In this fourth episode of “Coaching with Costas”, we discuss how to deal with office politics.

Below are the main highlights of our chat:

• Office politics often have a negative connotation. However that does not have to be the case.
  
  

• It is not either performance or politics. One does not exclude the other. If anything, politics do affect performance, so withdrawing from it may be naive and counterproductive.
  
  

• Poor leadership is one of the reasons why office politics have acquired a negative connotation over time.
   

• Having a great point of view and being right is not enough. You have to persuade people and make sure they feel accountable and committed.
  
  

• Self-awareness is key, and can help you find commonalities with people who share similar values to yours, without feeling that you are engaging in something that is unnatural. At the same time, it makes sense to build relationships with potential adversaries who may otherwise force you to withdraw from what is perceived as politics.