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Managing the Stress of Office Politics
- 1. How to Gain Perspective: Stress & Office Politics Frameworks, Decision-Making, Tips & Tools Perri Richman University of Hartford Stress: Causes, Consequences, and Management Professor Sarah Ketay
- 2. What Are Office Politics: Defined “Self-serving and socially undesirable behaviors and non-sanctioned influence tactics that have personal motive. There are three dimensions … Manipulation - Intimidation – Blame And these dimensions have a direct impact on health and wellbeing”
- 3. What’s the Situation: Office Politics & Stress Office Politics Stress Office politics and stress have become synonymous Competition, Emotion, Power Office Politics Wherever there are people, there are office politics Office Politics A Stressful Reality No choice on whether to engage – must engage for survival
- 4. Stress Appraisal and Response Model From Diagnosis to Long-Term Management Influencing Factors Negative Event Stress Inducing Appraise the Event Person (Commitment & Beliefs) Situation (Imminence, Ambiguity) Primary: Significance Secondary: Controllability Coping Mechanisms Problem Management Emotional Regulation Short Term Long Term Social Functioning Morale Reputation Impression Motivation Impression Construction
- 5. Influencing Factors Negative Event Stress Inducing Appraise the Event Person (Commitment & Beliefs) Situation (Imminence, Ambiguity) Primary: Significance Secondary: Controllability Coping Mechanisms Problem Management Emotional Regulation Short Term Long Term Social Functioning Morale Reputation Impression Motivation Impression Construction Stress Appraisal and Response Model Step 2: Assess it!
- 6. Influencing Factors Negative Event Stress Inducing Appraise the Event Person (Commitment & Beliefs) Situation (Imminence, Ambiguity) Primary: Significance Secondary: Controllability Coping Mechanisms Problem Management Emotional Regulation Short Term Long Term Social Functioning Morale Reputation Impression Motivation Impression Construction Stress Appraisal and Response Model Step 3: Manage it!
- 7. Stress Inducing Events: People & Situation Know Your Triggers! Diagnostic Tip Know Your Triggers Who or What Gets to You? Cool syndrome Ethnical pragmatists Machiavellian types Bullying Ambiguous messages Power playing for roles People Situation
- 8. Appraise the Event: Significance & Controllability • When confronted with same stressor, men and women assess severity and controllability differently • Women are more sensitivity and have lower tolerance • Women rate harassment, conflict, incivility and micro- aggressions more severe & less controllable than men • Politics and stress influence women’s experience at work and limit career advancement (Webster, Adams, Maranto, & Beehr, 2018) Men and women appraise stressful events differently Warning Sign
- 9. Short & Long-Term Coping Mechanisms Office politics create interpersonal conflict & stress interferes with ability to do your job – it threatens growth and well-being, triggers negative and emotional attitudes, and dampens your ability to address problems and opportunities (Jam et al, 2014) Problem Management Emotional Regulation Social Functioning Morale Choices Change your behavior Attempt to change your environment Change the way you evaluate the situation Coping Mindset
- 10. Short and Long-Term Coping Mechanisms: Top 10 List 1. Know it’s not personal, it’s professional (Webster, et al. 2018) 2. Separate stories from facts ((Patterson, McMillan, Grenny, & Switzler, 2012 3. Identify opportunities to compromise (with person or situation) (Labrague et al., 2017). 4. Don’t manage over email (Brown et al., 2014) 5. Find laughter in the situation (Allen, Reid, & Riemenschneider, 2004)) Coping Tips 6. Keep a stress journal reflecting and appraising politics-related stress (Webster, et al. 2018) 7. Seek out social support at work and home to buffer the politics (Jam, Donia, Raja & Ling, 2017 pp 324) 8. Tap into organizational resources (Labrague et al., 2017) 9. Be self-compassionate (Yarnell, et al., 2015) 10. Make time for your body and mind to recover (Lovallo, 2016) Short-TermCoping Long-TermCoping
- 11. Political Skill & Political Will Influence Your Reputation How you manage stress and office politics influences how others perceive you Having political skill and will (motivation) with good motives will increase: • Increase individual and organizational goal attainment • Lower reported stress levels • Influence positive reputation Political Skill Impression Motivation Impression Construction Political Skill Political Will
- 12. How to Gain Perspective: Office Politics and Stress Office Politics: Manipulation - Intimidation – Blame Summary Diagnose Assess Manage Minimize stress, maximize outcomes You Can Do It!
