Introduction: Build Allies at Work
Developing work relationships constitutes a very important skill that one has to develop in their career. However, with some people being too wary of office politics, backstabbing, or any other underhanded dealings in creating friendships in the working environment, most people forsake the need for allies.
It is paramount to bust such notions as building an alliance entails no sinister affairs, backdoor dealings, or self centered agendas; rather, it means dealing and working together towards a common goal of professional interactions.
How to Build Allies at Work Without Playing Politics?
1. Understand What Makes the Difference Between Allies and Office Politics Essay
Office politics may include manipulation of other employees, taking sides, sharing of information, or other processes. Creating allies is different since it requires finding people who know your strong points and can support you accordingly.
It is better to avoid making a coalition of influential workers who can help you achieve your professional goals but instead build relationships with employees who share similar values and work with you actively.
In this case, you will be able to achieve more significant results by working with allies than by participating in office politics since you will be supported by like-minded people and avoid getting involved in unnecessary and harmful conflicts.
2. Be Someone People Can Count On
This is one of the easiest ways to create allies since it does not require any special knowledge or skills.
Everyone can fulfill their responsibilities, meet deadlines, and provide communication with other employees.
If someone asks for your help, you should do your best to deliver the required results. In case of mistakes, admit them instead of trying to find a substitute and cover your errors. It is essential to create a positive image so that employees know they can count on you. In the long run, such behavior will create allies in the workplace.
3. Help Others, and Don’t Keep Score
Another good way to develop a network is to be generous with your time and knowledge, and to return favours, and help when you can. Of course, it’s important not to fall into the trap of always saying ‘yes’ and becoming a doormat.
Try and think of ways in which you can be helpful to others, and how you can share knowledge and experience. It could be something as simple as giving someone advice or guidance, helping a new employee settle down, or simply giving someone a hand when they have too much on.
But if you start keeping account of every kind thing you do for other people, and start thinking ‘well, now they owe me one’, then it’s lost that genuine, generous quality and become something else entirely.
People who are genuinely nice to you and help you feel positive about life will usually be the people who then come to you when they need help or advice. It’s always a good idea to pay it forward.
4. Develop Your Network Elsewhere Within the Company
Whilst your team are obviously the people you spend the most time with, and you’ll naturally build relationships with them, it’s important to develop a network of contacts elsewhere in the company too.
Get to know people from other teams within the company, and build relationships with them, whether it’s a quick chat before a meeting, working on a project together, going to social events organized by the company, or simply grabbing a coffee.
It’s important to widen your circle of influence and have contacts outside of your day to day working environment, as they will have a different view on things, and often have a wealth of information that could be useful to you.
But of course, that doesn’t mean you need to be best friends with everyone you work with. If you have a healthy network of semi-professional relationships, then that’s all you need.
5. Give Credit Generously
One of the easiest ways to earn someone’s trust is to give them credit for a job well done. Say a co-worker helped you through a challenging situation. Tell them so. If someone thinks of an idea that proves to be beneficial, acknowledge and thank them for it. Most importantly, don’t present someone’s contributions as your own in front of others during brainstorming sessions.
By giving credit, you display confidence, because by giving credit, you show that you are not afraid to acknowledge other people’s skills. You gain more allies in the workplace, since people start trusting you and come to you with an idea.
People want to work with people that make them feel good about themselves.
6. Be Transparent
Having strong workplace alliances boils down to communicating effectively. Don’t sow seeds of doubt by keeping important information from your peers. Don’t talk to different people about the same situation differently. In the face of adversity, ask questions, listen to the other person’s side of the story and work with them to find a resolution..
Conclusion: Build Allies at Work
One can build a network of allies at work by avoiding manipulation, being non-partisan, not engaging in office politics, and focusing on such aspects as being helpful, communicating, giving credit, and being respectful. Workplace allies can be developed based on interpersonal relationships, during which one must focus on being trustworthy and demonstrate one’s competence.
Therefore, it is essential to focus on achieving workplace goals, as well as consider the needs of one’s contacts. In this case, it will be possible to develop a high-quality professional network without engaging in office politics.
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