Fostering trust & respect at workplace

There is something similar between workplace politics and domestic subtleties. Every individual comprises a bigger whole and has a role to play within the group he is assigned to. An elder daughter takes care of her siblings at home and hence at work takes on to logistic work. An elder son who is generally the cynosure of everybody’s eyes, at work tends to be a domineering leader. Likewise, somebody who has been brought up with care, will invariably be quiet by temperament at work. The roles that we undertake at work have a link with what we do at home. Just as we tend to bring about changes at home to promote wellbeing, at work too, we do likewise.

Every workplace is characterised by a distinct working environment. While ethics, aspirations and interpersonal communications vary from company to company, anomalies, irregularities and deficiencies that exist also differ likewise. In the light of the foregoing, all workplaces are explosive setups where existence of politics cannot be discounted.

If you have to muddle through workplace politics, you have to sail across with professional competence. And that implies the need to foster respect and trust. For the purpose, you need to be armed with relevant intellectual and interpersonal abilities. The following actions can help you do so:

· Contemplate over your conduct in an assembly: The manner in which you conduct yourself will be similar to what you do in the presence of your folks at home. Are you a leader or a follower? Do you tend to appease everybody or stand up for your principles? You could be highly reticent or alternatively, you could be in the forefront of all activities and taking initiative to resolve issues. It is necessary that you are aware of how you conduct yourself so that you can address intricacies of workplace politics appropriately.  

· What is that you would like to do? Whatever be the nature of your comportment, there will certainly be some aspects that are bound to put you to obvious disadvantage. You need to be aware of such aspects, particularly those that you want to alter or transform. Such aspects will invariably be in the form of your disposition or feelings; defencelessness, lack of confidence or inability to shoulder additional responsibilities could be some shortcoming afflicting you. Having identified them, you should go through training sessions to overcome them so that you can sail through unhindered.

· Evaluate holistically before taking any step:  You should discern what the general mood is and that would be possible only if you direct your efforts to know more about prevalent conventions, groupings and pecking order prior to voicing your views. It is essential that you display a high degree of professionalism and tact at all times; any tendency to be predisposed and subjective should be curbed at all costs. This will help you to stay away from controversies. It is also essential that you know unctuous people around so that you can take necessary preventive action to fall into traps. 

· Remain embedded & entrenched in the current: If you ponder unnecessarily over the future or ruminate unnecessarily over what has happened in the past, you will not be able to take decisive actions. Of course, you cannot discount the past totally or be brash about the future. However, if you uproot yourself from the present, things will get to be highly unstable. Staying moored with the current will help you to maintain your poise in an otherwise turbulent workplace.

· Guard against loose statements: You need to exercise due caution with what you speak. Blether should be totally avoided and so should be disparaging remarks directed at anyone. It is in your interest to keep your wits about and be careful of the risk of being quoted. Once quoted, your relationships and credibility stands sabotaged; nobody will ever bother to know the context in which you spoke or what you intended to say. This is also relevant to situations that prompt you to react; it is best to cool down first before saying or communicating anything. The golden rule that you should follow should be to exercise restraint in saying anything behind a person’s back that you would not say in his or her presence.

· Be in charge of dealing with your own reputation: You may not realise it, but the fact is that any tendency to brag and boast can lead you into troubled waters. It is necessary that you keep your personal affairs confined to yourself. When in a group, your conduct should be befitting and you should never indulge in any activity that is outside the norms of propriety.

· Be respectful & considerate towards all: You could be holding a senior position or a subordinate one in your organisation. That is of no consequence when it comes to demonstrating respecting others is considered. You cannot escape doing that. Everybody in an organisation has a role to play and you have to acknowledge that. Any form of ego that you may harbour should be dispensed with when it comes to display of deference, reverence, thoughtfulness and consideration towards others is concerned. It is essential that you remain aware of the sensitivities and sentiments of everybody.    

Remember that life is an unceasing fine-tuning of internal relations vis-à-vis external relations. And your happiness can spring from some curious adjustment. Therefore, the need to be accommodative & adjusting at your workplace needs no emphasis. It is only then that an atmosphere of mutual respect will follow. And when that happens, mutual trust will automatically ensue.