Why blame Politicians, office people can also do good politics.
They don’t miss a single chance to degrade another person in front of Director/ Boss. If by any chance you make a mistake, don’t expect that senior will come to you and advise you something. He will officially write a mail, with a cc mark to hundred names. If there is an appreciation mail, it will be only send to you. All the other names will vanish.
Most of the time, Director/ Boss has never been aware of the internal office politics. He listens to the person next to him. The harassment and pressure on other level he can never understand. The subordinates also fear to report about the senior to the Director and more likely there are more chances of you loosing job then to him. The more you grow the more power you gain. Director/ Boss will think twice to comment or fire the senior designated person but on subordinates he can do it as a time pass, at any time, all frustrations can be relived by scolding you.
In one of the forwarded mail by collogue, he sent important tips.
1) Never walk without a document in your hands: People with documents in their hands looks like hardworking employees heading for important meetings. People with nothing in their hands looks like they’re heading for the canteen. People with the newspaper in their hands looks like they’re heading for the toilet. Above all, make sure you carry loads of stuff home with you at night, thus generating the false impression you work longer hours than you do.
2) Use computers to look busy: Any time you use a computer, it looks like “work” to the casual observer. You can send or receive personal email, chat, blog and generally have a blast without doing anything remotely related to work. When you get caught by your boss- and you “will” get caught- your best defense is to claim you’re teaching yourself to use new software’s, thus saving valuable training expenses.
3) Messy Desk: Top management can get away with a clean desk. For the rest of us, it looks like we are not working hard enuf. Build huge piles of documents around your workspace. To the observer, last year’s work looks the same as today’s work; it’s volume that counts. PILE THEM HIGH AND WIDE. If you know somebody is coming to you desk, bury the document you’ll need halfway down in an existing stack and rummage for it when he/ she arrives.
4) Looking impatient and annoyed: Always try to look impatient and annoyed to give your bosses the impression that you are always busy.
5) Leave the office late: Always leave the office late, esp’ when the boss is still around. You could read magazines or storybooks that you always wanted to read but have no time until late before leaving. Make sure you walk past the boss’ room on your way out. Send important emails on unearthly hours (eg. 2135 hrs, 0705 hrs, etc) and during public holidays.
6) Creating Sighing Effect: Sigh loudly when there are many people around, giving the impression that you are under extreme pressure.
7) Stacking Strategy: It is not enuf to pile lots of documents on the table. Put lots of books on the floor etc (thick computer manuals are the best)
You can use these tips. I know one of my collogue who really follows the same and her subordinate sent me this mail. I was thinking he should send it to her to let her know that we understand that it’s just giving the wrong impression to Directors that they are too busy doing work, not that they are very hardworking or smart at work.