There’s a huge difference between really being a neutral party and politicking and trying to appease everyone. In one case you garner the respect of all involved, in the other, there definitely will come a time when things will blow up in your face. This article from Business Week on politics in the office is a good read about staying above the fray: Resisting the Pull of Office Politics
Be Switzerland….
I think that trying to please everyone usually starts when you find yourself agreeing with people in settings when your brain is screaming “NO!!! That’s so screwed up! What are you an idiot??!!!” Maybe this person is your boss – or someone who has authority over you in some way – that makes it even harder. Maybe you’ll throw in a little placation too. Heck, and once you’re there – if they are ranting about someone else it is always easy to make some snide comments and have fun at someone else’s expense. Someone who isn’t there to defend themselves. Besides, it is easier to agree than to argue. Anyway, it’s harmless. Right? Wrong. Well, next thing you know, you find yourself having a more similar conversations, maybe with people with the opposite viewpoint. The poison is spreading to other people. The team is splitting into multiple factions. There is no empathy between the different sides.
Politics start before high school. You’d think that as we grow up that we’d learn that this isn’t a game worth playing. Sadly, even people who should be older and wiser fall prey to this.
