Politics and networks at work are aspects of organizational dynamics, but they serve different functions and have distinct characteristics. One of my clients is struggling with that, as he sees both as something negative and wrong. I must confess that I was there too, and when you start doing something to improve and see the first results—you can do things either easier, faster, or better—then you realize that is a choice that might help. If you are doubting those “tools” as well, let me decode them below Workplace Politics Definition: Workplace politics refers to the activities and behaviors employees engage in to gain power, influence decisions, and achieve personal or organizational objectives. It often involves informal, unofficial, and sometimes behind-the-scenes efforts to shape opinions, form alliances, and advance personal or group interests. Characteristics: Examples: Workplace Networks Definition: Workplace networks refer to the web of relationships and connections that employees develop within and outside their organization. These networks can be formal (structured, organizational charts) or informal (personal relationships, mentorships). Characteristics: Examples: Key Differences Conclusion While both politics and networks involve interpersonal interactions and influence within the workplace, politics focuses on power and influence, often through strategic and competitive means, while networks emphasize building relationships for mutual benefit, support, and professional growth. Understanding both dynamics is crucial for navigating organizational life effectively.
Tips and tricks that help you manage your emotions Emotional management and difficult relationships are closely linked because effective emotional management is essential for navigating challenging interpersonal dynamics. Regulating your emotions means taking responsibility for your feelings, reactions, and your internal world. Have your emotions work for you, not against you. There are a lot of debates and discussions this year on emotional regulation/ management, and from my experience, I noticed that the more uncertainty we have, the less we can regulate/ manage our emotions. Tips and tricks for emotional management: The more my clients took emotional management as their objective, they went easily through the 3 phases of learning: Emotional management is a problem within the problem. Most people stop working on emotional regulation after the first phase of learning, being afraid or emotionally interfering with the possibility of not making it. It might look too scary or to hard work to solve it once you know. And they stop taking action, that would be the way to change habits and beliefs. The more you feel your emotions consciously and on your terms, the more you can stay present and manage difficult conversations in an effective way. Do you have a plan before starting a difficult conversation? When you notice yourself putting off a difficult conversation, take the proactive step of planning for the discussion. Start by answering the following questions (from Judy Ringer’s ‘checklist for difficult conversations’): These questions can help you reflect on your motives, and then imagine the other person as a potential partner, rather than an opponent. In today’s world, we can add value whenever we consider a win-win conversation with a partner. When we think win-lose, difficult conversations might bother us for a long time. You can actively develop your emotional management skills with me! Schedule a meeting here and let’s start this journey together!
Main barriers and how to overcome them 1. Being impatient Yes, it’s true – we want to engage momentum with our creative projects and pursuits. I think it is important to contribute in real time to our projects every day to maintain ourfocus, intention, and commitment to completion. It is important to be patient with yourself and the process of getting things done. Patience takes the pressure off of us, while not letting us off the hook with keeping our commitments to ourselves. Patience and trust live close together. We have to trust ourselves that we can get things done, we need to trust that our creative self-expression is a valuable part of making meaning in our lives. We need to trust that even if things are going slower than we want them to, that patience is part of the progress. It is also part of letting ourselves rest and not constantly pushing. Journaling prompts to cultivate patience: 2. Not having clear goals and priorities Having clear goals and priorities combined with taking daily actions towards them – adds up to a significant body of completed projects and many accomplishments over time. Journaling prompts for gaining clarity and setting priorities: 3. Having trouble saying NO Being able to say “no” to some things, allows you to say “yes” to others. For many reasons, saying “no” can be difficult for many people. Saying “no” in effective and empowering ways can take practice and support. As my late colleague, Lucia Capacchione, once said to me: saying no is so crucial to having success in your life Journaling prompts for saying “No:”The word “no” is an important part of assertive communication and setting boundaries. Without it, we would say “yes” to everything and risk becoming overwhelmed and burnt out. When you witness other people say “no” and set limits with their time so they can prioritize their creative work, how do you feel about them? Do you admire them? Resent them? Wish you could do that too. Just get curious about this. We can learn a lot about our relationship to the word “no” by witnessing how we feel about other people’s “no’s”. 4. Dealing with distractions Getting distracted is a normal part of our work life.Taking a moment to pause and reflect on where distractions get in the way of completing things can be a valuable step in overcoming them.If you think this is your problem too, when journaling you can answer these questions : 5. Procrastination and putting things off Procrastination might very well be the number one obstacle to getting work completed.Procrastination and perfectionism can often present together.According to author, Lauren Sapala, procrastination can sometimes be caused by feeling anxious about what we are working on or putting out in the world. She suggests it is important to meet procrastination with self-compassion and get curious, without self-judgment, about what we might need to help overcome it. If you think this is your problem too, when journaling you can answer these questions : Conclusion Inspired by a discussion with a client that I admire, I feel inspired to share with you some universal truths that I reflected upon regarding how we can get more /better from the work that we aim to do. Many things can support us to complete our work. Among them, is our ability to know ourselves and our unique ways of working towards and meeting the realities of completion and success in our lives.One of my favorite tools for self-awareness is journaling. I also use it as a true companion practice to support my pursuits. There are many ways journaling can help engage in and complete, work of all kinds! For example, journaling can help you to: I know it is not easy. As a coach I am trained to see patterns, so let’s meet and decode for you what’s in the way and how you can overcome it. You can actively work with me and break all these barriers! Schedule a meeting here and let’s start this journey together!