All organisations, big or small, have power centres and interests with differing agendas. In addition, especially in large firms, there are multiple power centres and senior executives with agendas of their own who jockey for the available resources and promotions to them and their coteries.

This determines the career progression of many who have to learn to play the corporate power game if they are to reach the top. Indeed, the corporate jungle is a term used to describe how the internal dynamics of corporates work and how one must be on the right side of the power centres if one wants to get ahead.

Moreover, the corporate world has also been described as a game of Snakes and Ladders where the smart moves lead to promotions and progress and those who cannot play the game, are relegated to the sidelines.

Therefore, aspiring professionals must learn from an early age to know how to play the corporate game and how to get ahead in the uber competitive corporate jungle.

This is the reason why many business schools have an informal learning experience that includes the real education of the management students as they learn to survive and prosper in their careers ahead.

Interpersonal Skills, Merit, and a Bit of Political Sense Can take you Places

Having said that, one must not get too carried away by thinking that all it takes to survive the corporate world is to be a politician or a powerbroker.

While there is certainly some truth to the fact that much of one’s success in the corporate world depends on soft skills, charisma, and power management, merit too matters and what more, in many organisations, it is the only thing, or by far, the most important thing that matters.

On the other hand, even very leading corporates such as Google, Facebook, Infosys, and Microsoft are known to be political organisations where the survival strategies for professionals depends as much on their ability as their skill in interpersonal relations and how they navigate the treacherous waters of the organisational ocean.

Indeed, the ability to keep different factions in good humour and the skill in playing the corporate game matter a lot as far as getting ahead to senior positions in the corporate hierarchy is concerned.

This is the reason why many Board Members and Senior Executives often have their own coteries and followers who literally follow them into and out of the company.

Real World Examples from the Corporate World

For instance, Vishal Sikka, the Ex CEO (Chief Executive Officer) of Infosys had brought with them a large number of senior executives from SAP where he was working earlier.

While many old hands in Infosys chafed at being sidelined after the exit of the Founders, there was precious little they could do about it.

However, once Sikka left the company, there were many who followed suit.

Next, Google’s Sundar Pitchai is often mentioned as someone who has the knack of playing the power game well. Indeed, most tech firms these days are filled with so many bright and talented professionals that when the push comes to shove and the senior positions are decided, more than ever, it is their ability to balance the factions that determines their promotions or otherwise.

For those of you who are interested in knowing more on how the internal dynamics play out in corporates, Glassdoor is an excellent website that has reviews (often anonymously) from insiders about the corporate culture and the different power games going on there.

Moreover, while the media does tend to report now and then on such matters, it is better to trust the grapevine either online or physical to know more about how such power dynamics play out.

How Political is Your Firm and Why That Matters

In case you are wondering whether getting ahead is all about power dynamics, rest assured that many legends in the corporate world actively seek to ensure that their firms are as less political as possible.

Indeed, even in Citibank where the politics matches those in the real world, there are attempts from time to time to ensure that the workplace culture is not vitiated too much by such power games.

In our experience in working there, we found that large and unwieldy organisations often lead to power games being played and this is the reason why some firms such as Fidelity have embarked on a mammoth reorganisation strategy so that all competing factions can be balanced out and then they can focus on why they are in business, and that is to do business.

Therefore, our intention here is not to scare those who feel that they lack the necessary abilities to play politics and instead, what we want to convey is that with talent and abilities, it is also necessary to have good interpersonal skills and the ability to get along with all, irrespective of differences, and the ability to keep calm and cool when faced with political games.

Conclusion

Last, it is human nature and the nature of groups that whenever there is a gathering of people, invariably, politics comes into play.

Therefore, it is important to note that one must cultivate the art and the knack of dealing with people of different temperaments and not let personality clashes get the better of you.

As research shows that employees tend to leave because of their bosses instead of the organisations, it is important to understand the power dynamics at work.

