Office politics is here to stay. Like or lump it (personally, I lump it).

However, according to a recent article, it may be possible to take some of the negative elements of office politics, and apply them positively. These elements can be succinctly defined as:

power relationships and empires built on time-honoured systems and treaties

Empires? Treaties? Yes, some people take their workplaces very seriously. But according to a report by British management school, Roffey Park, titled The Power of Constructive Politics:

Managers should use politics to build coalitions and power bases for promoting ideas and innovation, and aligning goals throughout the organisation

I wonder if this is really possible? The article speaks of the frequent failure of change management schemes in companies because they cannot overcome the prevailing political infrastructure.

Surely trying to re-align these office alliances positively is the exactly same thing as change management? Anything that threatens the existing structure will be resisted, will it not?

It seems a little like a cat chasing its own tail, but such is the nature of office politics.