Office Politics: 40 Useful Performance Feedback Phrases

Office Politics is a tool that assesses the operational capacity to balance diverse views of the interested parties of the human interactions that involve power and authority.

Office Politics: Exceeds Expectations Phrases

• Refrains from making bad comments about a colleague or one's company in front of people who will use this to their benefit
• Focuses on doing own work instead of worrying about what other employees are thinking or gossiping about
• Avoids topics that make co-workers and managers think about the sensitive office issues in order to save oneself from gossip
• Watches and listens to others when there seems to be a conflict in the office in order to determine what issues makes them to react
• Stays informed in order to avoid being embroiled in an office scandal, becoming an office outcast or offending someone
• Refrains from making bad comments about one's job in the workplace in order to avoid giving people fodder for gossip
• Avoids topics about colleagues' behaviors, weaknesses, habits, and appearances as much as possible and focuses on those that build the company
• Makes friends with people who don't gossip, those one can trust, and who keep a positive attitude at work
• Avoids seeking revenge or bad-mouthing when wronged by a colleague
• Avoids actions that invite criticism such as being antisocial or choosing obvious sides in a dispute

Office Politics: Meets Expectations Phrases

• Reads between the lines when a colleague gives instructions or when one's boss makes an announcement in order to avoid making mistakes
• Stays productive and committed to own tasks in order to be less available for fruitless discussions
• Keeps one's topics and tone professional and work-related when dealing with other employees
• Makes sure that everyone knows that backstabbing, rumors, gossiping and undermining others will not be tolerated in group meetings, when one is leading a group
• Constantly reminds colleagues that how they interact with other members of the team will reflect in their performance reviews
• Treats everyone in a professional manner and encourages other members of the team to respect each other
• Determines which employees play office politics and stays away from them except when one has legitimate business to discuss
• Walks away when a work-related discussion turns into scheming or rumors
• Stays on top of own work so that no one will have a reason to question one's motivation or work product
• Thinks about what one wants to say, and tries as much as possible, to say it in a diplomatic and calm way

Office Politics: Needs Improvement Phrases

• Tries to impress other employees by backstabbing or talking about others even when one that is not one's nature
• Criticizes others if one finds their politics and gossip unprofessional and disruptive
• Allows oneself to be baited into an emotional reaction, which often results in overreaction or bad-mouthing other people
• Makes plans with team members, acts really excited, but backs off at the last possible minute
• Is a bad communicator; fails to deliver important information across thus causes a lot of problems with co-workers and customers
• Pretends to know everything about everyone and seems to be best of friends with everyone, but always brings the latest gossip
• Undermines others by always pretending to do everything better than everyone else
• Spreads rumors and gossip carelessly and without minding hurting other employees in order to be the center of attention
• Engages in a heated email battle with a colleague instead of simply talking to them in person or on phone
• Starts an argument with a colleague who calmly asks one to stop bad mouthing others

Office Politics: Self Evaluation Questions

• Describe a time when office politics affected a project you were working on. What happened? How did you go about it?
• How would you deal with a colleague who comes to you with the latest gossip about your manager?
• Are there times you have considered being a part of gossip in order to know what is happening in the company? If yes, was the information helpful?
• How would you respond to a colleague who sends you a provocative email? Is there a time when this has happened to you?
• What have you done to stay away from office drama and politics?
• What would you do if colleagues in a group you are in stop discussing productive topics and start discussing others?
• How would you rate your ability to work with others?
• Is there a time when a colleague pushed you to start a fight? If yes, what was the problem? How was it resolved?
• Describe a time when everyone was talking behind your back about a mistake you had made. How did you handle it?
• What are some of the things you have done to remain focused at work and avoid office politics?