Dealing with office politics? This episode of Design Life has you covered. We’re taking a break this week from our recent design focused episodes to answer a listener query - how best to deal with office politics. It can be tricky to keep a clear head when your work is impacted by factors outside of your control but doing so can make all the difference to your productivity.
When a company places value in design, you feel empowered as a designer to speak up about the things that will affect design or users. When decisions and changes that impact your work are made at levels above your own, it can be really frustrating. A sudden change in management can leave you feeling confused. If you’re not sure if you can trust your manager to take your concerns on board, consider giving them a chance anyway.
Chances are that if more than one person in a team is feeling uncertain about new changes, management will notice. A team meeting or discussion can be a good way to put everyone’s mind at ease. ‘Directors feedback’ sessions at Convertkit company retreats give everyone on the team the chance to vent frustrations or shower compliments, depending on the topic at hand.
Be careful how you speak with colleagues about your frustration. Concentrate on how the changes have made you feel, rather than the person who has implemented the changes. Try to voice your concerns to the people who have the power to change things. If they don’t take your concerns on board and you are unhappy, don’t stay in a toxic work environment. Your creativity should be valued and your opinion matters.
06.00 – Dealing with office politics
10.00 – Communicating changes
16.00 – Talk to someone you trust
22.10 – Working in a toxic environment
