Navigating Office Politics and Organizational Culture in the Private Sector
- amy Leighton
- Oct 16
- 2 min read
You’re probably familiar with office politics—the glance among your colleagues during a meeting or having someone else get credit for something you’ve consistently brought to light. Get ready for adjusting to office politics and office culture when you join the private sector. As frustrating as it can be, it comes along with nearly all workplaces. Here are a few tangible ways to deal with it.
Think of it as influence. You’ll be less frustrated about office politics and a different culture if you reframe how you see it. Even the word “politics” can have negative connotations, so think of it more as who has influence, much like social media has influencers. Influence implies whose voices are considered first and how priorities are set. These influences are formed through connecting with your colleagues, building trust, and not being a wallflower. When you look at office politics and culture through this lens, you’ll likely be more motivated to join in and also become an influencer rather than avoid it because it’s a negative thing.
Take your time. One thing you want to do when beginning a new job is observe your surroundings. You don’t want to jump to conclusions about anything you notice. You’re the new kid on the block, so take some time to figure out the energy and flow of the office before you form a lot of opinions or step in. You can do this through paying close attention during meetings, focusing on building authentic relationships, and noticing what is everyone’s priorities. You’re not being passive during this time, instead you are strategically listening and taking everything in.
Branch out. When you’re overwhelmed by new surroundings, it’s easy to stick to just your immediate co-workers and managers, but if you really want to fit in, start to build relationships in other parts of the company where possible. That might mean getting to know the people who head up finance who will one day control your budgets or the executive assistant to knows all about the leaders’ priorities. When you’re looking to network within your company like this, show curiosity and ask questions. Volunteer insights and resources where helpful, and be consistent with your communication. You won’t gain these kinds of relationships from a single conversation.
Another key to surviving office politics and adapting to organizational culture is to have integrity, which means matching your actions with your values. Observe how things work, but don’t bend your values to match what you see. Instead, build a steady path of influence yourself. For example, if collaboration among team members is important to you, include others on processes and decisions rather than alienating those who don’t agree with you. People will respect you if your actions match your principles, and then you are more likely to affect office politics and culture in a positive way.
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