Toxic Office Politics and How To Deal With It in 2023

Not a single good employee can survive a toxic workplace. And any company with a toxic work culture cannot survive market friction -too weak for competition-, hence your business is dead on arrival. Innovation requires the elevation of the mind, which is propagated by an enabling, humane and functional environment. This cannot be achieved when everyone is competing and playing the unnecessary ‘eye service’ to gain unmerited favors in the company.??

The effect of toxicity can be compared with the choking fumes of a power generator; you may think that you can survive it because you are used to cooking in open kitchens with firewood, but the case is always worse. The Cankerworms eat deeper beyond restitution; the damage usually goes far before you will notice it.?

Funny enough: YOU CAN'T SIT IT OUT; waiting with hopes that things will get better, is just a waste of time. You either end it or it sends your business packing.?

5 Signs to watch out for, to identify Toxicity in your workplace?

1. Easy loss of interest in work?among the team.
2. Scared of trying new ideas because of fear of failure; you may get fired.?
3. Each day seems there is no plan of how to do things and lots of confusion.?
4. Constant side talks, blackmailing, gossip, and drama?
5. Employees wish to leave the company, more than they wish to stay?

Toxicity is the sister of Office politics and there is nothing good about office politics. The victims usually take the anger to their individual homes, creating an unhealthy toxic society due to the negative energy they are emitting in their neighborhood.??

Please Note: Toxicity is just one of the elements of Office-Politics, there are several other indicators such as; bullying, blame, cursing, unnecessary escalations, eye service, blackmailing, fights, arguments, and even sudden resignation of good employees.??

So, what is the permanent solution to Toxic Office Politics??

1. Participative Leadership: Delegation of power is not enough, the leaders at the top level must ensure to be part of the workflow, and the day-to-day activities or at least, ensure there is a final summary of the workweek on their table to get an overview of performances. This will help the leaders to understand and give better judgment when those fights begin to erupt. If the leaders at the top feel they don’t need to be involved, they will only become the fat guinea pig who eats and eat only and may end up eating its own pup as dinner, due to a lack of attention to details and observation of little changes.??
2. Encourage Team Incentive: Pay the incentive to the team, not an individual. 99% of the time, the success of one team member is not due to his own intelligence, it is the team who made it possible by; helping, encouraging, providing resources, or even reminders. If not for anything else, at least the fun moments they had together somehow helped in building up the winning mindset. This directly or indirectly has helped the individual to close the sale. So, try to pay the incentive to the collective team and not just one person. Office politics starts with bit-by-bit jealousy, which builds up to envy and worst; organization derail!??
3. Set up mental health programs and recreational activities: Question and Answer moments have proven to help dilute the intensity of situations, so it is necessary to listen and understand each team and employee’s stories. Their hurt feelings about each story. Small events build gradually on the inside before they burst out. Anything that is uncontrollable today was once a minor case but was ignored. On reactional activities: Organize parties, get-togethers, games, and outings (picnics). Those refreshing moments help the employees to forget a few of their worries, and anger and lower the possibility of depression, and jealousy among the team; at least for a few more weeks. Good mental health gives you a metal-heart that will help you to survive and thrive through any situation in the workplace and life.?
4. Encourage Friendships Among Employees: There is life after work hours. Encourage employees to hang out together. Be careful with the kind of regulations you set in the office, such as; no talking, no phones, no this no that as those result in work tension. A company whose employees are friends beyond the walls of the entity ends up working together and getting more results. They see themselves as humans and not just a number in the binary settings of the company. They feel at ease talking with each other. Communication is the fundamental tool for company growth, sales success, and overall business advancements; free-spirited communication starts from inside the office and matures on the outside. Allow them to smile and hang out together, they are old enough to take care of themselves, and as such, they will take care of the organization.??

EMPLOYEES WHO HANG OUT TOGETHER,?WORK HARD AS A TEAM TO?EARN MORE TIME TO GO AGAIN.?

• Take Timely Intervention: Tackle it on time. Do not wait until you hear that there is a fight going on before you can do something about it. If one member reports misconduct, do not hesitate to go to the office floor and speak openly to everyone, to do better. After that, take the concerned person for in-person counseling. Try to understand why the report came in the first place, and tackle it heads on, while you still have the time.?If you handle Office politics very well, then it will not make your workplace toxic.?

A stitch in time saves nine (means - it's better to solve a problem right away, to stop it from becoming a much bigger one.) – a Quote.???

If you -Do not Show FAVOURITISM and PARTIALITY to any employee- then there is Good News for you:?

The whole team members are watching, and once they discover that no one is left out of scolding whenever they try to cause havoc in the workplace or gaslight situations in the company, the others will behave well. They will see and feel it happening; hence they believe that there is no room for office politics, much more a toxic workplace in your organization. The happiness, assurance, and confidence it will instil in everyone will motivate them to deliver their best services. That is the boosting your organization requires to accelerate its growth.??

Once the no-politics mantra becomes a culture in your organization,?then you are set for sustainable growth,?beyond anyone’s imagination.??

Thank you for reading!?