We all want a working environment of corporate wellness, but sometimes the name of the game is conflict, tension, tactical moves, power plays, ammunition and bluffing. Whether you’re fighting for a salary boost, a decision, additional resources or even your job, you need level-headed precision-planning when going into battle at work.
Firstly, remember that soldiers – not politicians – win wars. The receptionists and the administrators are the ones who keep a company ticking, so ensure they know your name and you know theirs. A smile and a “good morning” may be all it takes to keep the road as smooth as possible. You will be surprised how difficult your days can become if you are bogged down in transactional headaches and administrative roadblocks. Your other soldiers are your team, so be good to them and do not allow grudges to fester. Give your team the tools for success, as well as a lot of respect and courtesy, and they’ll have your back on the battlefield.
Once you have your troops’ loyalty, you have to rally them in preparation, getting them “psyched up” for battle. This means showing your team what they’re fighting for: ‘For the number of billable hours we are charging, we should be getting a higher package.’ ‘If they expect us to deliver this project in this time-frame then we need at least two more support staff.’ Battles are more easily won when other people are shooting ammunition by your side.
A sneaky, but effective, tactic is to drown the enemy in paperwork. Make sure that nothing gets sorted within the week so that you can work on your preparations. File forms, lodge requests, make casual errors that require weeks of back and forth, email administrative queries regarding policy interpretation. In short, begin something small and make it excruciatingly complicated, so you can be as prepared for battle as can be.
Finally, make sure you have plenty of ammunition which, in this case, is bullets of knowledge. Spend your preparation time learning everything there is to know about the company, from the software systems that the technicians use to the preferred methodology of the Project Managers. Not only will knowing the company like the back of your hand allow you to find the right point to target, but you can pull out this knowledge and start firing bullets of information if everything is going against you.
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