What are the different type of office colleagues

that you have encountered in your life?

1. he no nonsense type. Focus on work, no jokes, no
sarcasm, even the boss can’t humiliate him/her,
resignation is always ready in one corner of desktop.
2. The earn to survive type.- Belongs to poor family, has
only one target, to earn money and meet expenses, walks
in at 9, works all day, leaves at 5, discusses with everyone
about their miseries, often borrow fund from friends.
3. The party animal- Attends every office gathering,
organizes parties and outstation trip, has uncountable
connections including boss and boss’s boss.
4. The growth hungry- Gives an interview every week,
attends weekend classes, gives CFA, sits for an extra
hour to finish targets before time, does not make friends,
builds relations, strictly professional.
5. The gossip guy- Knows about what happened last
night between the girl sitting in the last corner and her
boyfriend, makes a mountain out of an atom, share
something with him/her and the information travels
faster than optic fibre cable.
6. The happy go lucky type- Got a job, job done, waits
for salary, does not care about targets or warnings,
sleeps on weekends, doesn't crave for promotion, takes
stress for nothing, you will find him/her mostly in pantry
or standing outside.
7. Stressed out guy- Smallest of mistakes makes him/her
feel like they will lose their job, these are the people who
plead, request and apologise, they repeat this line
everyday “I would never repeat this again”, “Sorry” is
their Karma.
8. The “Living on Edge” guy- Since the first day he/she
is on the verge of receiving a pink slip, every other month
they get last warnings, they seek advice from every
possible person, their performance is like a movie which
is not even seen by its producer.
9. The “Love Doves”- They are married or in relationship
with someone else but in office they are husband and
wife, they work together, eat together, talk together, and
the worst take leaves together, what they do together
after office is unknown.
10. Fashioniesta- Every new/weird dress wore by funky
celebrities would be seen on their body within a month
of launch, they walk like a model, groom up like a model
everyday, have own fashion blogs and a few thousand
followers on Instagram.
11. The butter spreading spoon- For them boss is god,
for them boss’s wish is their command, for them boss’s
abuses are blessings, for them a day does not end
without appreciating their boss, anything you share with
them will be communicated within seconds to the
almighty boss, you can find them following boss
everywhere except toilets.
12. The social animal- Out of 500 employees of the
company, 501 would be in their friend list on Facebook,
they spend 4 hours on working and 5 hours on saying
“Hi”
13. The non-existent type- Every time you see their
face, you try your best to recognize them and obviously
fail in the pursuit. Most of the time they are on holidays
and in remaining days stick to their seats or hide in
corners.
14. The horny guy/girl- Whole day they keep staring at
hot guys/girls with their mouth wide open, they don’t
create work, they create crushes, they seek help for
introductions.
15. The father of Albert Einstein- They complete daily
work in first 4 hours, next day’s work in next 4 hours,
boss’s stuck work in the last hour.
16. The Problem solver/ Dukh harta- Their niche is
not their JD but other technical fields, from Excel to
coding to hardware to finding bugs to solving disputes
with clients, they will finish any stuck task in minutes.
People crave for them when stuck.
 17. The revenge seeker- Their life is a revenge with the
entire world, they will do anything to ruin people’s life in
office, from complaining to creating complicated tasks,
from mocking to identifying errors in other people’s
tasks, they can seek pleasure from so many activities.
18. The thorny Cactus- People who are permanently
irritated by birth, your words, actions, requests and even
presence irritates them to the core, sometimes you
wonder how bad condition would their not so better half
would be in being tied in a knot with them.
19. The forgotten hero- These are the people who have
a strong history attached with their names, their stories
are shared for years even after they leave the
office. Either they slapped their boss, or did something
close to impossible. They do not exist in office today but
discussed daily.
20. The show off workers- Arrives first, leaves last,
keeps sitting at seat whenever boss is around, won't take
holidays, first to ask queries, talks only about work,
though their productivity would be lower than the
weakest colleague.
21. The caged bird- People who are stuck in job, they
will fly away on the first available opportunity, they crib
about the job, share their future plans with everyone, are
on the verge of giving resignation every now and then.

How do I survive office politics?

"Office politics" are the strategies that people play to gain advantage, personally or
for a cause they support. The term often has a negative connotation, in that it refers
to strategies people use to seek advantage at the expense of others or the greater
good. In this context, it often adversely affects the working environment and
relationships within it. Good "office politics", on the other hand, help you fairly
promote yourself and your cause, and is more often called networking and
stakeholder management.

