Like it or not, politics will always be around, and this is how things get done.

There is no way to avoid it (unless you work for yourself and never interact with anyone else professionally – which is quite rare!). If you’re not involved in the politics of business, you’re not playing the game. And if you’re not playing the game, you can’t possibly win.

Successful professionals don’t only play the game, they play it well, and they play to win!

But what is the recipe to cook up a delicious game? Any idea?

Well, here are the most important INGREDIENTS TO COOK A DELECTABLE OFFICE POLITICS RECIPE!

The Unwritten Rules For Cooking It Right! 

The Unwritten Rules For Cooking It Right!

Clearly understand the unwritten rules that your company, your industry, and your network operate by. An example of an unwritten rule might be that no business is discussed at certain company functions (they may be considered purely social). If you approach your boss’s boss to pitch a new idea at one of those functions, your idea (as great as it might be) may never be considered. Understand the unwritten rules – your chances of winning the game will go up exponentially! So that my friend, is the unwritten rule! Bring all such rules to your bowl and mix them well in your recipe! Cook them well to make a great dish!

Outstanding Negotiation Skills For That Punch!

Outstanding Negotiation Skills For That Punch!

Approach the political business situations as you would any negotiation. Do your homework and think through what you need, what the other person needs, what you have to offer, and how you can facilitate a win-win outcome. A good dash of negotiation skills will bring that desired punch to your dish! Just remember to go in for the right quantity of negotiation! Do not over-do, do not under-do! Taste matters here!

 The “Quid Pro Quo” For Added Zing!

The “Quid Pro Quo” For Added Zing!

Consistently deliver value for those you work with, and keep in mind that the quid pro quo of office politics is something in exchange for something else. Don’t settle for always being on the “giving” end of that relationship – think about what you want in exchange and cash in your chips when it makes sense to do so. This skill will help you equalize your gains and giveaways! A balanced dish is what is remembered. Add the zing to make it a memorable dish and a term thereof.

The Garnish: A Sturdy Mentor

The Garnish: A Sturdy Mentor

Now is the time to garnish your dish. Seek out someone at your company or in your industry who knows the ropes and is willing to help you hone your political business acumen. Ask lots of questions, study their methods, and model your approach after theirs. And in keeping with quid pro quo, be sure to return the favour! The cherry on the top is your mentor!

Serve It Well By Staying In The Game 

Serve It Well By Staying In The Game

Don’t avoid politically charged situations. Use them as opportunities to fine-tune your political savvy. Even if it feels uncomfortable to you at first, remind yourself that when you are actively involved in creating the solution, it will generally reflect more of what you want. When you stand on the sidelines and refuse to get in the game, you miss your chance to influence the outcome. To serve a great dish, you have to present on the table. Remember? So, instead of being the guest, be the host to the game, and serve your cooked recipe to each one.

Here is your perfect recipe for a luscious political office game. Cook it well, serve it well, and eat it well too!

The post Know Your Ingredients To Office politics! Cook A Delicious Meal! appeared first on Youngisthan.in.

Even though there is a lot that has been written about office politics before, there’s a secret that we have always kept to ourselves.

This is something which is not told too often.

It’s a technique that allows you to get the better of any opponent in just about every workplace situation.

You ready?

Here it is a secret to winning at office politics

Own The Question. Always!

In an office, when trying to influence an organisational decision, most people work really hard to come up with iron clad reasons why the decision should be in their favour and not yours. They strengthen those arguments with footnotes, facts, and references.

However, you can emasculate all of that work and reduce it to total irrelevance simply by owning the question.

You see, every decision is an answer to a question: How do we fix this? Where should we buy this? How can we market this? Who’s the right vendor? In every case, the question defines the limits of the answer. Change the question, and those limitations slip away.

Corporate office politics

The Situation 

For example, suppose the CEO calls a staff meeting to discuss the recent loss of a big customer. The chief engineering officer builds a strong case that the company lost the account because the sales team screwed up and the marketing sucked.

Corporate office politics

The Tactic of Owning The Question 

Both executives are sitting at the table with the CEO, ready to fix blame, when the chief sales officer walks in, sits down, and says: “The real question we need to answer is: How can we win that customer back?”

Bingo!! The carefully prepared finger-pointing is swept away, because rather than trying to own the answer, the CSO decided to own the question!

The true power of this technique is to own the question before it even gets asked. Do that, and you can almost always end up driving a decision that is favourable to your own agenda.

Corporate office politics

How It Works In Real Life Office Scenario

Now, if this happens in real life (we are sure this could be a case in any office). Suppose the Marketing Head wants the company to buy new iPads for the entire team. He asks the CFO, “Do we have the budget for 50 iPads?” and the answer is no.

All that Marketing Head can do at this point is argue about budget priorities.

But let’s suppose that instead of asking the usual question, the Marketing Head asked the CFO, “How much ROI is needed to justify a an INR 12,00,000/- equipment purchase?” In this case, the CFO will probably say something like, “INR 24,00,000/- in the first year.”

Now all the Marketing Head  needs to do is prove that having iPads will result in an INR 24,00,000/- increase in yearly sales revenue. By owning the question, the Marketing Head got an answer that moves him closer to achieving his goals. His objective of getting the iPads for the team is met too.

Corporate office politics

Do you get the technique here?

We realize that these examples might seem a bit simplistic, but when you get right down to it, office politics aren’t really all that complicated. Decisions are almost always made within the parameters of whatever question is asked.

Own the question and you own the decision.

It’s really that simple!

The post The Amazing Secret About Office Politics That No One Ever Told You! appeared first on Youngisthan.in.