Corporate Politics - Aren't we all part of it

Many different people have different opinions on company politics. Some will say it is bad and you should not be part it while the other group will simply thrive on that. Ever since we started working we have been taught to be aware of politics and be out of it.

The golden question is can you actually do that? Can someone really be immune to politics in an organisation where it is thriving. Better than that how would you define "Company Politics". But before that, why do we have politics? Well my guess is that it is all about power. Those who wish to expand the power grid will use politics as the mechanism to do that. Company politics is essentially about exanding YOUR group. In that regard aren't we all partof that? Don't we all have our won little click? Who meets during lunch or go for a beer? When that happens what do we talk?

Anyway keeping that aside, if we focus on typical company politics, we will have to focus on the management it self. We were advised many times not be a player for any executive . In our own words not to be "Mr. X"'s boy. recently a colleague of mine was totally disgusted with company politics. he was mad over it. He was wishing for a day where none of these politics will prevail. It made me wonder, can we really have politics free organisation? My guess is that irrespective of what the comanies preach in their HR mantra about just and equitable, as long as human beings surivive that politics will prevail. Whether you like it or not it is something which you need to acknowledge. I certainly don't mean that you should embrace it. But you need to acknowledge that fact and look at way of playing with politics. After all if you cannot live without that.