One for the boss: 5 ways to prevent office politics

We’ve given you tips on how to navigate office politics, but sometimes the best thing to do is avoid it altogether. Facebook has five clear ways to prevent negative office politics, which they shared with the Harvard Business Review.

1 Hire smart
If you get involved in recruitment at your company, or even if you’re the one who greets candidates when they come in for an interview, try to build in questions that tell you if the person plays well with others. Facebook outright asks candidates how they define office politics to determine whether they think it’s part of their job. If their answers don’t immediately tell you they’re a team player, think long and hard before hiring them.

2 Normalise promotions
Rather than making a promotion an end goal that people compete for, create an atmosphere where management is there to support the team. A more lateral move into a collaborative role is less likely to cause friction between colleagues who want to be top dog.

3 Be honest
Keep employees in the loop on everything that’s going on with the company so nobody can try to get ahead by using insider knowledge. This stops gossip before it can start and makes staff feel empowered. Hold regular catch-up meetings and maintain an open-door policy where anyone can approach management with problems and questions.

4 Make everyone accountable
Allow each employee to make their own decision and let feedback come from every corner of the organisation. At Facebook, those who sit on interview panels aren’t allowed to see other people’s feedback on candidates until they’ve submitted their own to prevent them from forming a bias based on others’ opinions.

5 Train politics out of conversations
It’s easy for people to assume office politics are to blame for a decision they don’t agree with. Teach your organisation’s leaders to dig down into situations to find out why that person thinks politics are working against them. A properly trained manager will help their team see past perceived office politics, which is often the best way to eliminate them from an environment.

Read the original article at bit.ly/299d2HT