WHILE there is no harm in friendly competition among employees and even officers in a company, sometimes office politics can get the better of people and can greatly affect the productivity and efficiency of the team.
While powerplay and bickering cannot be avoided as there are varying levels of commitment and interests, there are ways to manage conflicts inside an institution. Let me share three of them.
First is to make sure that communication lines are always open among people. Almost always conflicts occur because of miscommunication.
Miscommunicated messages elicit adverse reactions that are usually blown out of proportion. If unchecked, what started as simple communication gap would end up in a tug of war of power. And when the cycle begins, it would be harder to put a stop to the exchange of blows from opposing parties. The damage escalates.
For communication lines to be always open, there has got to be neutral grounds where people can express their side and defend themselves without fear or intimidation.
Some institutions create grievance committee but others can simply assign a peace officer that can look into severed relationships inside a company. It may seemed like a waste of resources, but in the long run it will translate into better productivity and efficiency in the workforce.
Second is to establish success indicators for tasks. It is easy to get blinded by sensational rumors, hearsays and anecdotes that can destroy other’s reputation and credibility. But when there are objective measures to check whether the person does his or her work and does it well, then it is easier to verify reports.
You see, it is not the duty of the company to make everyone as best friends, but it is desired that everyone can work well individually and with each other to achieve the company’s vision and mission.
Success indicators can also help assess the gravity of certain issues. People are not perfect and are bound to commit mistakes from time to time, and so it is also prudent to look at the bigger picture to avoid blowing things out of proportion.
Third is to always adhere on the wisdom of due process. Before any decision is made especially when it involves disciplinary measures, always give all parties the chance to explain themselves. Their versions of their story can always be basis for mitigating, aggravating and even justifying considerations.
There are two facets of realities that are involved in office politics, one is the company’s mission-vision, and the other is human dynamics. Both facets cannot be segmented, and neither of them can be disregarded.
A balance has to be reached in order for the company to propel as well as for the workers to find their meaning in their work.
Many companies have lost great employees because of office politics. Many families have also been shattered because conflicts were not managed in the office.
By principle, no one really wishes bad things for others and so there is always reason to repair severed relationships and prevent office politics to poison the system.