Perhaps due to the negative connotation, many people see office politics as
something very much to be avoided. But the truth is, to ensure your own success and
that of your projects, you must navigate the minefield of Office Politics. If you deny
the 'bad politics' that may be going on around you, and avoid dealing with them, you
may needlessly suffer whilst others take unfair advantage. And if you avoid practising
'good politics', you miss the opportunities to properly further your own interests, and
those of your team and your cause.

Making Politics Work FOR You

To deal effectively with office politics and use it yourself in a positive way, you must
firstaccept the reality of it. Once you've done this, you then need to develop strategies
to deal with the political behavior that is going on around you. The best way to do
this is to be a good observer and then use the information you gather to build
yourself a strong network to operate in. Here are some tips:

Re-Map the Organization Chart

Office Politics often circumvent the formal organization chart. Sit back and watch for
a while and then re-map the organization chart in terms of political power.

 Who are the real influencers?

 Who has authority but doesn't exercise it?
 Who is respected?
 Who champions or mentors others?
 Who is "the brains behind the organization"?
Understand the Informal Network

Once you know who's who in the organization, you have a good idea of where the
power and influence lay. Now you have to understand the social networks.

 Who gets along with whom?

 Are there groups or cliques that have formed?
 Who is involved in interpersonal conflict?
 Who has the most trouble getting along with others?
 What is the basis for the interrelationship? Friendship, respect,
manipulation?
 How does the influence flow between the parties?
Build Relationships

Now that you know how the existing relationships work, you need to build your own
social network accordingly.

 Do not be afraid of politically powerful people in the organization. Get to

know them.
 Ensure you have relationships that cross the formal hierarchy in all
directions (peers, bosses, executives).
 Start to build relationships with those who have the informal power.
 Build your relationships on trust and respect – avoid empty flattery.
 Be friendly with everyone but don't align yourself with one group or
another.
 Be a part of multiple networks – this way you can keep your finger on the
pulse of the organization.
Make the Most of Your Network
As you build your relationships, you need to learn to use them to stay clear of
negative politicking, and also to promote yourself and your team positively. It is up to
you to communicate your own and your team's abilities and successes to the right
people, and you do this through positive political action. Use your network to:

 Gain access to information.

 Build visibility of your achievements.
 Improve difficult relationships.
 Attract opportunities where you can to shine.
 Seek out ways to make yourself, your team and your boss look good.
Neutralize Negative Play

Your mapping of the informal spheres of influence in the organization will have
helped you to identify those people who use others for their own purposes, and not
necessarily for the common good. It's natural to want to distance yourself from these
people as much as possible. But what can often be needed is the opposite reaction.
The expression, "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer" applies perfectly
to office politics.

 Get to know these people better and be courteous to them, but always be
very careful what you say to them.
 Understand what motivates these people and what their goals are, and so
learn how to avoid or counter the impact of their negative politicking.
 Be aware that these people typically don't think much of their talents (that's
why they rely on aggressive politicking to get ahead).
Govern Your Own Behavior

Through observation you'll learn what works in your organization's culture and what
doesn't. Watch other people at work and identify successful behaviors that you can
model. There are also some general standards to observe that will stop negative
politics from spreading.

 Don't pass on gossip, questionable judgments, spread rumors – when you

hear something, take a day to consider how much credibility it has.
 Rise above interpersonal conflicts – do not get sucked into arguments.
 Maintain your integrity at all times – always remain professional, and
always remember the organization's interests.
 Be positive – avoid whining and complaining.
 Be confident and assertive but not aggressive.
 When voicing objections or criticism, make sure you take an organizational
perspective not a personal one.
 Don't rely on confidentiality – assume things will be disclosed and so decide
what you should reveal accordingly.
 Be a model of integrity to your team, and discourage politics within it.
Office Politics are a fact of life. Wise politicking will help you get what you want in
the world of work without compromising others in the process. Learn to use its
power positively while diffusing the efforts of those who abuse it.
Checklist: the 5 secrets to
winning at office politics
1) Don’t Opt Out
Pfeffer and Bernstein agree the first step to winning at office politics is to stop
thinking that the world is fair and that you are somehow above the fray.
There ain’t no justice. Fairness is a human construct; it doesn’t apply to the
machinations of the gods or the company.
Just working hard isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Politics matters more than results
in the workplace.
In an experimental study of the performance appraisals people received, those
who were able to create a favorable impression received higher ratings than did
people who actually performed better but did not do as good a job in managing
the impressions they made on others.
You cannot not play politics. You can only play politics badly.

