Saturday, December 23, 2017

Politics? Who? Me?

PC: Mohamed Hasan @ Pixabay

Kyunki main politics nahin kartaa!” [Because I don’t engage in politics]

In any office environment, this happens to be the standard conspiracy theory when denied a pay raise, a promotion or a day off. The insinuation is that because the sufferer was not currying favour with the higher-ups, richly deserved rewards were withheld.

While bitterness is understandable as every employee in the world, including yours truly, thinks that he is doing his best, the claim of not being political is tough to digest.

Everyone is political. Politics does not only mean standing in queue every 5 years to vote for distant people who will cheat, lie and thieve for the next 5 years. Politics is in every human interaction.

The people you have lunch with, the people you smoke a cigarette with and the people with whom you would rather do neither with – all are clear ways of defining your group. By having a group or by being part of all groups or even by choosing to go it alone, you are being political. You may not care for power or prestige but declaring that you don’t is only another sort of politics.

Life and especially the monotonous routine of office life would be ridiculously tough to survive if it were not for the interactions with fellow sufferers. The grander objectives are most often set by people and powers beyond the daily sphere of activity and all that is left is the bit of work to be handled by the individual.

It should really come as no surprise that folks want to work on that bit alongside like minded or at least united in dislike colleagues. The best bosses do appreciate efficiency and output above compatibility but despite their best attempts at neutrality, they are human too.

This is not to advocate mindless dancing to the boss’ tunes. 

This is only a gentle reminder that good rapport is good practice.

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