Recently, I was going to set up a meeting to kick off a new project. I invited those I considered to be key stakeholders, and I set up a budget and timeline for the project. While my manager supported the project, his counterpart in the organization did not. Why? Office politics.

It is important to understand the landscape, the people and the rules of the workplace in order to get things done. Today and tomorrow in Promotional Consultant Today, we share these tips from author Walt Grassl on how to navigate the dreaded office politics.

•    Be Visible. If nobody knows who you are, you will have little or no impact in the organization. There are several ways to effectively make your presence felt.

Take on tasks that get you out of your comfort zone, and find opportunities to interact with people and organizations that you haven't worked with before. Readily volunteer for events, such as open houses or teambuilding outings. When important assignments come up, make sure you go above and beyond the norm to ensure their success. The more people you interact with—work related or not—the more you will make your presence felt and provide an impact.

•    Everyone is a Volunteer. Treat the people you work with as if they are volunteers. To do this, you increase your respect. When you approach a subordinate and say, "We need to ship this part today. Can you please take care of it?", you give them the opportunity to push back. They may have a more urgent assignment that you aren't aware of. Ask, never tell. If you ask someone to do their job, good employees will always say yes and respect you for it. When you demand and don't tolerate push back, you sacrifice short-term success for long-term influence.

•    Be a Person of Influence. When people know and respect you, you will be more influential. As often as possible, you should be positive. You should not complain and you should avoid passive aggressive behavior. Help as many people as possible. Be aware of what is going on around you. Who is struggling? Who contributes above and beyond their job description? Who is an untitled leader? Be a mentor or coach to junior employees, in and out of your chain of command. Make sure the political nature of the workplace is part of the coaching and mentoring.

Want more tips for managing workplace politics? Read PCT again tomorrow.

Source: Walt Grassl is a speaker, author and performer. He hosts the radio show "Stand Up and Speak Up" on the RadioStar Worldwide network. Grassl has performed standup comedy at the Hollywood Improv and the Flamingo in Las Vegas and is an in-demand leadership speaker. For more information on bringing Walt Grassl to your next event, visit http://www.waltgrassl.com/.