UAE | General
'You will have to play'
Gulf News readers felt it is better to acknowledge office politics instead of hiding you head in the sand.
- By Huda Tabrez, Community Web Editor
- Published: 22:43 June 27, 2009
Gulf News readers felt it is better to acknowledge office politics instead of hiding you head in the sand.
Faruk Bhagani, an American-Pakistani expatriate has been a part of the corporate world for more than two decades and felt that staying away from office politics can be very challenging, especially if one is working in a large organisation. He said: "My idea is to be as transparent as possible. Agendas tend to leak out."
Focusing on the work at hand can be more helpful than expending energy on continuously manipulating an agenda, according to Bhagani. However, he does acknowledge the presence of office politics and how it can impact one's career growth. "Every organisation has a performance matrix and your career's longevity would depend on how you measure against it. Sometimes the winds of office politics may check your growth," he said.
The multicultural work environment in the UAE demands extremely skilful workers and Bhagani advises those joining the workforce to study the nuances of a culture before acting.
"You need to be cognisant of the different cultures, as it would help you understand the varying viewpoints," he said.
For Daoud Khalaf, 46-year-old Jordanian senior contracts manager, office politics is a gamble. You play it and you might stand a chance to make it to the top, but sometimes, the consequences can be grave.
"In my experience, the number of people who have crashed out of the league is much more than those who could use it to their advantage," he said. "I have always stayed away from it, which is probably why I haven't become a CEO."
However, Khalaf does warn people against being naïve and presuming others would not harm you if you steer clear of any games at the office. "You may be a well-meaning person, but those who play office politics are ruthless and would not hesitate to sacrifice the weakest link."
His advice is to be alert and make sure you do not become the scapegoat in another's path to the top. "Unfortunately, I have not seen any effort by managements to control this evil, which ends up fuelling the fire."
Khalaf urged managers to avoid the middlemen and take the time to speak to employees directly.
"The filters are always going to filter some of the facts out. If you are serious about developing your business, get involved in the daily ongoings at the office."
47-year-old project manager Saad Jasim, is more pragmatic. For him office politics is the truth of working in today's corporate world.
"It is a war and there is no way to escape it. You have to work with people from different cultures and mindsets, who will react very differently to the same decision or action. The only way to walk out without any wounds is to be diplomatic," the Abu Dhabi-based Canadian expatriate said. For new recruits, Jasim has only one advice: "Put your personal feelings in the fridge when you come to work."
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