- 13. Perri Richman University of Hartford 732-319-1024 pjkrichman@hotmail.com richmanp@Hartford.edu For More Information
- 14. Allen, M. W., Reid, M., & Riemenschneider, C. (2004). The Role of Laughter When Discussing Workplace Barriers: Women In Information Technology Jobs. Sex Roles, 30(4), 177-189. Amble, B. (2007, January 18). Office Politics The Biggest Cause of Stress. Retrieved from Management Issues: https://www.management-issues.com/news/3906/office-politics-the-biggest-cause-of-stress/ Boozer, R. W., Forte, M., & Harris, J. R. (2005). Psychological Type, Machiavellianism, and Perceived Self-Efficacy at Playing Office Politics. Journal of Psychological Type, 64(2), 1-9. Brown, R., Duck, J., & Jimmieson, N. (2014). E-mail in the Workplace: The Role of Stress Appraisals and Normative Response Pressure in Employee Strain. International Journal of Stress Management, 21(4), 325–347. Davis, M., Eshelman, E. R., & McKay, M. (2008). The Relaxation & Stress Reduction Workbook. Oakland: New Harbinger Publications, Inc. References
- 15. Duncan, R. D. (2016, April 5). Office Politics: Tools For Taking Charge. Retrieved from Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/rodgerdeanduncan/2016/04/05/office-politics-tools-for-taking- charge/#47a3b9e81e63 Ferris, G. R., Frink, D. D., Bhawuk, D. P., Zhou, J., & Gilmore, D. C. (1996). Reactions of Diverse Groups to Politics in the Workplace. Journal of Management, 22(1), 23-44. Glanz, K., Rimer, B.K. & Lewis, F.M. (2002). Health Behavior and Health Education. Theory, Research and Practice. San Fransisco: Wiley & Sons. Jam, F. A., Donia, M. B., Raja, U., & Ling, C. H. (2017). A Time-Lagged Study on the Moderating Role of Overall Satisfaction in Perceived Politics: Job Outcomes Relationships. Journal of Management and Organizations, 23(3), 321-336. King, M., Denyer, D., & Parry, E. (2018, September 12). Is Office Politics a white Man's Game. Retrieved from Harvard Business Review: https://hbr.org/2018/09/is-office-politics-a-white-mans-game References
- 16. Labrague, L., Mc-Enroe-Petitte, D., Gloe, D., Tsaras, K., Arteche, D., & Maldia, F. (2017). Organizational Politics, Nurses' Stress, Burnout Levels, Turnover Intention And Job Satisfaction. International Nursing Review, 64(1), 109-116. Lovallo, W. R. (2016). Stress and Health: Biological and Psychological Interactions. Thousand Oaks : SAGE. Maher, L. P., Gallagher, V. C., Rossic, A. M., & Ferrisa, G. R. (2018). Political Skill And Will As Predictors Of Impression Management. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 107(3), 276-294. Miller, T. A., & McCool, S. F. (2003). Coping with Stress in Outdoor Recreational Settings. Leisure Sciences, 25(3), 257-275. Patterson, K., McMillan, R., Grenny, J., & Switzler, A. (2012). Crucial Conversations. Provo: VitalSmarts. References
- 17. Reardon, K. K. (2015, January 12). Office Politics Isn't Something You Can Sit Out. Retrieved from Harvard Business Review: https://hbr.org/2015/01/office-politics-isnt-something-you-can-sit-out Turgut, S., Michel, A., & Sonntag, K. (2017). Coping With Daily Hindrance And Challenge Stressors In The Workplace: Coping Style Effects On State Negative Affect. Zeitschrift für Arbeits- und Organisationspsychologie, 61(3), 123-136. Webster, J. R., Adams, G. A., Maranto, C. L., & Beehr, T. A. (2018). Dirty Workplace Politics and Well- Being: The Role of Gender. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 42(3), 1-17. Whitbourne, S. K. (2012, August 11). The Definitive Guide to Guilt. Retrieved from Psychology Today: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/fulfillment-any-age/201208/the-definitive-guide-guilt Yarnell, L. M., Stafford, R. E., Neff, K. D., Reilly, E. D., Knox, M. C., & Mullarkey, M. (2015). Meta- Analysis of Gender Differences in Self-Compassion. Self and Identity, 14(5), 499-520. References
Editor's Notes