2) Please your boss

What is, by far, the single most important relationship you have in any office? The
one with your direct superior.

Your relationship with your boss is far more important than your actual
performance.
The lesson from cases of people both keeping and losing their jobs is that as
long as you keep your boss or bosses happy, performance really does not matter
that much and, by contrast, if you upset them, performance won’t save you…
How do you keep the boss happy? Ask what they want and do it.
It is much more effective for you to ask those in power, on a regular
basis, what aspects of the job they think are the most crucial and how
they see what you ought to be doing.

3) Make alliances
You can’t just do your job. You need allies.

The best predictor of team success is not smarts or effort — it’s how team
members feel about one another.

How do you make alliances?

Do favors for people. Find out what they need from your position, and let them
know that you can supply it. In other words, sell yourself by your actions. You
have to find out what their idea is about where your position fits in and how
you can help the group.

Be strategic.

Because networking does entail some effort, you ought to be strategic

about your networking activities. Make a list of people you want or need
to meet and organizations where some personal connection might be
helpful. Work your way down that list, figuring out ways to build social
relationships with a wider and more diverse set of individuals.

Really get to know people so you can help them — and then they can help you. It
even works for future Presidents of the United States…

One of the sources of Lyndon Johnson’s success as Senate majority leader was
his assiduous attention to the details of his 99 colleagues, knowing which ones
wanted a private office, who were the drunks, who were the womanizers, who
wanted to go on a particular trip—all the mundane details that permitted him
to accurately predict how people would vote and figure out what to give each
senator to gain his or her support… far from diverting you from accomplishing
your objectives, putting yourself in the other’s place is one of the best ways to
advance your own agenda.

4) How to deal with gossip

Like it or not gossip is valuable because it is information. And research shows gossip

is true approximately 80% of time.

But it’s also a weapon and can blow up in your face. How do you play with fire?

If you make it a rule to speak only for yourself and listen only to people
speaking for themselves, most of the worst abuses can never happen.

How should you respond to gossip?

Answer bad with good. Whenever gossips say something negative about
someone, say something positive.

5) So how do you win?

Know Your Goal. The first rule for staying sane is to know what you want to
happen, and let your goal determine your actions…

Know Other People’s Goals. The essence of successful competition is

getting people to believe that the best way to get what they want is to
give you what you want. To do that, you have to know what they want.
You can make some general assumptions: People at your level and
below, like the guys in the other department, want their jobs made
easier. People above you, such as your boss and the CEO, want
information they can use to make themselves look good.

Sometimes, people will do things because they are right or because the
rules say they should, but all in all, self-interest is a much more reliable
motivator. When you want cooperation, think carefully about what you
have to offer in return. Always let people know up front what’s in it for
them.

Learn from Winners. Pay close attention to what successful people do,
rather than judging their actions. What did the political suck-up who got your
promotion do that you aren’t doing? How about that coworker who makes more
than you?

Schmooze Upward. In most places, information is the coin of the

realm. You won’t learn much of value sitting in your cube or gossiping with your
buddies in the break room. Never miss an opportunity to chat informally with
people above you. You never know what you might learn about them, or what they
might learn about you.