To conclude, surviving the corporate jungle can be tough, but, with a little experience, one can do that with aplomb.

Changing jobs frequently is no solution to politics. One must try to avoid politics for a healthy and positive ambience at the workplace.

Following are the ways to reduce politics at the workplace:

1. Job Satisfaction

   • Job mismatch leads to politics at the workplace. Responsibilities must be delegated as per the interests, specialization and educational qualification of the employees.

   • Task must not be imposed on anyone.

   • Individuals must enjoy their work for them to stay loyal towards the organization. Employees indulge in politics when they have ample free time and nothing innovative to do.

   • Employees must be clear with their KRA’s and duties. They should know what they are supposed to do in the organization.

2. Transparency

   • Transparency must be maintained at all levels to reduce politics.

   • Employees must be aware of the goals and objectives of the organization and strive hard to achieve the same.

   • Company policies should be same for everyone.

3. Team Work

   • Promote team work at the workplace to strengthen the bond amongst the employees. Individuals should be made to work in teams so that they come closer and develop a liking for each other.

   • Celebrate various festivals at the workplace.

   • Once in a while take your employees out for informal get together and picnics. Such initiatives go a long way in reducing misunderstandings amongst the employees.

4. Discussions

   • Issues must be discussed on an open forum and everyone related to the matter must be allowed to participate in the same. Problems arise when matters are discussed in closed cabins and employees do not get a common picture.

   • Employees should be able to express their views and grievances in front of their superiors.

   • Hierarchies must be well defined to reduce politics.

   • The subordinates must have an easy access to the boss’s cabin at the time of queries.

5. Communication

   • Effective communication reduces the chances of politics at the workplace.

   • Employees should not play with words and pass on the information in its desired form.

   • Information must not be manipulated at any cost.

   • Individuals should prefer written modes of communication to avoid confusions.

   • Communicate through emails and do keep your boss in the loop. This way the superiors are aware of what is happening around and no employee can cook up stories against anyone.

6. Maintain the decorum of the workplace

   • Politics never benefits anyone in the long run. Employees must concentrate on their own work rather than interfering in their colleague’s work.

   • Remember your organization pays you for your hard work and not for finding faults in others.

   • Avoid backstabbing or making fun of others.

   • Don’t spread unnecessary rumours about anyone at the workplace.

7. Partiality

   • The management must not be partial to anyone. Don’t blindly support any of the employees.

   • Don’t take action against anyone just because one of his team members has said something negative against him.

   • Don’t believe anything unless and until there is a proof.

8. Positive frame of mind

   • Employees must enter office with calm and a positive frame of mind.

   • Don’t think of doing harm to others. Remember bad deeds will fall back on you as well.

   • Don’t take things to heart. Avoid overreacting at the workplace.

   • Being overfriendly with everyone also creates problems.

   • Don’t let others know all your secrets.

   • An individual should know where to draw the line. Don’t take undue favours from anyone at the workplace.

   • Never ever use derogatory words against your boss in front of any of your fellow workers.

Workplace culture is very important for organizations to bring the best out of their employees. Workplace culture is also important for employee engagement and employee productivity.

Indeed, without an enabling workplace culture, employees would be demoralized and demotivated to work and this results in organizational atrophy and decline. Thus, it is important for all organizations to strive to make their workplace culture a positive one.

In this context, it is worth noting that Toxic Workplace cultures or those organizations where the overall atmosphere is negative must be avoided at any cost.

Toxic Workplaces are those where managers and employees are bitter towards each other as well as the senior leadership being vindictive and narrow minded.

In addition, toxicity in the workplace can be built up by a culture of backstabbing, backbiting, and settling scores where the employees are more interested in settling scores rather than work towards organizational benefit.

Toxic workplaces are characterized by extreme instances of harassment and discrimination and where cover-ups and scams and scandals are the order of the day.

