Office Politics & Gossiping

Office Politics & GossipingPersonality Development Training

Copyright Amit Sabharwall

Office Politics

• Office politics defined

• Detriments of office politics ——

• Benefits of office politics ——

• Five rules concerning office politics ——

• How to avoid office politics?


Office Gossip

• The grapevine

concept

• Detriments of office

grapevine gossip

• Benefits of office

grapevine gossip


Pre-test: True OR False

• Office politics takes place in nearly every business

organization (True/False)

• Many working class people are happy that office politics

exist (True/False)

• There are positive and negative effects from office politics

(True/False)

• Office grapevine occurs when you add state-of-the-art

telecommunications into the workplace (True/False)

• Managers differ with regard to what information should be

disseminated within the workplace (True/False)

• There are good and bad forms of gossip (True/False)


Office Politics Defined

• The complex struggle for dominance that takes

place in any organization

• When workers actively seek ways to make their

abilities and achievements known

• Ruthless manipulation of other people in an

attempt to gain power


Detriments of Office Politics

• Initiates ruthlessness

• Unwarranted power struggles encourages

hypocrisy, secrecy, and self interests

• Produces ineffective team work among staff

members


Benefits of Office Politics

• Highly motivated employees

• Productive employees

• Employee recognition increases

• Boosts employee morale


Five Rules Concerning Office Politics

• Nobody wins unless everybody wins

• Don’t just ask for opinions ... Change them!

• Everyone expects to be paid back

• Success can create opposition

• Don’t ignore the after-math of success


How To Avoid Office Politics

• Wear no mask

• Be transparent

• Flex & Bend

• Listen

• Park your ego


How To Avoid Office Politics (Cont.)

• Forget the empire

• Don’t gossip

• Focus on work

• Issue at hand

• Apologize later


Office Gossiping

•It is also …

•An unofficial way of relaying news

•Personal Gossip

•Informal and Unstructured

The Grapevine ConceptThe Grapevine Concept is the informal communication

network of an organization


Detriments of Office Grapevine Gossip

• Incorrect Information is passed along

• Contributes to the spread of rumors

• Creates conflicting loyalties

• Counteracts Company Values

• Encourages Resistance to Management Plans


Benefits of Grapevine Gossip

• Provides an outlet for stress, tension, and

anxiety

• Makes work less boring

• Showcases future leaders

• Provides feedback on employee attitudes


Post Test: True or False

1. Office politics takes place in nearly every

business organization

2. Many working class people are happy that

office politics exist

3. There are positive and negative effects from

office politics

4. Office grapevine occurs when you add state-

of-the-art telecommunication into the

workplace



5. Managers differ with regard to what

information should be disseminated within the

workplace

6. There are good and bad forms of gossip

7. The informal communication network of an

organization is called the Grapevine Concept

8. One of the five rules concerning office politics

state that not everyone expects to get paid

back



9. Hypocrisy, secrecy, self interests,

ruthlessness, and power struggles are all

examples of office gossip

10.One way to avoid office politics is to focus on

the business interest at hand


Answers to Pre and Post Tests

1. True 6. True

2. False 7. True

3. True 8. True

4. False 9. False

5. True 10. True

Thank you

Amit Sabharwall

[email protected]

+91 9891921969

mailto:[email protected]

Leadership & Management

Office Politics & Gossiping