- Hello, this is Perri Richman, a student in the University of Hartford’s graduate class on stress. I am pleased to bring you this set of how-to considerations for managing stress and office politics. This whole presentation is recorded, there are notes pages with the script that are APA formatted, and my contact information is at the end for more information. Let’s get started! Heart palpitations. Deep perspiration. Stomach pains. The physical signs of stress (Lovallo, 2016) Sleepless nights. Incessant worrying. Building drama up in the mind. The psychological signs of stress (Lovallo, 2016). When I reflect upon my most stressful moments at work where all of these symptoms are present, I think about office politics. Imagine these scenarios: A colleague who stirs up drama and pulls you into her web, creating diversions from your purpose and changes you need to make. A peer talks to the CEO and points the finger at you for being out of the loop when he didn’t read his email or text and didn’t come to scheduled conference calls. A leader who throws paper across the table at a group meeting because she didn’t think your work was up to par. For the next 30 or so minutes, let’s be self-compassionate, leaving self-judgment and feeling of inadequacies about our reactions to office politics at the door, and come together to recognize that you are one of many people who react (Yarnell, Stafford, Neff, Reilly, Knox & Mullarkey, 2015). Let’s explore the topic further and discuss ways to mitigate the stress
- Let’s start by defining office politics … I reviewed 25 popular press articles, 10 academic journals and the two books and found multiple definitions of office politics. In fact, one Forbes article broke down the word politics into “poly” which means many and “tics” which are blood sucking parasites (Duncan, 2016). Many the 25 articles did not even attempt a definition – just made statements about office politics like “office politics are stressful.” The most cohesive definition of stress-induced workplace politics came from an academic journal piece by Webster, Adams, Maranto & Beehr (2018, pp 2) who said that office politics are “Self-serving and socially undesirable behaviors and non-sanctioned influence tactics that have personal motive. There are three dimensions … manipulation, intimidation and blame. And these dimensions have a direct impact on health and wellbeing.” This is quite a trifecta of behavior – manipulation, intimidation and blame …
- According to Brian Amble in 2007, office politics and stress have become synonymous -- with office politics as the single biggest cause of stress in the workplace (Amble, 2007). In research published by Jam, Donia, Raja and Ling (2017), the researchers stated that wherever there is competition for roles and resources, there is emotion, insecurity and power struggles. Office politics are universally viewed by popular press sources as a stressful organizational reality that professionals must accept and master to survive (Reardon, 2015; King, Denyer, Parry, 2018; Amble, 2007). Reardon said in an HBR article that “working in highly political organizations as a “political street fighter,” can be deeply stressful; yet playing office politics is a proficiency not a choice it is a mode of survival.” In another HBR article about women and minorities, stress and office politics, some professionals have said that women and minorities are politically naïve for avoiding politics and suggested training and mentoring to see the benefits of office politics (King et al, 2018). Bottom line: Office politics and stress are here to stay. So what can we do?
- Lazarus and Folkman designed a transactional model of stress that is highly applicable to dissecting the stress of office politics (Miller & McCool, 2003). I was a rebel though and expanded the model using elements of additional research. The researchers suggested that to understand your stress, you need to appraise it and then understand your physical and emotional reactions. What better opportunity to appraise stress levels and separate fact from fiction than with office politics. Office politics don’t magically appear. There is typically a stress inducing, negative event that is either tethered to a person (his or her commitment and beliefs that may differ from yours) or a situation (an ambiguous or concerning email, or the urgency to address a colleague who is blaming you).
