PSM662 - Office Politics

Which of the following is a common office personality type?

• Gossiper

• Manager

• Coworker

• Ugly Betty

How to use Office politics positively

• Build relationships with everyone

• Avoid negativity

• Document everything

• All of the above

What is one method of preventing cliques and groups in the office?

• Assigning more work for everyone

• Discourage socializing at work

• Separating people with similar interests

• Treating employees equally

You are working for a classic micromanager who never delegates and wants to know every single detail of your activities. This is driving you crazy, so you decide

• To have a conversation with your boss about the situation

• Do nothing about it

• Talk to your manager about the boss

• Talk to a higher boss, whom your boss reports to

Even though you had asked to work on a particular high-profile project, your manager did not select you for the project team. You have more knowledge and experience than the person who was chosen, so this seems unfair. Because you were obviously the better choice, you will

• Argue with the boss and convince him

• Talk to someone at Human Resource

• Complain about the manager to the boss

• Ask your manager what you could do to be considered for desirable projects in the future.

You recently joined a small company where you know hardly anyone. Because you came from a much larger organization, you quickly realized that your new employer has many inefficient processes and poorly written policies.

• You would like to immediately start suggesting improvements to better the processes

• No one has asked your opinion so you decide to wait awhile.

• Talk to your manager about it

• Send emails to your team of how you could make the policies better

In a meeting with top management, someone gives you high praise for successfully completing a complex project. The only problem is that one of your colleagues was really the person who pulled it off. Your role was less important. But since your colleague isn't in the meeting

• You decide to just let it pass

• You inform the manager that it was your friend and not you after the meeting

• You clarify and give credit to your friend

• You will accept it but inform your friend that you took the credit as a representative of the team

Two people have told you that a co-worker has said some very negative things about you behind your back. You're afraid that bringing up the situation will only make it worse so you decide

• Not to confront the co-worker

• Tell the two people negative things about the co-worker

• Immediately report it to the manager

• Talk with the co-worker.

Your new boss is quite a change from your old one. For one thing, she likes meetings. Your former manager held weekly staff meetings, but you now find yourself in them almost daily. And instead of simply answering your e-mails, she's always dropping by to talk about them. So you will

• Talk to her and tell her that you can wait for her email replies

• Send an email to her and quickly go out to take a break

• Adjust to her style of work

• Talk to her personally explaining that dropping by disturbs your focus

You feel unappreciated and undervalued. You work long hours to get everything done correctly, but no one seems to understand all that you do. You've never been comfortable tooting your own horn, so you are afraid that your quiet and unassuming nature may have caused you to be overlooked. Choose 2 correct answers.

• You will begin making people aware of your contributions

• In the next team meeting give a presentation on all that you have achieved

• Talk with your manager and ask him to inform your contributions to the team

• Talk more about your activities in various ways such as writings reports