Compassionate Pragmatist

Every decision we made comes from our value system within us. If we are a compassionate person, we often find ourselves making decision emotionally. On the other hand if we are a pragmatic individual, every decision that we make must have been carefully thought through in terms of the potential benefits in return.

The question is what type of person are you when it comes to consider a job change. If you are a pragmatist, you will immediately accept a job offer if it promises you a 20% raise in salary. But if you are the compassionate one, then the decision process becomes not that simple. You would perhaps feel sorry for your current employer because he has trained you up to a certain level and you ditch him. You could potentially even turn down an increase of 20% offer. 

An idealist would like to believe that this is a world full of love and compassion. That if we are loyal to our employer, we will get rewarded eventually. Maybe you are the lucky one who has employer like that. But we have to constantly remind ourselves that we are living in a very commercialize world especially if you are working in the private sector. All the employers concern about is the profit margin at the end of the day.

So to come back to that question, if you are the compassionate one, how should you decide. I guess the answer really depends on the circumstances. If you are the longest serving employee in the company, the boss is really nice to you but you haven't got a salary review for more than a year. In the mean time, other employees who just joined the company got promoted and have pay rise. Do you think you still want to feel bad for your boss? No doubt he is really nice to you, but if he really appreciate your loyalty and effort; then your review shouldn't be deferred.

We live in a very materialistic world where sincere human relationship is a rarity. The world we live in is filled with people who are concern more on personal gain than to help each other for better good of the whole. I've even seen people who proclaim themselves to be devoted religious person; but their behaviour clearly shows that they are selfish and do not care for others.

The sad truth is sometimes we are forced to bit just a little bit pragmatic when it comes to decisions made in a commercialize world. Because if we don't, we will just be an outcast to that society. The only way to survive in this world without compromising our conscience and inner value is to try our best not to hurt others in our quest for a decent living. 

Modern society has taught us to focus on ourselves. That we are smart, we can conquer nature, we can step on the moon so on and so forth. We have magnify ourselves and forgot that we are as tiny as a grain of sand in the great universe. We are not great and therefore we ought to be humble and remind ourselves that there is greater being out there watching us. Regardless of which religion you belong to, we all believe that there is GOD watching us irrespective of whatever names that we wish to call it. 

At the end of the day, whatever happen to us is insignificant in the context of the entire world. Even the greatest leaders came and gone. We won't be here forever. It is therefore important that we live life fully in this limited time that we have. 

So why think so much for your boss if you have a better offer. At the end of the day, you are just one of the chess pieces on the board game. Nobody is indispensable. You will not get an award for being loyal. Soon you will be forgotten. The most important thing is that you have contributed during your time in the company and that is enough. You have sacrificed valuable time to work in the office; you have traded your time for money. So don't feel as if you have committed a crime by hopping to another company. This is just business. Everybody has a price and they will go where the right price is.

So are you the compassionate one or a pragmatist? I think the answer is obvious. 

Surviving Workplace Politics

"Office politics" are the strategies that people play to gain advantage, personally or for a cause they support. The term often has a negative connotation, in that it refers to strategies people use to seek advantage at the expense of others or the greater good. In this context, it often adversely affects the working environment and relationships within it. Good "office politics", on the other hand, help you fairly promote yourself and your cause, and is more often called networking and stakeholder management.

Perhaps due to the negative connotation, many people see office politics as something very much to be avoided. But the truth is, to ensure your own success and that of your projects, you must navigate the minefield of Office Politics. If you deny the 'bad politics' that may be going on around you, and avoid dealing with them, you may needlessly suffer whilst others take unfair advantage. And if you avoid practising 'good politics', you miss the opportunities to properly further your own interests, and those of your team and your cause.

Why work politics are inevitable:

• Some people have more power than others, either through hierarchy or some other basis of influence.
• For many people, gaining promotion is important, and this can create competition between individuals, or misalignment between the team's objectives and those of individuals within it.
• Most people care passionately about decisions at work and this encourages political behavior as they seek to get their way.
• Decisions at work are impacted by both work-related goals and personal factors, so there is further scope for goal conflict.
• People and teams within organizations often have to compete for limited resources; this can lead to a kind of "tribal conflict" where teams compete to satisfy their needs and objectives, even when this is against the greater good.
  

  Making Politics Work FOR You

  To deal effectively with office politics and use it yourself in a positive way, you must first accept the reality of it. Once you've done this, you then need to develop strategies to deal with the political behavior that is going on around you. The best way to do this is to be a good observer and then use the information you gather to build yourself a strong network to operate in. Here are some tips:

  Re-Map the Organization Chart

  Office Politics often circumvent the formal organization chart. Sit back and watch for a while and then re-map the organization chart in terms of political power.
• Who are the real influencers?
• Who has authority but doesn't exercise it?
• Who is respected?
• Who champions or mentors others?
• Who is "the brains behind the organization"?

Understand the Informal Network

Once you know who's who in the organization, you have a good idea of where the power and influence lay. Now you have to understand the social networks.

• Who gets along with whom?
• Are there groups or cliques that have formed?
• Who is involved in interpersonal conflict?
• Who has the most trouble getting along with others?
• What is the basis for the interrelationship? Friendship, respect, manipulation?
• How does the influence flow between the parties?

Build Relationships

Now that you know how the existing relationships work, you need to build your own social network accordingly.

• Do not be afraid of politically powerful people in the organization. Get to know them.
• Ensure you have relationships that cross the formal hierarchy in all directions (peers, bosses, executives).
• Start to build relationships with those who have the informal power.
• Build your relationships on trust and respect – avoid empty flattery.
• Be friendly with everyone but don't align yourself with one group or another.
• Be a part of multiple networks – this way you can keep your finger on the pulse of the organization.

 Source: Mind Tools