Were you ever part of a click or group in high school? Was it effective or did you just want to belong? Unfortunately, the saga continues when you graduate and enter the real world such as an office environment. This is called Office Politics. You may ask, “What is office politics?” I contacted @PushJobs for the answer and they replied with, “The use of coercive speech and/or actions to gain influence and/or status in which the purpose is for personal or organizational gain.

The key to remember when engaging with Office Politics is to never include personal business but instead focus on what is effective. This is very unethical and can be harmful to your image as a person and your companies brand if not done in an effective manner. Below I am going to discuss some great examples I have came up with on how to be effective in Office Politics.

• Bring people together to rally behind the goals of the organization. Work with each other as a team to develop a strategy to accomplish this.
• Use nice gesture by inviting a co-worker to lunch. Use clear communication during this time and avoid talking about others. Focus on what you both can do to influence positivity in the office.
• Talking, blogging or even tweeting about others results. Use this opportunity to promote your effective Office Politics.
• Although it takes a while to formulate a relationship, find an information mentor who is plugged into the organization. This sets for great effectiveness by using expertise and knowledge.

Basically, by using skills and emotional intelligence your office will create effective business results for yourself and team during Office Politics. I am sure there are other great examples that your office uses for effectiveness in Office Politics and would love to hear from you. If you are new, sit back and watch the Politics so you will know how to tread lightly. Office Politics is not for everyone. The answer lies within what you allow yourself to be a part of.