Indeed, in recent years, there has been much interest among organizational behavioural experts about how to avoid toxicity building up in the workplace and how business leaders and HR professionals can ensure a healthy organizational culture.

Do Organizations become Toxic by Design or by Accident?

So, are organizations prone to becoming toxic over time or there are some aspects that make them so? The answer to this question lies in the way organizations evolve over time and how organizational entropy leads to organizational atrophy.

For instance, it is not common for even the well established and long running firms to become toxic as when the senior leadership starts to devote more time to power centres and the politics and the agendas behind them rather than pay attention to employee wellbeing.

In addition, workplaces turn toxic due to organizational inertia and organizational atrophy stemming from lack of focus on what makes such organizations tick.

Indeed, more often than not, workplaces become toxic due to financial losses and the resultant demoralization of the workplace that leads to finger pointing and blame games.

Apart from this, toxicity in the workplace is also a result of factional squabbling with each power centre playing the employees against the others and hence, the result being that organizations lose sight of their purpose and the means to actualize organizational objectives.

Is Workplace Toxicity Inevitable in the Current Business Climate?

Having said that, it is definitely not the case that the organizational atrophy and organizational toxicity are inherent and inevitable. Indeed, more often than not, it is easier to remain healthy than fall sick and in the same manner in which toxins build up in the human body due to lack of discipline and self control, organizations also become toxic when the leaders in charge of steering the ship fall asleep at the wheel.

At the same time, there can be also be instances of lone wolf individuals contributing to organizational toxicity and this is where a vigilant HR or Human Resource Function plays an important role in preventing the slide towards toxicity.

For instance, if the HR and the Senior Leadership is On the Same Page, it is pretty easy for them to recognize and prevent symptoms of toxicity from becoming a disease.

In addition, if the senior leadership is united and there are charismatic leaders in charge, they can ensure that their diktats and the orders are obeyed and there is harmony within the organization. On the other hand, once toxicity sets in, it becomes difficult to stem the rot and hence, our argument is that prevention is better than cure.

Some Real World Examples

In recent months, there have been several instances of how even the market leaders and pioneers such as Google becoming toxic workplaces.

For instance, there was a widely reported news item about how some employees were taking their biases and prejudices to the extreme by penning letters and exchanging mails in the Bulletin Board about both gender bias and gender favouritism.

Moreover, there were several scandals in Silicon Valley firms as well as in ride sharing firms such as Uber where the cleanup after the scandal broke about widespread toxicity was very difficult.

As mentioned earlier, the uber competitive (literally as well as figuratively) business landscape makes it very difficult for organizations to be harmonious.

As the external competition heats up, there is pressure on the internal structure and the employees to perform and exceed expectations with the result that humane values are often forgotten and it becomes a Dog Eat Dog culture.

This is the reason why some experts believe that there are no easy solutions to prevent workplace toxicity in the present times and hence, the best option would be to manage the situation rather than preaching and sermonizing about how to be healthy and fair.

Conclusion

Lastly, as we have argued so far, organizational toxicity is neither inevitable nor a by product of our times.

On the other hand, there cannot be a fully ideal workplace like the Garden of Heaven. Thus, to find a balance between the Utopia of Heaven and the Anarchy of Hell is the choice before organizations and we believe that being competitive need to make the workplace toxic and at the same time, harmonious workplaces are more myth than reality.

To conclude, the middle of the road approach that we advocate can be actualized and it is the responsibility of the stakeholders in any organization to ensure this outcome.

It is the organization which suffers; if the employees are engaged in politics. Politics never benefits anyone in the long run, instead affects the performance of individuals.

Employees play a crucial role in avoiding politics at the workplace.

