Office Politics for Managers
You have likely experienced some form of office politics. Working with different personalities, opinions, backgrounds, and values is a challenge in any environment. It is an inevitable fact that when people are working together, personalities can and will clash. No one is an island, so working together as a team is incredibly important for the organisation and every employee.
Office politics is about creating and maintaining better relationships. It is about communicating and working with your peers and colleagues in a way that is mutually beneficial. Employees who understand the positive aspects of office politics are better team members and end up being more successful and productive.
Office politics for managers course outline:
Module one: Getting started
- Icebreaker
- Housekeeping items
- The parking lot
- Workshop objectives
Module two: New hires
- Company core values
- Building relationships
- Encourage respect
- Setting ground rules
- Case study
- Module two: review questions
Module three: It’s about interacting and influencing
- Dealing with different personalities
- Build a culture of collaboration
- Be nice to everyone (not just those that can help you)
- Be a team player
- Case study
- Module three: review questions
Module four: Dealing with rumours, gossip, and half-truths
- It’s effects on moral
- Reinforce the truth with facts
- Do not participate
- Deal with it swiftly
- Case study
- Module four: review questions
Module five: Office personalities (I)
- Complainer
- Gossiper
- Bully
- Negative Ned/Nancy
- Case study
- Module four: review questions
Module six: Office personalities (II)
- Information keeper
- Know-it-all
- The apple-polisher
- Nosey neighbour
- Case study
- Module six: review questions
Module seven: Getting support for your projects
- Gain trust through honesty
- Be assertive
- Blow your own horn
- Make allies
- Case study
- Module seven: review questions
Module eight: Conflict resolution
- The importance of forgiveness
- Neutralising emotions
- The benefits of a resolution
- The agreement frame
- Case study
- Module eight: review questions
Module nine: Ethics
- Benefits of an ethical environment
- Lead by example
- Ensuring ethical behaviour
- Addressing unethical behaviour
- Case study
- Module nine: review questions
Module ten: You are not an island
- Never burn a bridge
- Take the high road
- Trust is a two-way street
- Don’t hide in your office
- Case study
- Module ten: review questions
Module eleven: Social events outside of work
- How to decline politely
- Rules when attending
- Meeting new people
- Conversation do’s and don’ts
- Case study
- Module eleven: review questions
Module twelve: Wrapping up
- Words from the wise
- Review of parking lot
- Lessons learned
- Completion of action plans and evaluations