How do you deal with office politics? | Hacker News Reader

How do you deal with office politics?

9 pointsessessv8 comments

and when incompetent people kiss ass and get promoted while people who work hard and get things done are more often than not sidelined.

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An approach which I've had much success with is to make friends with people much higher in the chain and 100% ignore the office politics bullshit happening at your level. i.e. don't participate in rumour spreading, never talk negatively about co-workers, try and be positive even under adversity. Also, maximize your social, non-work, contact with co-workers. Go with colleagues when they get coffee, regularly go to Friday night drinks.

If there's only 1-2 layers between you and the CEO, then try and talk when him or her on a regular basis. Make an effort to remember what they are doing in life (perhaps he / she takes their kids to football practice multiple times a week). If you're in a larger organisation make an effort to become friendly with people outside of the Engineering chain of command.

Unfortunately, getting promoted, and moving up the chain has nothing to do with how hard you work or how qualified you are at doing the job. It has everything to do with what how people think how hard you are working and how much they think you know. Moving up in corporate culture in most places is a popularity contest. Not to different from joint the popular group in high school. This is a cynical view, but it is what I have observed in my now 30 years experience in the corporate world.

Don't try to change it. Don't try and be part of the problem, it is not worth the punishment your self worth will endure.

Best solution is to get really good at whatever it is you do to the point where you hold the cards and they are the ones that are begging you to join them. Then you can dictate the work environment that you will put up with.

Or just start your own company and attempt to foster the work environment you wish you had for your employees. This is the path I choose and it is extremely rewarding - even though I don't make as much money as I could if joined the program.

My aunt used to play it like a game, pitting people against each other and then sitting back to watch the fireworks. I myself an am extreme introvert and can't really tolerate being around people for more than 90 minutes without getting physically ill. What has worked for me is being well-mannered polite and pleasant almost all the time so that when I give my short, concise answers, it is not interpreted as rudeness. I focus on the satisfaction of the work I do, the adequecy of my pay, and the other small things I enjoy about my job. I make it a point to excercise daily. In the past I had jobs where stuff like that was intolerable and there was an added component of bullying. I nuked that job with only a vague 'Going back to school' plan. I was unemployed for several months and looked like I might have to move back into my car. But I didn't and have never regretted it. If it is that bad, like a shitty bf or gf, dump the muthafucker already. Or at least start working on your exit plan.

You take what you have (good or not), and make the best of it. That includes what you choose to do with your reaction to things. We all have emotions, and emotional reactions to situations. Recognize that, respect the emotion, and then move beyond it to something positive, productive, constructive.

It's not easy. With practice it becomes easier.

1.Be upfront , and talk to your supervisors or better yet the person who got promoted and let them know that it's not okay (preferably in a social setting) Give them some time to reflect on their actions and if they continue to kiss ass , let them be their own person. People who are higher up value loyalty more than they show.

2. Work your butt off , get noticed and then quit to join a more conducive work environment.

3.Team up with colleagues and ask an immediate supervisor the same question you posted here. Ask them in a way that doesn't seem like you're complaining. You'd be surprised at what may come out of that conversation.

4. Above all , use the rationality principle , cut your losses and move on.

You accept the fact that life is't fair, and that you deserve only that which you bargained for. Plus the fact that people are emotional creatures.

I just find comfort in the fact that mid-age adults are just tall children :)

I am yet to find some effective way of dealing with this problem - long term plan: retirement at age 40.

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