Let us go through some tips to avoid politics and promote a healthy environment at the workplace:

• Employees must enter office with a positive state of mind.
• Leave your ego at the doorstep.
• Avoid being jealous at the workplace.
• Don’t unnecessarily find faults or criticize fellow workers.
• Avoid backbiting and making fun of others.
• Don’t try to spoil your colleague’s image in front of superiors or management.
• If someone has confided in you, never ever disclose his secrets in front of others.
• Don’t open anyone’s documents, files and notepads.
• Do not check your fellow worker’s emails.
• One should not overhear anyone else’s conversation.
• It is essential to concentrate on own work, rather than interfering in other’s business.
• Employees do not play politics when they are engaged in productive work. The management must ensure that the employees are enjoying their work and do not get time to indulge in nasty politics.
• Never spread rumours about anyone at the workplace.
• Try your level best to stay out of controversies.
• Avoid playing blame games at workplace. Learn to own your mistakes.
• An individual must pass on information in its desired form.
• Avoid data manipulation.
• Don’t believe things unless and until you receive a confirmation.
• Discuss things with individuals face to face and try to sort out issues on an open platform.
• Don’t try to overshadow the efforts of your fellow workers.
• One should not get influenced easily.
• Avoid taking sides at the workplace. Too much of friendship leads to unnecessary personal favours at the work place.
• Communicate through emails or written modes of communication. Mark a bcc to your superior to keep him in the loop as well.
• Promote open communication at the workplace.
• The team leader must interact with his subordinates on an open forum. Don’t discuss things with individuals separately.
• Delegate responsibilities as per the interest and educational qualifications of individuals. Employees play politics whenever there is a job mismatch.
• Transparency must be maintained at all levels to avoid dirty politics.
• Incentive plans and schemes should be discussed with the employees beforehand.
• Celebrate important festivals at the workplace to bring the employees closer to each other.
• Assign fixed lunch timings for employees. Let them discuss things amongst themselves apart from work at the lunch hour. Such activities strengthen the bond amongst the employees.
• Don’t always treat your fellow workers as mere colleagues. Even they can be your friends and help you at the hours of crisis.
• Don’t bring your personal rivalries to work. Keep your personal and professional life separate.
• Learn to trust your fellow workers.
• Never play with words.
• Avoid double standards at the workplace.
• Respect each other’s privacy.

An organization is at loss when its employees play dirty politics. Individuals find it extremely difficult to concentrate on their work in a politically driven organization.

Management plays an important role in avoiding politics at the workplace:

Roles and Responsibilities

• The management must delegate responsibilities as per interests, specialization and educational qualification of the individuals. Job mismatch leads to politics at the workplace.
• When an individual gains nothing out of his job, he tries his level best to harm his fellow workers as well. Employees make sure that their colleagues also do not achieve their targets within the stipulated time frame and receive strong criticism from their superiors.
• Employees indulge in all sorts of non productive tasks when they have nothing innovative to do.

Control

• Management must have good control on its employees.
• The management must ensure that each and every employee adheres to the set guidelines and follows the predefined rules. No employee should be given special benefits. Policies should be same for everyone.
• Well defined hierarchies reduce the chances of politics at the workplace.

Transparency

• Transparency must be maintained at all levels.
• The management must respect the employees to expect the same from them.
• Every employee should be aware of the goals and objectives of the organization. Issues should be addressed on an open platform for all to get a common picture.
• Problems should not be discussed in closed cabins. In such situations individuals do not know what is being discussed with the other member and eventually develop a feeling of hatred and jealousy against him.

Regular Interactions

• The management must regularly interact with the employees to find out their grievances. The issues must be sorted out immediately to expect loyalty from the employees towards the organization.
• The concept of morning meetings must be encouraged and even the management should be a part of it. Don’t make it too formal. Let the employees speak, discuss all their problems and work with a calm mind.

Avoid Partiality

• Avoid being partial to anyone. The management must not blindly support any employee. Unnecessary favoritism leads to politics at the workplace.
• The management must not jump to any conclusions unless and until there is a concrete proof. Don’t give anyone a low rating just because one of his fellow workers has said something negative against him. Find out the exact reason.

