Corporate Intelligence: Get Above Office Politics Unscathed

If you have ever survived a degenerative work environment , you know that it takes more than will power to rise above petty company drama. Indeed, It takes an individual with acute corporate intelligence to artfully navigate around poor management and back biting or colleagues. I believe that just as we have courses to teach you how to write resumes and cover letters, there should be a program on corporate intelligence that will teach you how to get along with a tyrannical boss or lazy colleagues. Since I know of no such program, here is a crash course on how to hone your corporate intelligence.

The psycho boss syndrome. I have a friend whose immediate supervisor is a descendant of Lucifer. She over worked her staff, and thanked them with temper tantrums. People were afraid of taking sick days for fear that they would be fired but like my friend, they all suffered in silence because they needed the job. If you are in a job you cannot afford to lose and yet you cannot get a long with your boss, the onus is on you to eliminate the tension. First, do your job well and ask your boss what more you can do. Secondly, adapt to their management style. If they micro manage, chances are they like to be in control so keep them informed and involved until THEY say enough. Do not resist their 'new age' changes. Follow their approach but document everything, thus if the outcome of their approach is disastrous, you have a the proof and if the outcome is positively ground breaking, you are a pioneer.

Hold your peace. I learned this the hard way. If you are an assertive person who is not afraid to speak their mind, I ask you to practice restraint. People will take advantage of your loose lips and begin to look to you as the voice box for the team's grievances. Beware of colleagues who have a lot to say in the lunch room but clamp up when the boss is around. You may love the role as spokesperson, but you will not love the role as scapegoat. Choose your battles and stand up only when you are willing to stand alone for the things that really matter.

When you feel like you deserve recognition or a raise, avoid the emotional highway but equip yourself with quantitative evidence to support your request. Find out If you have reached the limit of your pay band as it may be time to discuss a promotion to a new role. Never enter a meeting without a pen and paper, you may need to jot down an action plan. After the meeting, send an email confirming what had been discussed during the meeting. Always be prepared but never in an arrogant way. Get it in writing. I remember being fired from a job because the new manager got nervous about my work permit . Although the person who hired me assured me that this was a non-issue, I did not get it in writing, so before my 90 day probation expired, they fired me. Word to the wise, if you have a sensitive situation, document how your employer has agreed to accommodate you.

Corporate intelligence requires that you abide by your company's code of conduct. In this light, be mindful of how you use company time. Be cautious about what non-work related websites you visit on the company's dime and how you use the company's phone. When you are meeting or exceeding expectations, most employers are tolerant of the occasional personal phone call or Facebook update. It is when the use becomes excessive that you are in trouble. This may sound redundant, but in the corporate world, there is no privacy, there is a trail for everything, so stick to the code of conduct.

Relationships with colleagues. Here is what nobody tells you. Much as you want to separate your professional life from your personal life, the more people know about you, the more comfortable they are around you. If you go to work like a robot, you will be treated as one. Now i am not advocating you tell your colleagues your blood type or your favourite sex position. The truly savvy ones strike a neat balance between being open enough to be understood, but guarded enough to be respected.

In the same vein, before you judge your boss, get to know them. What professional pressure are they under, what personal demands are they facing. You don't have to be a boot-licker but, get to know your boss as a human being and you will be surprised at how much you have in common.

Finally, if all else fails, leave on a good note. When you know it is your final day at work, don't use it as an opportunity to throw spit balls at your computer screen and definitely don't unleash your verbal vendetta onto your boss. Even when you have been unfairly treated, leave with your grace and dignity intact because you are an individual with corporate intelligence.

Amma Bonsu
		About the author:
		Amma Bonsu is the creator and host of a content rich online talk show called AmmazingSeries. This self proclaimed conversationalist was born in Ghana and lives in Toronto where she has built a rewarding career as a relationship manager for a leading Canadian Financial Institution. Her natural instinct to learn about people is matched only by her commitment to giving back. Amma's column will cover social trends and social issues with wit, sass, and substance.
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