- Our wellness workbook would first suggest that we should breathe and get mindful. Lazarus and Folkman would then advise us to appraise the situation. There are two types of appraisals – primary and secondary. In a primary appraisal, you evaluate whether a situation is a threat (In my own work, I ask the question – is the threat situational, systemic or sizemic)? In a secondary appraisal, you assess whether anything can be done to control or offset the stressful situation and your coping resources (Brown, Duck & Jimmieson, 2014). You could use a positive-negative affect scale to measure the levels – e.g., on a scale from 1-5 how low or high is the threat or stressor (Turgut, Michel & Sonntag, 2017)? As part of the assessment, Webster et al. (2018) would suggest asking two critical questions: Is the threat / stress potentially harmful to your health and well being? Does the threat / stress counter your personal goals or values?
- Glanz, Rimer & Lewis (2002) would then dig into short and long-term coping mechanisms. They suggest that there are some general ways that you behave that can affect your emotional or physical reaction to stress (from office politics). And ask whether we are relatively stable over time or if we are volatile. They also assess levels of optimism and whether you have a positive outlook on how the situation will net out. In the short term, Glanz et al. (2002) ask What strategies can you use to manage the problem itself? What strategies can you use to change your emotional state of mind or change the way you think or feel about the situation? In the long-term, Lazarus and Folkman ask you to think about the effect on your morale and your ability to function within the organization? So over time, how are you feeling and operating within a highly political organization? And as a student and teacher of personal reputation, I always throw in long-term reputation – and how others perceive you because of the image and behaviors you create as a result of how you handle stress and office politics. Do you have a reputation for being dramatic and spending your time managing drama? In organizational psychology, personal reputation is viewed and studied as “impression management” and for the purpose of this model, Maher, Coleman, Rossic, Ferrisa, Perrewea (2018) would ask ”what is your impression motivation and impression construction?” How motivated are you to control how others view you? What impression are you creating and are you using the right tactics and strategies to create these images? And how desirable or undesirable are these different perceptions? Now, let’s break down each element of this model and explore warning signs and tips for addressing.
- Lazarus and Folkman start their transactional model of stress with a recommendation of identifying what triggers your physical and psychological reactions to stress. Ask yourself: Who or what gets to you? Is it people and their behaviors? Let’s break down possible people profiles (Boozer, Forte & Harris, 2005). Do you react to volatile people who have the “cool syndrome” – emotionally detached, calculating, cynical, capable of being charming? Or ethical pragmatists who pursue self-interest realistically in a setting where right an wrong is ambiguous? Or Machiavellian types who are less agreeable and less conscientious yet engage in a variety of persuasive and manipulative behaviors using flattery to deception? Take a moment and imagine someone who gets under your skin at work because of their behavior? Or is it the situation at hand? Are you experiencing workplace bullying where there is an imbalance of power? Are being socially isolated, a victim of rumors, criticized, attacked or even threated (Rousseau, Eddleston, Pate, Kellermanns, 2014)? Is it an ambiguous email that is making you uncomfortable because you don’t understand the intent, the ask or the risks involved (Brown, Duck, Jimmieson, 2014)? Or is there power playing or jockeying for roles in a declining or highly competitive environment (Labrague, McEnroe-Petitte, Gloe, Tsaras, Arteche, & Madlia, 2017)? Understanding what triggers your office politics related stress (or any stress) is a first step in managing it. In fact, our wellness workbook has an excellent template for capturing stress triggers and how to manage them.
- Let’s join Webster, et al. (2018) in appraising the stressful event – and share some warning signs and considerations. There is primary appraisal and secondary appraisal (controllability). It’s important to recognize that appraising events is individualized and personal. And there is a gender cut. When confronted with the same stressful situation – men and women assess the severity of the stressor and the controllability of the situation differently. Not surprising, women are more sensitive to stressful office politics than men and have a lower tolerance. This can be attributed to how women are socialized – to be more sensitive and have permission to show emotion. Specifically, women rate harassment, conflict, incivility and micro-aggressions (like how they are introduced in a work setting) as more severe. This in turn impacts their overall satisfaction with an organization, how they relate to their managers and their scope of work, and it can limit her career advancement. . In a primary appraisal, you evaluate whether a situation is a threat. In a secondary appraisal, you assess whether anything can be done to control or offset the stressful situation. Good luck!
