Dirty Games People Play...Na na na...

Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power.
Abraham Lincoln

Often my super intelligent students come to me and say ‘Sir I can’t handle the politics. There is too much politics’. And I tell them, politics is a game and treat it like a game. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. Do not initiate it, but learn to defend yourself.

I believe people play politics fundamentally because of insecurities and that’s why one should forgive such people. In any case resentment only harms the one who resents. One of my favourite quotes is, “We judge others by their actions and ourselves by our intentions.” That is why we can forgive huge sins committed by ourselves and justify it while small mistakes by others seem difficult to pardon.

Power and politics are inseparable because all books on ‘Organisational Behaviour’ discuss them together. But I feel, the chapter should be titled ‘Power, Politics and Moral Right.’ In politics, we often see, while capable people with self respect often resign taking moral responsibility for something gone wrong, the incapable ones stick to their positions shamelessly.

Sometimes people also play politics when they feel somebody is growing too fast in the organisation and feel his growth has to be slowed down because it endangers them. Sometimes people have a genuine reason of playing politics, when they perceive that somebody who is working less hard is getting more rewards or appreciation than them (though perceptions are not always true).

Politics is often due to jealousy but jealousy is also a type of insecurity. A friend of mine posted on Facebook ‘People are not jealous of your success. They are frustrated with their own failures.’ Very true, indeed. I believe that capable people use maximin strategy (maximum work, minimum defensive politics) while incapable people use minimax strategy (minimum work, maximum offensive politics). In fact like my a friend says, for some people, the only work worth doing is politicking.

One very good way of reducing politics is to make people work with passion or under pressure or keep them busy. Of course an empty mind is devil’s workshop.

After all politics is a game and battle of the mind, in which the players sometimes have too much killer instinct, too little sportsman spirit and then it can get very dirty and stressful.

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Dr Amit Nagpal is a Personal Branding Consultant with a holistic touch. To know more about him click here:-
http://www.dramitnagpal.co.in/p/about-us.html
He may be reached at amitknagpal@gmail.com