1.00 FTE

Discussion (3) ¬

1. 
   John Breakwell
   

   March 1, 2011 at 6:04 am | Permalink | Reply

   This is probably the first of your webcomics that I’ve disagreed with. I don’t see office politics as a sport; office politics is more like cheating at a sport. So not getting involved in office politics is like refusing to cough just as your opponent takes a swing. Office politics are there when people decide not to work together.

   • 
     stuart
     

     March 1, 2011 at 9:21 am | Permalink | Reply

     John, nice counter-simile , and given that this is the first one you’ve disagreed with (of 430+), I’m still counting this as a win.

     For this one, while I’m not suggesting that politicking is the preffered way to get things done, I think a level of political savvy significantly helps your chances of achieving your (business and career) goals.

     You can’t play a good round of golf with just a putter but neither can your great driving skills help you finish on the green. You need both.

     To some extent, politics is part of life in every competitive environment and the workplace is about as competitive as it gets, be it for personal gain (recognition, promotion, etc) or business gain (budget, headcount, project priority, approvals, etc).

     There’s a lot of talented people wasting away on the sidelines because they don’t want to get their hands dirty, and nobody wins when that happens.

     I guess I’m saying I don’t think you need to play offensively (which has it’s own risks), but you do need to develop a good political defense if you want to get things done.

     If you’re on the field, you’re in the game.

     Thank you btw, for the comments and the regular retweets, it’s appreciated.

     • 
       ArdentSlacker
       

       January 1, 2012 at 12:45 am | Permalink | Reply

       I like to think politics are applied interpersonal skills.