One of the less savory aspects of any workplace is office politics. It’s an unpleasant yet often unavoidable consequence of different people with different temperaments and working styles put together in the same location. Technalink, like other businesses, has had its share of politics that needed resolution through spiritual management.
But just because the pandemic has changed many work practices and even shifted many employees to a work-from-home model, that doesn’t mean that office politics itself has died. Even in remote work, this can sometimes be a problem, but there are ways even in this situation for spiritual management to help.
Don’t Avoid Problems
This is fundamental, whether an issue is remote or not. Spiritual management is about seeing problems and then having the willingness and foresight to understand that ignoring a problem simply makes it bigger and more difficult to deal with as time passes. The best way to eliminate problems is before they can exacerbate and affect more staff.
Remember that one crucial factor in office politics is that if employees don’t get along with superiors, most would rather quit if the issue isn’t resolved. So if a particular manager or superior is losing you, employees, the hiring carousel will never end until this is addressed.
Identify The Issue
When it comes to office politics and what approach spiritual management should take, the nature of the problem determines the solution. Some office politics, for example, are rooted in task conflicts. This type of issue is usually more straightforward to address since there will be concrete evidence, such as failing to meet deadlines or the quality of work not being up to the expected standards.
But then there are personality conflicts where even though people are doing satisfactory work, the issue is a social one. Two people with interactions that tend to devolve into arguments, for example, is a personality problem, and this requires a different approach.
Use The Technology
In some ways, remote work can reduce the likelihood of office politics since sometimes it is personal or social chemistry in a physical space that is the source of conflict. However, that reduction in presence-based office politics also has reduced the effectiveness of handling certain disputes when physical presence and empathy are involved.
Technology does have ways around this, though. For example, online discussions, private messaging, and other channels allow people who might otherwise be drowned out in meetings or submit to compliance from peer pressure to speak more freely. Use these technology tools to ensure that those who might have been silenced in a physical space have digital access to ensure they are heard, and their needs are addressed.
Maintain The Boundaries
It’s easy for the lines to blur as people work from home and even wear more comfortable, casual clothes as they interact with each other remotely. However, it’s important to remember that relationships are professional even when working from home, and they should be maintained that way.
You and your employees should not view working from home as a way to force more casual interactions—and relationships—on others, especially if those others have no desire to do so. One of the nice things about remote work, especially text messaging platforms, is that logs can now be maintained of interactions. It’s much easier to see when lines have been crossed if there is direct evidence of what transpired. This can make the decision of spiritual management easier.
And always remember the tools of spiritual management are just as accessible at home as they are in an office, perhaps even more so. For example, using accessories like meditation stones can still be a part of the day-to-day work experience even during the pandemic
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