The Realities of Workplace Dating….

With February hosting Valentine’s Day, it seems like the perfect time to revisit some of the age old conversations we’ve all had about workplace dating. … Read More »
by Jeanne Knutzen | February 7, 2019
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With February hosting Valentine’s Day, it seems like the perfect time to revisit some of the age old conversations we’ve all had about workplace dating. … Read More »
by Jeanne Knutzen | January 30, 2019
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Today's employers face a wide range of staffing challenges and staffing agency solutions. Here's how to make sure you are using the right staffing agency for your needs. … Read More »
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Check out the staffing, recruiting, and retention trends likely to impact local employers in the coming year! … Read More »
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The right staffing partner can provide a range of staffing options designed to solve common challenges hiring managers are faced with each day! … Read More »
by Jeanne Knutzen | September 25, 2018
0 Author-Jeanne, Blog, Flexible Staffing Strategies, Hiring.Best Practices, INFO AND RESOURCES FOR EMPLOYERS get connected, main whats happening
As the "gig" economy picks up steam, finding smart ways to utilize short term or interim employees is a business necessity. … Read More »
by Jeanne Knutzen | September 4, 2018
0 Author-Jeanne, Blog, INFO AND RESOURCES FOR JOB SEEKERS JS Bright Ideas
Starting a New Job? Check out these six ways to get yourself noticed in the first 90 days! … Read More »
by Jeanne Knutzen | August 7, 2018
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PACE has been placing employees in high impact administrative positions for over 40 years. The content and dynamics of today's EA/AA job market has an interesting back story! … Read More »
by Jeanne Knutzen | June 21, 2018
0 Author-Jeanne, Blog, Flexible Staffing Strategies, INFO AND RESOURCES FOR EMPLOYERS, Legal Issues - Staffing, Temporary Staffing.Best Practices get connected
While there are no legal reasons to shorten a temporary assignment, other factors should be considered. … Read More »
by Jeanne Knutzen | April 15, 2018
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Temp to Hire is one of our favorite things to do but we know that to make a difference for our clients, it has to be done right! Here's why (and how).... … Read More »
by Jeanne Knutzen | April 18, 2016
12 Author-Jeanne, Blog, Flexible Staffing Strategies, INFO AND RESOURCES FOR EMPLOYERS, Legal Issues - Staffing, Management.Supervision get connected
Are temporary employees subject to overtime pay? Am I at risk if my staffing agency isn't paying them overtime pay rates? … Read More »
by Elaine Hall | June 27, 2015
Here are some ideas on how to play the game!
Whether playing in a Washington DC restaurant, or in the break room of your office, when you look at politics, it almost never looks pretty. While in DC the behavioral standards for how to play the political game have been eroded to the place where name calling, creating “fake news” and embarrassingly child like grasps for power are commonplace, in most office environments political behaviors look more like gossip, brown nosing, compromising confidences and taking “sides.” In both scenarios, politics comes down to a competition for influence or power – to have some control over what happens next.
According to an article published in HR Magazine, “In It to Win It”, office politics are a reality impacting everyone. The certainty that all offices have their own “dynamics of power” can’t be denied and shouldn’t be avoided. She advises HR professionals to get in the game of office politics with the goal to win – to positively impact you and your career, and whenever possible the performance of the team. We think her advice applies to all employees.
But this advice is easier said than done. You’ve probably seen the many different ways employees play politics at work, each with different outcomes.
You’ve likely seen someone who gets involved in office politics because they actually enjoy the excitement and drama of it all. They’ve learned how to stir the pot, in some cases creating the perception of conflict, when there isn’t any. These are the employees who have never learned how to play the political game constructively and are often the most disruptive players in the process. In the big picture, they almost always lose, as team members figure out that their motives are personal.
And there are others who get involved in office politics only when the topic in play is a topic they care about. They are not shy about wanting a certain outcome, and aren’t afraid to advocate for their point of view. They make their case to their co workers and their boss. These are people who don’t play the political game often, and therefore haven’t put together a “power base” to win. They are, however, influential because others trust the authenticity of their motives. Their views are consistent, presented directly and publically.
You’ve also most likely experienced a co-worker who tends to get in the middle of office politics because of their need to be liked - and liked by everyone. These are employees who swing back and forth between the different “sides”, changing their point of view depending on who they are talking to. These are the employees who lose the game of politics because no one knows what they stand for, really. Not an employee you can count on when the going gets tough!
The author, Tamara Lytle, claims that any time two colleagues bump heads or two ideas are being floated to address a problem, it is human nature to take a side rather than look for the middle of the road. We’ve seen that tendency played out ourselves - once a side has been taken, we tend to listen to and believe only those “others” who are on our side. Not a good trait when the goal is to use facts and objective problem solving to make decisions.
In her article, Tamara offered several tips for getting into office politics the right way and for the right reasons. While her ideas were presented specifically for HR Professionals, we thought there were several that could be of value to all employees.
This article was written by Jeanne Knutzen, Founder of PACE Staffing Network, an award winning recruiting and temporary staffing agency headquartered in Bellevue Washington.
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