Most respondents to last week's question say office politics should not be used as a tool for improvement. However, there are some who reason otherwise. Edited excerpts:

Tweaking people the only way

The smart manager will always play ‘politics' in order to get things done. In this context, playing politics simply means understanding all the factors of a situation and tweaking them to maximise the result. The factors most of the time are people and tweaking them to get the best possible result is not only the better way to do things, it's the only way to achieve the best possible result.

— Sudharshan Venkatesh, Indiabulls Housing Finance, Chennai

Will push the institution downhill

Why should politics come in as a strategy for development — is it because other, better drivers have failed?

While this may in the short run prove to be beneficial, in the long run, among employees, it would only promote suspicion, disharmony, dog fights and erosion in values, which may ultimately push the institution downhill. Office politics could lead to marginalisation of meritocracy, frustration, lack of faith in the organisation, disillusionment and, ultimately, talent desertion and attrition. For the organisation, it could lead to loss of goodwill, failure to attract talent, disrespect among peers and clients and in the end value degeneration which ‘balance sheet' successes cannot compensate.

— C.V. Raghavan, Scope International

Office politics begets stress

Office politics should not be used as a tool for improvement. By manipulation, groups (or more often individuals) try to corner resources and exert authority that is disproportionate to their contribution and entitlement.

This leads to messy games and vicious competition whose rules are arcane and arbitrary while the stakes are high and all-embracing — even those unwilling to take part feel resentful and alienated.

Studies have attributed office politics as a major contributor to stress. It unfailingly results in negative psychosomatic effects on unwary employees, resulting in fatigue and reduced commitment or job satisfaction.

— Girija Sankar Panda, L&T Valdel Engineering, Chennai

Grapevine and politics: deadly combo

Grapevine and office politics are a deadly combination. The former provides the fodder for persons with ‘political savvy', for tilting equations to their benefit. Office politics laced with diplomacy may be seen as a harbinger of welcome change and a trouble shooter too. But if it steps beyond this limit, in its pursuit of power, then it has the potency to enmesh the organisation in a mindless game of power politics hampering growth in the long run.

— Sandhya Vasudev, Fatima Degree College, Hubli

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