Our office is a microcosm of the world we live in. So we should not be surprised to find that politics is pervasive here too, as it would be in any social context. Why? Politics and the human psyche are closely entwined, and where you find humans, you will find politics. People have an innate psychological need to know that, which is not their business; and in general treat information as a tradeable commodity. Where you have people congregate, you will have politics.

What is politics, as defined? Although the word has its genesis in the Greek word ‘politika’ and is originally related to the process of decisions related to matters of state — More narrowly, it refers to achieving and exercising positions of governance — organized control over a human community. Since the work environment necessary requires the control of an employee pool, politics will exist here

When one starts work at a new office…. Although it is a professional endeavor to apply your skills and earn your livelihood, you will soon realize that there is a background rhythm and energy, which makes the place tick. Often times there are folks in ‘power positions’ without the necessary titles, who exert influence. I do not want to generalize this, as this is not a cookie cutter situation. My experience with most professional management that I have worked with over the last 35 years has always been that they are above board, fair and professional in dealing with the employees. However, the exception always proves the rule….

Most offices are infected with the office politics virus (a.k.a. office-politicitis). How does one detect such a condition? If you see any or all of the following – backstabbing, opinion gangs, inexplicable promotions, irrational organization changes, or unnecessary new processes – your office has a case of office-politicitis. The severity of the affliction will dictate whether you can stay and survive the trauma of the illness, OR, your values force you to look for another job.

When mid-level managers are conducting the office politics, there is still some hope — attacking and eliminating the office-politicitis virus. Senior management can be engaged, with specific data points, and questionable behavior can be confronted/controlled. Generally, if the senior management team is afflicted by office-politicitis – there is not much hope. To be fair… such situations are rare in today’s hi-tech companies, which are constantly at the leading edge and have to stay competitive and employee friendly.

In the societal world situation, a significant percentage of the population choose to avoid and stay away from politics. This is possible, as in the world context, the individual is rarely directly affected or targeted by politics. However, in the case of the office environment, office-politicitis is often aimed at specific members – to reduce their influence or affect their progress. So, when you find yourself in this situation at work – train yourself to survive the situation. There is a ton of specific reading material you can track down, on how to navigate around the typical office politics situations.

Of course, if it impacts your quality of life and you feel the “push” to get out, Changing Jobs may be your best option. Your place of work has to offer you a safe environment to spend 8-10 hours a day, working hard to provide for your family