The one occupational hazard you will have to deal with, no matter what your occupation is, is – office politics. Some look forward to it, consciously or subconsciously, as a form of entertainment, while some prefer to stay miles away from it. This post comes as help for those who belong to the second category – the introvert. Being an introvert a lot of times is misconstrued as being someone who is unsocial. Whereas, an introvert is simply a personality type who is more self-reflective, and prefers to mind his/her business thoroughly – while expecting others to not interfere in their lives.

Getting embroiled in office politics, is probably the worst situation an introvert could find himself/herself in. While you take all the caution not to land yourself in these situations, once you find yourself in one, what do you do? You need to understand and know how to deal with office politics, even though you choose not to play the game yourself. Here are three possible ways you could make your way through office politics:

1. Office Politics – Shut it Out

If you don’t mind it doesn’t matter, and at times, ignorance can be bliss. If you believe you have better things to do, and the situation is unnecessarily complicated for you and one that can be sidestepped, move on without feeling overwhelmed. It might affect your peace of mind to some extent since it wasn’t something you had anything to do with, and even so the repercussions seem to be hitting you. That however, is something you can choose to not let affect you. Shut it all out, and focus on channeling all your energies into being your awesome, productive self.

2. Office Politics – Clarify

Then there are the kind of situations, which even if you may ideally want to ignore, you can’t, and shouldn’t. These might be the kind of situations where are a lack of response from you may not exactly work in your favor. The second possible way for you to deal with a sticky situation at your workplace is to clarify your role (or the lack of your role) in the matter which seems to be the cause. Of course, as an introvert, you’d love to withdraw into your shell, (and in this case, your cubicle), but it matters to clarify at times. Just so that things don’t get worse.

3. Office Politics – Take Action

There is no doubt about the fact that there will always be a troublemaker or two, around you. And many a times, people mistake introverts for being a pushover. As an introvert, you might have given off this impression if, for the sake of avoiding trouble, you have relented in the past. However, at no point should anyone be allowed to bully you. Recognize that your rights and your dignity should be firmly secure at your workplace – which means, if you feel like you are being dragged into trouble you don’t belong in – you can and should take a stand. If the situation has turned drastic, you need to rise to the occasion either by acting against it yourself, or, if the situation calls for it – by taking the issue to the management.
Work place politics can be quite stressful, and in the end, nobody has anything to gain from it – apart from unpleasantness and anxiety. As an introvert, it might be quite a nightmare for you to deal with it – but like we said, no matter what occupation you choose, this will be a hazard you might have to deal with sooner or later. In which case, you need to decide which of the above three action plans suit your situation most.

Ever been in a bad situation with regards to office politics at your workplace? Let us know how you dealt with it!