How to End Office Politics
- Your friends: open communication.
- Typical workplace: closed communication.
Office politics erupts.
People yell, scream, hate -- but then act all HEY HOW ARE YOU DOING TODAY stuff, while secretly hoping that today is the day that they fall of a cliff.
Booooooooooooooooooooo
To create an atmosphere of openness, try creating a culture where people aren't just working with their bosses/co-workers, but they're working with their best friends.
That makes communication open, honest, brutal -- and puts politics in back seats.
Instead of looking out for ^1 (themselves), people start looking out for each other, helping each other, and making the company soar higher than a constipated ostrich high on Cheetos.
How to Create a Culture of Friends?
The familiarity/exposure principle:
- The more people see each other in different situations, the more they'll like each other.
The distinguishing variable between your best friends and your regular friends is that you see your best friends more.
- I see Chuck more.
- Therefore, I like Chuck more.
If Susie hates Bob, try this:
- Play a game.
- Put them on the same team.
- Repeat until they become friends.
Exposure breaks down barriers.
Exposure strengthens friendships.
Google, for instance, helps their people bond over daily-meals/Friday-night-concerts/volunteering-activities/camping/ski-slopes/etc./etc./etc.
Don't have the resources? Try basketball games. Encourage weekend outings between peeps.
- Friendship culture.
- Friendship culture.
- Friendship culture.
The more you break down barriers between all team members, the more you'll make communication open, honest, and politics-free -- and work starts becoming a place where you bond together with your friends to help the people of this world (your customers).
WIN
Friends.
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Posted on March 19