Playing The Bigger Game

Office politics…I absolutely hate it. I hate it with a vengeance. I had this heated discussion about this topic with a friend recently. He’s giving me tactics and strategies on ways people get ahead. I stopped in my tracks because there may be elements of truth in it but I’m not sure I like the person I’ll be in the process.

For some, it’s a case of “joining them if you can’t beat them” otherwise we’d be an unwilling victim anyway. I still didn’t like where the direction was heading and realized there were some words and mindsets I had to change. The world is not going to change just because I don’t like it. There are some principles I still adhere to. I believe in doing my personal best all the time where to have the highest building, I have to build it and not destroy other buildings just to be the highest. I believe in my God granting me favour and gifts to do the things I do; to be loyal and kind

Here’s my take on office politics and busybody-ness in general. If you have time to meddle in other people’s business, you don’t have enough happening in your own life. If you have to shortchange someone else to look good, you obviously lack the skills yourself. You are a victim because you like to blame someone. You lack creativity and direction in your life. You are small-minded and not mindful of your own strengths because you look at other’s strengths which inadvertently accentuate your own weaknesses not realising we’re all gifted differently. Delving deeper, you lack awareness and have a deep level of insecurity.

I did not get to where I am because of politics. It has always been about my work and diligence and waiting for someone to notice it (to my detriment). Yes, I could have done things more strategically. Now is the time to play a different game and I don’t have to lose my soul in the process.

Anne Abraham, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of LeadWomen explained it best to me when she said we have to understand team dynamics, the power plays and how things work in organizations. I have never looked at it that way and always thought things were just black or white and never grey. People unfortunately are never black or white.

Let me conclude with this quote from Tara Mohr. “Don’t wait for your Oscar. Don’t wait to be praised, anointed, or validated. Don’t wait for someone to give you permission to lead. Don’t wait for someone to invite you to share your voice. No one is going to discover you. (Well, actually, they will, but paradoxically, only after you’ve started boldly and consistently stepping into leadership, sharing your voice, and doing things that scare the hell out of you.”

It’s time to play the BIGGER game.