You will find politics in any situation where there are a group of people striving for a particular reward. The problem really starts when one of the players begins to play dirty.
The reason for this depends a lot on the individual or the situation. Maybe the person is ambitious and feels that the only way to get to the top is to eliminate competition. This is very much like the Killer personality in Game Mechanics.
It may be the nature of the person to gossip and reveal information shared in confidence. They try to show that they are in the know.
Unfortunately, even the best of professionals can get drawn into this dirty game. It isn’t just to get ahead of their competitors. This also happens when their organization is downsizing and they are scared of losing their jobs.
Their primitive survival instincts kick in and they do what they have to do.
It doesn’t bother them that it might mean hurting a colleague who is not playing the game.
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In this week’s short video, I’m sharing a few tips and pointers on how to deal with backstabbing at the workplace. You can do it with dignity, grace and more importantly, professionalism.
Handling Backstabber Resources mentioned in the video
Whip Your Career Into Submission: The 30-day Plan to Transform Yourself from Job Slave to Master of Your Own Destiny by Karen Salmonsohen
Power of Positive Confrontation by Barbara Pachter
Get Noticed!: 15 Insider Tips guaranteed to improve your Executive Presence by Vatsala Shukla
Bonus Free Resource to manage Workplace Politics with grace and ease
Politics will happen whenever there are people with their own goals and agendas. The question is, do you want to allow it to affect your career or use your actions in a positive way?
Have you ever been a victim of corporate backstabbing? How did you tackle it? Please share!
Video Created by Vatsala Shukla