Do…
· Be approachable. At your desk. In the lunchroom. In the bathroom. In the parking lot. You’ll get a reputation as a go-to guy who listens. A low-level supervisor remembers a colleague approached him at his desk the day after an office party and said, “My wife loved talking to you. She thought you were so interesting.” The supervisor remembered talking with her, and he remembered that he had barely said a word. He just listened to her.
· Build relationships before you need them. Crushing office politics means networking before you need to network. People who know each other can handle disagreements better than people who do not.
· Practice self-awareness. Are you the source of tension? Many people can recognize shortcomings in others, but fail to recognize their own faults. Be a positive influence for everyone else.
· Think win-win. We grow up thinking that if someone has to win, then someone else has to lose. It doesn’t have to be that way in the workplace. Be the one in your office or department who is always saying, “How can we all win here?” Promote mutually acceptable solutions. Win-win situations help to engage employees, promote unity, and drown out politics.
