Diplomacy vs Politics

Some quick thoughts on Office Politics vs Office Diplomacy.

Politics can be a dirty word. Playing office politics is no different. It implies some underhanded behaviour to gain personal favor in the work environment. People who play office politics are trying to put themselves into the best position at the expense of others. A few forms this could take are:

• Someone who pushes blame onto someone else, either blatantly or behind closed doors.
• Someone who is constantly speaking ill will against others.
• Someone who takes credit for the work of others.
• Someone who loves talking a problem to death in the hope someone else will fix it while they appear to have helped on the solution.

The list goes on but lumping all these actors together under the banner of office politicians is appropriate. The opposite to these folks are the diplomats. The diplomat is generally working towards a solution that benefits as many stakeholders as possible. A few forms this could take are:

• Someone that works as an intermediary between biased parties.
• Someone who thinks through a problem with the group, helps decide a course of action and implements the chosen decisions.
• Someone who gives up a short term benefit and works towards a long term gain for as many people as possible.
• Someone who can sit, listen and know when to offer their input or what to say, steering a conversation in a better direction.
• Someone who knows when to say nothing.
• Someone who can see the big picture.

Office Diplomacy is hard to pin down because it’s influence is subtle. Office Politics on the other hand is easy to see. We’ve all seen someone play the blame game. We’ve all seen someone take the credit. We’ve all seen someone who loves gossip. Whether it’s done behind closed doors or in the open, office politics has the same effect, it hampers the positive improvement of the work environment.

Action Item:Decide which type of influence you're trying to exert.