Great ways to avoid office politics
It is rather famous that offices with equal representation of women have a lot of office politics too. Well, office politics is just a sad reality of the workplace. Some level of politics prevails in all organizations. However, it is very important for women leaders to avoid office politics because it is a negative connotation and it comes in between a person and their success at work. And no one becomes a leader thinking how to bring another person down. Here are some great ways to keep women leaders away from office politics.
Be vigilant
Women leaders need to be very careful about whom they talk to and what they talk about. This is because when a person is at a prominent position, there are people in the organization who are envious of their success. People who are envious are also likely to manipulate what you say and use it against you, which is why it is very important to be careful and precise in terms of communication with others.
Make sure not to discuss anything that could be used against you and stay away from hearing negative things about anyone else too. Don’t discuss your competition within the organization and refrain from gossiping because that’s not a very good trait anyway. If you really want to vent, meet up with someone wise outside the organization and vent with them. Don’t get manipulated into hearing anything that could get you into trouble because sometimes hearing negative things about someone can also get you into mighty trouble.
Avoid discussing personal life
One of the biggest mistakes women make is that they start discussing personal life. The second you discuss your or someone’s personal life with them, you give them a right to do so too and ask you just about anything. When you are in a leadership position you should not give anyone that right. Moreover, your personal issues are supposed to stay away from work anyway and discussing them with someone at work is not going to help so it is best to avoid it completely.
Keep people at a distance
Women are generally soft and kind and therefore develop good relationships at work, which is great and one of the qualities a leader must possess. However, there is a fine line between keeping strong relationships with the workforce and bringing them so close that they stop taking you seriously. Also, always remember your position as a leader in the organization and remember it while saying anything to a member of the workforce, regardless of your relationship with him or her. The higher you are in the hierarchy of the organization, the more you are going to be manipulated.