Team Building Activities

• A good and a healthy relationship amongst the employees reduce the chances of politics at the workplace. The management must promote team building activities to strengthen the bond amongst the employees.
• Celebrate important festivals at the workplace.
• Once in a while take the employees out for picnics or get togethers. Informal meetings bring the employees closer to each other.

Set an Example

• The management should set an example for all.
• The management must take strict action against employees involved in politics. Subordinates should not get any wrong message.

Nothing productive comes out of politics; instead it leads to criticism and negativity at the workplace.

Politics increases stress and also spoils the relationship amongst individuals.

Reasons for office Politics

• People willing to come in the limelight without much effort depend on politics

  There are certain individuals who attend office just for the sake of it and do not believe in working hard. Such individuals have no other option than to depend on nasty politics. They try their level best to create a negative image of their fellow workers just to come in the good books of the management.

  Mike, Joe and Tim represented the branding team of a reputed organization. Mike and Joe gave their hundred percent at work while Tim believed in tarnishing their image in front of Jack – their superior. Jack had blind faith on Tim and trusted him completely. He never gave Mike and Joe their due credit and blamed them for every mistake. Tim on the other hand was promoted and appointed as the new team leader.

• Personal Relationships

  Personal relationships amongst employees can sometimes also lead to politics. Politics arises when individuals go all out to support their friends, relatives or neighbours at the workplace. One should never mix business with personal life. Your team member might be your best friend, but at work he needs to be treated just like others. No special favours should be granted to him.

  Sandra always supported one of her team members -Maria as she was her child hood friend. Maria left no stone unturned in criticizing her team members. Sandra blindly supported Maria as they had spent their childhood together. They even came to work together.

• Blame Games

  One should always have a control on his tongue at the workplace. Speak relevant and don’t always find fault in others. Listen to what the other person has to say. Everyone’s opinion is important. One should learn to own his responsibilities.

• Lack of Trust

  It is essential to trust your colleagues. Your fellow worker might confide something in you, but that really does not mean you will walk up to your boss and disclose all his secrets. If you can’t help anyone, you have no rights to harm him even. One should remember that eventually it is trust and human relationships which help in the long run. Your colleague can even be your best friend. If one really has the potential, his efforts never go unnoticed. Remember there is no short cut to success.

• Manipulations

  Manipulating information to mislead superior also leads to politics at the workplace. One should pass on information in its desired form.

• Gossips

  Politics also arises when employees are indulged in unnecessary gossips. Leg pulling, criticism, backstabbing, hatred lead to politics. A jealous employee would never want his fellow workers to do well.

The fact that even organizations are constrained by resources such as how much money to allocate for each project and to which department as well as how many people to allocate for these aspects means that a certain element of political jockeying for these resources manifests itself.

The key to organizational success is how well the leaders manage the competing and conflicting agendas and how well they “take all factions along” in their decision making. Indeed, there are numerous examples of corporates where boardroom battles are the norm rather than the exception due to the presence of various groups each with its own agenda.

This is the reason why some leading business leaders often find that the “ground beneath their feet” is slipping suddenly and without notice and in other cases, they can sense that something is afoot and hence, prepare accordingly.

The other aspect of organizational politics manifests itself when there is a power vacuum in the sense that in times when CEOs (Chief Executive Officers) have to be appointed, the political jockeying “comes out into the open” wherein each aspiring senior leadership figures puts his or her own case as to why they should be appointed the CEO.

Indeed, this is the most common aspect of organizational politics wherein when the time comes to appoint the CEO, often one sees the various factions bring their battles out into the open. Considering the fact that the Board of Directors has the final say, it is also the case that each aspirant contacts the various board members individually or in groups to push their case forward.

Without taking names of specific corporates, it must be noted that there are many Fortune 100 companies where the Boardroom battles have become in recent times.

