Office Politics

Office politics is the use of one's individual or assigned power within an employing organization for the purpose of obtaining advantages beyond one's legitimate authority. Those advantages may include access to tangible assets, or intangible benefits such as status or pseudo-authority that influences the behavior of others. Both individuals and groups may engage in Office Politics.

Who May be Involved in Office Politics:

Management and occupational employees may engage in office politics, individually or collectively. Managers who engage in office politics often do so at the expense of the employees who report to them. That makes them Bad Bosses.

Who is Most Likely to be Unaware of Office Politics? 

Employees new to the workforce are frequently taken by surprise by the kind of office politics that occur. Washington Post Career Columnist, Mary Ellen Slayter, said,

 "'Who's Afraid of the Big, Bad Boss?' by Marilyn Haight identifies 13 common bad boss types, and offers advice on how to cope with them. She also saves you some wasted effort by explaining what definitely doesn't work with each of those personality types. While the book would be useful to workers of all ages, it is especially helpful for those new to the workplace, who haven't mastered the basics of office politics."

What Can You Do about Office Politics? 

To learn how to protect yourself from the office politics in which bad bosses engage, read the Action Tips and Knowledge Tips on this site.

Click on the image to order
Who's Afraid of the Big, Bad Boss?
at Amazon.com