Winning the office politics game. 2

As disheartening and disturbing as office politics is, it's still a game and you can will and even avoid being the victim of office politics.

Positive Politics

In office politics, as in most things, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Once a coworker or boss is out to get you, it's hard to avoid being stabbed in the back. Play positive politics, though, and your coworkers and bosses will probably turn any stabbing instincts elsewhere. Here are a few of my favorite positive politics strategies:

Ask Respected Higher-Ups for Counsel Periodically: You have to relate well with higher ups,  especially the ones that do not go about bossing around or showing that they are the boss. Encourage them to think of you as a protege, and they're more likely to defend you when you need it.

Perform Deliberate Acts of Kindness: Stay late one night to help a coworker on a deadline. Send a handwritten thank-you note to the person who gave you that Word tip.

Do Visible, Important Tasks: If such tasks aren't in your job description, ask if you can take one on. Be sure everyone knows you did the work. For example, you might email key employees a draft of your project's final report, "for feedback," ensuring your boss or rival doesn't try to steal the credit.

Appeal to people's feelings and emotions: Show that you are also human by appealing to people's feelings. You can show false emotions and lead them. When issues happen appeal logically to their feelings and make them understand that you have the Company's interest at heart and it's important to you.

Remember, you are not fighting, you are avoiding the battle but winning. The following tips may also help. 

Respond with strength: If your saboteur tries to put you down especially in front of your boss or higher ups, don't wimp or attack verbally, respond intelligibly and that's why, you must have at least a first hand knowledge of the weakness of your saboteur. Your intellect response should not directly saboteur the colleague but be a warning that tells him he is about to get into trouble with what he is doing. Don't sway off the top of discourse too.

Inoculate: Tell others what you noticed so they can be abreast and maybe defend you when the need arise.  Point to specific evidence or unfairness