- Let’s move onto tips and guidelines for coping short-term and long-term. A few slides ago, we defined short and long-term coping as problem management, emotional regulation, social functioning and morale (Glanz et al., 2002) Office politics create conflict and stress because it interferes with your ability to do your job. It threatens your growth professionally and personally, and your physical and psychological well-being. It certainly triggers negative and emotional attitudes, and dampens your ability to address problems ad take advantage of opportunities (Jam et al, 2014). As we consider how to solve problems, regulate our emotions, keep our morale high and function as a professional, you have 3 choices to make (Miller & McCool, 2013): Attempt to change the situation or the behavior of the person playing politics Attempt to change your environment Or change the way you evaluate the situation Once you make these choices, you can ask Glanz et al.’s questions: What strategies can you use to manage the problem itself? What strategies can you use to change your emotional state of mind or change the way you think or feel about the situation? Try it!
- There are many popular press articles about how to play office politics and manage them successfully. For this project, I combed academic journals and books for tips to address the stress and to cope both short-term and long-term. Here are the top 10: 1. Know it’s not personal, it’s professional. A common mistake is to take dysfunction personally. It has nothing to do with you. It has to do with what’s going on inside your boss’s head (Webster, et al. 2018). 2. Separate stories from facts. While in the situation, make a list of all of the unquestionable facts. Then make a list of the “stories” that you are telling yourself about motives. This will create perspective (Patterson, McMillan, Grenny, & Switzler, 2012). 3. Once you have separated stories from facts, find compromise between what the political individual wants or what the political situation needs. It’s a zero- sum game (Labrague et al., 2017). 4. We know that emotionally charged or ambiguous emails create stress. Those that are complex or political can evoke emotional responses. Don’t use email to address. Use verbal communications like telephone, face to face or facetime. They are more effective alternatives (Brown et al., 2014) . 5. And find laughter in the stressful situation. Humor is an important mechanism for managing tense social and political situations (Allen, Reid, & Riemenschneider, 2004)). 6. Keep a stress journal reflecting upon and appraising stress – writing it out can be cathartic and also help you look back and consider patterns. 7. Seek out social support at work (help from managers and colleagues) and outside (friends and family) to offset the impact of stress and office politics. Social support can “act as a palliative” and buffer the negatives (Jam, Donia, Raja & Ling, 2017 pp 324) 8. Remember that the organization and its leaders have a responsibility in minimizing office politics and fostering employee satisfaction and productivity. Tap into company resources like your manager and if necessary, Human Resources for support (Labrague et al., 2017). In my own company, we have an ethics hotline if a situation escalate and we aren’t comfortable addressing with a manager or HR. 9. Be self-compassionate – avoid self-judgment, don’t isolate yourself and believe that you are the only one who has fallen prey to office politics and don’t be consumed with feelings of inadequacy (Yarnell, Stafford, Neff, Reilly, Knox & Mullarkey, 2015) 10. Give yourself time to recover from stressful political situations – the more stressful a situation is on you physically and psychologically, the longer it takes for you to recover (Lovallo, 2016)
- We all concern ourselves with the images that others hold of us. This is the heart of impression management which are the behaviors you use to create, change or maintain the reputation that others perceive you as having. It give you permission to conform to social norms, avoid blame and gain credit which is inherent in office politics, enhance self-esteem and strategically increase your ability to influence. How you manage stress and stress related to office politics definitely influences how others perceive you. Maher et al. (2018) discuss political skill and will (which is motivation). They suggest that having good positive political skills (not used for evil) will increase: Your ability to achieve your goals Your organization’s ability to achieve its goals How others view you And decrease stress levels. So you can ask ourselves the key questions posed by Maher et al (2018): How motivated are you to control how others view you (in this case in how you manage stress and office politics)? What impression are you creating and are you using the right tactics and strategies to create these images? And how desirable or undesirable are these different perceptions?
- Throughout this session, we have been addressing how to diagnose, assess and manage (both short term and long-term) the stress related to office politics. Office politics can be ugly, hairy stressful because they are “self-serving, socially undesirable and non-sanctioned by the company that are personally motivated. Manipulation, intimidation and blame are at the heart of it (Webster et al., 2018, pp 2). You are not alone – office politics are everywhere – so be self-compassionate, use these assessment tools and tips for addressing, and I know that you can minimize stress and maximize both your personal and organizational outcomes. You can do it! I know you can.
- Please feel free to reach out to me for more information on stress, managing office politics and personal reputation considerations.