In this episode, we’re going to pick up from where we left off last time to talk more about office politics, because, unfortunately, there’s always more to talk about. And we’ll focus a little more here on how to deal with them.Show Notes:* The Problem with the World is that the Intelligent People are Full of Doubts While the Stupid Ones are Full of Confidence. — Charles Bukowski, Author, Renegade, Drunkard, Dirty Old Man* Confidence keeps you doing the right things* Office politicians manipulate our insecurities* Run Like Hell from the Self-Proclaimed ‘Keeper of the Culture’* Those who talk the most about culture often live it the least* They can be dangerous, but you’re not defenseless* Earn Your Black Belt in Verbal Jujitsu* Jujitsu uses your opponent’s weight and strength as weapons against him/her* Their hollow words can be used against them* You Can’t Prove Intent* Weasel words are how weasels weasel out of responsibility* This is how to get around HR* Politics Is Not a Dirty Word—Necessarily* Not all politics are dirty and ignoble* Those who play them the right way need your support* If You Try to Win, You’ll Lose* Become obsessed with politics and they will trip you up* Don’t let self-righteousness be your downfall* It’s Not Your Boss Who Protects You, It’s Your Boss’ Boss* Bad bosses try to defend their turf by cutting others off from their direct report* Don’t go over your boss’ head, but do establish a repertoire with those above your boss* Settle It Over a Beer* Try not to immediately go over someone’s head when you have a problem with them* Go outside your usual work environment for real discussion* Don’t Do Something Permanently Stupid Just Because You Are Temporarily Upset* Anger is understandable, sometimes justified* Don’t let it cause long-term language* Sometimes, You Have to Give Up on People, Not Because You Don’t Care but Because They Don’t Care* Sometimes, it’s hard to leave people you care for* Sometimes, you just have to for your sake. Because sometimes there is no turning things around.Transcript:Welcome to Episode 2 of Navigating the Fustercluck—a podcast full of snackable insights to help you navigate the love/hate world of creativity.My name is Wegs, like eggs with a W, joining you from Deaf Mule Studios in Dallas, and whether you work in advertising, design, gaming, fine art, commercial art, content creation, whatever it may be, we’re here with Part 2 of our exploration of office politics. We’re talking about it more, because there’s always more!So here’s the unfortunate truth….The Problem with the World is that the Intelligent People are Full of Doubts While the Stupid Ones are Full of Confidence. — Charles Bukowski, Author, Renegade, Drunkard, Dirty Old ManDoes that ring true to you? Painfully true?Beware the bullying blowhards and bloviators trying to steamroll you. Those forceful personalities who make you second-guess yourself. At their core, creative types are strong, yet burdened by lingering insecurities. Either consciously or unconsciously, office bullies prey on this. Often pressuring you for your immediate support or a snap answer that may become a long-term trap. Hold off their bullying the best you can. Taking the time to formulate the right answer is not being indecisive, it’s being smart. And every time you hold your ground, you build muscle. Eventually, they’ll either come to respect you or fear you.Run Like Hell from the Self-Proclaimed ‘Keeper of the Culture’No one person owns your company’s culture. And while leadership has a role in forming it, culture is not a department or committee to be assigned to any one individual. In fact, anyone referring to himself as The Keeper of the Culture, well, you can almost guarantee that this person knows all the right things to say, and that’s about it.
