Empower yourself with tactics to combat covert office politics.
Have you ever felt that a colleague is subtly undermining you without your awareness? You might find valuable insights from the Netflix series The Mole, which centers around competitors striving to increase the grand prize money by completing challenges while identifying the “mole” among them. The mole, a planted saboteur, is tasked with quietly derailing their efforts, creating a psychologically intense environment.
In contrast to the show, where participants are aware that a mole exists, real-life office politics often leaves you in the dark about who might be subtly sabotaging your efforts.
According to Trevor Foulk, a professor of organizational management at the University of Maryland, “If someone is paranoid, they might interpret a simple benign interaction as an insult.” For instance, if a colleague walks past without saying “hi,” you might think, “They’re just busy,” but a paranoid mindset might lead you to wonder, “Are they upset with me? Are they talking behind my back?”
Co-workers can engage in various undermining behaviors, such as contradicting you during discussions, publicly pointing out your mistakes instead of providing private feedback, mocking your work, attacking your work ethic, or even taking credit for your contributions.
While confronting the individual directly may seem like the best approach, it doesn’t always yield positive results, especially if the undermining is intentional. If you struggle to identify the reasons behind their behavior, consider discussing your concerns with a trusted co-worker, manager, or the HR department. When bringing up specific incidents, include details such as dates, times, and any witnesses.
Additionally, commit to excellence in your work. Foulk suggests, “If you’re concerned about gossip or conspiracies, but you feel that your manager would support you if necessary, the threat posed by these individuals—real or perceived—becomes less daunting because you know you have the ability to protect yourself.”
