Workplace Politics: Social and Emotional Competencies

Workplace politics encompasses the power and authority processes and behaviors that are at work in a particular workplace. It is how the links between people in the workplace work. There are workplace politics at play in every organization.

After you complete this course, you will be able to:

• Understand what Workplace Politics is and why it is not always bad.
• Distinguish between formal and informal workplace hierarchies.
• Use practical steps to negate the influence of rumors.
• Define Social and Emotional Intelligence and understand their importance in navigating workplace politics.
• Understand the importance of Self-Awareness in dealing with workplace politics and think about your own strengths and abilities.
• Understand the role of Self-Management in the workplace and learn to improve self-management through reflection
• Understand the roles of Empathy, Organizational and Service Awareness in the workplace and social awareness skill development.
• Identify good relationship skills.
• See the importance of responsible decision making and identify decision traps that should be avoided.
• Create your own Workplace Philosophy Statement.

Course Topics:

Session One: Course Overview

• Learning Objectives 

Session 2: What is Workplace Politics?

• Workplace Politics
• Formal Versus Informal Hierarchy
• What to Do About Rumors 

Session 3: Lessons from Social and Emotional Intelligence

• History of Social and Emotional Intelligence
• Defining Social and Emotional Intelligence

Session 4: Self-Awareness

• Understanding Self-Awareness

 Session 5: Self-Management

• Understanding Self-Management
• Improving Self-Management through Reflection
• Reflective Diary

 Session 6: Social Awareness

• Empathy, Organizational and Service Awareness
• Empathy
• Organizational Awareness
• Service Awareness

 Session 7: Good Relationship Skills

• Identifying Relationship Skills
• N’Derial III, Part One
• N’Derial III, Part Two
• Individual Action Steps
• Reflection

 Session 8: Responsible Decision Making

• Decision Making
• Decision-Making Traps
• Decision Wheel
• Decision Wheel Method

 Session 9: Creating Your Workplace Philosophy

• Philosophy Statement