How To Confront Workplace Politics
Written by: Sarah Alysse Rosner, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Today I wanted to share some options on how to confront your workplace politics. When entering the workforce, we are told to avoid three things: politics, religion, and personal issues. Since the pandemic, the dynamic has changed quite a bit due to our political climate. We need to recognize that but also remember that we are not in two different camps for anything at work. We need to be united. Although employees come from diverse backgrounds and educational qualifications, ultimately, our work will be stronger with different perspectives. For our business to succeed, we need to approach workplace politics with a fresh eye.
According to Business News Daily, workplace politics is defined as “the manifestation of power dynamics among co-workers.” This is what business owners and companies need to focus on to enhance their work politics environment.
The way to tackle power dynamics is by doing the following 3 things:
Cultivate a positive community – If there is no sense of community, employees will feel no attachment or loyalty to continue at that company. Find ways to connect people through activities, team outings, volunteering, fantasy leagues, recreational sports leagues, competitions, and recognition of exceptional work. Let’s break down some of these areas and get creative. For all the following, make sure you ask your employees what they would be interested in.
Activities – Think outside of the box and create experiences virtually or at the office. Examples: cooking with your co-workers, improvisation, fitness classes, meditation.
Team Outings – Find out more about your employees by taking them out for a happy hour or dinner.
Volunteering – Choose charities and organizations that matter to your team. Every year I give opportunities for my coworkers to learn about the Kidney Cancer Association as that is something near and dear to my heart since my father’s passing and understanding what places they support is a wonderful way to connect on a human level.
Fantasy Leagues – If you know that most of your employees love sports, you can do a free pool to get everyone involved. When the playoffs happen (which is when most standard leagues end), throw a work lunch party to celebrate the winner!
Recreational Sports Leagues – Include everyone in the mix! (Volleyball, Paddle Ball, Bowling, Softball, Kickball, etc.)
Competitions – Do you have a client that you need to exceed their expectations? Create a competition around it. A healthy amount of competition won’t hurt anybody. A team could win a pizza party or gift cards.
Recognition – This goes without saying but take time to recognize your employees and leaders for their outstanding work.
Educate Employees – Take into consideration that employees learn effectively from hands-on training. Here are some different ways to have fun as well as educate your employees.
One of my favorite ways to do that is to celebrate employees’ cultures.
Bring in specialized experts ‒ Introduce or refresh topics that need exploration. This places every employee on an even playing field at work. Examples: EDI (equity, diversity, and inclusion) Training, Stress Management Consultant, Team Building Facilitators, Financial Planners/Advisors.
Enroll your employees in a professional continuing education course.
Communicate Effectively – There are many ways we can Communicate Better In Your Company (brainzmagazine.com), but I’m going to concentrate on one area to improve workplace dynamics. Share your wins and failures. Employees need to see your human side, and sharing is a great way to build trust. Never be afraid to show how you were able to achieve that win. Lastly, people forget that failures are a chance for everyone to learn. Even if you feel that this story will make you less of a leader, trust that another employee has gone through the same thing, or by hearing this failure story, they can avoid it completely.
By confronting these areas in advance, you will gain a loyal team who is communicative, happy, and less stressed.
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Sarah Alysse Rosner, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Sarah Alysse is a corporate stress management coach that helps companies cultivate a low-stress environment so that their employees can be happier and more productive. She’s the creator and CEO of Live Well Enhance You, which was formed out of a need for her Pilates clients to find balance in their lives. She branched into the corporate market to assist employees in creating out-of-the-box wellness solutions. She utilizes her BFA Musical Theater Performance background to coach others on how to be confident and understand the connection between the brain and body. Spanning over a decade, Sarah has collected an abundance of certifications from the Integrative Institute of Nutrition, STOTT Pilates, to the National Academy of Sports Medicine. She’s been featured on WGN's Living Healthy and WGN Around Town segment as a Stress Management Expert. Also, she has been promoted on Business Insider, Yahoo Finance, Authority, Kivo Daily, LA Wire, The Chicago Journal, NY Wire, NY Weekly, IdeaMensch, and US Reporter. In addition, she’s the host of the Stress-Free SOULutions podcast.
