Working in teams is an integral part of ones professional as well as personal life. And in a team obviously there are a wide variety of individuals from different walks of life and strata of society. Some of them are dominating / overbearing while others like to play it low. Some try to take charge of the group almost immediately while others love to stay away from the limelight and follow the bandwagon. Everyone almost always has a different opinion and viewpoint on things. And that’s what is necessary to discuss different points and take a team forward.
But then some people love to play politics all the time. Whether its back-biting or trying to impress the important ones, whether its trying to take the credit for a job done by the entire team or not doing some work just because one feels its not important, some people love to have all the fun! But, why so? Are these guys jobless? Don’t they have anything useful to do? Why do they love to do this all the time?
Maybe they think in the below order?
1. Make a name for oneself – Working hard by doing simple, small tasks slowly and getting noticed is passe. Why waste all the time and energy if one can play politics so well? Do a couple of high profile tasks / jobs well, mix with the right people, try to lead the team and people that matter will know you at the snap of your fingers.
2. Get the importance craved for – Once these guys have managed to make a name for themselves, they would easily get all the importance they have craved for. Whether in name or in work, these guys become the darling of everyone.
3. It pays to be noticed – Guys who are talkative, extroverts and always mix with the higher ups are always noticed more than those who prefer to stay away from all the limelight. And therefore such guys are the first to get ‘paid’ in cash, kind or in their careers / lives. It for sure is a benefit on many levels.
Politics is something which is synonymous with everything we do in life. Its neither black or white but instead its in the zone of Grey. One has to have a balance in knowing how and when to play politics. If one does so every time, then there are a lot of people who are going to be quite unhappy. While on the other hand, someone who just sits and hopes to become famous without working for it in deed is just trying to fool himself.
So get up and get going. Take control of your team before others control you!
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