As mentioned earlier, the real challenge for business leaders is to ensure that such Boardroom battles and intra-organizational politics do not harm the interests of the organizations. Indeed, the most famous business leaders in the history of the corporate world have become successful and famous mainly because of their ability to balance the competing and conflicting agendas of rival factions and ensure that they do not harm the organizational interests “beyond a point”.

For instance, there are many corporates where organizational politics has resulted in attrition of employees especially the middle management figures who aligned with different factions often leave the organization with their group members when their interests are not taken care of. Indeed, this can cause significant organizational damage as such attrition tends to result in lower morale and demoralization of the rank and file employees.

This is the reason why many corporates have Boards that are designed and composed of members who can handle such conflicts without harming the organization. Moreover, the most successful corporates are those who can adopt a consensual rather than confrontational approach to organizational politics wherein they ensure that each faction is taken along in the overall interests of the organization.

Having said that, it must also be noted that there are politics at each level of the organization and hence, it is always not the case that the Boards have to get involved in each instance. Indeed, the history of the corporate world is replete with examples where the middle managers become powerful in their own right because of their expertise and experience.

Hence, they become power centres wherein they determine who gets promoted and why and who gets the share of the resources in opposition to other groups. While some amount of such jockeying by the middle managers is good from the perspective of autonomy and decentralization of power, at the same time, this can also lead to loss of control by the senior management if not checked in time.

This is often the case with governmental bureaucracies wherein the middle level bureaucrats often “run the show” and are immune and impervious to accountability because of their power.

Apart from this, the other aspect of organizational politics is that power centres tend to form and coalesce along regional, ethnic, and linguistic lines especially in countries such as India where the staggering diversity of the employees along with the attendant human tendency to “bond with their own” means that many corporates fall prey to such dynamics.

Throughout the discussion so far, we have suggested that organizational leaders should manage the politics without harming the organization. However, the fact that ethnic and regional divisions can seriously harm the organizations means that even the senior leadership figures are sometimes members of such groups.

This can harm the organizational interests far beyond any other political jockeying and hence, the contention here is that formation of such groups must be discouraged right from the top of the hierarchy lest they lead to ugly situations and completely unnecessary conflicts.

Finally, it is human to indulge in politics and hence, some form of political jockeying is inevitable in organizations. However, as has been emphasized throughout this article, it is only when such politics becomes unbearable and “crosses the line” between routine power plays and enters the critical phase of undermining the very fabric of the organizations that the leaders do not have a tough task at hand.

In conclusion, prevention is better than cure and hence, such instances must be “nipped in the bud” before they morph into situations that can result in damage to the organizations.

Let us find out how office politics sometimes can also help individuals hone their skills:

• An individual indulges in politics when he is not secure about his job. He tries his level best to tarnish the reputation of his fellow worker and make his own position safe in the organization. Always remember only cowards and losers play politics at the workplace. Politics makes you patient and nice. Don’t get irritated, instead lend a helping hand.

• An individual who has real talent would never play politics at workplace. People who do not find their jobs interesting depend on politics. Politics makes you more forgiving. Individuals learn to forgive and move on.

• Politics makes you a good and a patient listener. One thing which makes individuals bad is a bad situation. Not that people are bad, just that they are ill fitted to bad situations. Half of the problems evaporate when are discussed. Fighting never gives any solution, instead it only makes situation worse. Sit with the other person and discuss things with him face to face. Try to give him an alternative.

• One learns to deal with people more effectively. You just can’t fight with everyone. Politics makes you more adjusting. Not everyone can be the way you want him to be. Adjustments always pay you in the long run and reduce the chances of unnecessary conflicts.

• Politics helps individuals to look on the brighter sides of life.

• Politics motivates individuals to work hard and give their hundred percent. Every individual strives hard to outshine the other. Everyone tries to perform better than his fellow worker. Employees compete with each other to be the centre of attraction and win boss’s admiration and appreciation. Politics in some cases extracts the best out of individuals and makes them deliver their level best.

