Have you ever had a coworker spin your half of a neutral conversation into a tirade against your management team and then report it to them? Ever had someone encourage you to push out a great worker while they were on bereavement leave? I have. And as you can imagine, it was ugly with a capital U. So it’s with nasty experience and a survivor’s instinct that I offer a guide to one of the most dramatic ways to simplify your life: staying out of office politics.

Some may argue that office politics are inevitable. I don’t completely disagree. But I do feel that you can limit your role in these games and minimize their influence on your performance and position by being proactive. Take it from a person who weathered the storms mentioned above and came out on the other side with strong relations intact.

Your office is not a game of Survivor. Skip the alliances.

Even though The Office made light of alliances, some folks still think they need a “team” to defend themselves. Here’s the truth: your best shot at job security is performing your job tasks to the best of your abilities. Win friends by helping them when they need it, sharing credit when it’s due, and being a generally nice person. Creating a clique may bring you closer to a select few, but it also alienates you from others. Of course, this rules goes by the assumption that alienating people is bad, and having as large a network as possible is good. Deal with it.

Identify office gossips and steer clear.

(You can usually identify them by the way they whisper with other workers while looking furtively around. Seriously. Most gossips aren’t that smooth. They want people to know they’ve got information.) But gossip is so, so juicy, right? Too bad. It’s not worth the effort that goes along with it. Office gossips will eventually try to suck you into the imaginary world of power plays and inter-office drama. Half of it doesn’t concern you, and the other half doesn’t even matter. By being seen chatting in hushed tones with an office gossip, you put your credibility in jeopardy. Besides, if you really just love gossip, know that appearing neutral can get you some of the juiciest information. You just have to be sure to never pass it on. Let me repeat: never pass along gossip.

**For telecommuters: Same rules apply. Office gossips are the ones who IM you at strange times and ask oddly off-topic questions or for advice on something they know cold. Sometimes it’s completely innocuous, but when your gut tells you that someone is messaging oddly, be on your best behavior and end the conversation as quickly as possible, since every text conversation can be documented.

Keep to neutral subjects in the workplace.

Sticking to work-related topics is a fantastic way to stay out of office politics. Sure, it’s not as exciting as gushing about your salacious weekend or your neighbor’s annoying habit, but you’ll never have to worry about that information being used against you. Consider it a peace of mind policy. Again, use your gut. Having true friends at the office can be wonderful, but be aware that when you share personal information with a coworker, you’re trusting your job to them. Make sure they deserve that trust.

Keep your ears open for leading questions.

If you get the sense that someone is looking for a specific answer on a personnel issue, find a way to get out of the question. When a coworker has an agenda, even sympathetically shrugging your shoulders can get taken as an enthusiastic “yes” response to a question you didn’t even realize you were asked. When conversations turn to inter-office politics, get out before someone can misinterpret your words to fit their cause.

Spend your time earning trust.

While some people spend their time playing an imaginary game of office chess, you can be actively earning the trust of key players around you. You don’t have to be a toady or a teacher’s pet, you just have to be helpful, sincere, and have great follow-through. While information may be power, your reputation trumps that kind of power easily.

Learn to change the subject, even abruptly if necessary.

Oh, no! Allen from Accounting just asked if you think Maggie was right to report Kristen’s long lunch! Unless you are the person to whom this should be reported, you’re in the danger zone! Quick, defuse the situation or change the subject! “I’m not really the one who decides that,” lets Allen know that you’re not into gossiping. If it continues, be abrupt. “Did you see the new display in the hall? James did a knockout job.”  How about, “Speaking of lunch, I had the best roast beef sandwich.” It doesn’t matter if it’s rough and obvious. It’s still a better option than taking sides in an unrelated work battle.

Find a third party to talk to about work issues.

Just because you can’t dish the dirt on the job, that doesn’t mean you can air your grievances with an outside party. Save the grumbling and groaning for your roommate, your spouse, your friend, your mom… anyone who’s not related to your workplace. It can also help to preface any trash talking with, “I’m just letting off steam here.” If you do need advice, ask for it specifically.

Don’t do anything to be the subject of gossip if you can help it.

This may be the most critical tactic of all. It’s easier to stay out of the gossip game if your name isn’t part of the drama. You don’t have to lay low, you just need to make sure that you’re only getting attention when you want it, for good reasons. In other words, don’t dish about your wedding, vent about your annoying roommate, or secretly accuse someone of stealing your “moistmaker” sandwich. Stick to your job duties, and do them well. Play nice with others and build your reputation as a team player, and it’ll be hard for any sharks to see you as chum.

Note: I’m sure there a lot of folks who will disagree with some of the general premise here. Since you spend 33 percent of your life at work, you should be having fun and making friends, right? That’s fine with me. I don’t have as many years in the workforce as many other people, but so far, my neutrality has helped me be friends with a lot of great people without having it affect my work life in a negative way.

I’ve actually had managers hear about negative comments I’ve been reported to make and say, “That doesn’t sound like Sara. I’m going to check with her first before jumping to conclusions.” The larger issue for me is credibility, and I’m happy to keep my work and personal lives a bit separate if I can maintain that.

What about you? Is it possible to stay out of office politics? What tactics have you used?

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