Maybe it’s because of the political season. Maybe not. But I’ve been getting complaints about office politics, none-stop. They come from the young who are new to the world of work. Those who’ve been at the game a while, refer to office games as energy guzzlers. Retirees say it’s the thing they miss the least. Seems the only ones who get off on office games are the folks who spend the bulk of their time promoting themselves instead of doing the work. You can’t entirely ignore the games. But there is a better way to get ahead. 

In addition to performing really well, here are a few tips. 

• Take the time to create your Career Plan. Think at least 5 - 10 years out. What kind of work would you like to be doing? At what level. What experience do you need to get there? What new skills? Knowledge? Consider opportunities in your organization. Identify possible outside opportunities. Power comes from unambiguous clarity of purpose.
• Communicate clearly and frequently to important stakeholders about how well you are doing. Your importance and shelf life dwindle when communication ceases. Your stock goes up when you relay frequent, brief contacts about your accomplishments and progress. 
• Take control.  You be the one to step up to the plate. Set the strategy. Take action. Always mind your manners. Bad behavior is usually a power play to intimidate. Don’t get caught in someone else’s game. At work there are no winners or losers. There are those who take control. And there are those who lose it.

I got an earful from John the other day. HIs boss won’t let him breath. Since the new guy took over his department, John’s interest and enthusiasm has dropped. He says this guy is always looking over his shoulder. Criticizing his approach. Openly or not so openly letting him know his way is the only way.

There’s a lot of talk in organizations about performance. Raising performance. The big question is how can anyone perform who can barely breath? Does that mean John or anyone in that situation needs to leave in order to move their career along? Depends. (more…)

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The seamy underbelly of social networking sites. Accusations fly, kids punk their parents, people get canned, everybody it seems is out to get somebody. Forget MySpace and Facebook. Have you seen EnemyBook? Advice for a grad student with a bully for an advisor. Music heard on this show includes “Blame Game” by Keith Hinton. Call my comment hotline 888-378-5463 or email me at asknow@askdrharriet.com

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There is at least one in your life. Power is what they crave. Control is what they use to take it. Fear is what they hope to fill you with. Whether the intimidator in your life is a loved one, or someone at work, here’s how to recognize their tactics, limit their hold over you and, ultimately, how to avoid becoming their victim.

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