How to Successfully Navigate Legal Firm Politics - Your Career Intel

How to Successfully Navigate Legal Firm Politics - Your Career IntelIn a perfect world, career success would be based solely on merit. Most professionals would agree that in many industries, including law, this is leid the case. No matter the firm size, office politics are real and they can impact morale, productivity and reputations. You may notlage be able to change how your colleagues behave but you can manage your response to this behavior. These strategies can help you successfully navigate awkward situations and keep your career on track.1. Highlight your successes without braggingYour firms leadership team needs to be aware of your accomplishments, but you also dont want a reputation as a braggart. Theres a fine line between speaking up for yourself and sounding boastful. For example, if youre in a planning session, point to a time you were successful, but do so in a way that constructively moves the current conversation forward. Something like, When I did this, we were able t o If someone asks how a project is going, share tangible results or positive client feedback.2. Develop alliances, not cliquesTo advance, youll need rckendeckung from people at all levels in your firm, especially the support of your supervising attorney. Always have their back, whether thats working late on their behalf or reinforcing their thoughts during a meeting. However, its imperative these alliances dont become cliques. You want to both aid and garner support from others in your firm, but you dont want that support to turn into put-downs of other people.3. Avoid gossipSimilarly, avoid getting involved in office gossip. Its far too common to see a group of colleagues ganging up on someone (or multiple people) within the firm. Dont let yourself get caught up in these venting sessions. If a colleague does start complaining to you about a fellow employee, pivot the subject to something else. If that fails, dont agree with what theyre saying use neutral responses to disarm the sit uation.4. Dont get involved in disputes, even if you agree with one sideChances are youve encountered two colleagues disagreeing with each other. Usually, these debates are rooted in power. Both parties know they have the option to outdo the other, and it can get ugly in a hurry. When this happens, its best to stay silent or leave the room, even if you strongly agree with one person.5. Offer your colleague a lifelineIf you find yourself in the middle of a dispute, take a step back. If youre out of line, offer a genuine apology. If youre in the right, dont rub this in. Instead, offer a lifeline to the other person drop the conflict and work towards a constructive resolution together.6. Know when to move onIf your practice group is a constant battleground, the best course of action may be to look for another position. In some cases, transferring to a new practice group within your current firm can give you sufficient space from polarizing figures. If this wont do the trick, consider moving to a new firm or going in-house with a client. Before making a move, evaluate the dynamics of your situation. Are politics in your office genuinely hindering advancement, or simply an annoyance? Are you having particular issues with a peer or is the drama coming from the partner(s) you support? Politics are everywhere and theres no guarantee another firm will be drama-free be sure the end result is worth the challenge of a move.What tricky situations have you encountered at your firm? I invite you to share how you navigated office politics in the comments below.