• Politics makes you more confident. Politics is something which is inevitable. Leaving jobs frequently is no solution. One needs to be confident and fight back. Remember if you are honest towards your work, no one can ever harm you.

• Politics makes individuals internally strong. They learn how to face tough times with confidence. Politics should never drag you down.

• Politics makes you realize your mistakes. If some one is blaming you for something, you yourself are responsible for it to some extent. Try to find out your faults and remove the shortcomings.

Let us understand with the help of an example:

Mike, Sandra and Jackson were part of the marketing team headed by Jenny.

Mike always looked for opportunity to take leave from work and meet his girlfriend. Sandra had an access to Mike’s mails, checked all his confidential documents and even had all his passwords. Mike hardly interacted with Jenny and it was Sandra who did all the follow ups in his absence.

Soon Mike lost his job. Sandra was responsible for tarnishing Mike’s image in front of Jenny.

Was Mike wrong somewhere? Yes he was.

– Why did he give Sandra authority to check his mails?
– Why did he ignore Jenny?
– Why was Sandra allowed to open his documents?

• An individual should know where to draw the line. You can’t be friends with everyone. One should know whom to trust and whom not to trust. It is good to share cordial relations with colleagues but one should never cross limits. Don’t share your secrets with everyone.

• Politics helps you emerge as a mature professional. You learn to compromise during difficult times and accept challenges with a smile.

Office Politics is something which is inevitable. In every organization you would definitely find someone or the other indulged in politics to make his position secure at the workplace.

Employees are involved in politics to:

Gain attention and win appreciation from seniors.
Be in the limelight without working hard.
Save his job.
Earn respect at the workplace.
Achieve something beyond one’s control and power.

Frequently changing jobs due to politics is no solution. An individual must know how to deal with politics at the workplace.

Let us go through some tips to win at office politics:

• The best way to win at office politics is to stay out of it. Don’t get involved in any of the controversies at the workplace. Avoid unnecessary disputes and conflicts.

• Concentrate on your own work rather than interfering in other’s business. Remember you are paid for your hard work and not for playing dirty politics at the workplace.

• Don’t always find faults in others. Try your level best to help your fellow workers whenever needed. Never give them wrong suggestions.

• Be honest. Never break anyone’s trust. If any of your colleagues has confided in you, don’t ever walk up to the superiors and disclose the secrets.

• Don’t unnecessarily react to each and every thing at the workplace. Your fellow worker might try to play a smart game against you but remember if you are honest to your job, no one ever can harm you. It is ultimately the hard work which benefits you in the long run. An individual playing politics might get instant recognition and fame but if he does not have the skills, he would soon be thrown out of the system.

• Don’t rely much on verbal communication. Communicate through emails. It is always advisable to keep your boss in the loop in all kinds of communication. Let your superiors know what you are up to.

• Never manipulate any data. The information must be passed on in its desired form. Don’t play with words.

• Never ever open anybody else’s confidential documents or check his e mails in his absence. Such things are considered strictly unprofessional. It is essential to respect the privacy of others. One should never over hear anyone else’s conversation.

  Never take sides at the workplace. One should not blindly support any one. Promote open communication at the workplace. Let the two parties sit face to face and discuss issues on an open platform to sort out differences.

• Always hold back your temper at the workplace. One should learn to keep a control on his tongue. Be nice to everyone. Avoid using derogatory sentences against any of your fellow workers.

• Don’t spread rumours against anyone at the workplace. It is always better to discuss things face to face rather than backbiting. Avoid criticizing others. Try to look at the positive aspects of life.

• Set a goal for yourself and stay focused. Don’t let others influence you and affect your performance.

Lately, the news emanating from the United States and India as well as from China is about how President Trump is raising the banner of protectionism and the slogan of America First and Make America Great Again is leading to lesser reliance on outsourcing and instead, focusing on the American workers being given preference over foreigners.

