Lately office politics have been the source of major issues on my friend’s project. During a long venting session over coffee, we came up with a few guidelines for dealing with  office politics.

1. Assume that nothing is personal
2. Don’t make anything personal
3. Try to communicate openly and honestly
4. Focus on your work and providing your best effort
5. Don’t be an alarmist; try to be rational and assertive when raising or responding to issues
6. If you are feeling insecure about anything ask for advice
7. Vent to people removed from the situation to get some perspective
8. If something or someone makes you frustrated take some time to breathe before responding
9. Try to be patient and compassionate, you never know what other people are dealing with outside of the office
10. Don’t be territorial with your project team- it’s a job not Survivor

Referring to these guidelines should keep you from adding fuel to any fire. If you can keep your cool and avoid getting emotional, you can walk away from most political situations unscathed.