Snowballing fights: How to better handle office politics

We are delighted to have you here.” Bernard Landry is Group CEO of a huge Conglomerate. A quick trip to Sri Lanka based on an urgent demanding client brings me to watching a beautiful sunset through a large glass pane, sipping astonishing Sri Lankan tea in golden Noritake cups.

“You see, we need your intervention is coaching our employees. Only one focused topic though. They need to handle office politics better. We are growing multifold. And these people into crab mentality. You know it, isn’t it?”
Yes, I do. I coach CEO and CFOs struggling through this. I see Director HRs pulling hair apart on miniscule fights turning into fireballs.

Just to understand as what could be termed as Office Politics, here is simplified definition. Any behavior that uses influencing tactics to gain more personal space and power even at times ethically wrong, is termed as Office Politics. And just so you know, no culture or country is left without being touched by this.

Are there any basic rules to maintain by? Is being aloof let you grow anyways?

My experience with such terrain is enormous but just a few suggestions are listed here.

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