Play Your Cards Close to Your Vest. Information is valuable. Get as much
as you can, but be choosy about what you give out…
Power in Organizations
Here is a list sources of power that may be found in organizations (Morgan, 1986), with
further commentary
Formal authority
The simplest form of power is that vested in the position of 'manager'. A manager has
subordinates who must do his or her bidding, only within legal and organizational rules.
The basic employment transaction is 'we give you money, you do as your are told'.
Of course there are many more ways that power can be exerted, and in particular in
motivating people more effectively such as is found in transformational leadership.
Control of scarce resources
Other than directing employees, managers control budgets and the assets and other
resources that the firm holds, from technology to people. A part of this control is the ability
to allocate these resources to projects and other work.
It is not unsurprising that many of the political battles in organizations is over control of
resources and 'empire-building' is a classic game, with a significant risk that organizational
goals get forgotten in the cut and thrust of winning and losing control of resources.
Use of organizational structure, rules and regulations
Organizations have hierarchies, departments, teams and other structures, often each with its
own rules as well as the rules that govern the action within the organization as a whole.
Many people do not know all of these rules, which makes them a source of power for those
who care to take time to learn their detail.
Power can also be gained from quoting rules that do not exist or misquoting rules by
overstating or understating their meaning.
Control of decision processes
Work is selected and resources are allocated by decisions, many of which are decided in
some form by groups of people. By managing how decisions are made, for example by
requiring consensus or senior-manager signoff, the power of some people may be curtailed
whilst others gain the ability to shape decisions.
When decisions are made in committee or other meetings, the person who chairs the
meeting or keeps the minutes may have notable power to control decisions.
Control of knowledge and information
Knowledge is power, as they say, and how you gather and distribute it is a source of power,
whether it is technical or social information.
Experts often work in this way, protecting their elevated status by hiding the sources of
their knowledge and exacting high prices (whether financial or social) for their learned
opinions.
Control of boundaries
The structures and groups of the organization are only so because they have boundaries
which people cross in order to access resources and meet people. Thus, for example, an
executive's Personal Assistant may have disproportionate power in the ability to allow
access or not to the executive. Likewise security guards, though not paid very much can
allow, bar or hassle people crossing their boundaries.
Ability to cope with uncertainty
A quite different source of power is personal resilience, the ability to handle uncertainty
and stress that might debilitate others. Such people can gain position by taking on work
that others fear and is a common route for upwardly-mobile go-getters who seek early
promotion.
Control of technology
Technology is (or should be) an enabler, providing data, analysis, information, access and
other benefits. Those who control what technology is used by the organization or who gets
the latest computers and software has significant power, and the person who used to be the
'IT Manager' may now be the 'Chief Information Officer'.
Having the latest technology can also be a status symbol, thereby giving the holder social
power in the way they can show themselves to be influential and clever.
Interpersonal alliances, networks and control of ‘informal organization’
Who you know makes a lot of difference. We naturally help our friends and those who
have helped us in some way in the past. Social networks are the glue of organizations and
those who build and work their informal associates can thereby gain significantly more
power.
In the time when smoking was allowed but only in special 'smoking rooms', it was often
said that this became a 'club' where the low and the high in the organization rubbed
shoulders, which no doubt gave power to the lower people in the name-dropping they could
use and and help they might get.
Control of counter-organizations
Not to every organization is there an equal and opposite counter-organization, but in the
battlefield of businesses, whole ecologies spring up, include local opposition to factory
expansion, trade unions seeking ever-increasing pay and benefits and so on. If you can
infiltrate or otherwise hold some sway over the groups who might oppose you, you may at
least be able to damp the danger they power and possibly neutralize them completely.
Symbolism and the management of meaning
We live a lot, more than perhaps we realize, in the sway of the symbols and semiotics of
the workplace. If you can recognize the subtlety and understand the workings of how
meaning is created, then you have a surprisingly powerful tool for change and influence.
Symbols and meaning-making is a particular pattern of culture, and those who would
change the underlying culture of an organization can make use of these.
Gender and the management of gender relations
In a balanced workplace, around half the people are men and half are women. In practice,
some women gravitate towards particular roles whilst men seek other work positions. The
'glass ceiling' still exists in many companies and, perhaps due to life breaks such as having
children, fewer women make it to the higher echelons.
This can lead to frustrations and energy that can be put to good and destructive use. If you
can harness this, you have power. There is also the power of sexual attraction, and tall and
shapely people continue to make good use of their physical assets.
Structural factors that define the stage of action
The 'stage of action' in organizations is set up by the organizational purpose, vision,
mission, strategy and other high-level shaping activities that lead to scenarios of activity,
from driving into new markets to struggling with organizational change.
If you can shape the direction of the organization, you have tremendous power to affect
much of what it does and consequently the futures (and power) of others in the firm.
The power one already has
Last, but certainly not least, is the power of the individual. We can be charming, willing,
obstinate and more. And we have feet we can use to leave the company at any time we
choose.

So what?
So take note! If you are feeling powerless in an organization, think again and review the above list.
Everyone has the ability to acquire and use more power than they might reasonably expect to have.