As a new employee, sooner or later you can expect that two of your co-workers or two people in management are going to get involved in a political fight and they are going to try to recruit you to their side. It may be something stupid: one thinks the new website background should be blue and the other thinks it should be red. Or it could be significant like how departments are organized or who is going to get a promotion. Here are some guidelines:
- Control your emotions - Have you heard that before? Nothing positive comes from letting your emotions control your behavior. Do not allow yourself to be pressed into making any decisions.
- Understand the positions - Sometimes, political arguments stem from misunderstandings about what each side wants. Ask questions. Be like me and act dumb: "Can you help me understand just what you're trying to do?" Expect that both sides will claim that their solution is the best for the business - they are never thinking of just themselves.
- Avoid taking positions - Be fair with your questions and try not to get drawn into the turmoil. The only exception here is if one side is clearly wrong or unethical. If this is the case, speak out and enlist help from people in authority (like HR).
- Call out bad behaviors - If the combatants are acting like babies or making you uncomfortable, let them know. Make sure they are aware of the impact that their behavior is having on the rest of the staff and on productivity. "Your conflict is really slowing down work around here." Probably, they won't care, but sometimes they do.
- Avoid 'sidebar' conversations - One thing the politically motivated like to do is talk to you alone and then misrepresent your position as agreement with them. Try not to get cornered. Suggest that 'Jim really ought to be a part of this discussion' to bring the other side in.
- It's not your problem - Put the burden of resolution on the sparring parties, not on yourself. If you think you see a resolution, go ahead and suggest it, but don't take the responsibility for its success. Politicians are not likely to compromise, but if there is a third way in which both can claim victory, that might help. If there is someone you can talk to about the problem - maybe HR or your boss - they may be in position to guide the sides to a resolution.
What if one of the combatants is your boss and you're in the middle?
This is a lot trickier. It's a lot harder not to take sides when your boss is in a fight. But a lot of the advice is the same. Control your emotions and try to be as impartial as possible. Help your boss to understand the facts of the situation - but make sure your facts are correct. I was once in a situation where an employee was reporting bad behavior on the part of my colleague which I then reported to my boss. Only the 'facts' weren't quite as they had been reported, putting me in an embarrassing position. Your boss is likely to be responding emotionally to the challenges, so help him or her to focus on the problem and issues, not the emotion.
Help your boss understand what impact the conflict is having on the rest of the staff and do your best to give an impartial analysis of how others are viewing the challenge. Be non-threatening here, because your boss will already feel threatened enough.
Above all, don't get drafted as a foot-soldier. If your boss asks you to do something to further her cause, but it doesn't feel like the right business decision, tell her you don't feel comfortable being drawn into the problem. Explain why you are hesitant and suggest alternatives if there are any. A good boss will not press you to do something you think is wrong.
