Surviving the rat race

Working in a very competitive office can be highly stressful. It's no fun bonding with co-workers who want to outdo you at every given opportunity.



More often than not, bosses ignore excessive competition in their departments as they feel it promotes greater efficiency. But at times, it leads to in-fighting, backbiting and overtly aggressive behaviour. Here are some tips to survive and remain sane in such a workplace:

Stay focused
Always do your work meticulously. Don't get distracted because of the dramas or gossip happening around you. Strictly avoid backbiting or gossiping about colleagues/boss as it might be used against you. So, make sure you are always on track as far as work's concerned. This will guarantee you job security.u00a0

Communicate smartly
In a competitive work environment it's not unusual for co-workers to criticise or pass on the buck at every given opportunity. This means you need to keep your stand clear on all occasions. Maintain a solid professional communication with everyone you work with. Whenever you're in doubt about something, send a mail and 'cc' it to your boss. This will keep you in the clear.

Find a mentor
A good mentor will guide you against overtly competitive colleagues. Ideally, it will be good to have your boss as your mentor. Or else, you can turn to someone who's a level or two higher. Be discreet about your relationship with your mentor. Your mentor can help you fight the stress of competition. S/He will also guide you to take extra steps that will help you shine at work and rise above office politics.u00a0

Make friends
Bond with people who don't belong to your department or don't have a direct relation to your job. Once you make friends at work, you will feel lighter at heart. This will keep you energised to tackle the work pressure. Likewise, maintain cordial relations with your co-workers, but don't get too close. Some of them might act very friendly, and later utilise you for their gains.u00a0

Stay cool
Avoid obsessing over your colleagues' attempts to sabotage your work. If you can prove with sufficient evidence that a competitive peer has tried to do some mischief to affect your final output, report it. But making such claims without proof is going to land you in serious trouble. You might even get sacked. So, think over it and then act.