Let's first take a look at a story in the workplace, an employee of a major Internet company broke the news that an old employee in his group was "optimized" by the director for various reasons. After he liked the Chinese New Year's Eve dinner posted by the old colleague on social platforms, he received a message from the team leader asking to cancel the like, citing fear that the move would have a negative impact if the director knew about it.
Who would have thought that behind the small likes, the ubiquitous workplace politics was amplified.
In the workplace, every small gesture can be given multiple meanings. A simple thumbs up, which may be an expression of recognition and blessing for a certain moment in a private setting, may be interpreted as support for a certain position or attitude in a workplace setting. Especially in the context of strained relationships between employees and leaders, such behavior is more likely to be amplified and become a bargaining chip in power struggles. In the above case, the employee's praise behavior is likely to be a kind of sympathy or support for the optimized employee in the eyes of the team leader, and this kind of "standing in line" behavior is extremely sensitive in the workplace and can easily become the fuse for being suppressed by the upper leadership.
Is the workplace a real-life version of palace scheming?
Should employees express their true emotions in the workplace? Should we give up our personal stance on certain things in order to maintain workplace relationships? There are no easy answers to these questions, but they get to the heart of workplace culture. A healthy workplace culture should encourage employees to express their opinions and feelings, rather than allowing them to choose silence under the pressure of power.
Political games in the workplace are good or bad for businesses.
Xiao Zhao is a creative designer at a large advertising agency, he is talented, but introverted. On one occasion, he led a group of young designers in his group to design a series of fashion posters for new clients, and they drew a beautifully dressed girl based on the contrast between the metropolis and the environment. However, at an internal review meeting, an older director found the posters lacking fashion sense and asked him to redesign them. Older directors think a group of young people lack fashion? Isn't that very graphic? Although Xiao Zhao was unwilling, considering the authority of the director and his position in the company, he finally chose to compromise. He redesigned the poster as requested by the director, but lost its original soul and creativity.
In the workplace, should we stick to our ideas and opinions, or should we give up on ourselves in order to cater to our superiors?
Xiao Liu, a project manager at a start-up technology company, found that some of his team members were inefficient and had a negative attitude during the project execution. Xiao Liu plans to invite team members to meet in small groups on weekends to motivate the team and understand their confusion and needs. However, this move has been questioned by the company's top management, who believe that he is forming a gang and developing a small group. Faced with the doubts of the high-level, Xiao Liu fell into a choice: should he continue to adhere to his own management style, or should he give up the reform in line with the opinions of the high-level?
In the workplace, should we stick to our own management philosophy and methods, or should we compromise in order to maintain the stability of the company?
Whether it's the likes of Tencent employees or the workplace experiences of Xiao Zhao and Xiao Liu, they all reflect the complex interpersonal relationships and power struggles in the workplace. As employees, we should stand by our own positions and opinions while maintaining workplace relationships, and have the courage to express our true feelings. As an enterprise and manager, we should create an open, inclusive and healthy workplace culture, and encourage employees to jointly promote the long-term development of the enterprise.