When its OK to participate in office politics

When its OK to participate in sekretariat politicsWhen its OK to participate in office politicsSelf-Assessment Quiz - TRUE or FALSEI know the map of the political power at my office I know who has influence and who doesnt and why.I have a social network at work and have made sure Im connected across departments and internal hierarchy.I have great interpersonal skills I can pick up on others emotions and act accordingly while also keeping a check on my own.Alrighty, friends. bro politics. Most people will tell you to steer clear of it, but Im here to tell you that to win, youve GOT to play. You dont have to get ugly with it, butyouve gotta play. If you answered TRUE to the Self-Assessment questions above, youre half-way there.Listen, office politics dont go away even if/when you change jobs and they only get more complicated as you advance in your career. Do yourself a favor and get good at it nowSo heres an Office Politics ScenarioYou want a box of Uni-Ball Vision pens. Black ones. T he Office Managers grip on the supply cabinet keys seems to get real tight whenyoucome asking for what you rightfully need to get your work done. You elendice pens are flying off the shelf willy-nilly for Lucy and Joe and Molly, but for you,nada. What do you do?Buy your own pens.Lie and say the pens are for your boss.Tell HR that Ms. Office Manager is withholding company property from employees.Tell erybody else in the office that Ms. Office Manager is withholding company property from employeesHave Molly get them for you.Take the pens when Ms. Office Manager is on her lunch break shell never notice.Use a pencil instead.Ms. Office Manager lady is being a bully. She is exerting herwork powerover you for whatever reason, and its wrong. Whether she stops this behavior or not is up to you and your game. What move(s) do you make to get to WINNING?Yes, you could buy your own pens and be done with it. You are an adult and have no time for petty behavior. Thing is, youve disengaged if you d o this. The issue needs to be dealt with and by avoiding it, nothing gets resolved. Plus, youre spending your own money on something the company is clearly providing. Money is money and you need to keep yours in your pocket. LOSINGIf you lie and say the pens are for your boss, what happens when youre caught in the lie? Not good, cause now youre a liar and your boss is looking at you crazy. Now, if you mention to your boss that youre having troubles getting some pens, she may say, Oh, just say theyre for me. Problem solved. She probably is already fully aware of Ms. Office Managers shenanigans. By telling your boss, youve created a pen ally. This is a good thing. This is WINNING. Lying is LOSING.Telling HR about this nonsense can backfire. It is a small issue and you could look like a tattle-tale and they may not listen to you when you really need them for something important. LOSINGTelling erybody else about this personal pen embargo could get you popular and win you a gang of offic e friends. But now youve turned into a bully yourself and thats not cool. And you still dont have the pens. LOSINGPulling Molly onto your team is helpful. She can be your informant to get important intel on why Ms. Office Manager is against you. Make sure she remains neutral as she sleuths. Asking Molly is also a win because you get what you want and need, the pens WINNINGTaking the pens when Ms. Office Manager is gone is technically stealing. Like the white lie above, this could come back to haunt you in a big way and you for real, for real do not want to get fired for stealing some old pens. LOSINGUsing a pencil isnt going to make you feel good, is it? Denying yourself what you want and need isnt cool and once again, youre avoiding the issue. Now, if you want to show Ms. Office Manager that you dont need her stinking pens, maybe shell passively aggressively give you the pens when she sees you no longer want them. Use this move at your own risk. DRAWCheryl Grace is the sassy aunt, best friend, and berater youve always needed in your life. The successful jet-setting, global corporate executive founded the aspirational lifestyle brand Powerful Penny LLC. Her products, workshops and speeches probe, inspire and empower to ensure those who really want to can get to their next level of best. Her blogs on careers, prosperity, relationships, family, looking and living fabulously, and living a five-star life can be found atwww.powerfulpenny.com.

How to Turn a Contact Into a Mentor - The Muse

How to Turn a Contact Into a Mentor - The MuseHow to Turn a Contact Into a Mentor That first step really can be the hardest part. You know that having a mentor would be valuable for your career, and you have someone in mind who you think would be the perfect guide and confidante, but going from just thinking about it to actually making it happen can feel like a huge leap. How do you develop the relationship in a natural way, without seeming creepy or awkward? How do mentors decide who they want to spend their time helping? We talked to three successful Comcast executives to hear their answers to these questions and more and compiled the most important advice into the video below. In just one minute, youll be ready to kick start your relationships- the smart way.Learn more about careers at Comcast and browse open jobsPhoto of woman on the phone courtesy of Shutterstock.

45% of people would rather clean the toilet than figure out their benefits

45% of people would rather clean the toilet than figure out their benefits45% of people would rather clean the toilet than figure out their benefitsTired of TPS reports and pointless office busywork that goes on and on with seemingly no reward but a broken printer blinking the words PC load letter (what does that mean?) So are 80% of office workers, who say they need most of the work they do to be meaningful, according to a new survey.In the recent Quest for Meaningful Work survey, an online survey of 2,001 office workers conducted by cloud-computing company ServiceNow, it welches discovered that almost twice as many workers would ask their boss for more meaningful work (64%) than ask for a raise (34%).Nearly 60% of office workers wished that their work was more meaningful defined as work that feels like it contributes to a broader goal. Also, workers were so fed up with menial tasks which they estimated ate up 40% of their workweek that a large percentage would rather perform irr itating and frustrating everyday tasks instead45 percent would rather clean their bathroom than figure out HR benefits37 percent would rather be stuck in traffic than troubleshoot a broken printer by themselves36 percent would rather stand in line at the DMV than troubleshoot an IT issueMenial, boring work made office workers feel like they were wasting their time (47%), bored (47%), unmotivated (44%), and stressed (34%).More meaning, less moneyWorkers were willing to make changes and sacrifices to get more essential work. 52% would give up a $1,000 pay raise in order to do more purposeful work.While people did not expect the menial nature of their work to change, 83% of workers said it was important that their employer had plans to give them an assist in doing menial work.Employees today want to know that they are realizing their full potential at work, and companies need employees to be their best. Creating digital workflows that make routine work easier, simpler and faster frees up people to focus on the more challenging, essential and fulfilling aspects of their jobs, said Pat Wadors, Chief Talent Officer at ServiceNow, in a release.Employees engaged in meaningful work is another way of saying that a workplace has high employee engagement, a sign of health that promotes employee retention. An office full of employees feeling disconnected from their work due to its menial nature is not only bad for morale, its bad for employee engagement, a major issue of this last year that will certainly continue into next.