One of the reasons I really hated being employed is because of office politics that probably emanated from friction at the work place. The only way to avoid being in the middle of such conversations is to distance yourself from any chit chats, rumors or gossip havens whatsoever. One close friend of mine told me that your colleagues are not your friends. That you should do your job and go back home. Minding your own business is really key here.
That's not the kind of friction I'm talking about. I am talking about the kind of disagreements that arise from real time work. I was once accused of working too hard and performing someone else's job. People get uncomfortable when you seem to be outdoing yourself, especially in a start up where there are clearly no one's duties or roles or job descriptions. In a start up, people do whatever it takes to see the business rolling, moving, generating revenues.
There's bound to be conflict. You will not always agree with your colleagues, or bosses or your supervisors. How you deal with conflict in the workplace determines whether or not you are professional. Learn to communicate your issues without raising your voice. If by any chance you can't seem to agree on concepts, respectfully agree to disagree and find your way out of the room especially if you are the vision carrier. This is what I have learned this week.
