As a PR rookie, there have been some shocking realizations that I have had to come to about the real world of business versus what they tell us in textbooks. Obviously, I always knew there would never be a cookie-cutter approach to any situation, so I knew there would be things to learn (and there will continue to be). But never did I think that pettiness and office “politics” would affect the ways we communicate and do our jobs in the future.

It has been brought to my attention that there are these restrictions when we get out into the real world. It shouldn’t surprise anyone, because no one ever escapes the childish people who create politics in the oddest places — like how it creeps into mothers organizing an elementary school play or even church.

But as professional communicators, you would think that the people in the business communications/marketing/PR profession could avoid it. Yet I am still hearing all of the stories of how different, yet very related, departments in a company may never even discuss the company’s goals, strategies or their implementation. The flawed division of power and inability to communicate freely with those in charge seems to resemble the same complaints we have about the “politics” we find everywhere else, whether it is the politics that govern our country or the social politics that seem impossible to avoid in day-to-day life.

So, if the faulty power structure in a company and the lack of communication are, perhaps, unavoidable because of silly human nature, how do we deal with them and avoid it as much as we can to get things done effectively in the workplace?

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