Office Politics Bringing You Down?

For women, the office politics is not a game, its a battlefield.

Women, do you wish to have not just a survival kit but want to kill it once and for all? Let's figure this out together.

How you feel it but can't say it enough:

Its most about the silent nods in meetings, as you see your credit is snatched. The whispers in corridors do not adequately help you overcome the resentment that gets built under your skin every single day. You deliver the work, but someone else climbs the ladder. It's time to shift from being a participant to becoming a strategist - let's operate it from inner authority, not doubt. Check out our Programme Lead with Authority.

What I have learnt in my 25+ years of office life that ‘office politics’ isn’t just about who gets the corner cabin or the significant project or trip to abroad. It’s the unspoken hierarchy, patronizingly dismissing your ideas or even your presence, the strategic conversations you’re never invited to, and the project credit that mysteriously lands on someone's side. That someone is someone despite having not done as much or none at all.

It’s draining. It makes you question your worth. And every time you do gather the courage to speak up - you get further sidelined or judged or pushed back with labels such as being aggressive or emotional.

You are not alone. I’ve been there.

And I believe that navigating office politics isn’t about winning it like others, but definitely knowing how to play along. In other words, it’s about mastering the art of inner authority so you lead with confidence, not doubt. Think of it as cultivating intelligent influence. That's what we do - we prepare emerging leaders to master emotional intelligence and hone executive presence through our Lead with Authority Programme.

Let me give you some tips to try -

1. Informal Networks: Information is currency but informal, small talks are the key. Spending time with colleagues you don't have anything to do work-related seems a waste of time, but its about image management. However, it requires developing a muscle to handle conversations without turning these into gossips. Reach out to me to explore how can you do this.

2. Preempt the responses in your favour: Working on a great idea but then getting the credit for it requires you to build a solid trust and loyalty pitch. You don't like futile blowing your own trumpet thing, but honestly, you need to at least make some visibility for your work. The step above is going to help but you also need to get the buy in of other stakeholders. That's where stakeholder relationships management is the key.

3. Boundaries and Grace: Let me guess! You love the ideas of boundaries, but you can't draw them, let alone holding them. What if I told you that instead of a direct “No,” try the ”Yes, And…” framework. And before you get to this level, you need to work on your guilt and shame. In my coaching sessions, we can work on these to help you to assert yourself and that brings me to the next point.

4. Claim Your Voice: Noone is ever going to make space for you in any meetings or presentations. The strong eats the weak is real. If you are a woman and feel your gender is a disadvantage, then let me tell you that it is but it's not. Yes, mainspailing, dismissal, interupptions are so real. Yet, if you have mastered the above three steps, you wont wait for a perfect pause but will play along the game. One tip is is butt in, but with a polite interjection. Start strong with an assertive sentence that gives you the anchor and respect in meetings.

5. Find Your Allies: Find a mentor who believes in your work and is ready to adopt you at your workplace. Deliver flawless work for them and turn them into your great allies. Outside of the workplace, get yourself a Coach who begins exactly from where you, your mentor, friends and colleagues end.

These tips are not helpful unless you have done inner work. Because these aren't just a one-time fix. It’s a journey from being overlooked to being undeniable. It requires continuous investment, comittment and a desire to become unstoppable.

Contact me if you want to foster Self Belief. I will help you find Your North. Alternatively, also checkout India's unique blended programme that I have created for promising professionals like yourself - Lead with Authority.