Job and Home Politics

 

Politics is a word that has been used notoriously in our country. If you mention politics in front of any citizen, he will perceive it with negativity and the visual image would be chaos, fighting, back biting and all sorts of bad behavior not acceptable otherwise. Tbh, it is everywhere. From the moment you step a foot in your home to the moment you step outside; wherever there are more than two people, there is politics. It is a sort of friction, a hunger for power and control, an innate human desire to rule and create chaos for others and bathe in their distress. 

Google defines it as "activities aimed at improving someone's status or increasing power within an organization." This organization can be home, work place or broadly a country or the world. Today we are talking about that kind of politics here.

So you must be wandering why I chose this topic? Lately I have been a victim of this menace. When a person who is not deserving or may be due to the seniority dynamics is unable to obtain or retain power and is extremely power hungry, be it at home or in job, resorts to tactics and measures which are mostly unethical and cause harm or malign someone who is otherwise on a higher status and demoralize them and get to their status is basically that politics what I am talking about!

All this leads to nowhere as paper flowers lack scent, but these people might temporarily get fame or position of power by winning favorites of those who can grant positions. In addition to causing harm to those really deserving, to dethrone them from their legit position and causing chaos and stress everywhere.

These people, when they gain power, try to keep it for as long as they can, in the process trample all those who don't comply with them. This causes an overall harm to the institution as well as home in the long run as nothing productive comes out of it and only weaklings are targeted.  

But this doesn't stop them in their power pursuit. They make alliances and strengthen their hold even further on the figures of authority making things even more tough for the rest.

Ways to Deal with Politics

• Identify the power centers and try to build an alliance with them. Keep a good communication with them as much as possible. Also try to clarify any possible misunderstandings being created by power hungry people.
• Decipher the informal networks and try to gain insight about the possible channels through which information is flowing so that you can intercept any possible attack coming in your direction. This is the toughest and most crucial step.
• Build your own social network. Try to form alliances with work colleagues or home members as and when required. Also try to avoid sharing too much information with them. As these people change sides frequently. In a political environment, everyone is looking for a chance to save themselves. They can push you under the bus anytime.
• Develop strong interpersonal skills. This is the key. In such an environment, the truth is not what it is but it is what its being told and told effectively. So try to be as convincing as possible. This tact is carefully executed by these politicians to gain everything they want.
• Keep your friends close and enemies closer. This is called as being hypocrite. Though its not a good habit but if the environment becomes toxic, one has to adapt with that. Keep a close eye on your enemies and don't let them know what your thoughts about them are?
• Neutralize negative politics by adopting the above measures, being sweet to everyone esp. to figures of authority and clearing your version before it gets manipulated.