Regardless of the size of your office, be it a three person satellite office or 500 strong head office, workplace politics plays a big part in day-to-day life. Egos must be massaged and managed. Quiet head-down types must be made to feel involved and part of the team. Senior management must be aware of you but for the right reasons. In addition, the importance of the cleaner or receptionist, who can have far more influence in an organisation than people give them credit for, must never be underestimated.

Here are some helpful tips on navigating the minefield of office politics while being good at your job and building your career.

Perception is key

The image you portray of yourself within an organisation will directly affect your opportunities or how people will work with you. It is a major balancing act between:

• being fun but not the joker,
• being confident without being arrogant,
• leading discussions without controlling them,
• asking questions but asking the right ones,
• giving ideas but not forcing people to run with them,
• sharing your successes without boasting,
• being knowledgeable without being a 'know it all'.

No-one is always going to get everything right and people make mistakes, but self awareness is paramount in being able to portray yourself in the way you intend.

A previous manager and mentor once gave me a good piece advice on perception. It is two fold - 'always dress better than your boss's boss' and 'act as if'. The first bit of advice is self-explanatory, unless of course your boss' boss is the opposite sex in which case you will need to reconsider. The second bit of advice, ‘act as if’, advises to play the part of what you want to be. If you are a designer with your eye on the creative director role, act like a creative director. When the opportunity eventually comes up, go for the position and if you succeed, the transition will be easy as everyone will already perceive you as a creative director.

Build relationships with the right people

It is a fact that we spend more time with our work colleagues than with our friends and family. Shouldn't we therefore make as much effort building relationships with our colleagues as we do our friends and loved ones? This can be as simple as asking a person from a separate business division how their weekend was, organising a team lunch, or getting a round of teas in for the people on your bank of desks.

Make an effort to find out what people do from other areas in the company, be interested and be engaged. You might just end up working closely with them one day and first impressions last.

Pay people compliments, whether it's the suit or dress they're wearing, the piece of work they have produced or the presentation they have given. The key to this is being genuine and honest without coming across as slimy or disingenuous. As the saying goes, 'If you haven't got anything nice to say, don't say anything at all.

While it's necessary to be courteous to everyone, it is also important to focus your energy on building relationships with the right people. This doesn't mean sucking up to the CEO but instead working out who has influence within the business and making sure you build a positive relationship with them. Whether it be the office secretary that helps you sort out the AC, the accountant who pays your salary each month or the cleaner who empties your bin, be sure that if they are talking about you, it is in a positive light.

While these points only scratch the surface of managing office politics, they are a good start and should hold you in good stead for you career.

Scott Pugh - Advertising Manager - Campaignjobs.asia