{"id":332,"date":"2012-09-19T15:40:47","date_gmt":"2012-09-19T15:40:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/?p=332"},"modified":"2012-09-19T15:40:47","modified_gmt":"2012-09-19T15:40:47","slug":"office-politics-may-not-be-an-option-how-you-manage-it-in-your-small-business-is","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/office-politics-may-not-be-an-option-how-you-manage-it-in-your-small-business-is\/","title":{"rendered":"Office politics may not be an option. How you manage it in your small business is."},"content":{"rendered":"
Office politics may be a fact of life but most employees would prefer not to get involved. A recent survey<\/a> of 700 North American workers by international staffing firm Robert Half International <\/a>indicated that four out of 10 (40 percent) of workers interviewed described themselves as only occasionally participating in office politics, limiting their participation to issues that directly affect them. Another 39 percent say they stay completely out of the fray.<\/p>\n Even though most employees consider themselves not heavily involved in office politics, some 56 percent have observed political maneuverings on the job. Gossip cited by 54 percent of respondents is the most common form of office politics followed by flattering the boss to gain favor (20 percent) and taking credit for others\u2019 work (17 percent).<\/p>\n Steinfeld\u2019s suggestions are about encouraging openness and respecting differences of opinion and each other. \u00a0Here are two things I\u2019d add. Always be fair and consistent.\u00a0 Give your employees little reason to doubt you have the best interests of the company and them at heart by setting a good example. Politics will have little impact when employees trust you and the organization. Also, pay attention to what makes your employees feel fulfilled and that they are contributing.\u00a0 Happy employees are less likely to engage in office politics.<\/p>\n<\/a>So how do you as a small business owner deal with office politics, which as the study suggests is inevitable, especially as your organization grows and your team becomes more diverse? \u00a0In \u201c4 Ways to Eliminate Office Politics,<\/a>\u201d on Inc.com, Jay Steinfeld, CEO of Blinds.com, advises.<\/p>\n
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