In addition, Corporates around the world including manufacturing companies are grappling with automation and the rise of the robots that are beginning to disrupt the existing work structures and leading to the loss of many jobs.

Taken along with the retreat of globalization in the years following the Great Financial Crisis of 2008, all these trends portend large-scale shifts in the way careers, jobs, workplaces, and organizations would look like in the coming years.

Apart from this, there has been a worldwide move towards hiring more women and minorities due to the realization that diversity and inclusivity or a more diverse workforce would help in furthering the cause of organizations.

Thus, it is clear that the workplace of tomorrow would be radically different from what we have been accustomed to so far and indeed, it would look alien and foreign to anyone who was born before the advent of the technological revolution.

The Emergence of the Gig Economy and the Demise of Full Time Work

For instance, further to the trends impacting the workplace that have been discussed so far, there is also the prospect of more and more corporates resorting to hiring temporary workers or Temps or employees on a part-time basis instead of longer term and notionally permanent contracts.

Apart from this, with the rise of the Gig economy as exemplified by companies such as Uber and AirBnB, the very nature of work and employment as well as the employer-employee relationship is bound to be disrupted and changed in ways that can only be anticipated to some extent.

What Future for the Workers of Tomorrow

So, where does this leave all the workers and employees of tomorrow such as the Millennials (those born between 1995 and 2012) and the Gen Z (those born between 1980 and 1995) and to some extent even the Gen Xers (those born in the late 1960s and the 1970s)?

To start with, the notion of an organization that one joins for lifelong employment is clearly out of the door. Indeed, much as we would be loathed to admit it, a career is no longer taken to mean a stable job with health insurance, social security, pension, and other perks and instead, now a career is something that entails a combination of flexible jobs, part-time contracts, and no health insurance and social security benefits.

If you have grown up with the thinking that your parents had secure and stable jobs as happened in the case of the Baby Boomers (those born in the decade following the Second World War) and that you too can think of such notions, then you would be in for a surprise as the workplaces of tomorrow would not only provide you with the sense of security of a stable job but would also thrust on you the burden of being on your own without any fixed contracts or assurances of longer term employment.

What with the rise of automation and the emergence of the robotics revolution, in a few years or even a decade, most of the jobs would be done by robots leading to extreme disruptions in the very nature of work and even part-time employment.

So, even if you are a freelancer who is thinking that you can somehow scrape by with the existing informal and flexible jobs, you might be in for a surprise as even whatever of the jobs is still left would soon be automated and robotized leading to another wave of disruption.

What Can be Done at Different Levels

While all this might sound alarming, anyone paying attention to the news emanating from the Indian IT Industry and indeed, even the worldwide corporate happenings would understand that what we are saying here is close to reality and the future workplaces would indeed be different from what we have known so far.

While you can prepare for this disruption by being innovative and inventive as well as by continually upgrading your skills and abilities, there are some things that you as citizens of tomorrow can demand from the governmental and corporate as well as the societal stakeholders.

To start with, the concept of a Universal Basic Income or a guaranteed payout for all citizens irrespective of any conditions would go a long way in assuaging and soothing the concerns of the workers of tomorrow who might be beset with anxiety and gloom about the future.

Basic Income as a concept is already being debated in the West and even in India where rising concerns over large scale job losses due to automation and disruption have prompted the advisers to the government to come out with concept notes and white papers.

Second, there needs to be more equitable distribution of wealth wherein as future workers, you must come together and demand that corporates and employers take the lead in narrowing the wage gap between those at the top of the income pyramid and those who are in entry level and middle level positions.

Indeed, without sounding radical or anti-capitalist, it must be noted that the solution to the coming disruption is for capitalism to “shift gears” and be more equitable and egalitarian.

Conclusion

To conclude, while tomorrow’s workplaces might be frightening for many, there are some things that can be done at an individual level and at the level of community and government to ensure a prosperous future for all and not just a few.