Declining to play office politics can hurt career

As Penelope Trunk, author of "The Brazen Careerist" and blog by the same name, says: "People are hired for what they know and fired for who they are."

Choosing not to play office politics or taking the underhanded route can be two contributing factors in getting that pink slip or in failing to get the promotion you so covet.

Office politics are a reality of the workplace. There's a simple rule of thumb about whether politics exists at your company. First, count the number of employees at your organization. If that number is greater than two, then office politics will be a factor. In fact, anytime there are scarce resources, competing interests and ambiguity, office politics will exist.

Office politics is like "The Force" from the "Star Wars" movies -- there's a light (positive) side and a dark (negative) side. It gets its bad name from people who are manipulators, back stabbers and who play the "I win, you lose" game. However, when executed correctly from a win-win perspective, office politics relies on collaboration, sharing, relationships and networking. Competent people do politics so competently that it looks like being nice. "If you have political skill, you appear to not have it," says Gerald Ferris, a psychology and management professor at Florida State University.

Opting out of office politics doesn't serve your career well. Being an effective leader requires you to champion your agenda, be it getting assigned to a special project or getting a bigger budget, and that requires use of the positive side of office politics.

Using a win-win approach is a make-or-break skill for doing well at work. Research from the Chartered Management Institute found that 88 percent of managers claimed to have honed their knowledge of politics through workplace mistakes. It's easy to avoid making blunders on the job by keeping a few simple practices in mind.

--Be open to hearing other points of view, even if you disagree. Allowing someone to voice their opinion and really listening to what they have to say strengthens a relationship. Working from a win-win viewpoint also helps to build allies.

--Be a broker of ideas and information. Willingly share what you know. Giving (without focusing on what you may get in return) bolsters your reputation and facilitates building your network.

--Pay attention. Understand who the informal leaders in your organization are -- those individuals whose opinion is sought by others because it is so respected and not necessarily because of their job title. Tap into their knowledge and their circle of influence.

--Always credit "we" not "me."

--Build connections. Having a strong, strategic network goes beyond passing out and collecting business cards. Build and maintain relationships that are mutually beneficial. Staying in touch can be simple: share articles or send congratulatory e-mails.

--Be sincere, be authentic and smile. People like to work with and promote people they genuinely like, those who competently play the "light" side of office politics.

Jane Perdue is CEO of The Braithewaite Group.

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