HRM CHRONICLES
Surviving Office Politics
By Samson Osero
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What a fast drive on Nairobi Expressway down to Mlolongo ,” I exclaimed last Saturday afternoon when I met Angela and Daudi . They were already seated in a quiet corner at a littleknown restaurant for our monthly social catch-up meeting . After ordering my favorite drink , I told them : “ Although national politics are at boiling point , let us steer away from them for obvious reasons . Instead , I want us to focus on office politics and how one can survive in them .”
I attempted to define office politics as : “ Using subjectivity to make workplace decisions when objectivity hits a dead end .” I pointed out that such decisions would revolve around staff appointments ; allocation of organizational resources and work-related opportunities . For instance , top management will decide on who is to be promoted to the next senior position or which department obtains the lion ’ s share of the annual budget .
Angela , an HR professional , quipped : “ Those examples are common at my organization . We refer to the final decision as one made ‘ after exhausting balancing factors ’ some of which may not be documented .” From my working experience , I shared cases of greenhorn employees who believed that objectivity would always carry the day on organization decisions . Such employees are disappointed to discover that “ invisible weights ” sway the decision-making pendulum .
Daudi , a political science lecturer who had been following the discussion , said : “ Since office politics is unavoidable , employees need to reposition themselves to avoid being swept by its continuously raging waves .” In essence , office politics have immediate and long term consequences that should not be ignored . One can either stay floating or drown to oblivion when the ocean storm gets rough .
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Greenhorn employees believe that objectivity would always carry the day on organization decisions . Such employees always get disappointed to discover that “ invisible weights ” sway the decision-making pendulum .
Keeping Ahead
After a brief spell of silence , Daudi asked : “ What can employees in sectors that are frequently affected by global economic changes do ?” Sensing some of the sectors he may have had in mind , I responded : “ Employees who continually keep ahead in their field of specialization will always retain their jobs . The first casualties of change are employees who built ice cream houses in the cold season which are swept away in the hot season .”
Angela was quick to point out : “ When an employee is well grounded in both his or her capability and working experience , they will escape the scrutiny of subjective factors in promotions , retrenchment or foreign travel for training .” She continued : “ Employees who work smartly to earn the unwritten ‘ indispensable ’ title are not a push over when the going gets tough .”
Beat or Join Them
Out of the blue , I told the duo : “ Organizations operate using both formal and informal structures in their bid to meet corporate goals . The CEO influences the balance between the structures depending on the strategies that he or she wants to implement during their tenure of office .” I made it clear that formal structures oil the cogs of the wheel that ensure either production of goods or provision of services .
Anticipating what I was to say next , Angela completed my thoughts : “ While informal structures fuel the formation of silos based on the existing power bases within the organization .” She compared employees from silos that are linked to the most powerful in the organization with those that are not . I interjected : “ Obviously , employees in the former silos more often than not enjoy the bigger share of the cake .” Torn between the two extreme silos , vulnerable employees buy into “ if you can ’ t beat them , join them ”.
Resource Brokers
As we ordered another round of drinks , Daudi said : “ I know some employees who do not hold high offices in an organization but are influential . Where I lecture we regard them as resource brokers . They dine with the mighty and crack jokes that keep the ‘ who is who ’ laughing while they quietly lobby for slanted allocation of resources .” It is important to take time to identify and understand the ways of resource brokers . They may become handy to you in the subjective decision-making processes at the workplace .
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