With its better than ever list of topics and speakers, Raw School 2014 touched on a very sensitive aspect in the creative industry – office politics.
Held on June 19 at Campaigns & Grey office in Makati, the seminar featured JWT Manila’s Golda Roldan, TBWA\Santiago Mangada Puno’s Marci Reyes, Publicis JimenezBasic’s Lec Flores, IXM’s Third Domingo and Campaigns & Grey’s Yoly Ong.
Roldan discussed how politics inside the office can derail the work process. With the concept of empowerment versus power, she differentiated inspiring confidence from controlling someone. Roldan concluded her talk saying that in any company you should learn how to have fun while effectively and efficiently collaborating with other people.
Reyes, on the hand, shared that to avoid office politics, one should remember the reason they’re in the office. Reyes said the key to surviving office politics include:
Learning the art of ‘dedma‘ – Avoid negative vibes and getting distracted by ignoring trivial issues
Picking your battles – Not everything needs to be addressed
Backing up your ‘angas’ – If you’re going to brag, make sure you have something to brag about
Learning “Bossil” – Making your boss feel like a fossil by doing a great job
Still doing the dirty work – No one is too good for small jobs
Doing your job well and enjoying the politics is the key for Domingo. He stressed that the advertising industry is a big political party with a single belief and purpose. “Excellence is the only barometer,” says Domingo, adding that a creative should learn how to increase their value and not their ego.
For Flores, getting along with four types of people can help you survive office politics. Having a good relationship with your partner, the account executives, your boss, and your clients can create a harmonious office environment.
Closing the seminar was Ong with pointers on strengthening and managing our emotional intelligence to relate better with our colleagues, “emotion can lead to our worst decisions or our best ones.” Although office politics can be considered as a social phenomenon and are inevitable because of people’s different opinions and conflicts of interest, Ong shared that it can be avoided.
This can be done by being aware that you have a choice, knowing what you are trying to achieve, focusing on your circle of influence, not taking sides, not getting too personal, seeking to understand before seeking to be understood and always thinking win-win in situations.
Raw School is a year-round seminar for students and young creatives in the advertising and professional industry, organized by the 4As Philippines. Keep track of their next classes via the Better Than Ever Raw School Facebook Page.
