find out why they stick together. Is it friendship? The benefits via nepotism or is it respect and manipulation?

Starting over:

Once you’ve established who’s who in your organization, get down to business. Never be afraid to make friends with the big fish. Make him more productive and less behind the kisses. Don’t limit yourself to influencers only. Make friends with the assistant, the copyist or the mailman. Because information travels fast in all directions. Expand your network and avoid becoming attached to a group of people.

Play rude well:

I’m pretty sure you’ve heard of the quote “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.” It works wonders when it comes to office politics. The people who deliver this policy harshly and cruelly are often insecure and fearful inside. Let’s not get into the psychology behind why they do that, but here’s what you have to do. Be nice to them. It will take a while. But when you’re finally in the good books, you’ll notice that life has gotten a little better.

Finally, it’s you against the world:

The world doesn’t care if you’re rich, popular, or smart. The world doesn’t care if you’re rude or nice. But guess who should care? You! If you can demolish people’s dreams and happiness and still sleep at night, go ahead. To each his own. But remember, doing it smart will always benefit you in a million ways. Be the best version of yourself, stay positive, maintain your integrity, overcome personal conflicts, be more assertive and less aggressive, and lastly, discourage politics within your own team.

There you have it, how to approach office politics with a sense of pride and a dash of wit. It’s simple, like a post it or even a printing machine. Know how to maneuver and use it, then it’s all yours. Otherwise trust me it will be all over the place and you don’t want that.

Office politics is the truth of life in any organization, whether you practice it, appreciate it, avoid it, or breathe it. Everything is in your perception. You can use office politics at the expense of others or you can do it to improve and get your dream office with perfect office furniture and stationery to go with your diaries Y planners. The decision is completely yours.