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infp and office politics aka the real hunger games

[INFP] 
5K views 14 replies 12 participants last post by  BunBurry 
#1 ·
when it comes to office politics, things can get pretty nasty. I seen second hand someone`s name tossed around in the lunch room and later few weeks down the road the said person transferred out of the department, hours cut and terminated.

you either play or you lose and eventually starve. its not a matter of skill, it really is a matter of politics. so do you play? how do you play? do you have issues playing the hunger games?

(if you are a young infp, you might want to sit this thread out. 25 and up please feel free to respond)
 
#3 ·
Yes. I'm 55 and just retired from my corporate career having never played the game. The stress of it took a huge toll on me, affecting my physical and mental health. It went from bad to worse when it became undeniable that it didn't even matter what I did in my job activities. All that mattered was playing the game. We weren't helping anybody. I worked for two years in a strategy and innovation role that was so bureaucratic all we did was spend millions of dollars to come up with zero contributions in the way of strategy and innovation. I worked for nearly 20 years after my life as a professional student in corporate learning and talent development and every day was a political fight for my professional life. I have always been too idealistic and non-competitive to fit into that world. It was also politics that drove me from my academic career and if I think about it, every other job I have left in my life.

Now I don't have enough money to truly retire, so I am in the market for another lower paying and less political job. My intention is to work only in things that I love. We'll see how that goes.
:unsure:
 
#6 ·
Note: I'm going to liberally ignore that age limit, so feel free to disregard what I say here.

so do you play?
Depends on the people I work with. I usually don't have too, but I've seen some pretty nasty instances where the gloves had to be taken off.

how do you play?
I think Machiavelli and Sun Tzu are incredibly useful teachers in this regard. Ethics do come into play however. I keep on good terms with everybody without getting walked on (Keep your friends close, your enemies closer). I pick my battles wisely, if the end result is not worth the effort you might as well just save it for later (live to fight another day). Choose to deal with problems on your terms (make your opponent fight at your choosing). Go for a personal approach (pride is everybody's downfall, people will appreciate the fact you help them save face).

In the end I try to incorporate a lot of integrity into my actions and what I say. If those two match up, most people's arguments will fall flat and make them look ridiculous. That also depends on the overall environment you find yourself in as well.

do you have issues playing the hunger games?
I hate playing politics and trying to cover my own ass. I consider a threat to my livelihood the threshhold however, as soon as someone crosses it I don't forget.
 
#8 ·
Forgive me for my innocence and age, but people actually do this? They try to ruin other people's reputations in the workplace? I can understand if it's a few people, but does it really involve the whole personnel?
 
#12 ·
I wish I had enough experience to be able to address this question directly, but from what I've seen yes it happens. There is someone at my workplace who is referred to as... well, I won't say that much in the unlikely event that anyone looks here. But they are not very well liked. They are also quite influential in the company and have the ears of directors and seem to always be able to work events around in their favour. Ultimately, they are manipulative and two-faced, but that is one person. But there have been a number of departmental changes too. Long-standing employees with more experience being assigned to work under younger and depending on opinion less competent staff. People I like being made redundant.

I think a lot of it depends on the environment you work in. In my limited experience, people lower down the hierarchy = people less likely to lust after power = more pleasant individuals in general. But with more senior level, managerial and directorial staff a lot can vary. I generally keep myself to myself and although I'm observant and hear a lot of things I don't generally tend to act upon them. But I am quite grateful to be working for the boss I am right now - they're a very authentic human being, and also a strong personality. Without them I'm not sure I'd survive as long if 'exposed' to the others.
 
#10 ·
i really really hate office politics as a result my work has always been in smaller companies (i don't really care if the pays poor as only as the working environment won't drive me insane) luckily small companies don't tend to have office politics, everyones too busy working, and if your the only one doing your job your boss notices the work not the politics
 
#11 ·
The only time when office politics were not played or were discouraged in the process of playing them in jobs I held, it was when a boss cared enough for the peace and cooperation to stop them [smaller companies].
A lot of times it depends on corporate culture - cooperation or competition? I agree that at the end it is very unproductive for a company to allow dirty politics to play - it comes from a mindset of a lower and middle manager who does not discourage it, not a real leader [a visionary leader would never allow it, while a small-minded manger would because they usually think that competitiveness allows productivity in employees to grow even when dirty politics are in the play]. It seems that they want beasts for employees not real human beings with consciousness and ethics that is above that than in a beast (forgive me real beastly beings you are actually better than some people). It gets more complicated very quickly on the level of corporation if you see it as a system than in small companies. Some companies show their climate as soon as you open their doors, you can smell it even during an interview whether they will allow hunger games or not. Just listen to your N; if you ignore it you are in the trouble.
Second, the capitalism as a system is not such a problem per se, but the TYPE of it. A total control of corporations over natural resources and people [seen not for what it is, but just a capital input, human capital] without any sanctions from governments [they get actual help from governments to do it because they kiss each others behinds] for any type of ruthless behavior, it is the type of capitalism that will destroy itself.
 
#13 ·
Yes, it happens all the time. Some people are brazen and shameless about it while others exhibit a degree of sophistication in that they are not outwardly mean or open about their machinations. Like in anything there are poseurs and there are masters of the art of politics. Some even make no pretense about getting anything done. It's all just a game in passive aggressive positioning of one's self in the leadership culture.
 
#14 ·
I've worked in different types of places, from restaurants to management consultancy's, there are politics everywhere. I actually liked the management consultancy I worked for, I suppose the organization is sort of Ne-Te-Fi-ish in their philosophy and their methods, but of course, on the inside, there were hidden rules and a bit of politics going on. They were actually aware of these things and trying to figure out what to do about it and put it into action. Well it was nice that the office was less than 20 persons in size, so it's easy to connect on a personal level.

The kitchen I work in now actually changes chefs/cooks on a very frequent base - but the main reason is more of a cultural thing. The owners are non-natives, they usually get some personnel from their home country, who stay a couple of months and then go back. Nonetheless, there's plenty of politics.

I wasn't born to become a cook, me thinks, but I survive, also knowing that I took this job as a temporary thing. I perceive cultural differences and (thus intercultural) political things easily, to which I adapt in a fashion that I think is the best thing for the restaurant as a whole. We recently got a new cook and two of my co-workers disliked him rather instantly. So in the first two weeks, I've tried socializing with him a bit, and I must say I will probably not become great friends with this guy, but I can really appreciate him as a co-worker.

I suppose there's a lot of stuff happening in the restaurant and in the kitchen that I find difficult to accept as a sort of idealistic individual with ideas and dreams of 'how things should be', so every now and then I voice my opinions, but I reason mostly for what is the best thing for the interests of the restaurant as a whole, and these aren't necessarily opinions I share. If I need something or if there's something that needs to be addressed, I 'notify' the powers that be (the owners, who also work in the kitchen and in the service), in a 'language' they understand, if you know what I mean?
 
#15 ·
I'm Shop Steward for the CAW union. I fight with Management everyday and defend my union brothers/sisters. I see some very immoral attacks against workers by the 2 faced "leadership". I've only been a Shop Steward for 10 months, once I reach 1 year, THAT'S IT!! Playing the game stresses me out and gives me a negative outlook on life. I need to occupy my mind with positivity.
 
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